Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There had recently been a power outage near my house, maybe a few weeks ago. It only lasted a few hours, and didn’t cause any problems for me or my neighborhood, so I didn’t think much of it. I’m currently working the last 45 minutes of my job, and there hasn’t been anyone coming in and buying anything for a hot minute. My money was running low so I’ve been trying to get more hours at this job, and now that I can finally work later in the evening, it’s been so boring. My coworkers were in the back cleaning up, so I had to stay at the register and count coins over and over…. As the minutes passed by, I decided to try and organize around the counter a bit. Halfway through, I heard the bell near the door ring, signaling that someone had come in.
I finished whatever I was doing and waited patiently for the customer to get whatever they needed and pay... if they were going to buy anything at all. When they walked into an aisle that I could see clearly, I noticed how unique they looked. They had lots of blue on them(I assumed it was their favorite color) with star patterns on their shirt, and cloud patterns on their bucket hat. They seemed lethargic and very dazed, just judging by their body language.
Eventually, after a few minutes had passed, they came up to the register, setting down a few bags of chips and a soda pack. I scanned the items and rang them up, using my sweetened customer voice to talk to them. “Is that all for today?” Now that the customer was closer, I could see the details on their face. They had… star stickers on their face? Their facial structure was more masculine, yet there was a certain roundness to it that made me unsure. Their hazelnut skin was a bit dirty, yet still rosy and vibrant, unlike their hair, which was a dull blue. They were exhausted, their eyes half-lidded and hazy.
“Mm, yeah,” they mumbled, their voice low and raspy. Despite the gruffness of their voice, it was somehow still very soothing to hear. I watched as he walked off, their back hunched over as they grabbed a can of soda and opened it. Usually, I would forget customers after a few minutes but I still had the image of them in my mind. They were like a diamond in the rough, in the sense that I rarely see people with such creative looks. I hoped to see them again, and maybe even have a proper conversation(if the store isn’t too busy when he comes back).
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Once it reached the last 5 minutes of my shift, my coworkers and I started to clean up and close the store. I was sweeping up with one of them, a quiet and dull man who always came in wearing red, named Crowley. He rarely spoke to me, only ever talking when he had to pass on a message or needed help with something. “Hey, can you finish sweeping in here? I need to go take the trash out into the back.” He asked quietly. “Yeah, sure! You can go home once you’re done with that, I’ll get everything closed up!” I smiled and waved him off, making a mental checklist in my mind of everything I needed to do. Crowley walked off to the back room, taking his things with him and slowly waving me goodbye.
I quickly finished up cleaning, only needing to sweep and replace some items on the shelves. After around 9 hours of talking, counting money, and standing around doing nothing, I was finally able to go home at 10:35 pm. I locked the door, turned the lights off, grabbed my things, and left. While walking to my car, I heard my stomach rumble and remembered I needed to get more food on Friday... I think it was sausages, eggs, honey, some fruits, spaghetti, and other foods that would be within my budget. I needed to stop by the butcher's shop anyway so a weekend errand would be a fun way to pass the time.
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Walking into my house, I let out a sigh of relief. I instinctively went straight for my room, lazily tossing my bag on the couch and my shoes near the door. The dull colors of the walls all blended as I passed them; the only color around was a few pictures or random furniture. I remembered I needed more decoration here, seeing as it was all so bland and didn’t quite feel like home yet. My house was a decent size since it was originally made for around 3 people; it had 3 bedrooms(I now keep the other 2 as either guest rooms or storage rooms), 4 bathrooms, and a small living room and kitchen near the front entrance. I had only a big couch, a loveseat, a medium-sized TV, and a coffee table in the living room. The lack of personality in this house was due to the fact that I had been so focused on saving all my money for my college debt and bills.
But the plus side to all this saving… I now have money! I quickly checked my account balance on my phone, and it showed $9,638.05! I obviously wouldn't be spending all of this immediately, I was too paranoid that another accident would happen(like the power outage) to be a free spender. I decided I would spoil myself a bit on the weekend.. maybe go to my favorite restaurant in the evening, or finally get more decorations. I remembered there was a nearby antique and thrift store, so I planned to go there after getting the important chores done.
As I scrolled through my phone, doom-scrolling and responding to any of my friend's or family’s messages, I saw a post by my city showing 2 strange men who escaped from police custody. There was a warning that warned about these two criminals, one a thief and the other an attempted murderer, both photos of them extremely blurry. I sighed and turned off my phone, leaving it to charge and staring at my ceiling. It only took a few minutes until I felt my eyes get heavier, and decided I would go to sleep. Not worrying about that warning(but still keeping it in mind), I had just one more day of work and I'd be able to relax and unwind on the weekend.
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The workday went by without any difficulties, and unfortunately, the cool person I saw yesterday didn’t show up again. I made a quick stop once I left work to grab a quick snack from the store since I was hungry and was going to go shopping tomorrow. I didn't see anything about the two escapees again so I thought they either got caught again or weren't much of a threat.
The next day, I was able to sleep in til around 10 am, and I had a very slow, yet enjoyable morning. Just a quick breakfast and finishing small chores as usual. After a few hours of mucking around, I decided to get ready and start getting my errands done. The drive to the grocery store was only a few minutes, and while driving I got to listen to my favorite songs! I thankfully made a list before I left my house, so I went across all the isles and got everything I had on the list. While paying for my things, I remembered I needed to stop by the antique store after I put all my groceries away at home.
After getting everything sorted into their rightful places, I went back to my car and drove off to the antique store. Walking into the store, I got hit with a wave of some very strange scent. It was almost nostalgic; very musty and off-putting, yet comforting. The store was full of shelves that were crowded with random trinkets and decorum at the front entrance, but I spotted some larger furniture and decorations in the back. I made my way to the back while idly scanning the rows of shelves, seeing if there was anything cool I could find to bring back to my house. I wanted to find things that would make my house pop; like weird decorations that feel out of place yet are too cool to ignore, or things that were just strangely beautiful. A lot of antique stores had weird things that made you wonder why it was even created in the first place, but now and then there would be a random object with a beautiful design or pattern on it.
A bit of searching later, I found a gray lamp with dull pastel patterns and jewels on it, a clock with eyes and a mouth(when I saw it, it made me giggle a bit), 2 matching pillows with cat designs on them, and a surprisingly soft carpet that would be perfect for my living room. I paid for everything(all of it was surprisingly cheap) and made my way back home once again.
Finally back home, and I have everything set up and clean. I texted my parents about my new furniture and decorations and they congratulated me, though made some comments about them. They thought they were too weird and were probably haunted, but I just laughed it off and reassured them. I didn't believe in the supernatural, but my parents believed in “good” and “bad” spirits and always warned me about them when getting new and strange things. I messed around on my phone for an hour more until I realized it was already 5 pm. My stomach growled loudly and I sighed, going into the map app on my phone and seeing what restaurants were nearby. I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite food spots, called Lucy’s. It was a place that mainly served f/f and had many different options on the menu(and their dessert was to die for). I quickly got up, freshened myself, and made my way to Lucy’s.
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After a very filling dinner(or linner.. dunch? Too early to be dinner and too late to be lunch…), I finally got to lay down on my couch, turn the TV on, and read some books. I had on the new lamp I got, and it emanated a soft orange glow all around the room; it was the perfect aesthetic. As I got lost in the pages, my imagination going wild and forgetting I was even real anymore, I slowly started to get more and more tired. Eventually snapping out of the trance the book put me in, I got up, stretched, and made my way to my room. I once again let the world around me blur together as I mindlessly changed myself and got ready for bed, the familiar routine automatically setting my brain on autopilot. Feeling satisfied with the day, I was easily lulled to sleep, letting my mind drift wherever, though I couldn’t help but feel a bit strange. Everything was going so smoothly, like the calm before the storm. But I quickly ignored those thoughts, knowing it’d only make me unnecessarily stressed if I worried too much, and finally fell asleep.

Chapter Text

I woke up feeling strangely dizzy like I had fallen down 3 flights of stairs in my sleep. I vaguely remembered a strange dream I had... I think the new clock I got was in the dream. Oh well, I never bothered remembering most dreams anyway. As I was getting out of bed, I had to take a moment to regain my composure after stretching. I didn’t realize how sore my body was until I got up and started moving; I didn't put much strain on my body yesterday though… I slowly went through everything that happened yesterday, and even the days before, but there was nothing I did that could explain the constant, yet subtle pain I was feeling. As I eased myself into walking, I felt myself getting used to it, though if the pain persisted, I’d go to a doctor.
When I got to my kitchen and looked through my fridge and cabinets(pulling out some eggs and bread) I realized I forgot to go to the butcher shop yesterday. I cursed myself out in my head and groaned, adding that to my list of chores I needed to do today. I lazily made my eggs and toast, glad to have something quick and easy, though still disappointed at the lack of meat available.
Doing my daily chores made the pain go away slightly, but I was still a bit fatigued so I decided to make today an easy resting day. I carried the trashcan outside through my garage, and on my way in, I saw a box on my doorstep. Sighing, I dragged myself over to pick it up and bring it inside, my arms feeling heavier and heavier as I used them more. The sound of metal and glass clanking together could be heard as I accidentally set the box down roughly on my couch. I groaned, reluctantly turned around, and sat next to the box, opening it up and letting out a sad chuckle.
Inside the box was an old 2000s laptop, an empty sketchbook, and a blue lamp with star and cloud designs. I looked around more, yet there was no note or address saying who sent this and where it was from. After quickly checking for any damage on the objects, and finding none, I took the sketchbook and lamp out first, deciding that the computer would put too much strain on my arms right now. The second page on the sketchbook had a very simple face doodled on, which I thought was cute, and as I flipped through I could see a few more pages that had some drawings on them(all very simple drawings). The lamp didn't have any plug-in or battery opening that I could see, yet it still turned on and off, and the stars on the base of the lamp also glowed! I smiled softly at that, finding it adorable, yet somehow familiar. It was probably a lamp designed for a child, but I was definitely adding it to my collection(if whoever left it at my door didn't come back to retrieve their things). After setting the lamp back down, I turned to look into the box at the computer. I wasn't sure if it could turn on(it looked to be in pristine condition), so I decided to wait until tomorrow to set it up in my room.
I sighed and checked the time on my new clock(which was right above my TV in the living room), but noticed it was off. The hands on the clock were at the 3:40 mark…. Strange, I could’ve sworn that I had changed it last night…. Whatever. I picked up the clock, changed the hands to the set time after checking my phone, and put it back. It was 12:56 am, only a few hours after I had eaten, so I told myself I'd wait until later to have lunch. Looking outside, I noticed it was very cloudy. I checked my phone and saw it was going to rain later today. I groaned and went to put my shoes back on. If I wanted to get my meat from the butcher's shop, I’d have to go now so I wouldn't get caught in the rain.
As I walked into the butcher’s shop, I noticed a different man was working at the counter today. He was huge, probably 6’4, yet he seemed very friendly. As he happily spoke to the customer upfront, he locked eyes with me, and ended his conversation with the customer, waving them goodbye with a big smile. “Good morning! How are you?” He had a bit of a deep yet endearing voice, which added to his charm. “Ah, I'm doing fine, how ‘bout you?” He seemed like someone who genuinely enjoyed his job and enjoyed socializing, considering how he didn’t just repeat the few lines most workers would. “I’m doing great, thanks for asking! Let me know if you need anything!” I nodded and went to find the bacon and sausage. The bacon was in its usual spot on the shelves, so I quickly grabbed it and went to look for the sausage. I walked around twice, making sure to look carefully the second time, yet couldn’t find the sausage. I sighed and went to the counter, placing the bacon down and deciding to ask, “Hey, I couldn't find any sausage, did you guys run out today?” I noticed the vitiligo marks on his face were similar to a steak, and I giggled to myself, finding it very fitting for a butcher. He thought for a moment, ringing me up mindlessly before remembering. “Oh! They're still in the back, I'll go get you some if you'd like!” I smiled and happily replied, “Yes, please! Could you get some breakfast sausage?” “Of course! Just give me one second, darling!” I softly giggled at the nickname at the end. He probably used it with everyone else but it was still cute. What a kind man….
He came back after a few minutes, rang me up, and waved me goodbye after a quick conversation. I left feeling warm and fuzzy inside, completely forgetting any of the pain I was in. The drive back was nice, but I could see little droplets fall onto my windshield, meaning I needed to get home before the rain got bad. Thankfully I did, and I immediately stored the new food once I got inside. As I started to relax, I noticed things in my living room had moved around. The clock was on the table and once again reset to 3:40, the laptop was out of the box and on the couch instead, and the sketchbook and lamp were nowhere to be seen. Panic slowly started to set in as I realized someone probably broke in. I went to the kitchen, grabbed the sharpest knife I could find, and began to quietly sneak around the house, carefully searching for anyone who could be hiding. I didn't live in a particularly dangerous neighborhood, but there was always the possibility of a break-in. Slowly moving around, I felt the soreness start to rile up again, making my legs a bit shaky, which only made me slower.
After a good 20 minutes of panicking, listening, and searching, I eventually gave up, concluding that whoever broke in had left already. The blue lamp was in my room, along with the sketchbook leaning against it. Thankfully, nothing was stolen from what I could tell, and nothing was broken. Usually, I was comforted by the sound of rain outside, but right now it made me feel more anxious. I contemplated calling the cops, but I didn't have any evidence of a break-in other than stuff being moved around, so they probably wouldn't believe me anyways. I decided I would get a security camera from a store and set it up in my living room and main hallways, just to be safe. As much as I hated driving in the rain, my safety and peace of mind were more important right now. I sighed, realizing I probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight even though I had work tomorrow.
The drive was slow and quiet; I didn't bother turning on the radio. Instead, I listened to the rain pouring down on my windows. I ran into the store, realizing I had forgotten my umbrella, and searched through the isles for any technology that resembled security cameras. Thankfully, I quickly found some(not the highest quality, but good enough for me) and went to the self-checkout to pay. I spent a few seconds waiting under the edge of the roof, gaining the courage to run through the rain to get to my car. Before I could gather enough courage to leave, someone from behind me tapped my shoulder.
“Excuse me, would you like to borrow my umbrella?” I jolted and quickly turned around, another unique character standing before me. A man, around 5’7, wore a bright yellow cloak with colorful patterns all around. It took me a second to process that he was holding out his umbrella for me and that I was staring too much. “Oh! Are you sure? I was just about to run off to my car.” I didn’t feel comfortable immediately taking someone up on their offer, so I had to make sure he had his own way to stay dry. “Yes, of course! I couldn’t help but notice you were waiting and without an umbrella, so I decided to offer mine. My cloak would be enough to keep me dry, don't worry!” His voice was high-pitched and soothing, like a mother comforting their child. “Ah... Thank you so much. But are you positive? I’d feel bad keeping your umbrella…” I hesitantly took the umbrella from his hands, noticing he wore white and teal gloves. “If you want, I could give you my number and we could meet up somewhere! It could be a quick meetup or we could chat for a while!” I wasn't sure if this was all a sneaky way to ask someone out on a date, but the man didn't seem like he had bad intentions, so I took him up on that offer. “Sure, thank you so much by the way.” I took my phone out, watching as he did the same. His phone case was also colorful and had butterfly patterns all over it. I smiled softly, thinking it was charming.
We exchanged numbers and waved each other goodbye after a quick yet sweet conversation. I learned his name was Shrignold, and he had recently moved here with some of his friends. The drive home was quiet once again, but when I returned home, I remembered why I was so anxious. I quietly walked in, listening to see if anyone was inside, and set everything up. I didn't bother moving the computer; it was too heavy and not worth the strain. I returned the clock and went to my room to get the lamp and sketchbook. Maybe whoever left them at my door tried to get them back? But if they were here for the objects, they wouldn't have left them here…. Whatever. I placed the lamp down on the table along with the sketchbook and set up the security camera on the wall facing all of them.
As I lay down on my bed, finally relaxing, I heard my phone buzz on my nightstand. I lazily grabbed it, seeing a message from an unknown number. As I read through it, I realized it was the guy I met earlier: Shrignold. I let out a sigh of relief and read through his message again. “Hey, Y/N! It’s Shrignold! Let me know when you’re free so we can meet up somewhere!♥️” The heart at the end felt very fitting, and I felt myself softly smile. I quickly messaged him back, letting him know I had work until next Friday, but got off early on Wednesday. We spoke a bit longer, planning a quick meetup at the park near my house an hour after I got off work, which was at 5.
The more I spoke to him, the more I wanted to be his friend. He was so kind and great at keeping conversations lively and lighthearted. I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to try and continue being friends just yet, so I’d wait and see if he was also interested when we met up on Wednesday. I felt my eyes get heavier the more I messaged, and eventually decided I needed to get some sleep. Thankfully, I had completely forgotten about the break-in and got to end the day on a good note(which made me fall asleep much faster). Drifting off with the soreness completely subsided, I faded into what seemed to be another dream….

Chapter Text

Throughout the night, I was fading in and out of consciousness. Visions of dreams flashed in my mind, distorted figures and objects with blurred-out faces were talking, singing, and crying. What seemed to be an innocent beginning slowly turned into a dark and traumatizing nightmare. Though everything was messed up and unrecognizable, I knew in my mind that most of the red shown was blood and gore. All the pain was targeted at 3 figures: one completely red, one a mix of yellow and blue, and one a dark green. I was jolted awake before I was forced to join them in their suffering.
I lay on my side, hyperventilating and teary-eyed. I could hear the remnants of the voices in my mind. They sounded so real…. This nightmare didn't feel like a normal one. Usually, I could remember the settings or faces of the characters in my dreams, but this time I couldn't remember anything but blurry colors.
Along with my racing heart, I also had a headache, which wasn’t too surprising. I sat up and checked the time on my phone. It was 3:42 am. I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep anytime soon. I turned my lamp on, thinking of what I could do that would help me relax. I remembered there was a park near my house that only took a few minutes to walk to.
Deciding on a little adventure to the park, I got up and put on a lazy outfit: a pajama shirt, thin jacket, and sweatpants. I looked at the objects in my living room, seeing they were unmoved, and left my house. The walk was peaceful and quiet, the sound of occasional cars running past and the rustle of leaves in the trees helping me ground myself. The park was empty, almost eerie, but the soft light from the streetlamps around made everything more vibrant. I sat down on a bench under a covering, leaning back and listening to the world around me. Usually, I’d go on the swing sets but everything was wet from the rain, so I chose the one place that was completely dry.
Once the wind died down, I heard a strange voice humming nearby. The voice sounded familiar and oddly soothing. I stood up, quietly following the stone path in the direction of the voice. After walking around a wall of trees, I could see Shrignold sitting in the middle of a flower patch. I stared for a moment, just listening to him hum to himself while butterflies flew around him, occasionally landing on his shoulders. He followed one with his hands, slowly turning around as the butterfly flew towards me. He froze and gasped softly when he saw me, obviously not expecting anyone to be there.
“Oh, I-I’m sorry, I’ll leave if you want!-” I quickly stuttered out a few words, hoping he wasn’t too upset with me. “Oh no, love you're fine! I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here this late!” I stood there fidgeting with my shirt, clearly flustered and unsure of what to do. “Are you ok, love?” He looked concerned, clearly seeing that I was out of it. “Hm? Oh, yeah I’m fine.” I tried to keep my tone lighthearted so he wouldn’t worry, “Don’t you have work tomorrow? Are you sure you should be out here this late?” He stood up, walking towards me with a worried expression. “Well, I just had a bad dream and couldn’t fall back asleep so I just wanted to chill out here... I’ll leave if you want though!” He seemed to perk up at the mention of a bad dream, and it only made him more worried. “I’m so sorry about that, love. You should stay out here with me, we can talk about it more until you’re okay.” He had completely ignored my offer to leave, so I assumed that meant he didn't mind me staying. It was surprising how much he cared about me being upset, but also relieving in a sense. No one–let alone a stranger–has bothered worrying about me this much.
He reached out to me, his hands gently resting on the sides of my arms. I sighed before hesitantly responding, “I guess I’ll stay for a while...” He smiled softly and brought me over to the flower patch, the butterflies immediately surrounding him again. “Those butterflies really seem to love you, huh?” I chuckled weakly and watched them float around. “Ah, I guess you could say that. A lot of my friends consider me an animal whisperer.” He softly laughed, looking back at me before asking, “Do you mind telling me what's been bothering you? Or would you just prefer to talk about something else?”
I hesitated, images of the dream flashing in my mind again. “Ah, I dunno, everything from the dream was so blurry and incoherent…. I just remember people were being tortured.” I shrugged and laughed, finding it amusing how silly the nightmare seemed now. “I think I’ve been having weird dreams lately because of weird things happening in my house, even though I don't really believe in curses or the paranormal.” Shrignold nodded, taking a moment to respond. “Nightmares are such silly things. Your mind creates its own horror show and scares itself for no reason.” He closed his eyes as he laughed. Something about the way that he spoke made me feel safe… maybe it was just his feminine voice that was comforting to me. “Yeah, it’s pretty stupid…” I smiled and felt my body slowly start to relax. “Would you like to talk about the ‘weird things happening in your house’ too?” I thought about it for a second, deciding that there was probably nothing that would make me sound too insane.
“Well, I went thrifting for some new furniture a few days ago and found some cool items, but the clock I got seems to be broken. And someone dropped off a whole-ass computer from the 2000’s, a sketchbook, and a cool lamp on my doorstep.” I laughed in disbelief at my own words, still not over the absurdity of all this. “I think the person who dropped them off broke into my house too…. All of the stuff was moved around after I got home from some shopping, but there were no signs of a break-in.” As I rambled, I noticed Shrignold tried to hide his expression as he realized something. “That’s very worrying. Are you sure there wasn't anyone in your house?” He had his hands clasped together, squeezing and un-squeezing as he tried not to fidget. “Well I searched all around my house for someone but didn’t find anyone, so I’m like 99% sure whoever got in is gone now.” I closed my eyes, leaning back against my arms and listening to the wind whip around us. Shrignold hummed in response and didn't speak for a bit, seeming content with the silence.
I eventually opened my eyes, seeing Shrignold had also closed his eyes. I cleared my throat, getting his attention before asking, “So… why are you here so late?” I softly smirked at my teasing. He was clearly embarrassed about something; his cheeks turned darker as he stuttered a bit. “I was uh… running some errand for a friend. But as you can see I got sidetracked.” He shyly chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Really? What errand requires you to stay out so late?” “Oh, you know… the usual….” He was most likely lying to hide the real reason why he came here(which I assumed was just his adoration of nature), but I didn't mind. “Riiiight.” I giggled softly before realizing I should probably go home now that I wasn't so stressed. “Well, I’ll leave you to finish your ‘errands’, I need to go home and sleep anyway… I really appreciate you letting me ramble about my problems by the way.” I smiled softly as I got up, watching as Shrignold stood up as well. “Of course, love! I know we aren't that close yet, but if you ever need someone to talk to just remember I'm always willing to listen.” He held his hand out, and on his palm laid a daisy. I gently took it from his hands, holding it like it’d break from the slightest bit of pressure. “Thank you, Shrignold…. You’re very kind.” He smiled and waved me off, a few of the butterflies following me as I walked along the path back home.
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I was very slow at work today, not scanning things correctly or accidentally making a mess while cleaning. I chugged an energy drink but it hadn’t kicked in yet, so I was running off of hopes and dreams right now. Despite my talk with Shrignold helping me fall back asleep, I still didn't get enough rest. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep for the rest of the day… I had only 10 minutes until my lunch break, but time seemed to slow down when I had something to look forward to.
I was waving another customer goodbye before a girl rushed over to me, tossing a bag of candy, a large soda, and a bunch of chip bags on the counter. I hesitated before saying, “Hello, is your guardian nearby?” Scanning the items slowly, I looked around for someone who’d probably have a kid. The kid huffed, tapping against the counter impatiently. “My dad is at home, he told me to get food here.” Their hair was long, greasy, and strangely green. Most of their face was obscured by their bangs, but I could see they had dull, pale skin and large scars that trailed from her forehead to below her shirt. I finished scanning and put everything in a bag, to which the girl slid a $20 and took the bag, quickly running out without saying anything else. I watched as she ran outside, just now noticing that she was only wearing socks. I sighed and put the cash in the register, taking the extra money as a tip, and going back to relaxing.
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Once my lunch break rolled around, I left to go home and eat something there(and maybe take a quick nap if I had the time). Walking in, I threw my shoes to the side and looked at the couch, dread setting in as I realized the objects were moved around again. Once again, the sketchbook was nowhere to be seen along with the clock, and the computer and lamp were on the floor. I immediately quieted down, trying to hear if anyone was still inside. Looking up, I remembered I had the security camera rolling... I quietly unplugged it and brought it to my room. The video was a bit grainy on my laptop, but still clear enough to see everything there. For the first few hours, I left my home, nothing had moved, but near the end of my shift they…
TURNED INTO HUMANS?!
I couldn't believe my eyes… 4 different human beings sitting in my living room, talking and walking around. Some insect or butterfly flew around a bit before transforming into someone familiar…. It hit me once I recognized two of them; the butterfly was Shrignold and that blue lamp was the man I met a few days ago. My breathing became heavy as I watched the footage, seeing two of them walk off camera and the other two walk around my living room, trying to look for something. Just before I entered my home, Shrignold turned into a butterfly and flew away, probably warning the others, and the lamp and computer quickly transformed back on the floor. I got up, shaky and somehow out of breath, got my phone, and dialed Shrignold’s number.

Chapter Text

Shrignold transformed into his butterfly form and rushed home once he found Y/Ns home. “I can’t believe I found the others! I need to tell Steve right away!” Once he landed on the balcony of their apartment, he banged on the locked door, hoping either Gabby or Steve would wake up and let him in. Thankfully, Gabby was still awake, and she slammed the door open, yelling at Shrignold. “Why are you banging on the door?! You're gonna wake Dad up!” Shrignold huffed and walked past her, dusting off his clothes before saying, “I found the others. I need to tell Steve as soon as possible.”
Gabby gasped and smiled, moving her bangs out of her face and revealing her crooked teeth. “Where are they? I wanna leave this place!” Shrignold sighed and took his cloak and belts off, his oversized toga relaxing and hiding his figure. “They're at… a friend's house. I don't know how we’re going to get them out of there. I might be able to get them tomorrow afternoon. If not, I can wait until Wednesday since I'm meeting with my friend that day.” He held his hand against his chin as he thought of solutions. Gabby ran back to the couch, eagerly cleaning up the snacks and toys around the table. Shrignold made his way to Steve's room, quietly knocking and waiting for a response. It took a few more knocks before his loud snores abruptly stopped. Shuffling could be heard from behind the door as Steve got up, his loud footsteps indicating that he was clearly upset.
“What the hell do you want Shrignold?” He harshly opened the door, showing that he was only wearing pants, though Shrignold could care less. “I found the others. I thought it’d be best if I told you as soon as possible. We can discuss what to do in the morning if you’re too tired.” His voice was no longer soft or pleasant; it was dull and a bit raspy. Shrignold only let his voice relax when he was with the other ‘teachers’ since most of them didn’t appreciate when he had that fake, “motherly” voice. “Oh shit..” Steve rubbed his face, now mostly awake from the news. His vitiligo marks formed lines throughout his body, mirroring the ones in his object form. “Fuckin’ hell. We’ll talk in the morning. It's like 4 am…. And tell Gabby to go to sleep.” Shrignold nodded and walked off, satisfied with his answer. Steve shut his door and after a few minutes, the loud snoring could be heard again.
Gabby had been running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, trying to clean up the mess she made so she wouldn't get scolded again. Shrignold waited for her to finish the cleaning, leaning against a wall and letting his mind drift off. Once Gabby was finished, he told her she needed to sleep, and she reluctantly made her way to her room. Complete silence filled the room as Shrignold stood behind the couch, lost in thought as he tried to think of ways to get the objects without Y/N noticing…. He looked back through their messages, finding Y/N's schedule for tomorrow, and deciding that he would try to find a way to get in then.
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In the morning, Shrignold woke up to the noise of eggs and bacon sizzling in the kitchen. He groaned, stretched, and sat up on the couch, irritated at his body's tiredness from the lack of sleep. All three of them hated the human body’s weaknesses since it hindered them, but they had no choice but to stay human for the most part. Gabby was sitting in front of the couch, drawing on the coffee table with a plate of food next to her. “Morning. Want some eggs?” Steve asked from the kitchen. They had only been here for a few weeks, but in that time, they’d figured out their ‘human’ identities. What they like and don't like, what upsets them, what they can and can't eat, all that. And Shrignold had decided to be vegetarian. He couldn't stand eating meat; all he could think of was how the poor animal's life was cut short for another one's satisfaction.
“Yes, please.” He got up, walking over to the bathroom to change, and started his morning. Steve, the only adult who could actually cook, always made breakfast and dinner for the other two. Though Shrignold was horrible with making food, Gabby was somewhat better, though messier than him. They would usually find something in the cupboards to make; Gabby would make the food for the both of them and Shrignold would clean up after her. Shrignold came out of the bathroom with a vibrant yellow and green sweater and deep blue cargo shorts. He didn't bother fixing his hair so it was messy and curly(he hates it when his hair isn't slicked back, even if the others tell him it looks good). Sitting down on the couch and turning the TV on, Shrignold leaned back and sighed, slowly eating his eggs. Steve sat down next to him, now wearing a grey t-shirt and dark red sweatpants. All the large plates were reserved for Steve since he had the biggest appetite and would always fill his plates to the brim. “Oh, Steve, what time is it?” Shrignold perked up, realizing he needed to go soon. “It's 11:30, why?” Shrignold checked Y/N’s schedule again. They had gotten to work an hour earlier, meaning Shrignold could go get the others soon. “Well, obviously I’ll have to do this by myself… I'm not sure if the others will cooperate properly. And it’ll be hard to walk around without gathering attention. Hopefully, the others will get jobs and help pay for a bigger apartment. I can't imagine living in this small place with the rest of them.” He shuddered at the thought of having to share a 2 bedroom apartment with 6 other people.
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It was around 2:45; longer than Shrignold had planned to stay inside, but Gabby needed to get some schoolwork done and Steve had to work at the shop. He put on his cloak, transformed inside, and flew out in the direction of Y/N’s house. Though he was on a time crunch, he still refused to travel through the roads and streets. He stayed as inconspicuous as he could be in foresty areas or through peoples’ backyards…. God knows those cars and other strange machines might suck him up and kill him(insert dramatic eye-roll).
As he approached Y/N’s house, he wondered how the others would react. He hoped they’d be normal and used to the new world already but there was no telling. They had all met a few times before the plug was pulled, and that was before or after their episodes. Most of them didn't get along well at first but grew used to each other. Some of the teachers would describe their relationships as “found family”, but others think they are nothing like a family. The more he thought about it, the more Shrignold was convinced they would become a “found family” after this.

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Crowley, Robin, and Donny all appeared in the new world at the same time. Donny appeared in the front yard of an apartment complex, Robin appeared near a hospital, and Crowley appeared in front of an office building. Thankfully for them, all those areas were close to each other, and it took less than an hour for them to find one another. Robin was first tasked with getting a job since he had the most energy and drive out of all of them, and once they had enough to pay for an apartment, Crowley got a job at a nearby convenience store. Crowley and Robin both have 2 jobs, but Robin spends most time at home to teach Donny different subjects every day. They live in a 1 bedroom apartment, so Crowley and Robin share one room and Donny stays in the living room(he and Robin wake up around the same time early in the morning). At first, they were constantly paranoid and afraid that there would be a new teacher(or an old one) somewhere, waiting to attack them…. But their fears quickly went away as time passed.
While they were convinced they were far from the teachers, they never realized how many times they passed them while in public. Sometimes they’d be in the same fast-food restaurant, or just walking out and about. Donny was the first to realize that the teachers had also become humans in the new world, and it was horrible news for all of them. He saw Shrignold and Gabby walking together near a park and instantly recognized them. He told Robin, who at first didn’t believe him until he got a good look at them, but later noticed the shared features from their object form. They all became paranoid again after that; each with their unsavory habits to act out on. Robin lashed out some days and became overly cautious about going outside, Donny could hardly sleep most days and had frequent panic attacks, but Crowley hid his anxiety well, only letting himself freak out when alone.
Y/N was friends with all three of them, first meeting each other when Crowley asked if Y/N could babysit Donny for a few hours. They were all fond of Y/N, though Donny was the only one who was open about it, often showering them with compliments and asking about them. Robin disliked Y/N at first, thinking that they were “too nice” and probably hiding something from them, but he eased up more when Y/N let him ramble about his interests without interrupting. Crowley met Y/N through shared work, and since their shifts were usually at the same time, they had some nice conversations while waiting for customers. Y/N was the one who asked for Crowley's number, indirectly asking if he would want to further their friendship from just coworkers to real friends.
So when they discovered Y/N was the one harboring most of the ‘teachers’ that tortured them, they were heartbroken.
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Shrignold found a window that was cracked open and swiftly went inside, searching every room for his friends. He quickly found Leo and Atticus in the living room and Noe and Tony in what seemed to be Y/N’s room. “Psst! Leo, Atticus!!” He shoved their objects lightly, not wanting to damage them. After a minute or so of no responses, panic started to set in. What if these weren't his friends? What if they were dead? What if Y/N sees this and calls the cops?
His rapid thoughts were quickly silenced when Atticus’ screen slowly lit up, and his eyes opened. “Huh? Shrignold? How did you find us? Where have you been?” Though he seemed to process the situation quickly, he still couldn't refrain from asking many questions. Shrignold let out a sigh of relief and began harassing Leo more, knowing he was well and alive. “I found you because I’m friends with the person who lives here! We need to go soon, we only have 5-10 minutes to leave before they get back!” His voice was filled with urgency and he sighed, transforming into his human form. “Wake up Leo, I’ll find the others.” Atticus just stared before transforming as well, “Okay. I think they're in the closest bedroom.” Shrignold nodded and looked through each room, finding the only one fully decorated, and began searching. It wasn't hard to find Tony, who was simply lying on their bed, but Noe was hidden somewhere around their desk.
Waking up, Tony felt a wave of different emotions when he saw Shrignold. “Shrignold…? I’m assuming you're here to get us out?” Unlike Atticus, Tony hated asking multiple questions at once. Though he was slower at processing things than Atticus, he was much better at making proper assumptions about situations. Shrignold quickly nodded and asked where Noe was, to which Tony pointed to the top of Y/N’s desk. Tony took note of Shrignold’s human form, memorizing it, following suit, and turning human. He had only been able to turn human once, and it was before he was taken to the thrift store where Y/N bought him. He disliked the human body and constantly worried about his limited time in that form.
Without warning, Leo suddenly yelled, “THE PERSON IS BACK!! HIDE!” His voice cracked and there were loud thumps that were heard from the living room. Shrignold cursed to himself and started to panic again. “Oh no, what do we do!? I don't know if we have time to sneak you out…. Dammit! I should've gotten here sooner!” He clung onto his hair, making it messy while Tony turned back. “Just go! Come back tomorrow, and time it correctly then!” Shrignold nodded and hastily transformed, rushing out the window he came in through. He flew as fast as he could, his anxiety attack putting him into fight or flight mode and causing an adrenaline rush. It was only when he got into the new world that he started having anxiety attacks. Partially because of the new environment, and what he assumed to be because of the human form. He crashed into a few trees, his wings getting cut and his antenna bent. He slammed into the balcony door, his body not processing the pain yet, and quickly transformed into his human form. He sat on the floor, catching his breath and trying to stop the fear. He found it stupid how he became practically immobilized by fear over small anxiety-inducing situations.
The lack of response from inside the apartment told Shrignold that Gabby was probably out helping Steve. He stood up, rubbing his face to help ground himself, and gently opened the door. He flopped down on the couch, exhaustion and disappointment settling in, along with the pain. His cloak had gotten torn up, and he had a few scratches and bruises around his face and arms. He let out another shuddered breath and let himself drift off, finding that was the best way to calm his nerves after a freak-out like that.
Just before his heart went back into rhythm, his phone started ringing. Picking it up, he saw Y/N’s number…. His anxiety came right back as he realized Y/N probably saw him if they were calling. He let it ring, hoping they’d just accidentally butt-dialed him somehow. One ring... Two rings… three…. He clicked the answer button.

Chapter Text

“Hello? Shrignold?” My voice was shaky as I spoke, but I didn't pay any mind to it. Shrignold took his sweet time answering, though shuffling could be heard from beyond the phone. “Yes, love? What's wrong?” It only hit me now how forced his voice was. Sickeningly sweet as he acted like he wasn’t just in my house. “Uhm… so, I don't know how to ask this without sounding insane, but can you, like, shapeshift? Specifically into a butterfly.. o-or moth?” I was bouncing my knee rapidly to try and calm my nerves a bit. Shrignold didn't speak, and I wasn’t sure if he heard me or not. “Shrignold? You there?” He cleared his throat, and for a second I could hear his voice falter. “Yes, I’m still here.. I…. Where did you get such an idea?” I wasn't sure if he was trying to avoid answering or if he genuinely thought I was crazy. “Well, since the objects I got were being moved around, I assumed someone was breaking in somehow, so I bought a security camera, and I’m just now looking at the footage… there was some butterfly or moth that started talking somehow, and it woke up the other objects…. And they turned into humans…. And one looked and sounded exactly like you.” More silence.
He sighed and let his voice relax a bit, sounding more raspy and deep. “Listen, love, I… I don't know how to explain everything to you,” I was staring at the objects, a terrified look as Shrignold indirectly admitted that he was, in fact, the butterfly I had seen. “Would it be fine if we met up? Perhaps after work?” I forgot about work…. Maybe I could call out for today. I’m sure Crowley would be fine with that. “Uhm… yeah, we can talk after work. So, these objects are all... alive? Like you?” My heart was still beating like crazy despite finally having an answer. “Mhm. If you’d like, I can come over now and take them out of your house so you’re not afraid. That was my original goal when sneaking into your house. I’d like to apologize for that though, Y/N,” I couldn't focus on all the information he was giving me…. First, he can shapeshift along with the other objects I got, second, he tried to sneak into my house to get them back, and third they’re all alive. Living humans… were they spying on me? Are they aggressive or hostile? Is there a reason why they haven't left yet?? My mind felt dizzy as I tried to rationalize all of this.
“So, do I just leave them here? I… if they are alive I don't know if I want them in my house. Are they safe to be around?” I tried not to overload Shrignold with questions, but it was practically impossible given the situation. “Well, all of them are pretty harmless. I’m living with the only one who would be considered “dangerous”. The lamp, computer, sketchbook, and clock are the only objects that are alive. I can ask them to wake up if you’d like, but I can’t guarantee they’ll be easy to deal with. They're all.. eccentric in their own ways.” My nerves calmed down when he said they weren't harmful, but I still wasn't sure what to expect. What did he mean by ‘eccentric in their own ways’?? “Can.. can you come over first? I’ll call out of work if this takes too long. Which I’m sure it will.” “Of course, love. Just give me a few minutes.” The nickname he gave me made me uneasy. Though his calling people ‘love’ felt appropriate, right now it felt weird. Like there was something else beyond the nickname. I silently hoped that it wasn't only me he called love.
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When Shrignold got in my backyard(I assumed by shapeshifting and flying around), I opened the door, but I was clearly very cautious of him coming inside. I had gotten the clock and sketchbook from my room and put them next to the other three objects, and I stayed in the room after that. I was too paranoid to let my guard down now that I knew they were alive.. and could probably hear and see me.
“Hm.. I don’t think they’ll enjoy knowing you know about them, but it's for the best. I apologize in advance if they say anything crude or behave inappropriately. I’m sure we can all explain why in due time if they choose to stay in contact with you.” I sighed, and, once again, was left with more questions than answers. But hey, at least I got multiple warnings that they would be strange people. He stared at them like a mother whose kids refused to get up and clean their rooms. It was almost comedic. Suddenly, he picked up the sketchbook, shaking it by the edge and letting the pages flop back and forth. “Wake up, Noe! I’ll scribble green all over your pages!” I was confused by the threat but didn’t say anything. Before I knew it, there was a feminine voice coming from the pages, and what seemed to be arms and… googly eyes? “AaAaAhH- ShRiGnOlD-!!” He promptly stopped shaking them around and just stared at them, completely emotionless. “Have you discovered your human form yet? It’d be best if you were right now.” His tone was stern and unapologetic, which was very unusual for Shrignold. “Yes, yes. Just stop shaking me around! My pages are all ruffled...” Their voice was high-pitched and flat, though still full of emotion. I blinked and suddenly they were human…. Their hair was curly and very frizzy, which mirrored the yarn glued to one of the pages. Their skin was completely white, and I wasn't sure if it was makeup or not. The rest of their body was black, which I assumed was some form of clothing or, once again, body makeup. Their dress also resembled their pages, having a completely rectangle-esque shape with flat layers with patterns along the edges.
“Oh no, Shrignold…. What have you done?” Once they looked at me, their demeanor immediately dropped, showing they were clearly upset. I wasn’t sure if I should've been offended or not. “Don't worry, this is Y/N, the friend who lives here. Unfortunately, they had a camera set up so this is completely unavoidable. They deserve an explanation for everything, which is why I’m making all of you wake up and talk.” The sketchbook, who I assumed was named Noe, sighed again, uncomfortable and irritated, as if being perceived by me was a sensory nightmare. “What, so we’ll tell them what we were? I’m sure that’d go great for us, huh, Shrignold?” They snapped at Shrignold, misunderstanding what he meant, and indirectly telling me that there was more that they were hiding from me. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and sternly answering, “No. That is not something they need to know. We will all just talk for a bit and leave if possible. I currently live with Steven and Gabby, but it's a small apartment, so unless some of you get jobs to pay for a larger one, I doubt he’ll let you all stay for too long.”
Noe sighed and shook their head, walking over to the other objects. They picked up the clock, bringing it over their head like they were going to smash it. “Tonyy, I’m going to kill you if you don't wake up!~” Shrignold didn't react and instead went over to the computer, shaking it to the best of his abilities and calling for him to wake up. “Do I need to threaten you too or do you get the memo?” Just before Noe destroyed the clock, it transformed into a man, who was only shoved onto the floor. “Wh- You- How dare you!” He was offended and immediately stood up, towering over Noe, who was a head shorter than him. “There you go! I’m sure you were listening, so you should’ve been prepared!” They had a cheery voice that was laced with insanity. I wasn’t sure if they were safe to be around…. Tony, the clock, dusted himself off and fixed his clothes, which seemed to be the most ‘fancy’ compared to the others. “Well, it was completely unnecessary! Are you going to smash Leo too?! He's probably too ‘out of it’ to react fast enough.” He huffed and looked me up and down, silently judging. He simply ignored me and sat on the couch, watching Shrignold shake the computer, who didn't seem to budge awake. “Atticus, I know you are capable of waking up and becoming human. Now wake up or I'll fry your circuits.” Despite the others waking up at their threats, the computer still refused to move.
Shrignold sighed, leaving the computer alone and sitting on the couch next to Tony. “One of you wake up Leo. I’m sure he’ll wake up without any threats or murder attempts.” He glared at Noe, who only looked away. “Fine. Tony, you do it.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes, shifting over to the edge of the couch in front of the starry lamp. Without saying a word, he began to flip the switch on and off rapidly. The lamp flashed, illuminating Tony's unamused face. After only a few seconds, the lamp suddenly had eyes, a mouth, arms, and legs all on the base of the lamp. Leo's eyes were looking in opposite directions at first, and they held their head like they were dizzy. “Woah, woah, woaaaahhh buddy…. Wuzzat all for..?” His voice was uneven and shifted through pitches rapidly like he was drunk. He groaned, closing his eyes and quickly drifting off again. “Well if you could get your head out of the clouds and see that we are all currently humans and with the strange person, you’d realize you should follow suit and stop sleeping.” Tony clearly disliked Leo; crossing his arms and glaring at him as they blew off the situation. “Shiit man..” He looked at me, his eyes half-lidded, and said, “Fineee-uh,” Whining like an edgy teenager.
I once again blinked and sitting on my table was the man I saw at work a few days ago. The same bucket hat, light blue hair, drowsy eyes, and the same stickers all over his face. He grinned at me, kicking his feet back and forth as he lazily leaned back against his arms, “Hey, I know you.. Right?” He pointed at me, squinting as he tried to remember where he recognized me from. I cleared my throat and answered for him after realizing I hadn’t spoken the entire time. “The convenience store I work at. You came in during the night.” Thankfully my voice didn't shake, but it sure as hell almost did. I felt nervous around these people like they were all dangerous in some way. I blew it off as anxiety though. I mean, they're shapeshifters for fuck’s sake! Leo's grin widened as I reminded him, and he just looked away, ending the conversation and going back to daydreaming.
Shrignold and Noe had finally gotten Atticus, the computer, awake and he. Would. Not. Shut. Up. Although I was focused on Leo, I could still hear his voice in the back; it was flat, robotic(though that would be fitting), and almost nasally. He also stuttered every few sentences, usually when he bombarded the other two with questions. I looked at him, seeing he was fully focused on asking the others nonstop questions, and looked back at Leo, who was now looking around the room. His mannerisms and body language suggested that he was drunk or intoxicated somehow, which was very concerning to me…. “Are you, like, drunk? Or high?” He looked back at me, his head tilted to the side, resting on his shoulder. He sniffled, stared, and sucked in a breath through his teeth, most likely for dramatic effect, “I dunno maaaan, you tell me. Do I look drunk to yah?” He swerved his head to the other shoulder, the same lazy grin plastered on his face. He chuckled before saying, “I’m just fuckin’ around. Got a few loose screws, but I know how to put them back when needed.” Giggling, he poked his head a few times. He gave off the same vibe as Noe. Something sinister hidden beneath innocence and an airhead personality. His voice was surprisingly soft; completely different from when he was a sentient lamp. He sounded like he could lull anyone to sleep with only a few words, almost like a siren.
I sighed and turned my attention to the loud ones behind Leo, now unable to ignore their loud arguing anymore. Tony was acting completely different from when he was first woken up. He was full-on screaming at Atticus, who was doing the same. They had gotten into an argument about something, most likely Atticus’ stubbornness towards joining them. Either way, they were getting too loud for my liking. Shrignold had given up on trying to talk to them and was now leaning back on the couch, rubbing his temple to soothe himself. I walked closer to the two, shoving them apart from each other, to which Tony scoffed and Atticus shuddered, scooting away from me. “Can you two shut the fuck up?! Holy shit you're both so loud I’m sure the entire neighborhood could hear you two bickering. Now I don't know if this is a regular thing or not, but while you are under my roof, you will NOT be arguing like that.” I looked back and forth between them, hoping I got my point across without letting my anger be the main source of reasoning. It was silent for a while, which made me feel more and more embarrassed as they all stared.
“My apologies.” Tony cleared his throat and composed himself again, slicking any loose hair strands back and tightening his bow. Atticus seemed to still be upset, but his anger was redirected to me, specifically where I shoved him. He adjusted his glasses, never breaking eye contact with me as he pushed them higher against his nose bridge. I felt goosebumps crawl along my skin but ignored them. Shrignold spoke up, looking at me with guilt once again. “Now, as much as I'd like to take them all off your hands, they wouldn’t all fit into my tiny little apartment..” I sighed, unsure of what to do. “I understand.. I just need reassurance that you guys won't come back after me and, like, kill me for figuring out your secret.” Leo snickered looking down at the floor as he idly listened, not taking any of this seriously. The butterfly tried to give me said reassurance, but was quickly cut off by Leo. “I can assure you that we aren’t dangerous-” “Ohh, don’t lie to them, Shriggy.” Leo interrupted, his voice in a sing-songy tone now. “They’ll find out one way or another.”

Chapter Text

Leo stared at me, this time with a bloodlust-filled gaze. Shrignold sighed again, smacking Leo in the back of the head before continuing, an abrupt yelp coming from him. Every sentence that followed only put me more on edge. “Well I am not dangerous. And I would never put our friend here in harm's way. I hope when we all have a talk with Steve that you’ll realize we have to let go of our past to survive in this world. Unlike you lumps, Steve has been out there learning more things. And he’s learned firsthand what happens when you’re… hostile towards others.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, pushing through my fears to continue figuring out everything. “So, just letting you all know, if I let some of you stay here for a bit, you'll have to follow my house rules and learn how to act like “normal” people…. Can't have you all being freaks out in public.” I weakly chuckled at the end, hoping they'd accept my attempt to lighten the mood. Only Noe giggled… tough crowd.
Shrignold looked at me, a soft smile on his face. “Well, as much as I’d love to stay and chat, we really need to get two of these guys back to my apartment. I’ll have them go one-by-one and you can host the other two, alright?” I nodded, to which he turned to the others “Now, who here will be coming with me first?” Noe, Tony, and Atticus all immediately shot their hands up. Leo just rocked his head back and forth with his eyes closed, clearly not paying attention. Shrignold sighed, his demeanor switching. “Figure it out.” Just like last time, he let his facade fall and show his true colors. As much as it freaked me out, it also felt a bit welcoming, like he was comfortable enough with me to let himself go. Or he could just be that irritated? Who knows.
The three started to bicker, yet anytime they would get too loud(specifically Tony), Shrignold would clear his throat, reminding them of my rules. I appreciated it, and just silently watched, figuring out what their main problems were and what kind of rules I’d have to implement to keep them from destroying my house. So far, Leo seemed to be the easiest to deal with, despite his threats. He seemed like he’d just sleep all day and occasionally bother someone for entertainment. However, the others seemed to be more.. alive. Tony, who has shown his lack of emotional regulation, would most likely need some way to calm himself down during these arguments so he doesn't explode. Some reminder or better way to get his anger out. Atticus would have to learn how to listen to other people and treat them with respect. Though, teaching him sympathy and respect seems easier said than done. Noe seemed to be a bit easier than the other two considering they didn't argue, but their violent and impulsive tendencies were definitely a big problem.
Once I heard the last angry “FINE!” come from Atticus, they all looked at Shrignold, who raised an eyebrow. Noe spoke up, seeming the most relaxed, “Leo and I will stay! Have fun with these slugs!” Atticus kicked their shin, which started a small cat fight between them, albeit in a playful manner. The butterfly sighed, partially from exhaustion and partially because he was glad they figured everything out. “Great, we should get going now so we can figure everything out before nighttime. Less stress for our dear host.” He smiled softly when he looked at me again, which made me relax. He continued, “Noe, Leo, you both better listen to them and be respectful. Remember they know more than you.” And with one last stern look, he and the other two quietly left, leaving me alone with these two.
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Going over the rules went by surprisingly easy; Noe nodded enthusiastically and occasionally asked questions about the rules, but Leo didn’t even seem to be awake. He had somehow fallen asleep while sitting on the table…? I had to gently wake him up and ask him to move to the couch, to which he eagerly agreed, and fell right back asleep. While talking, I had learned that Noe was quite the artist, which shouldn’t surprise me considering they were a sketchbook. They asked for paper and art supplies, which I usually kept in a box on my shelf. While I explained everything, they were rapidly doodling on the papers, and I couldn't help but notice their avoidance towards the color green. I figured that the best way to teach them how to act right would just be scolding them anytime they did something inappropriate while they’re with me. It would be a slow process, but a very effective one.
“Don't use up all my paper now, it's not infinite.” I weakly laughed, noticing they were already halfway through my sketchbook. They looked confused, as if a finite material was something unheard of. “You can't just.. create more?” It was only now I had realized their eyes were… unique. Their pupils were surprisingly small and pitch black, while their irises were almost completely white. Black and white seemed to be their main colors, and I wasn't sure what their original skin color was. It was impossible to see through the black and white body paint. “No? I’d have to pay for more paper, which I won't be doing every day, so have some restraint.” As much as I’d love to spoil them(to stay on their good side, of course), I simply didn’t have the money to do that. With a dramatic sigh, they dropped the markers and flopped onto the couch next to Leo. “Would you mind telling me more about Leo? I don't want to wake him up right now, but I do need to learn more about you guys if we want to live together.” My voice was a bit quieter, partially so as to not wake him up, and partially because I had a feeling he could hear me.
Noe hummed, an animated look on their face as they gathered internal information about him. “Well obviously he's a lazy bum, but when he's not sleeping all the time he can be very fun like the rest of us.” A sly grin appeared on their face once again as they recalled his “fun” behavior which I haven't been seeing much of so far. “He's really weird about dreams, but isn't as passionate about his subject like the rest of us are. I’m not too sure why he was created... Must’ve been some last resort....” Though they began to mumble, I was able to catch what they said. Once again, I was left with more questions than answers. “He’ll only be crazy if he gets comfortable enough here, which shouldn’t take too long if you're as sweet as you seem.” Their voice sweetened up at the compliment, which made my face warm up, though I ignored it as they continued. “But besides that, he probably knows more about the human world than the rest of us since he’s already been out and about. Though, Shriggy did say that Steve has pretty much become ~one with this society~, so maybe he isn't the most knowledgeable.” They waved their fingers around before giggling. “Now, what else can I do here? I’m bored and I have to ‘have some restraint’ or whatever.”
I thought for a moment, wondering what else I could do with them that wouldn't cause too much trouble. “Oh! Do you guys need to eat food, drink water, or anything like that? I'm assuming your human forms act like regular bodies, but I'm not too sure considering you're… magic? Shape-shifters?” Noe thought about it for a moment, their brows furrowing as their mind wandered. “I think you’ll need to ask Steve or Shriggy about that, this is the second time I've been in this form, and it's only been for a few minutes.” I hummed and continued, “Well, just in case you do need to eat and drink, would you like to try some of the foods I have? I just went shopping a few days ago, so I think I have enough to give you. I also have some drinks for you to try.” Noe agreed and we both went into the kitchen, to which I pulled out a few snacks and drinks. There were chips, candy, fruits, bottles of juice, and a cup of water in case they hated anything.
“Now, these are just snacks, nothing big. I might cook you guys a full meal later tonight but for now you’ll just have snacks to eat.” Noe looked around at their options and went to the fruit first, picking up a purple grape. After a few minutes of chewing, they shrugged, deeming it an ok food. They went to the candy next, the colorful packaging of the Skittles catching their eye. The more I stared, the more I realized strange features or mannerisms. Their eyes were almost always wide, unless they were upset, and they seemed to constantly have a song in their head, showing it by either humming or bobbing their head side to side. As my mind wandered, I was suddenly brought back by a happy squeal.
Noe was shoving handfuls of Skittles into their mouth, letting all the flavors melt together as they chewed vigorously. Once they took a second to finish chewing, they turned to me, a big grin spread across their face. “I love these! They're so colorful and flavorful!” They took their time sorting out the flavors, eating the piles separately to decide which was their favorite, to which they decided the orange ones were. “Y’know, if you like the flavor orange, why not try the actual fruit?” Reaching over, I grabbed an orange and started peeling it for them. Once I was almost done with peeling them, they grabbed a small bit of the skin and popped it into their mouth, probably expecting it to taste like the Skittles. Their nose scrunched up and they spat it out, groaning. “Ew.. is that supposed to taste good?” I gave them a slice of orange, more laughter escaping me at their hesitation. “The skin isn’t supposed to taste good, no. The actual fruit does taste good though, I'm sure you’ll like it.” They slowly took a bite, the juices popping out and dripping down their fingers. As they chewed, they seemed to relax again, the same surprised glint in their eyes returning.
As they shoved their mouth full of new foods, I looked back to Leo, who was still sleeping on the couch. I turned my attention over to Noe once more, quickly asking them, “Hey, how about you write down some foods you like and dont like? You can doodle on the page as you go through the food.” Bringing over a new piece of paper and a few colored pencils, they nodded enthusiastically, not able to respond with their face stuffed like a chipmunk. I smiled before going over to Leo, simply watching him sleep for a few seconds. I couldnt help but be worried.. “Ya like the view?” I jolted, a gasp escaping my lips as he opened his eyes slowly. “I uh.. Sorry, I was just checking up on you.” clearing my throat, I regained my composure once more. “Worrying about little ol’ me already? Im flattered.” He grinned, propping himself up on his elbow. “D’ya need something or was this just a simple check-up?” He didn’t seem to mind me taking my time with figuring out a response, but I could tell he would doze off if I took too long. “Both? I can’t tell if youre sleeping because youre just tired or if theres some sort of problem.. I’ll leave you alone if you want but if you get bored you can always join me and Noe, Im letting them try out some snacks and drinks to see what they like. You should do the same eventually.” I smiled softly, to which he returned the gesture, and sighed. “Ill pass.. Plus, me sleeping gives you less things to worry about, right? So Ill just wait til Shriggy comes to switch us to force myself awake.” And with that, he flopped back down, not giving me a second glance as he covered his face with his hat. “Okay then, but just remember my offer, I dont want you to be so isolated.” As I walked away, I couldve sworn he looked back at me, but I didnt think too much about it.