Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The cabin gets boring after a while.

Of course, your situation has a lot to complain about, but the boredom is one of the worst. Not a lot of video games or Internet to enjoy, and not a lot of other things, either. Thankfully, whatever presence dragged you here gives you all more stuff occasionally, but it’s still not fun to sit around and play death games all day.

Which is, of course, why you came up with the brilliant plan of adventuring into the woods a few weeks ago. Everyone else would probably think you’ve lost it, and maybe you have, but you want something to do that isn’t “play gambling games with Chance and lose”. And if you stumble into a monster or one of the killers and die, then so be it. Or… go into a small coma? You’re not even sure people can die in this space. Either way, you’re willing to risk it all if it means there’s something to do.

Once the rounds of the day are over, you sneak out of the cabin, nothing to protect yourself with and a small bag of small essentials in your hand. The woods are vast and looming, trees with twisted and tangled branches constantly obscuring the night’s sky. It strikes you with fear, but you push on. You’ve felt worse striking fear before, being chased and killed by a variety of people in this hellscape. And you haven’t been hurt yet, so perhaps you’ve gotten a little complacent, but that’s probably fine!

You’re about to turn back for the day and call it another failed venture when you hear the whoosh of a sword slash, followed by some muttering. You sneakily hide behind the many trees and foliage, until you stumble across a clearing that holds the cause of the noises. The sight makes you hold your breath in trepidation. 1x1x1x1 holds their swords in front of the open air, swinging and muttering to themselves about what they could do better for the next day’s rounds. In all honesty, it’s… a bit endearing? You’ve never seen 1x1x1x1 in any mood other than “confident and incredibly murderous”, so this is all new to you. It’s exciting— perhaps the most exciting thing you’ve seen since you were trapped here.

Unfortunately, your observing doesn’t last long, nor does it go unnoticed, as 1x1x1x1 turns in your direction, staring directly at where you’re hiding. “I heard you walking over here.” They don’t seem like they’ll stab you, at least…? Might as well push your luck.

You gingerly push away the foliage near you and stand up, waving nervously. “Are you… going to, um… kill me…?” You’re a bit curious why they haven’t done it already, stabbing you and filling your veins with poison.

1x1x1x1 rolls their eyes, setting down one of their swords on the ground and taking a few steps towards you. “If I wanted to kill you, I’d have done it before you even knew I was watching you.” They pause, thinking about something before answering. “Your boldness intrigued me. I’ve killed you before, I’ll kill you again, and yet you still decide watching me was a good idea? What could possibly make you think approaching me was something that could ever end well?”

This is… a good thing, probably, that they haven’t stabbed you? 1x1x1x1 did seem to be enjoying the rounds today, likely because they got to kill everyone each round they were in. You also notice you didn’t take a step back when they stepped towards you, so maybe you are a bit bolder than you initially thought. You spot a large flat rock and decide to sit on it, clutching your bag’s strap as you sit. You’re still incredibly fearful and nervous, but the excitement overpowers it now.

You clear your throat before you speak, looking at 1x1x1x1, who raises an eyebrow at your actions. “I was, ah, curious. The cabin gets boring after a while, and I decided to start venturing into the woods. I saw you, and, um… I guess I was just curious on what you guys did between the rounds…? We don’t really get to see you between rounds, after all…” you’re incredibly nervous, but you push through, because this is probably your only chance to actually talk to one of the killers. You don’t think you’ve ever seen them outside of the rounds.

1x1x1x1 seems amused, at least. They look like they’re contemplating something before they decide to answer you, slowly walking closer. “Since you’re so bold to have not run away the moment I stepped in your direction, I’ll entertain you. Us “killers”, as you call us, have our own residence, just like your own. It’s hidden deep into these woods, far enough away to where you fools couldn’t stumble upon it. Some of them like to practice their abilities outside, including me— I refuse to train with them, though, and this clearing is far enough away that no one bothers me. Any other activities we participate in are entirely mundane, just like what your group would do.”

Ah… you supposed that made sense, actually. Maybe the killers also had a boring daily routine, just like you did. You’re about to ask about it when 1x1x1x1 stabs the daemonshank they’re holding into the tree right behind you, mere centimeters away from giving your face a nasty (and likely poisonous) gash. You stare up at them, and they glare down at you, uncomfortably close. Their long white hair cascades down their face, partially obscuring their glare but making it no less threatening. “Now get out before I decide to go back on my word and harm you. I’m busy.”

You’re definitely not going to continue pushing your luck at this point, so you nod and quickly head back in the direction you came from, making sure to follow the small markers you’ve made over the weeks documenting how close you were to the cabin. You enter through one of the dining room’s windows, since no one ever goes in that place after dinner. You make it to your room, before collapsing on your bed and bursting out into a nervous grin.

You actually got to talk to one of the killers between a round, something you don’t think anyone else has even thought of doing. In fact, the very thought made you grin uncontrollably. Oh, everyone else would be pissed at you for doing something like this, but this was undoubtedly the most exciting thing that’s happened to you since you came here, so you don’t really find yourself caring.

It’s so exciting that you can’t find yourself tired despite the long day you’ve had. The more you think about it, the more you find yourself wanting to visit again tomorrow. 1x1x1x1, while certainly not cordial to you, didn’t say you couldn’t visit again , just that they were busy. Maybe you should sneak out earlier tomorrow, to see if they would answer your questions again. Maybe they wouldn’t be busy again… or, in the worst case scenario, they wouldn’t be there, and you’d have no one to answer your burning questions.

In any case, you try and calm your breaths and go to bed. While it was certainly the most fun you’d had in a long time, being sleep deprived would just mean you’d be a hindrance to your friends in the rounds tomorrow. And despite 1x1x1x1 entertaining your presence today, you knew it wouldn’t mean any mercy come the next round you ended up with them. And the other killers wouldn’t hold back either, you knew that very well.

Either way, you fell asleep excited for the next day, knowing whatever came next would undoubtedly be fun for you.

Chapter Text

When you wake up from your (surprisingly dreamless) slumber, you feel more awake than you have in days. The boredom must’ve really been getting to you, in order for you to feel this way about talking to one of the people who regularly kill you, but you’ll deal with that crisis later.

You head to the kitchen, enjoying a lovely breakfast provided by none other than Elliot himself. (Almost) All of you take turns cooking, and while no one’s cooking is awful , Elliot’s is definitely the best. As you’re all eating, he turns towards you, a mildly confused expression on his head. “Hey, you’re quite cheerful this morning. Something good on your mind?”

The events of last night are obviously something you can’t reveal, so you settle for a small lie. “Just had a good dream last night!”

It’s something entirely believable, considering what you did before you came here— delving into a vast expanse of dreams, wandering and finding different things. It was even partially the reason why you explored so much; you’d always been attached to the concept of wandering and searching for things no one else knows or wants to find.

Your delivery is believable enough, it seems, because Elliot nods and grins. The rest of breakfast goes by without much chatter, and you help clean the dishes before relaxing in the living room with Chance, who seems to be playing some sort of hellish card game with Shedletsky. It’s a nice and calming atmosphere that’s quickly going to be ruined as soon as the rounds of the day start. It’s a cycle that’ll repeat until whatever brought you here gets bored and tosses you out.

Today is not that day, though, as you see some of your companions suddenly vanish into thin air. Chance and you are unaffected, though he grumbles about how his game got interrupted. You roll your eyes. “You can just continue it when the rounds are over, you know. I see the notepad Shedletsky uses whenever he plays card games.” He was surprisingly methodical about the strategy of it, though it didn’t stop him from losing to Chance out of sheer bad luck.

Chance sighs, adjusting their fedora and mumbling to himself about a dice game idea that sounds even more chaotic than whatever they and Shedletsky were doing. You tune out their words, though, opening up your panel to watch the current round unfold. You enjoyed watching them, if only to strategize on how to better understand and evade some of the killers. The one currently slaughtering your friends is 1x1x1x1, and you find yourself taking more notice of him than you did before.

It’s almost definitely only because of your encounter with him yesterday, but you keep your eyes on him the entire match. The way his white hair perfectly contrasts his form, the way his cape moves as he runs towards your friends with his daemonshanks… it’s all interesting to you now. The round ends shortly after 1x1x1x1 kills Shedletsky and tosses him into the poison river. 007n7 and Two Time were the remaining survivors; maybe you should check up on them after your final rounds of the day, seeing as how they’d both seemed a bit nervous the entire round when you’d briefly swap to their POVs.

Before you could really focus on that, though, you were transported into a round yourself. You watched as Chance let out a loud “OH COME ON!” , Before running off to find a generator, in case C00lkidd heard the noise and came rushing after him. Guess Lady Luck wasn’t smiling upon him today. How unfortunate.

The next few rounds passed without much to note about them. You got to check in on Two Time during one of the rounds you both weren’t in, fortunately. They sat in the dining room, folding what looked to be… an origami spawn symbol…? It was very skilled, and they seemed happy, so you didn’t say anything. They looked up as you walked over to them. “Hello. How are you faring today?”

You smiled. “I feel fine! How are you doing, though, Two Time? You looked a bit nervous today.”

They scratched the back of their head, a bit shy to explain to you. “I’ve just been contemplating some things recently. Thinking about my past… but you needn’t concern yourself with such things. This drawback is only temporary, and the Spawn shall guide me towards the path he wishes upon me.”

The whole ‘spawn’ thing they talked about was rather off-putting at times, but it seemed like one of those things you couldn’t sway their mind on. “Well, if you ever need some help, I’ll always be there to lend an ear!” It was something you’d always offered to the people here, even though most never took the offer, choosing instead to talk in a group setting. Everyone dealt with their feelings in different ways, you supposed.

Two Time perked up at that, their constant smile seeming more genuine now. “The Spawn would no doubt be appreciative of your actions. I shall keep your words in mind. Thank you.”

You smiled back, and you were content to leave the conversation there, so you left the dining room and watched the current survivors play a game of blackjack (Chance wasn’t there, so it was actually quite even between 007n7, Dusekkar, and Builderman). It didn’t last long, though, since you were transported into a round soon after.

Immediately after being teleported (it was Planet Voss, one of the more exciting places to be), you looked around for a generator, finding one right next to you. You connected the wires easily, only occasionally getting slipped up at the confusing way they had to be ordered. You were about to finish the second set of wires when you heard a distinct windup sound in the distance.

‘Oh god, the killer is 1x1x1x1.’

It was going to happen eventually, you knew, but couldn’t the forces above have waited another day? This was going to be so awkward. Well, correction, awkward for you. 1x1x1x1 would have no qualms about murdering you, which you were fine with. It was just part of the system and cycle of “games” you went through. Still, though, an incredibly odd feeling to have to run away from someone you’d been talking to just the night before.

You heard the footsteps and shouts of the others in this round— Shedletsky was by far the most vocal— as you made your way to another generator, having fixed the one you were currently on as you made your way through Planet Voss. Just as you’re about to reach it, though, you’re caught by 1x1x1x1’s Entanglement, chain-like vines wrapping around your legs as you quickly try to push them away before he gets to you.

You’re too late, though, and you feel his presence before you spot it, the poisonous swipe of a Mass Infection harming you further. Looking up into his eyes gives you a feeling of familiar terror, especially when he slashes you with the daemonshank. The poison coursing through your system feels awful, but it’s nothing you haven’t been through before. You’re doomed, you know this— you’re still trapped by a couple vines, and the poison in you is depleting your vitality by the minute.

… Just before you die, though, you notice 1x1x1x1 hesitate just the slightest bit before finishing you off. You expend the last of your energy in your final moments to stare into his eyes, only to find his gaze already on yours.

Then you die.

When you wake up back at the cabin, you’re the same as you always are, but something feels different. 007n7 wasn’t in the round, so you go to find him. He doesn’t talk to the other survivors much, and some of them aren’t really keen on including him, so you want to make sure he knows you’ll be there for him. (… It’ll also help you keep your mind off that last round. That too.)

He’s not in the cabin when you go looking for him— in fact, he’s actually by the docks, staring distantly into the horizon as he holds the c00lgui in his hands. He only notices you when you sit down next to him, surprised you’d approach him. “O-oh, hey there. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come out here.”

You give him a reassuring smile. “Just wanted to check up on you! You seemed more nervous than you usually are today. What are you doing out here? Didn’t think your gui and water mixed that well, haha.”

He looked away, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I was just about to patch up my c00lgui, actually… I prefer a quiet place to do it, and I didn’t want to go to my room since it’s at the end of the hallway… I’d just be bothering someone if I did that, so I decided to go here.” He paused. “And, um, I’m fine… I just woke up feeling a bit nervous. I’m sure everyone here is familiar with the feeling.”

You nodded. Still didn’t ease your worries entirely, but 007n7 was always a bit distant from everyone, off in his own world. “Do you want me to leave, then? I’m not gonna disturb your privacy if you want to update the gui alone.”

007n7 contemplated your words for a second, before making an ambiguous hum. “… it’s not a very pleasant thing to witness. I tend to glitch in and out of reality during it, since our code is connected… but thank you for checking up on me… I don’t really deserve it…”

You sigh, placing a hand on his shoulder. “7n7, you deserve support as much as the rest of us do. I’ll always be there if you need a helping hand, okay? I’ll leave you to update your gui, though.”

As you stood up to walk away, you heard one final comment. “… Thank you.” 

You wore a soft smile as you headed back to the cabin, seeing that the final round of the day ended in your absence. The rest of the survivors were talking about making dinner and playing monopoly after. You politely declined; normally you’d join, but this was a perfect opportunity to sneak out and see 1x1x1x1 again— you thanked whatever forces above you that your room was on the first floor. Even as you had dinner (cooked by Noob), only one thought was coursing through your mind.

‘I have to see him again tonight.’

Chapter Text

After making sure everyone was fully focused on the game of monopoly, you snuck out. You normally waited until everyone went to their rooms and slept, but considering yours was more isolated from everyone else, you wanted to go out early today.

The woods greet you with their overbearing presence once again, same as the past few weeks. This time, though, you don’t wander, instead following the path from last night, thanking yourself for the markers you’d left for yourself. This time, you quiet your footsteps before you reach the clearing, standing near the tree where you’d sat the day prior. 1x1x1x1 is there before you, again, though she isn’t practicing with her daemonshanks this time, instead sitting on one of the stones. The moment she notices you, you can see the curious judgment evident on her face.

“… You’re here again. And you’re here earlier than yesterday, may I add.” She sounds like she’s in disbelief at your actions, for multiple reasons.

In either case, you don’t see her words as a direct refutation to your presence, so you sit down on the rock from yesterday. “You, um, said you were busy last time, so I thought, uh, if I came here early, I would probably come at a better time for you!”

You hear a huff (out of annoyance or amusement, you can’t tell) as she gazes at you again. “Fine. You may observe me this time.” She stands up and turns around to pick up her swords, but not before glancing back at you. “You’re a fascinating mortal. I killed you today, and yet you came back to talk to me.”

“You hesitated.” The words are out of your mouth before your mind even fully processes them.

She glares at you, before sighing. “… I did.”

The conversation ends itself there. 

She begins to practice with her swords, and you can see her pretend to summon her abilities as she does certain swings. Trying to get the widest sweep possible for a Mass Infection, being as quick as possible in summoning Entanglement. You note it down in your mind for future rounds, though not as much as you note down 1x1x1x1’s appearance. Looking at her now, and not just getting brief glimpses in rounds, she’s actually quite pretty. Definitely not by typical standards, what with the semi-transparent bright green torso and pitch black body, but you’ve always been a bit odd. You spend a little while in a comfortable silence punctuated only by the whish of a sword and 1x1x1x1’s muttering.

Seeing as 1x1x1x1 doesn’t seem like a person of many words, you decide to make some idle commentary while she trains. Surely she won’t mind too much? If you really do annoy her, she’d probably just chase you off. “Do you, um, come here every night to train?”

She pauses, looking at you briefly before her routine continues. “Yes. Both my goals and these “games” we are forced to play require my focus and precision. That is why I train constantly.”

You hum, thinking over your response. “This clearing looks like a nice place to hang out, though. Even if it was just to clear my head or get away from people… though, I don’t know your goals or anything, so maybe it seems pretty silly to try and rest instead of train.”

1x1x1x1 doesn’t respond for a bit, and you assume you’ve offended her somehow before she suddenly plants both the daemonshanks into the ground and sits down on the rock she was at before you came here. “Defeating my creator. That’s my goal.”

It might be a bit invasive, but you’re curious, and if she hates them she might not mind revealing their name… “Who’s your creator? Why do you want to defeat them so badly?”

At that statement, 1x1x1x1’s eyes narrow. There’s an intense anger behind them, more than there usually is, though it doesn’t seem to be directed at you. Which is a good thing, you think. “Oh, did he not inform you of his true nature, the cowardly vermin? I’m sure you’ll be surprised to know the great Shedletsky created me from his very own hatred and malice.”

Your eyes widen, and you look at 1x1x1x1 in disbelief, but there’s no sign of a lie in their expression. Shedletsky… created 1x1x1x1…? And even worse, lied about it? That… that really pissed you off, actually! Half of the survivors excluded 007n7 in some way because his kid was a killer, yet Shedletsky was perfectly fine? Were he not the de facto leader of you all, holding the most authority alongside Builderman, you’d have been tempted to confront the man this very second. You’re silent for half a minute out of sheer disbelief over what you were just told. And thinking back on it, it made sense why she relentlessly hunted Shedletsky, too…

You curse him out under your breath, and 1x1x1x1 actually chuckles a small bit. “It seems I’ve enlightened you about his true nature, hm?”

The recent news has put a big damper on your mood, and you let out a long exhale as you lean forward and rest your chin in your hands. “Man, this sucks. And here I thought all I had to worry about was 7n7’s relation to C00lkidd…” you frown. “Well, it’s probably gonna be depressing if I discuss this any further, so I’ll just ask something else I’m curious about. How do those swords of yours work, exactly? It’s not very fun to be hit with them, but do they carry the poison naturally, or do you just dip them in poison before the rounds start?”

1x1x1x1 actually perks up a tiny bit at that. It’s probably the most you’ve seen them positively emote. “My daemonshanks carry with them a corruptive energy I’ve infused into the blade. Anyone trying to wield them, apart from myself, would no doubt quickly succumb to the force of what’s inside. Which includes you , before you get any more stupid ideas in that skull of yours.”

Which… okay, not a wrong assessment, part of you did want to wield one of them just to see what it was like. However, you’re not that reckless to try and hold something that would actively fight against you. At least 1x1x1x1 warned you about it…? You think she cares. Maybe. You don’t really know the status of what you have going on, actually. You lean back and hold your hands up in mock surrender. “Understood well and clear, 1x1x1x1.”

She nods, which you think means she’s pleased with your response. “Good. Now, do you have any other questions for me before I go back to training?”

“Just, um. Just a few.” You fiddle with your bag as you speak next. “One. Can you eat? If you can I might bring you something from our cabin for you. Two. Do you always take breaks in training? Or did you just, uh, want to talk to me. And then, uhm, three.” You pause, looking at the ground. “… can I come back tomorrow?”

You’re too embarrassed to look at 1x1x1x1’s face, but you can hear a couple shuffles and the sounds of footsteps as she talks. “… To answer your questions. One— yes, I’m more than capable of eating. If you’re going to bring me something, I prefer sour and acidic flavors. Two— yes, I take breaks. I also prefer engaging in certain discussions while I’m not training, such as the nature of my existence. Three— yes, you may, so long as you continue to not annoy me. Four—“

You’re about to say something about how you only asked three questions when you feel a hand settle itself on your chin and guide your face up to look at 1x1x1x1’s. The expression is unreadable. “You needn’t be so shy around me, for how bold you usually are.”

Before you can respond or even begin to process what’s happening, 1x1x1x1 releases her hand and walks back to her swords, as if that never happened. “Now, scurry back to wherever you lot stay when I’m not slaughtering you.”

You nod before walking off again, a mix of nervous and excited. On one hand, this is something that’d get you an even worse reputation than 007n7. Raising someone before they became a killer is one thing, actively trying to befriend one is another. On the other, 1x1x1x1 is surprisingly great company. Maybe it was a mistake to trust her, but she’d actually been incredibly cordial to you outside of the rounds. Even if you had no idea what you even were to her, you were willing to call it a shaky acquaintanceship for now. After all, she’d still kill you again and again, but you were actually kind of used to the pain by now, so it wasn’t as bad as it could be. On an entirely separate third matter, what even was that final interaction you had .

As you sneak back into your room, making sure no one saw you, you find yourself thinking back to right before 1x1x1x1 sent you off. It was the closest you’d ever gotten to her outside of a round, and it was exhilarating. Maybe you needed to start paying more attention to her during the rounds, continuing to analyze her strategy in order to better avoid her attacks… and perhaps because you wanted to know more about her in general now. You were intrigued, far beyond anything else you’d experienced here.

When you dream that night, they’re filled with a vague distorted noise and green litters the edge of your vision. And, despite your in-depth experience with dreams, you have no idea what it means.

Chapter Text

1x1x1x1, for all the things he is, has been unable to get a few certain thoughts out of his mind recently.

The first one, always an everlasting presence, is their horrid creator, Shedletsky. Any time they are selected to maim the survivors, their creator is always whom they target first or savor for last. It’s their favorite form of stress relief, torturing their creator in various ways to try and alleviate the overwhelming amount of hatred they were created with.

The second is C00lkidd and his pathetic father. It’s a bit tragic, they suppose, what happened to them both, but it won’t mean they’ll hold back in any way. C00lkidd certainly doesn’t, though that is in large part because he thinks this is a large elaborate game of tag. 1x1x1x1 doesn’t correct him, and neither does anyone else. Perhaps, sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

The third, and most recent thought, is the survivor that’s been visiting him for the past couple of nights. Their presence was, at first, a bit annoying. After all, 1x1x1x1 didn’t really get visitors— no one knew of the clearing besides him and them, and all the other killers knew to stay clear of him when he went outside. They didn’t, apparently, something both admirable and incredibly dumb.

He’d thought he scared them off the first night, plunging his daemonshank right next to their face. The fear was palpable, but the next night, they came back even earlier. They were considering his time schedule, even. It was pathetically endearing. They even wanted to bring him gifts. It was a kindness he’d never experienced before, but he wouldn’t dare tell a single soul that. He was the embodiment of Shedletsky’s hatred and malice given form. To think of himself as unaware of something, especially something as widespread and “simple” as companionship, was forbidden.

And yet, this utter fool seemed to exude knowledge of the topic. From what she’d observed of the rounds they were in, they easily got along with the other survivors, always trying to help and protect them whenever possible. Their abilities, too, were intriguing, nothing like she’d seen from the others. After the first night, she’d started observing them more— the fact they’d dare approach her without any thought as to whether she’d hurt them was astounding.

Today was the same— after last night, when he’d entertained their questions and initiated contact, they’d become a recurring presence in his head. He’d observe their behavior during the rounds, how they interacted with the others, and perhaps he could use it to… he almost lets out a groan as he admits to himself he enjoys their company.

It was something new to him, admittedly. While all the killers lived in the same house, it wasn’t as if they were the closest of people. Noli and C00lkidd were by far the most extroverted, always bringing everyone together in the form of games or making food (the latter was handled by Noli, and perhaps Jason, Mafioso, or Azure if they were in the mood. C00lkidd and anything cooking related did not mix well, they learned). Azure wasn’t a loner by any means, but he often ruminated to himself, something more important on their mind. They were waiting for something (or some one ) to meet, apparently. 1x1x1x1 could personally care less about who it might’ve been.

That little mafia squad was always willing to talk, but they engaged in topics too boring for the rest of the survivors. None of them even cared about what “debts” and “hits” the various survivors had on them. Jason was largely mute, though he seemed social otherwise, willing to indulge in a couple of C00lkidd’s silly ideas. John Doe, while capable of some speech if he tried, had largely been modified by the corrupted code that had latched onto him. He typically communicated through other sounds, like growls or hums, and everyone else had learned to interpret what he meant. He also largely stayed to himself, carefully making sure he never lashed out at anyone. 1x1x1x1 felt a bit of pity for the man— perhaps if he was more fortunate, he’d be one of the ones hunted down instead.

All of this, of course, left them for last. While 1x1x1x1 was perfectly capable of socializing, they preferred to keep to themselves. Why would they bother talking to people when they had more important things to worry about? Sometimes the other killers roped them into activities, but they were largely left alone outside of events or having food together. 1x1x1x1 preferred to be alone, so they had no complaints on their arrangement.

And yet , that stupid survivor , someone he wouldn’t even pay attention to normally, had managed to capture his curiosity. So much so, in fact, he’d actually started to enjoy parts of it. No one had been so sickeningly kind to him before, and the feeling was so new it stunned him. He began to think about them during the round they’d shared together yesterday. It was the reason he’d hesitated, just slightly, before he killed them. They’d noticed, too, and the fact they did made 1x1x1x1 feel something that definitely was not annoyance.

Today’s rounds with them were the same, though 1x1x1x1 paid a little bit more attention. It had caused her to slightly miss some of her attacks, but it was an imperceptible difference… and yet, she knew, they would notice, just as they had yesterday. And if her vile creator was watching, he’d surely notice too, so she made sure to separate them from him at all costs— not a hard job, considering they’d been avoiding him in every round, ever so slightly. It seems that her words had affected them after all. The fact they’d listened to her without question was something that filled her heart with an unknown feeling. What exactly it was, she would figure it out later.

And after the rounds, he actually felt a bit excited to see them again. What gift would they bring, he wondered? A gift by itself wasn’t special, he got small things from C00lkidd every so often, yet this was an unknown. Something just for him that wasn’t a drawing or a rock. Something purely for him, and no one else, something to hold over his creator. He had ceased to be that man’s hatred long ago, and now he clawed at any way to claim individuality.

Which is perhaps the reason why he heads out to the clearing a bit early— not to train, but to take a moment to admire the scenery. The trees, twisted from their typical incarnations as they were, actually did compliment the surroundings quite nicely. The rocks were flat enough to be used as makeshift chairs, and a number of them had trees behind them, in case one wanted to rest on something more solid than air. Other stones were sharper and had a greater density; 1x1x1x1 had found that they were great for sharpening his daemonshanks. The entire place was a fair bit away from the cabin, too, so he rarely had to worry about unwanted company.

(He pointedly ignores the fact that you aren’t unwanted company anymore.)

(And, maybe, even a wanted presence now. After all, who but you would show him such kindness?)

Chapter Text

It takes a lot of planning to decide what to bring tonight.

As with every time, you have your essentials. Your bag doesn’t hold much, but it does have what you need for these trips. Today, though, you’re planning to bring along something else. Nothing much, of course, just a simple gift for 1x1x1x1. He said he liked sour things, so all throughout today you’ve been thinking of what to give him.

Of course, you can’t give him sour candy or anything. Not a lot of stores around here. Which means you’d either have to cobble something together with your cooking skills, or take something from the kitchen that no one would notice. You rule out the first option immediately— if you made something this late, someone would notice, and you’re pretty sure “I’m making something for one of the people who regularly kills us” wouldn’t be a good reason to excuse yourself.

Now, looking around the cabin’s cabinets didn’t give you much. Lots of food ideas, yes, but a lot that were exactly sour and easy to prepare. Luckily, the fridge spared you. You and Chance had decided to make some lemon cupcakes yesterday afternoon out of pure boredom, and there were still a few extras. You quickly snagged one and put it in a small container, carefully putting it in your bag— you didn’t want to ruin the frosting, after all. If someone questioned you, you’d just say you got hungry, an easy excuse.

You walked to the clearing with a bit more bounce in your steps, today. After all, this was something to look forward to each night. And you didn’t know 1x1x1x1’s feelings on the matter, but you’d like to think he at the very least tolerated you.

1x1x1x1, once again, isn’t practicing when you see her— but then again, you didn’t really make much of an effort to conceal your presence the moment you were far enough from the cabin. She’s already staring at you when you walk over and sit on your usual rock. “Have you made good on your promise and brought me a gift?” It’s not filled with a scathing bite, as it probably would be if said to anyone else.

You nod, smiling as you bring out the container, cupcake safe and unharmed. “Yep! Chance and I made some lemon cupcakes yesterday, and I found an extra to give to you. I didn’t really have many materials to make something sour on short notice, sorry.”

You walk over to her to bring the container over, and your fingers brush as she takes it, opening it and holding the cupcake. “Hm… this is acceptable. Next time you bring a gift of this nature over, know that I prefer limes to lemons, if you are able to choose.” With that, she tosses the container back to you as she eats the cupcake. You didn’t bring one for yourself, obviously, so you put the container back in your bag and walk back to your rock as she does so.

“… was it good?” You ask when she’s done, genuinely curious. “I want to bring you things that you’d like, so, um…” you trail off. “If you have any specific suggestions, I’ll do my best without being too obvious about it to the others.”

Though it’s hard to see her exact form, you can see the smallest of genuine smiles on her face, and you internally celebrate this victory. “Yes. As for requests…” she pauses, thinking for a small bit. About what exact part of her next words, you don’t know. “It does not have to be tomorrow, but I have wanted to try this… “Key Lime Pie” since I have heard of it. Its name intrigues me, for you humans cannot digest any metal, and yet it contains the name key.”

You flash her a thumbs up. “You got it! Next time I get to make dessert, I promise I’ll bring you a leftover slice!” You’ll just have to think of other gift ideas in the meantime. Gifting sure was hard when you lived in a closed space in the middle of the woods! “Now onto something new… I know I’ve asked a lot about you, but are you curious about me? My life isn’t nearly as interesting as yours, but maybe there’s something you’ll enjoy, hehe.”

In truth, you didn’t like to talk about your past much, always avoiding the topic when it came up. Nor did any topics concerning your mental health end up going very far— your self-esteem was no one’s concern but yours, quite frankly. But maybe 1x1x1x1 would avoid all the topics you didn’t like, and it’d all go perfectly!

1x1x1x1 fusses with their bangs as they think of what to ask you. It’s kind of cute, really… you’d offer to help, but that’s a level of friendship you have definitely not reached with them yet. After a small bit of waiting in anticipation, they finally speak up. “… I have an interest in what you mortals consider a “family”. It seems nearly all of you have an important connection to them.” The tone is, ever so slightly, more soft and vulnerable. You have a feeling this is a topic 1x1x1x1 doesn’t bring up much.

Regardless, you didn’t really bring up family either. Your relationship to them was… estranged, to say the least. You clear your throat before speaking. “Ah, um… I don’t really talk to mine anymore. They’re… they’re good people, I know that. But… the night I moved out, we had an argument. A really big one; we hadn’t addressed our issues with each other for years, and it boiled over that night. A few days later, they apologized, but I was still incredibly mad, and I haven’t spoken to them since.”

Your tone noticeably becomes less cheery the more you speak. You’re admiring a spot on the ground now. It probably is your fault that you don’t talk to your family anymore, and maybe you should’ve gotten back to them, but it’s a bit too late for reconciliation now. You’re not someone who cries easily, but talking about this just has you the slightest amount of choked up.

1x1x1x1, for their part, is completely silent. You still haven’t looked up, in fear of an expression you don’t want to see. You’re surprised when you see a sword gently placed in your lap— not one of the daemonshanks, but a more standard broadsword. You look up to see 1x1x1x1 staring down at you, holding one of the daemonshanks in their free hand.

“Don’t waste your sorrow on people undeserving of it. I brought this so I could teach you how to use a sword, since you enjoy watching me use mine so much— channel your anger through it, use those emotions to make your fighting stronger.” With that, she walked over to where she normally trained, looking back at you expectantly.

You had a feeling that 1x1x1x1 followed this practice themselves, but you weren’t about to comment on it, especially when you were given a sword! You were overjoyed that you got to practice with something this cool, especially with 1x1x1x1. Are you friends now? You had no idea. Probably still just acquaintances, actually.

In any case, no matter your relationship with them, you were still going to take up the offer. You took off your bag as you stood up, holding the sword in one hand as you stepped over to stand near 1x1x1x1— not close enough so you’d be in danger, but close enough that you’d be able to watch them. They’re only holding one sword, presumably so you could follow them, and you copy their stance and form. 1x1x1x1 still doesn’t seem satisfied, though, and they walk over, gently guiding your hands on where to rest on the hilt and how to hold the sword. You don’t think you’ve ever been this close for such a long period, and something tells you 1x1x1x1 hasn’t been able to get close to others without killing them in a long while.

When they’re satisfied, they walk back over to their usual spot, and begin their usual swings; albeit, these ones are very slow, deliberately so, so that you could follow them. You do, to the best of your abilities, though you make some mistakes here and there. 1x1x1x1 quickly corrects any error, whether through a verbal comment or physically adjusting your position. Being able to practice alongside them is quite nice, and you’re actually learning decently fast.

When 1x1x1x1 decides you’ve had enough training for the night, you sit down on your usual rock and grab your bag, slinging it over your shoulder again. You’re a bit out of breath, because wielding a sword was a more intensive workout than you were used to, but you still flash a smile at them. “That was fun. I’m glad I got to train with you.”

1x1x1x1 doesn’t seem any bit tired, not that you expected anything less. Her body language is a bit hard to read, face being pitch black and constantly obscured save for her eyes, but you think she’s happy, too. “It’s refreshing to be able to teach someone my techniques. When you come back next night, I’ll teach you more. Keep the sword, practice will improve your performance. I will be your mentor.” She pauses, before she mutters. “One better than my foolish creator could ever be.”

The topic of Shedletsky, both times he’s been mentioned, have clearly been a sore subject for her, so you ignore her last comment. “You’re a great mentor! I improved a lot more than I would’ve just learning by myself… I don’t think I can keep the sword, though. Everyone else will definitely ask where I got it, and, well… I can’t exactly say I’ve been sneaking out to see you, can I?”

1x1x1x1 sighs, clearly some level of displeased at you not keeping it. “I suppose not. I will hold onto it, then— we’ll start a routine every night, until you’ve improved to a level I deem satisfactory. Then, maybe , I’ll let you spar with me.”

“Every night…” you murmur, without thinking about it. It’d only been a few days, but coming here each night felt like second nature by now. It was hard to believe that you’d managed to fit “talking to 1x1x1x1, hatred-filled killer” into your routine, but such was your life now.

She raises an eyebrow at that. “Are you not going to continue coming here every night?” She hides it almost immediately, but there’s a part of her voice that sounds almost hurt at the possibility of not seeing you.

You quickly try to assuage her fears, waving your hands in a nervous gesture. “O-of course I am! Only if you want, though, of course.” You’ve slowly been anticipating the possibility of 1x1x1x1 not wanting your presence anymore— of course, you’d never say that out loud.

As if to dispel the notion she’d ever get tired of you, she scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I’ve given you a sword and personally mentored you, as well as actually eaten food from you without accusing you of poisoning it. To think I would sever this connection now is even more idiotic than your original idea was.”

Somehow, every compliment you receive is also accompanied by a comment about your intelligence. Which… well, is rude, but it’d be weird if 1x1x1x1 stopped insulting you. It’s something you’ve come to accept as fact, same as the sky here being nigh unchanging. If 1x1x1x1 ever complimented you without an insult, you’d think the world was ending.

Instead of mentioning this, you just smile and nod your head. “Got it. I’ll keep coming here every night, then? I can’t promise gifts every night, but I can promise my presence!”

1x1x1x1 rolls their eyes. You think it’s out of fondness, but you really can’t tell. “I thought we’d already established this. Now, be back at the same time tomorrow, or I will drag you out here myself.”

You stand up, waving bye as you walk back. Not that you expected 1x1x1x1 to know where the survivors lived (Shedletsky would be fearing for his sanity daily otherwise), but she was definitely tenacious to find out where it was eventually. And it’s not like you didn’t want to see her, either, so it all worked out.

Now you just have to think up some good gift ideas for her… maybe she’d like a new hair tie?

Chapter Text

The next few days pass by surprisingly normally. You meet up with 1x1x1x1, you train with him, and you learn more and more about him. You’ve also divulged a bit about yourself, though you’ve both been avoiding any topics you don’t like.

In addition, it might be just you, but you’ve begun to see rounds with 1x1x1x1 as more of a game than anything. Well, more of a game than it already was, in the eyes of whatever brought you here. The poison still hurts, obviously, and being slashed sucks , but the pain is something you’ve learned to deal with. It’s a bit of cat and mouse, really— 1x1x1x1 stalks you, trying to catch you off guard, and you sneak around and hope to avoid them.

You certainly hope no one’s noticed the subtle change in behavior, but just to be sure, you try and isolate yourself when you’re in a round with 1x1x1x1 if at all possible. It would be very embarrassing if someone saw you grin as you got caught and killed yet again. Though, given the survivors enjoy your company, it gets quite annoying. At least you have 1x1x1x1 to keep you company at the end of the day.

Speaking of him, training has actually been quite fun. You never knew how much fun swinging around a sword could be when you actually knew what to do. It would be really fun to show off your abilities to someone, but the questions that would come with it are not worth the fun.

You do have one thing you’ve been enjoying lately, though! Ever since you got the idea, you’ve been thinking about making a custom hair tie for 1x1x1x1. The one he currently has is just a plain black one, and while it fits nicely, you want to make him a special one. You already have the idea, of course; you want it to look like the domino crown he always wears. There were crafting materials lying around the cabin, thankfully, and you give your praises to whatever trapped you here. This will probably be the only time it gets them from you, so it better be happy about it.

It’s more of a scrunchie than a hair tie, really, but it actually looks quite similar to the domino crown, so you’re proud of it! The fabric is quite soft, too. Now that you’re thinking about it, you wonder how soft 1x1x1x1’s hair is. Does he use hair products, or does his inhuman nature keep his hair perfect all the time? Making it is also a nice way to pass time when you want to be by yourself.

The whole thing takes a few days to make, but you’re almost bursting with joy by the time you finish. You can’t wait to show this to 1x1x1x1! Though you’re still not sure he’ll actually enjoy it, you might as well try. No way to know until you actually do it, after all. You carefully put it into your bag, making sure none of the fabric is damaged or wrinkled before sneaking out and following the path to the clearing.

When you get there, 1x1x1x1 waves at you, before tossing you the sword. It would be wildly dangerous, except for the fact that you’ve been taught how to do this already. Before you begin training, though, you place your sword on the ground and hold up one finger in a “wait” motion. 1x1x1x1 pauses, curious as to what you have to say.

“I have another gift for you this time! It took me a few days to make it, so I hope you like it— if not, though, that’s fine!” With a bit of a flourish, you present the hair tie. “Ta-da! I made it myself. I styled it like the domino crown you have! You don’t have to wear it, obviously, but I thought it’d be fun for them to match!”

1x1x1x1 pauses, looking at the hair tie. You can see an expression on her face, but you have no idea what it is. Internally, it feels like a few hours, when it’s probably only a minute or so before she responds, voice uncharacteristically soft. “… Oh.”

You tilt your head, confused. You still have no idea if it was a good idea to gift her this or not. You step a bit closer to where she’s sitting down, still staring at your gift. “Do you want to put it on? Or do you not want it-”

“Put it on me.” 1x1x1x1’s voice has a bit of a desperate quality to it, like if she blinks, the gift will disappear. You don’t want to ruin the moment by saying anything (and what would you say, really?), so you nod, stepping behind her. She unties her hair, letting it fall, and you gently take it into your hands.

Ignoring the fact that being allowed to do this is making your heart race, you focus on how soft his hair is. It’s like it was stolen straight from a god, perfectly taken care of and maintained. You do not comment on this, because it’s not the time and because you don’t know how he would react. Instead, you tie his hair into a ponytail with the hair tie you made. It’s nearly the same as his old hairstyle, just with a different tie. You smile as you step back, admiring your work. It really does match with the crown, and his whole style.

“You look beautiful,” you say, almost breathless, because it’s true.

He stares back at you, something you cannot place in her expression. You want to believe it’s gratitude, but you honestly don’t know at this point. Whatever it is, it causes him to gently reach up to the hair tie, gingerly feeling the cloth used to decorate it. There’s no mirror you brought, so he’d have to wait, but you want to think he believes your words.

“…I guess I do,” he says, the softest you’ve ever heard him, and you settle into a comfortable silence, staring into each other’s eyes.

Eventually, you move to grab your sword, but 1x1x1x1 raises a hand, and you stop. “I do not wish to train today. Please sit near me.”

You follow his requests, sitting on a rock nearby his. The two of you are close enough that you could hold hands if you wished. You look up at him, staring into his red eyes that should tell you everything but reveal nothing at all. “Is there anything in particular you want to talk about?” You begin, because a large part of you wants to be closer to him. Has he ever had a friend at all?

(The answer is more than likely no. You, selfishly, want to be the first.)

1x1x1x1 finally breaks his gaze on you, choosing to stare into the distance instead. “I do not believe I have talked about my creator in more than passing, save for when I explained who he is. Tonight I will tell you more— these are things none have learned about us.”

The fact he’s comfortable enough to tell you about this speaks volumes, so you nod, unwilling to break your gaze upon him. He doesn’t return it, but he seems to take your response as confirmation, because he continues.

“Despite being the manifestation of hatred, I am capable of feeling other emotions. However, this was not something my creator knew or bothered to find out, as I was cast out by him soon after my creation. It is there my goals started— if he foolishly decided to cast me out, then I would return the pain I felt tenfold.

“I was alone until I arrived here. I had known nothing except hatred, and so I continued my goals. Upon meeting the others, I did not care for them— your lot, even less so. Yet, we lived together, so I began to tolerate their presence. But none of them became close to me. That child, C00lkidd, looks up to all of us, but he is unaware of this place’s true nature. He treats me as he does all of us— idols, perhaps, figures that act as replacements for his father -“ there’s a certain tone when he says that word, something you can’t place- “but I was not close to anyone in this world, not close to anyone ever. We lived together, but I did not regard them as more than acquaintances.”

He looks at you, finally. You’ve known 1x1x1x1 for a week at this point, but this feels like the first time you’ve stared into his eyes, looking past the self he put on for everyone else. It feels more vulnerable than anything else you’ve seen from him, and you find yourself searching for a way to ease the tempest in his soul. Your eyes hold out a hand in the storm, and he grabs onto them, leaning in ever so slightly closer to you.

“You are the only person to ever dare reach out to me. I killed you, continue to kill you, and will kill you again, and yet, you treat me with kindness as if it is natural. I do not understand you. The fact you would return after the first night is astounding— you giving me gifts even more so. You listen to my words, not doubting them, and see me as more than just hatred.”

1x1x1x1 reaches for the hair tie again. It’s probably the first time anyone’s gotten him something like that, you think. It’s a rather depressing thought to you, never being given any gifts at all. He closes his eyes, feeling the fabric, and you can see the happiness in his expression. “… Your gift, tonight. It was the first time someone created something solely for me. Yes, I have received gifts before, from the others I live with, but those gifts weren’t created over days, with the singular purpose of being for myself. Something I could cherish for entirely my own heart.

“… Thank you for being my friend.”

You smile, looking back into his eyes. “I’m glad I got to meet you, 1x1x1x1.”

She laughs a little bit, turning away from you. “Such a formal title, using my full name. You may call me 1x instead.”

You giggle in return. It does sound silly saying her full name now, especially when you just had one of the most emotionally vulnerable conversations you think someone’s had with you. “Alright, 1x.”

The rest of the night you spend in quiet conversation, talking about various things. It’s nice being close to her, you think— initially, you’d done this for the sheer excitement. And while that element was still there, since you had to hide it from your friends, your time here was a lot better when you knew 1x1x1x1 would always be there at the end of the day. You always loved listening to what she had to say, and she listened to you, too. Learning how to sword fight was a bonus, and you wondered when you’d get to show off your skills to anyone besides her… maybe one day you’d take that sword home, but if you wanted to show off, you’d have to take it into rounds, and there was no doubt at least one person would see you eventually and begin asking questions.

That night, you sleep peacefully, dreaming of a world filled with a lush forest and swords embedded in stones. When you reach to pull out one of them, you feel someone there, ready to spar with you, but before you can look around, the dream ends.

During the first round of tomorrow, you decide to spectate, since you weren’t taken there, learning the killer is 1x1x1x1 after spotting a Mass Infection swipe from Chance’s POV. When you switch to 1x1x1x1’s camera, you spot her wearing the hair tie.

You can’t help the grin that comes to your face.

Chapter Text

When you wake up, you find yourself up earlier than usual. You decide to take this time to get yourself some breakfast, considering you normally wake up when it’s about to be over.

Shedletsky doesn’t really make breakfast often, preferring to do lunch, as he knows more recipes under that section of food. The only breakfast he tends to make is eggs and bacon with toast and hashbrowns, but wow is it the best version of the dish you’ve had. It’s even better when hot and fresh.

After breakfast, you decide that you should talk some more with the other survivors today. You skipped out on their last game night, and since you weren’t going to sneak out that early again, you figured it would be nice to go to the next one.

Heading into the living room, you spot Chance absentmindedly flipping a coin, and he grins when he spots you. “Heyyy, wanna play a game to pass the time with me? Builderman and Dusekkar said no when I asked, so it’s gonna be just us.”

You shrug, because why not? There’s no harm in playing a couple games before the rounds, and you haven’t gotten to play with Chance in a while. “I’ll bite, why not? What game do you wanna play today?”

They perk up at your acceptance. “Yeah, that’s what I like to hear! I was thinking about just a simple game of Cribbage? Got the board and everything.”

You nod, and they set up the board, choosing to be blue while you pick the red pegs. Cribbage is something you’ve played a lot with your family, so you’d say you have above average skill in the game— of course, skill can only go so far when the cards decide your hand. Chance likes keeping it fair, and so do you, but you’ve played this game enough times to feel comfortable trash talking each other.

“Oops! Can’t see ya!” Chance smugly comments when he rounds the first bend before you. In exchange, next round, you manage to get points off of nearly all of his cards, relishing in his abject despair. “C’mon, gimme a break, why don’tcha?”

You then pointed out all the times they’d won purely because they drew a lucky card, and they sighed, admitting you had a point. At the end of the game, you’d won by two points, and he grinned. “Always fun playin’ with you. We’ve gotta do teams at some point, maybe a tournament… then again, that requires teaching cribbage to a buncha people.”

The two of you then began discussing hypothetical tournaments and how they’d work with certain card games, including ones that were invented here. It was a surprisingly in-depth discussion, and by the end, you were pretty sure Chance had game night ideas 20 weeks in advance. It’s pretty fun to discuss hypotheticals, especially if the other person is also invested in it.

By the time the rounds start, you’re pretty sure you and Chance have invented tournaments for card games that would get the two of you burnt on a stake. Then again, it’s probably worth it, especially for the satisfaction of seeing some of them get caught up in their ego and proceed to lose horribly (especially Shedletsky, who was a lot more competitive than he liked to admit). You’d won quite a few times with the games you all played, but the true fun of the game wasn’t your victory, it was everyone else’s misery.

During one of the rounds you’re in, you spot 007n7 looking particularly frazzled, trying to calm his breath beside a working generator. You quietly step over, doing a couple breathing exercises with him. You’d learned quite a few from your own experiences with anxiety, both yourself and friends. After a few minutes, you’d managed to get him to be relatively calm, so you put one of your hands over him as you talked.

“You, uh… are you doing alright? Anything on your mind, 7n7? I don’t want to leave you here alone.” While you’d consider yourself friends with him, you knew 007n7 was going through a lot of mental stress on any given day, compounded by the fact not a lot of other survivors liked him, so you wanted to help in any way you could.

For his part, he seems very appreciative of your kindness, though he still looks a little apprehensive about accepting it. He stares into the ground, but it’s fine— you don’t think you’ve really seen him fully focused since you got here. He was always thinking about something else, never one to smile unless it was to break the tension or make someone worry less. “I’m… I'm just thinking. I wonder what I did to deserve being put here… to have my child taken from me…” he paused. “Maybe everyone else is right… I should’ve been killing alongside him… or perhaps I shouldn’t be living at all.”

The thoughts he’s voicing aren’t new to you, but it always hurts to see someone other than you wish bad things upon themselves. While there were definitely some like Elliot who had their reasons to be wary of him, you certainly thought the former admins could be a bit prejudiced against 007n7, especially regarding C00lkidd. Thinking back on it, Shedletsky hid his connection to 1x1x1x1, probably to avoid the same scrutiny. And yet… no, you don’t want to consider the possibility of Shedletsky being that mean (he likely didn’t even consciously mean to), but you’d keep it in mind. You hid your connection all the same, after all. Always a hypocrite.

The thought of… “vanishing”, as you would call it, wasn’t something you lacked experience in feeling. Various circumstances in your life affected your mental health, and not in an entirely good way. Even now, the negative thoughts had a habit of clinging to you whenever you made a mistake or had a bad day. While you didn’t often share your vulnerabilities with others, you could at least try and help 007n7 with his issues.

Your hold on his hand tightens. “7n7. I… even if I haven’t been through what you have, I know what it’s like to want to… give up on life. The things you’ve been through are horrible, and no one deserves that. Not even if some part of you says you do. And… and even if there are people who look at you warily, you can’t give up, because there are people who love you, too. I appreciate you as a friend, 7n7, and I don’t want to see you die forever.

“… And… and I know it’s a rough topic, but your son would want you to live, too. Everyone else may fear him, but I know you just wanted the best for him. I know you never thought this would happen, so if anyone bothers you about it, I’ll defend you. So… I just… please don’t, 7n7.”

007n7’s been quiet the entire conversation, only gripping your hand like a lifeline as you spoke. He was still staring into the ground, but it had a fierce emotion behind it, now. After a moment to think, he then looked at you. “… Yeah. You’re right. Even… even if this is hell, we’ve gotta get through it together. And… and if you’re ever in trouble, I’ll have your back too, okay? That’s… that’s my promise…”

You smiled, and you both went in for a quick hug, before quickly running off. After all, you didn’t want to be caught by Jason and swiftly murdered. Despite that, though, you really did feel like you’d ignited a fire to live inside 007n7. Of course, nothing would make that awful feeling go away — you’d know, those thoughts persisting even when years had passed since your lowest point— but if you could scare away those thoughts, even a little bit, then you’d be proud of yourself.

A minute or so after your talk with 007n7, you were swiftly maimed by Jason, but your friend survived the round, so you were perfectly fine with dying to help him make it. Now that your mind was on the rounds, though, you couldn’t help but notice… you hadn’t seen 1x1x1x1 all day, had you? You had actually been quite excited to see her— while you definitely weren’t at that level yet, you’d wanted to spar against her during a round one day. The sheer adrenaline of it would make it even more fun, and you loved the rounds you were together. It reminded you of a book you’d once read, called The Most Dangerous Game , except you never stayed dead and you didn’t really fight back against 1x1x1x1.

Actually… since you talked to 1x1x1x1 so often, maybe one day you could ask about C00lkidd. 007n7 would definitely appreciate knowing how his son was faring, and 1x1x1x1 probably wouldn’t mind you asking about it. You planned to bring it up tonight, when you brought some sourdough over; you still hadn’t been able to make a Key Lime Pie for her, but you’d been thinking of bringing over some flowers after that.

1x1x1x1’s reactions to your gifts always made you smile, even if they also made you a bit worried for her. You weren’t able to bring something over every day, but you’d gotten lucky the past few times, being able to craft a hair tie without notice and stealing a couple slices of the sourdough you made.

The worst part of it was waiting for everyone else to fall asleep or retire for the night. You’d gotten lucky with a room on the first floor that was decently separated from everyone else, but you could never be too careful. Thankfully everyone went to bed at a decent time, leaving you to stay up and sneak out. It meant you always slept in a bit, but you woke up before the rounds began, so it was fine.

While gathering everything tonight, you can’t help but wonder if this place is as much of a hell as you thought it was.

Chapter Text

1x1x1x1 was not one created to feel much positive emotion— nor much of anything beyond hatred, really. It was what her creator had likely intended her to be, something to channel only his own hatred into. And yet, despite the intent of her creation, shortly after being created and cast out, she found that she could feel emotions beyond hate. Sadness, loneliness, even the pinpricks of isolation… everything was new , and it felt horrid .

It was those vile emotions she was forced to endure and carry with her until she placed herself in this realm. Even then, the pathetic games she played provided little catharsis, save for when she’d kill her creator over and over again. The rage overflowed when he entered her mind or vision, and filling his body with poison kept it from overwhelming her senses— yet, it never felt like enough, and she was always yearning for more.

(Was this how it would feel if she went through with her plans, outside of this realm where death could be reverted? If so, she’d need to revise her strategy; perhaps torturing him for years would lead to better results?)

The others she lived with abated the feelings somewhat. While she would not venture to call them friends by any means, there was a sense of camaraderie between them. An undeniable keystone in their relationship was the presence of C00lkidd, who was an innocent child unaware of how this world worked.

It made 1x1x1x1 intensely jealous, sometimes. Why was she forced out into the wild the minute she was created, whilst this child had a loving parent? It was undeniably a tragic situation, from what she’d seen of 007n7, but thinking on it for too long made her crave something she’d never known, so she shoved it out of sight. The mere thought of receiving such affection was unheard of for her, so before she could dare to hope, she cut down all desires.

The other killers had no such qualms about it, apparently, because they would often offer to include him in whatever they were doing. He would decline nearly every time at first, but as he grew used to everything, his acceptances became more common. They had learned his training time was all for himself, though, something he appreciated for a multitude of reasons.

At first it was because he preferred being by his lonesome, and he didn’t like the others observing him. They always had advice or comments, and he didn’t want their unsolicited advice in any aspect. The clearing was his way of isolation, honing his skills every day until he could finally best his creator.

… That wasn’t the only reason now, though. A little over a week ago, a presence had carved their way into his life, worming into his heart like a weed. He had indulged their questions for him, and they had offered him an olive branch of kindness. While the feelings he felt around them weren’t exactly new — he had experienced happiness and curiosity before— he had not felt them as strongly as he currently did.

He absentmindedly thought of the hair tie his hair was almost constantly held in. It was their gift to him, and he now wore it constantly in rounds, rarely using his other ones. His approximation of a heart fluttered a bit whenever he thought of them, especially their gift, and he didn’t know what to think about it. This feeling was new, and he didn’t exactly know what to make of it, so he shoved it deep into the recesses of his brain. It was an issue for the future.

That survivor had barreled into his life and seemed to have no intention of leaving. A little over a week, and yet they’d already established a very good sense of camaraderie, carrying itself even into rounds. He wouldn’t admit this to anyone, but he would sometimes avoid seeking them in a chase so he could put off hurting them.

It was odd to feel so hesitant towards violence, especially since it was one of the first things he learned to do. He wondered what his creator would think of him now. Would he realize that 1x1x1x1 could feel, or would he be rejected and cast out yet again, treated like he was something that could only feel malice? In either case, he found that he cared exponentially less about his creator’s opinions as time went on. They were no longer the same, and he had gained individuality.

Instead, he found that what had once been a small bud of thought in his mind had blossomed into a full garden in his brain. The only one to treat him with such kindness, and the only one he could truly call a “friend”, whatever that term even entailed, and now the primary person who he thought of constantly. Before he could only think of Shedletsky and how much he wanted to kill him, but now he felt a mix of joy and calmness when he thought of the other survivor.

These thoughts had even begun to affect her performance in rounds, but only slightly, and only really around them— instead of finishing them off immediately, he’d pause to gaze into their eyes, and instead of fear, they now greeted him with a small grin. He, of course, still killed them, but they strangely didn’t seem to mind all that much. It confounded him, how they could be detached from the concept of death in here. Perhaps he should ask them sometime… it was always nice to learn more about them.

Even between rounds, he found himself thinking about them. How nice it would be to get even more gifts from them, even if it was something small— he cherished the hair tie, something priceless, so he imagined them making something he could tie to his cape and felt a smile creep onto his face. He was surrounded by others who wouldn’t care this much about them, and he felt happy that they’d decided he was worthy of their unending kindness.

Unfortunately, nothing goes right forever, and her peaceful thoughts are so rudely interrupted by C00lkidd walking over and poking her in the arm. He looks up at her with a curious smile, and she realizes maybe she’s thought about them often enough for the other killers to notice. “Whatcha been thinkin’ about?”

The question is very innocuous, and yet it causes 1x1x1x1 to stutter a bit. She obviously can’t answer the truth, so she decides to brush it off entirely instead. “Nothing.”

Unfortunately, where the others would’ve accepted the answer as 1x1x1x1 not wanting to discuss the topic further, C00lkidd is a curious child, and children have little to no filter. He leans in closer to her, even. “But 1x, you’re always thinking lately! You look like you’re involved in something super important. You’ve even been zoning out! What is it? Does anyone else know? Pleaseeeeee tell me!”

She scoffed a little bit. C00lkidd certainly didn’t mean to pry, but this was her business, and not his. “It’s none of your business, child. I’m not zoning out or anything similar, I’m just thinking about— Ugh— it’s nothing important, so stop asking me.” 

Was she a bit flustered? Yes, she didn’t quite appreciate being interrogated about something no one else knew about. Unfortunately, since she didn’t get defensive in this manner often (defensive? Absolutely. Getting this flustered over it? Not so much), the others in the room were now staring at her. Great. John Doe tilted his head in curiosity, and Jason seemed passively interested as he sharpened his machete.

C00lkidd was unrelentless, too, leaning in closer until she gently pushed his face away. He seemed way too invested in something he’d only learned about less than 5 minutes ago. “C’mon, I promise I won’t tell anyone! Pinky promise! I just wanna know!”

Pinky promises were about on par with a blood oath for 10 year olds, but 1x1x1x1 was still adamant in not telling C00lkidd. They trusted him as far as they could trust any child with their secrets— that is, to say, not at all. “I understand your desire, but need I remind you that we are not alone in this room? There are two others who I do not want to talk about this to— not that I want to discuss it with you, either.”

Jason continued his sharpening, albeit a bit slower, paying a bit more attention, while John made a hum that could’ve also been a chuckle. It was hard to tell what he meant, sometimes. C00lkidd stomped his foot, clearly annoyed he was not being given the information he wanted. “But 1x,” he drew out their name, whining, “it can’t be that bad! It’s not like you have a secret crush or anything! C’mon, just tell meeeee!”

At that particular comment, 1x1x1x1 couldn’t help making a few sputtered attempts at words. This did not help their situation, quite the opposite— Jason stopped, and they could feel the amusement from his ever-silent demeanor. John, meanwhile, leaned in with his constant unnerving smile, making a breathy laugh as he tapped his claws on the surface of the counter. If the corruption wasn’t actively meddling with his mind as it did 70% of the time he was existing, he would definitely taunt 1x1x1x1 about this later.

1x1x1x1 recovered quickly, though, rolling her eyes. “I—“ she huffed, “I am not telling you, C00lkidd, and that is final.” She stood up, casting an annoyed glance at everyone else. “I’m going to be in my room until I am called upon for dinner. Do not bother me until then.”

C00lkidd let out an “aw man” out of disappointment, but at least he knew enough to not bother her when she wanted to be in her room alone. Tolerant as she was towards the other survivors, she got especially angry whenever someone attempted to enter her room unwanted. It was her space, so anyone entering was prone to getting a daemonshank poised to cut open their neck. After the second time someone almost got cut open, they all seemed to understand her boundaries, and let her be.

She shut the door, taking her cape and crown off and relaxing on her extremely comfortable bed. She shut her eyes, content to simply be in her own space for a few minutes. After a small bit, though, she opened them again, if only to look for something. Her hair was often let down in the cabin, but she looked towards her night stand for the hair tie they gave her, gently examining it in her hands once she located it.

1x1x1x1 looked around her room. It was decorated, sure, but it could probably use a few more things. She played with the hair tie, letting it settle around one of her wrists as she thought. What if that survivor made even more gifts, things she could place around her room? And then, eventually, she could show them around, and they’d be happy she appreciated their gifts…

She cut herself off before her face heated up more than it already was. She thought back to C00lkidd’s stupid words. Implying that there was anything romantic involved. There obviously wasn’t . They were just friends, and she’d hardly even figured out what the basic essence of companionship was. She’d hardly even figured out what happiness felt like, only that she mostly often experienced it with them. And they… she couldn’t even begin to comprehend their mind, much less the complicated emotions they no doubt contained. She’d have to think about it, obviously, before she came to a concrete conclusion on what she felt towards them.

(Considering they occupied her mind more often than not, though, she had a feeling it’d take less time than she expected it to.)

Chapter Text

When you head out to the clearing tonight, you find that you’ve begun to enjoy the peace of the woods at night. Hardly any creatures wandered in the forest beyond birds and small wildlife, you noticed, which made for a pleasant walking experience.

Tonight, you’d made some sourdough to give to 1x1x1x1. You had been documenting their tastes in a small journal after every visit, and you knew how well sourdough went with a lot of things they liked, so you’d decided to make that. Sometimes the survivors cooked solely for themselves, and you were no different, so no one questioned why you’d made a small loaf solely for yourself today. You made sure to make it as close as possible to when you headed out— the warmth of freshly baked bread was something you loved.

You heard a rustling as you got closer to the clearing, but you chalked it up to a bunny or other small animal. You and 1x1x1x1 waved at each other, happiness readable on both of your faces. You placed your bag on your rock, ready to give your gift—

A familiar laugh enters your ears as a red blur rushes out of the bushes nearby and tackles you to the ground. Now, thankfully, it doesn’t hurt , because you’re not playing “tag” or any other game, but it does catch you off guard, and you make a surprised noise as you fall. 1x1x1x1 moves a slight bit, worry on their face, before they calm down almost immediately after— still a bit on edge, but not as much.

Though you were startled at first, C00lkidd is probably the best person to have stumbled upon you two. Any survivor would probably be the worst, even if the other killers probably wanted to, well, kill you . You find yourself gently trying to push C00lkidd off as he excitedly rambles to you. “Hiiiii! I knew 1x had a friend! Are you the person they’ve been thinking about all the time? C’mon, you can tell me!”

It’s a lot of words to take in, but first of all— why was C00lkidd here, and how did he follow 1x1x1x1 the entire way here without being spotted? Second of all, 1x1x1x1 thought about you? Often? That… certainly made you feel happy inside, but before you could say anything to them about it, you had to deal with the small(very large) child attached to you. Your hand reached to pat his head as you spoke to him, still hugging you almost to the point of pain.

“Hi, C00lkidd. I don’t know if I’m the person they supposedly talk about all the time, but if I am, then hi?” You look to 1x1x1x1 for confirmation, but they are very intent on looking away from you two in favor of watching the grass. “Also, how did you get here? I thought you would’ve been caught by someone. Oh, and, uhm. I made some sourdough for you, 1x— it’s in the basket I brought over. It should still be a bit warm, so make sure to have some.” You lower your voice a little bit. “And, C00lkidd, can you please stop hugging me so I can sit down?”

He apologizes as he lets you sit up, before eagerly going to another spot in the clearing and making a little fortress out of sticks, pebbles, and dirt. 1x1x1x1, meanwhile, seems a bit relieved C00lkidd stopped bothering you, and goes to pick up the small basket. They seem very pleased at what you got, and they pick up a slice you’ve cut before you went out.

C00lkidd pouts as he watches you two. “C’mon, stop having snacks so I can tell you my epic story on how I got here! You’re not even sharing! No fair!”

1x1x1x1 rolls her eyes, tossing him another(smaller) slice. “Fine. You may have this piece. Now go on, regale us your tale which led you here.”

He grins as he eagerly tears into the bread, now seeming cheerful again. He seems way too eager to tell this story, if you’re being honest. “Wellll, I had to wait until everyone else was sleeping so I could sneak out and follow you! It took me a bit to get here, but when I did, I sneakily hid in the bushes! 1x was thinking about something, probably you, because they didn’t even notice me until I saw you and leaped out to say hello!”

Somehow, you’re not surprised in the slightest that C00lkidd would be the type of person to sneak around to find something out. 007n7’s told you about a couple of his escapades, even if he looked extremely pained while retelling them. The thought of 1x1x1x1 being distracted by you, so much so that they didn’t even notice C00lkidd, was actually rather flattering. You smile at them, but they are, once again, conspicuously looking at any direction you don’t occupy. It’s a bit cute, honestly.

1x1x1x1 breaks her silence, though not her avoidant gaze. “Just keep quiet about this, C00lkidd.”

The kid in question tilts his head, confused. Ah, the joys of not understanding why secrets exist. “But why? Isn’t it super awesome to have friends? Oh, do the others not like them? Do I need to get my dad to talk to them?! He always said that inclu… incluvity… inclusivity is important!”

It’s very sweet how much C00lkidd cared for your acceptance amongst the other killers, but there were actually quite a few things preventing you from a wholesome meetup with them. Namely, the fact your groups largely mutually disliked each other. Well, save for a few exceptions, like you and 1x1x1x1, or… whatever Noli and 007n7 felt about each other. You still have no clue what that’s about, and you’re pretty sure they don’t either.

You sigh, a smile on your face. You might as well try and convince C00lkidd to not tell anyone— even if it likely won’t actually do anything, because he is 10, and 10 year olds don’t typically keep secrets well. “It’s a secret, C00lkidd. Some people would probably get mad if we were friends— it’s very unfortunate, but it means we have to keep our friendship and meetings hidden from everyone else, you know? We don’t want any arguments to start.”

You suspect 1x1x1x1 wouldn’t really care if she personally got into any arguments, but she’d probably care if you had to yell at someone. C00lkidd seems to understand it, a bit, though it doesn’t seem like he truly gets why he has to keep quiet. “But… but I can tell my friends in the house, right? I’m sure my dad wouldn’t care! … If I could talk to him. He always ignores me when I tag him! But he’s super nice, so he’d probably help you two out!”

007n7 was indeed very nice, and if you trusted anyone the most in this place, it’d definitely be him. Those who know killers have to stick together, after all! … Even if you hadn’t revealed it to him. He… he wouldn’t care, probably…? You need to bring it up before it gets too big to keep under wraps, though. “Well, I’m sure your dad would understand, but there’s people who—“

“Isn’t it past your bedtime, C00lkidd?” 1x1x1x1 eyes him with an accusatory glare, and he awkwardly pauses and squirms under her accusatory glance. Which, obviously, means he is definitely not supposed to be awake right now. Everyone at your cabin is also asleep right now, though they often go to bed early to prepare for the next day.

You, suddenly, have a stroke of genius. “Hey, how about we make a deal? Neither of us tell anyone you stayed up past your bedtime tonight, and in exchange, you keep our secret safe, too!”

He considers the offer very carefully, weighing the pros and cons. You’re pretty sure this is the most serious you’ve seen him, and it’s for being caught staying up late. How adorable. He lets out a sigh as he sits criss cross on the ground, holding his head in one hand. “Hmm… fine. But only if you both pinky promise you won’t tell anyone no matter what! Not even if you get offered some really good icecream!”

1x1x1x1 and you exchange glances. A pinky promise is about the most serious protection of secrecy to a child, and it’s not like he’ll tell anyone…? She shrugs, which you assume means you get the final say on it. You nod, offering your hand as C00lkidd offers his. “It’s a deal, then!”

C00lkidd makes 1x1x1x1 do the pinky promise too, even if she seems very unamused with what she’s doing. He dashes off soon after, mostly because 1x1x1x1 had threatened to give him extra veggies for tomorrow’s dinner if he stayed up any later. After making sure he’s gone, she sighs, lying down on the grass. “I hate dealing with children. At least he’s not going to expose our secret now.”

You offer her a smile, sitting down beside her. “Well, if he does tell anyone, it’ll probably be your guys, and that shouldn’t go that badly…? Well, compared to if he told one of my group, haha. The only person I could see him telling would be 7n7, and he isn’t really well liked…” you sigh. “Ughhh. I am not looking forward to telling him about us.”

She gives you a curious glance. “Then don’t tell him?”

You shoot an unamused look back. “I’d rather at least one person knows. It’s just going to be really awkward. I mean, how would I go about explaining my closeness to you? Do I just go, “oh, 7n7! I’m best friends with one of the people who murders us every day! No big deal!” I’m going to sound like I’ve lost it, 1x.”

She shrugs. “That’s their fault for taking the murder so personally. It is simply a pastime for us. It may not be fun for you, and all of us take our breaks during rounds, but I assure you none of us have lasting grudges… minus the obvious hatred I have for my creator, of course.”

You give her a contemplative hum. “Well, I’m used to this sort of stuff, and there’s only so many times I can be stabbed before I stop holding a grudge against the one doing it— doesn’t mean I don’t feel the pain, though. As for the others… I imagine they just need something tangible to hate. It’s easier to hate someone you can fight than the thing keeping us here, after all. In a way, this weird sickening game is sort of like a job, I guess— you kill us, we come back, and we retaliate against you with swords or guns or whatever else we use.”

1x1x1x1 gives you an odd look, which you’re a bit confused by. Did you say anything odd? “Used to… what sort of “stuff”? You don’t seem like the type inclined to partake in violence. Especially given the fact I had to train you to use that sword.”

Oh, yeah, you did meet up to train, didn’t you? You’d both gotten sidetracked by C00lkidd, it seems. Though, you should probably answer her question. You were sort of concerningly vague on it, and she did seem a bit worried for you. You give her a reassuring smile, nonetheless. “Oh, it’s nothing that bad! You know how I said I can travel into dreams, right? Well, not all of them were friendly, and I got hurt more than a few times. The pain always felt real, but I never actually got injured in real life. So I guess… I guess I’m just used to having to deal with this sort of thing. Except the pain is real, and my dreams are the respite.”

You both gaze into each other’s eyes for a second. You’re pretty nonchalant about it, all things considered, but 1x1x1x1 looks as though she’s realized something she does not want to admit out loud. You won’t push her on it, though. You could wait. Instead of saying anything about it, you opt to lay down beside her, gazing at the (admittedly rather pretty today) night sky.

A comfortable silence stretches out for a few minutes as the responsibilities of the world lose themselves to you. The only sounds you can hear are the soft rustles of the leaves and the small ambience of whatever wildlife lives here. 1x1x1x1 is the one who breaks the silence, voice barely above a whisper. “… Hey.”

“Hey.”

“… When we all eventually leave this realm.”

“That’d be nice. I hope I get to stay friends with everyone… and that everyone corrupted is cured of whatever they have. I don’t want them to be suffering.”

“… May I ask you something?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“When everything is settled… would you still want to be near me? I don’t… I’ve never had the best reputation, ever since I was cast out. I didn’t care back then, but… you were not created with the same powers I was, and I don’t want you to die because you associate with me.”

You turn your head to look at her. “I don’t think I could imagine a life without you, now. We care for each other a lot, don’t we? I’ll become skilled enough with that sword so I can protect myself— maybe I’ll even get a special custom one someday, like you. And I’m sure I can convince everyone here you mean well, at least for me. Even if it takes years to get the world outside to stop whatever hate you get… I’d still do it, if it made you happy.”

She turns to meet your gaze. She looks impossibly pretty under the sky, so much so it almost takes your breath away. “… Your kindness is staggering. You’d really do all of that work if I asked?”

“I’d do it even if you didn’t, because I want to see you happy.”

“I wasn’t made to feel these things. I wonder how much I’ve missed out on because I convinced myself I was only capable of spreading hate.”

“Why don’t I show you everything this world has to offer when we leave, then? I could take you to a lot of places. See a movie, go to a concert, take you out to a café, walk in a park… only if you want to, of course.”

“… That’d be nice. I’d enjoy going on an outing with you.”

A pause. 1x1x1x1 looks at you with an expression you can only identify as unending fondness. “I’m glad I met you.”

“I’m happy I met you too, 1x.”

Chapter Text

Oh wow.

Last night was real.

Ever since you woke up (and before you slept, too), you’ve been staring at the ceiling of your room, thinking about that night over and over again. You’re pretty sure you’ve felt emotions you’ve never felt before that night. An unending fondness, the quiet admiration you held for him, love…

Oh gods, you love him. The realization leads you to look out your window, showcasing the same cloudy sky. In retrospect, you’ve probably had it for at least a few days now, and it explains a lot of things that you’ve done for him. Feeling this way was definitely new , but you accept it quicker than you think you should. Perhaps a person with a bit more sanity would have more apprehension, knowing what 1x1x1x1 had prided himself on being, but you’ve never exactly been the sane type, so you find this development very exciting.

Besides, over the time you’ve known him, he’s proven himself to be much more than the embodiment of hatred he (and everyone else, too) saw himself as. He’s been teaching you how to fight with a sword, he’s been nice to you outside of rounds, he even wears the hair tie you made for him all the time… he was actually incredibly sweet to you, and you went out of your way to make him happy, too. Today was even the long-awaited day where you’d been given the job of making dessert, so you’d finally get to make a key lime pie for him. Maybe you could even give him some flowers, too… there was a decently sized garden outside the cabin all of you tended to, so surely people wouldn’t mind if a few went missing…?

You shoved aside those thoughts for later as you went down to eat breakfast. Chance was the one cooking this time, and while they weren’t the best cook of the group, they still made good food. You ate in silence as you thought about a few different things, mainly 1x1x1x1. It felt like it was a constant presence in your mind now, and you knew the thought of it wouldn’t leave any time soon.

As you put away your plate, you feel a presence watching you. Turning around, it turns out to just be Shedletsky, giving you his signature smile. “Heya! Can we chat for a minute?”

You nod, of course, because you’re always willing to listen, even if Shedletsky was perhaps the one person you least wanted to talk to right now. It’s not that you hated him, of course not. You just had a lot of complicated feelings surrounding him. He seemed like a good person all around, perhaps a bit flawed, but so was everyone. And yet, after you learned about 1x1x1x1’s relation to him, the perception had become a bit soured. You’d made mistakes before, of course— everyone has, it’s only natural. Yet you cannot shake the feeling of uncertainty whenever you gaze at him. To abandon one’s own creation, as soon as it was created… you were biased, of course, but you had a feeling you’d feel a bit uncomfortable with the revelation regardless of who told it to you and when.

Shedletsky leads you to a side room, currently unoccupied save for the two of you. He darts his eyes to look around the room before he closes the door. He sighs before he says anything else. “So, you’ve been watching the killers on that little touchpad, right? No one else does, I think— we’ve got our own things to be busy with, Y’know? But anyways, have you been keeping an eye on 1x1x1x1? I think it’s got something planned, but I can’t figure out what. Can I ask you to watch it whenever it’s in a round?”

He pauses. “Now, I’m not saying you should go and get yourself killed a bunch of times to learn about what’s happening. But I’ve been noticing it’s been thinking about something recently: I was even able to get an attack on it completely unnoticed! I just wanna make sure whatever it’s planning, it doesn’t get anyone hurt. Can you do that for me? You watch and report, and I’ll make sure everyone else is safe from 1x1x1x1.”

… You’re pretty sure you know what it’s actually thinking about, but you’re not going to reveal that any time soon, so you nod. “You got it, Shedletsky! I’ll keep an eye on it every round I can.” (Which shouldn’t be hard, since you’re already doing it anyway.)

He nods, much more relieved now, and he puts his hand on your shoulder. “Thanks. You’re a good person, you know that? I’ll hold up my end of the bargain too, I promise.”

With that, he leaves, and you are alone again. Between this and everything else going on you feel a bit overwhelmed, but you manage to calm down by the time you also exit the room. The rounds will begin in a bit, anyway, so you might as well make use of the time you have. You set aside some ingredients in the fridge and pantry for when you make the key lime pie, mainly to save yourself some trouble for later. You go into the little common room and work on a 1000-piece puzzle you’ve been busying yourself with since yesterday, and make a couple origami cranes to decorate your room with.

After you finish with everything, you only have your thoughts left to busy yourself with, and you think about 007n7 and Elliot. You were probably the closest to the two of them out of everyone, though you definitely considered 007n7 a closer companion. And out of everyone, you knew he’d be the one you’d tell about 1x1x1x1 first (only the friendship, though— the crush could come later). He was an outcast because of his connection to C00lkidd, and it felt unfair to keep it a secret from him any longer— you’d certainly tell him about 1x1x1x1 before Shedletsky said anything about his connection to them, surely. You’d tell him today, and nothing would stop you.

With your mind set, you feel proud, and you realize that there’s only a small bit left until the rounds begin anyway. Time perfectly managed.

The rounds today are nothing special, save for C00lkidd challenging Shedletsky to a duel, miserably failing, and crying to his dad about how unfair his “meanie friend” was for the rest of the round. Though, you also notice how John Doe seems to be observing all of the survivors, trying to look for something in particular. What it is, you have no idea, but you don’t mind if it means there are less spikes impaling you.

Of course, none of this is mentioning the singular round you shared with 1x1x1x1.

You’d observed a couple rounds with them as the killer today, both to admire them and to fulfill your promise to Shedletsky, but there was only a singular round in which you were together. It seemed he’d been waiting for you to kill last, as everyone else had fallen relatively quickly. He actually seemed focused this round— until he got to you, at least.

As you walked around Horror Hotel, you found yourself jumpscared by one of their minions— but instead of rushing over to attack you, as they normally did, this one just took your hand and led you to the small courtyard, where 1x1x1x1 stood alone. After his minion brought you to him, it let go, standing by the large hallway. “I’ve retrieved them, master!”

1x1x1x1 beckoned you over, before looking at the minion. “Good, good. No go and tell the rest of them to leave us be.” He dismissed the minion with a hand gesture, and it saluted and ran off, leaving the two of you alone.

As you walked over, she gently grabbed your hands, gazing softly into your eyes. Both of you smiled, and you were happy to enjoy a small respite away from everything in your life. All of your problems melted away when you looked at her, and it seemed hers did too, as she was much more relaxed than what you’d seen of her today. Her voice was quiet, and even if you two were in a crowd, you still think only you would’ve heard her. “May I have this dance?”

You’re pretty sure that 1x1x1x1 has no idea how to dance, given what you know of her before she came here, but you’d go along with her words even if you knew it would end horribly. You nod, and she leads you in a very simple dance. Perhaps her minions or one of the other killers taught it to her? In any case, she seemed to have learned it pretty fast, because she never falters or stumbles as she dances, save for when she stares too long into your eyes.

The both of you are so wrapped in your enjoyment, you don’t notice the time ticking down until there’s only 10 seconds left. You sigh, looking up into her eyes, bringing one hand up to cradle her cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, 1x.”

She gives you a smile back, bringing her own hand up beside yours, savoring the embrace. “I’ll be seeing you, then.”

The timer ends, and you’re brought back to the cabin, and you feel incredibly happy despite the dangers that whole encounter brought. Anyone could’ve seen you two— you knew the others were often too busy or didn’t want to watch their friends die all the time, but still, the danger was ever-present. If your affiliation was ever discovered, so many things could happen, and nearly all of them were bad. It was such a great unknown that you honestly didn’t know what would happen… and yet, if offered again, you’d dance with her again, despite the risks.

You didn’t have any more rounds for the day, so before you baked your key lime pie, you tried to find where 007n7 was. He was in the game room by himself, playing Solitaire. You headed over, gently tapping him on the shoulder, causing him to jump and look around before settling his gaze on you. “Oh, it’s only you… is there something you need?”

You paused, looking away for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. I, uh, have something to tell you. And it’s super important, so we need to go somewhere private.”

He nodded in understanding, before quietly putting his game away (although, based on what you observed before you interrupted him, he wasn’t going to win anyway). You both went to his room, making sure to lock the door in case someone wanted to talk to him. All privacy was needed. You sat down on the bed, fidgeting with your hands as you talked. “I know this is probably a bit odd for me, but I think you’re the person I can trust most with this.”

“So, hypothetically, if one of the survivors befriended one of the killers, how would you react? Because I… I got to meet one of them outside of a round, and now I’m very close to them. Close enough that I have… um. Nevermind.”

007n7 paused, humming slightly, a far-away look in his eyes. “… I suppose I’d ask them if… if they could check in on my son for me. And if I could ask them a couple more questions… who is it, and…” he paused, “if their previous silence meant they had a c-crush on the killer.”

Anxiety and nerves still flowed through you, but 007n7 hadn’t reacted negatively so far, so you decided it was safe to confide in him for now. “Well, if I was that person, I would gladly agree to check up on C00lkidd. I’d even ask if I could bring you along, one day. And I’d tell you it was 1x1x1x1, and that… and that I have a crush on her.”

His eyes widened, and you feared the worst before he spoke. “That’s… the same 1x1x1x1 feared for her viciousness…? The one called The Adversary herself? Y-you managed to befriend her?” He fidgeted with his C00lgui, seemingly inputting a couple functionless commands just to calm his nerves. “If I’m b-being honest, that’s more impressive than anything else… how is she outside of rounds, may I ask…? I h-hope she’s nicer than when she, um, kills us.”

At that question, you smile, clasping your hands together. “She’s quite nice to me, actually. Of course, she was a bit offstandish at first, but she warmed up after a couple days! I’ve been giving a couple gifts to her, and I’d say we make each other happy… 1x probably wouldn’t be this kind to any of you, but I think that’s to be expected, hehe.”

007n7 nods along, slowly processing everything he’s heard. “A-and she’s nice enough that you have a crush on her now? That’s… um… that’s good, I think…? I’m glad you’re happy, but how long do you think you can keep up your routine with 1x1x1x1 before someone notices? I… um… I support you, even if I’m still processing it, but… I can’t confirm that everyone else will react with similar acceptance.”

He seems rather concerned for you, rightfully, so you try and calm him down. “Ah, well, we’re good for now. No one’s noticed anything yet, and I'm hoping to keep it that way… if anything does happen, I’ll do my best to roll with the punches.”

He nods, putting a hand on your shoulder reassuringly, and you think you can see the faintest sliver of a smile on his face. “W-well, if anything bad happens, I’ll be s-sure to defend you… f-friends have each other’s backs, right?”

You nod, and you quickly hug him before deciding to leave the room and bake your pie for 1x1x1x1— you couldn’t wait too long to start baking dessert, after all, as you’re pretty sure Elliot was about to start cooking it himself.

As you leave, though, you notice that one of the plants near 007n7’s room has been slightly moved. One of you two must’ve bumped into it while you were walking to the room.

You adjust it back to normal before you head to the kitchen.

Chapter Text

Once you start baking, it’s easy to get into a nice rhythm and groove. You picked it up after you moved out, and it was something relaxing to do whenever you were stressed (which was unfortunately often).

Key Lime Pie, fortunately, was an easy enough recipe to make, and it didn’t take a super long amount of time, so you finished cooking it right as dinner was about to be served (luckily, your recipes didn’t clash, so you and Elliot could quietly work in your own spaces). You put it in the fridge to keep it cool while everyone else went down to get dinner. Everyone sat in their normal spots, though you moved your chair to be a bit closer to 007n7’s. He gave you a soft smile in appreciation, and you grinned back.

Everyone conversed over dinner like usual, having their own small sectioned conversations. You typically talked to Elliot or 007n7, as you were good friends with them, despite the tension between the two. Today you talked with Elliot, about mostly normal things. You were close with 007n7 and had commonality of being affiliated with certain killers, publicly known or not— Elliot didn’t have such things in common, so you’d decided he’d learn about you and 1x1x1x1 much later, around the same place you’d put the rest of the survivors on the ‘telling them I’m dating a infamous hateful entity who kills us daily’ scale.

“Anything happened to you recently? I’ve noticed you’ve been a lot happier the past few days. Well, you’re always cheerful, but you’ve been more upbeat, even during rounds and everything.”

Was it really that obvious? You thought you were at least being a bit subtle about it. Though, if no one else noticed, you’d be happy— you weren’t the type to deceive others that well. In any case, you gave Elliot a smile. “It’s nothing much! I’ve just been feeling a lot better recently. Part of it’s probably getting to chill in a few rounds— thankfully the killers get bored of their jobs, right?”

It was a phenomenon that remained a constant, though it only happened once every few days or so. The ones killing you— either a singular person or multiple— would get bored, or have something else happen, leaving you all alone for a round. Each of them differed, obviously, though some had more frequent “breaks” than others.

Jason was a bit mysterious, never speaking out of his own volition, and his reasons for sometimes leaving you alone were something none of you ever knew. You were all too wary to approach and find out, so you all quietly enjoyed your round, afraid of angering him and starting the cycle of bloodshed once again. It happened rarely, though sporadically, so you never knew when it would happen.

C00lkidd, by comparison, seemed to get bored all the time. He’d often ask to play different games with the various survivors in his rounds— hide and seek, catch, racing… more often than not, they’d have some sort of fatal outcome, as C00lkidd didn’t know his strength and saw everything as a game. Occasionally, though, the activities he picked were completely normal and safe from bloodshed. Everyone seemed happy to indulge in C00lkidd’s fantasies then, but especially 007n7. You don’t think you’ve seen him half as happy as he is whenever he finally gets to play with his son without dying.

John Doe was an odd case, as he seemed to bounce between being aware of his actions and being controlled by the code that bound itself to him. Whenever he gained control of himself and his mind, he would often stop whatever he was doing and hide himself away or look for Jane. You felt bad for the man, obviously, as he clearly wouldn’t be here if he could control his actions, but you also needed to be wary. He could gain control one second, then have it slip away the next, his body becoming a puppet for code once again. It was nice whenever John could control himself again, but it was always tense with the knowledge the peace could end at any moment.

The mafia seemed unrelenting, as they saw the rounds as their job— collecting debts and carrying out any hits that had been placed on the survivors. Whether or not the debts were real didn’t seem to concern them, but very rarely, they'd be willing to have a civil conversation about it. It happened most often with Elliot, you noticed— they apparently knew each other from before? In any case, it wasn’t your business, so you didn’t pry.

Azure and Noli were… odd cases. Their mentality seemed to flip on a dime, or whenever a certain survivor was near them. Azure would be merciless one second, then would mellow out the next, until they saw Two Time— then he would pursue them until the ends of the earth and rip them to shreds, ignoring any words offered to him. He seemed rather indifferent to the rest of you, though, outright ignoring everyone who wasn’t the person he seemed to hate the most. Noli was the opposite, taunting and playing with everyone who wasn’t 007n7. You quite honestly didn’t know what was going on between the two, but Noli almost seemed merciful towards the man, sparing him from a brutal death and instead preferring to kill him before he even realized. Occasionally, you’d see Noli stop to try and comfort 007n7 on days where he couldn’t handle everything, but you always left before you saw what happened. You respected their privacy, after all.

And then, of course, there was 1x1x1x1, whose displays of kindness were the rarest of all. She was the most focused (on a certain goal, one only you had been blessed with knowing the details of), only ceasing for reasons you still didn’t understand. She would isolate herself from everything, and it was hard to even know she was there in the first place— if anything, her absence was the only way of knowing it was her who played mercy. Even Jason would often stay in one spot relatively in the open, knowing he’d be avoided, but 1x1x1x1 took the opposite approach, secluding herself in places none of the survivors ever went to. You hadn’t experienced it since you became close with her, but if it happened again, you made a promise with yourself to seek her out, even if it meant you’d end up on the sharp end of her sword. There was that round today, which was technically peaceful, but only to you, and it was so far from the norm you placed it in a separate category.

… While you drifted off momentarily, Elliot looked at you with an odd gaze. It was partly curiosity, and partly a knowledge that you weren’t being honest with him— whether he was mad or not, you honestly couldn’t tell. He decided to play along for now, as everyone was eating and you would never have privacy for that discussion in this room. “… Well, if you ever need anything, you know you can come to me, right? All of us would listen to your issues or problems, you know.”

Even though you nod, you are fully aware there is a 90% chance something boils over before you ever willingly expose your vulnerabilities to anyone else here. It was just in your nature to try and take on all of your issues and problems yourself, even when you knew your friends would gladly help you— it just felt like you were bothering them, no matter how many times they insisted otherwise, and how much you tried to convince yourself they wanted to help.

You both stop talking after, enjoying your food, even though Elliot clearly wants to ask more questions. Perhaps he’ll try interrogating you when you’re in private, but since this is a good change, part of you really doesn’t get why he’s so curious. Additionally, more people knowing just means a bigger danger that you’re found out by someone who isn’t as kind as 007n7 was.

When you split up the key lime pie, you make sure that there’s a slice saved for 1x1x1x1; everyone gets a single slice, and you save 3 pieces for later. You put the pie in the fridge for later, and check that one of the portable freezable lunchboxes is in the freezer (you honestly had no idea why the cabin had even been given one, but it was useful now, so you wouldn’t complain).

Waiting for everyone to fall asleep or retire to their rooms for the night is probably the most frustrating part of your routine, and sometimes you have to urge to leave early and abandon all concerns of being found out. The logical part of yourself always wins in the end, though, and you find yourself journaling in your room to pass the time. Writing down your thoughts is always fun, especially since you can actually talk about 1x1x1x1 without fear of someone snooping— everyone here respected each other’s privacy, after all.

Your trip to the clearing tonight is filled with giddy anticipation— would they like your dessert? It took a while for you to be able to make it, but surely that would make the payoff more satisfying— and when you spot 1x1x1x1, you smile and wave at them before sitting at the rock next to them and bringing out the lunch box. You’d been sitting closer to them lately, and though they never asked you to, they didn’t complain, either, so you assumed it was fine.

1x1x1x1 looked at you curiously, though she was obviously excited about what was in the box. You spoke first, carefully making sure none of the pie slices were damaged as you opened the box. “Remember when you mentioned wanting to try out key lime pie? I finally got to make some today, if you still want it.”

You grab a couple paper plates and forks, handing a set to her as you gently place the slices onto the plates. You have a little extra lime slice you put onto her slice before you transfer it onto her plate. You haven’t actually tried your pie before you brought it here, feigning fullness after dinner just so you could have it with her.

The two of you take a bite at the same time, and you give her a fond look. It’s a good pie, though you already knew that— 1x1x1x1’s never had it before, though, so you want to see her reaction, too. She pauses, eyes widening as she eats it. “… That’s different from what I expected. I suppose I thought it would be more… outright sour. This is still fine, though.” She pauses. “But you made it for me, so it’s better than any other pie.” She mumbles out the last part, but you can still hear her words.

From there, you eat in relative silence, accompanied only by the soft rustling of leaves. Once you’re both done, you put away the excess cutlery in your bag before looking at 1x1x1x1 again. “Do you wanna continue my training, or do you wanna just relax again tonight?”

They hum, before shaking their head. “We may talk whilst we train, but I do not wish to have an excessive gap in your learning. There are many dangers in this world, and it is my utmost priority that you are prepared to handle them on your own. While you may have friends and I to protect you, we cannot be around all the time.”

With that, they grab both their swords and toss over yours, before getting into position. You follow after them, easily copying their stance. Even though 1x1x1x1 stressed not looking away when you began training, to minimize any danger from you accidentally hurting yourself, you’d become skilled enough to not have to look all the time when making the most simple moves.

As you follow their training like always, you decide to make conversation. “So, say we get out of here. Is there any place you’d like to live?”

A slash, and a contemplative hum of acknowledgment. “My answer would depend on where you live, but I would prefer somewhere secluded and quiet, where no one would bother me. A place in the forest, perhaps.”

You follow 1x1x1x1’s movements before you speak again. “I live in a small apartment building— I’d like to live somewhere like the edge of town, but I’ve always been too afraid something would attack me in the middle of the night. If I lived close to you, though, I’d probably be safer, so I could definitely move.”

They huff in amusement. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll protect you. As if I’m not currently teaching you how to expertly wield a sword.” A pause. “Most people in Robloxia aren’t exactly fond of me, so I’d definitely like to live away from everyone else… if you wished, though, I could try and give living near common mortals a chance.”

It’s really sweet, how they’d try and follow your wishes— you’d do the same for them, of course. You laugh a little, very quiet and breathy, as you continue talking to them. “Maybe. We should probably start small, though. I could take you to a library or a less popular establishment. There’s the other survivors here to try and get along with, but I doubt they’d enjoy your company until a while after we escape here.”

1x1x1x1 actually laughs at that, planting one of their swords in the ground before they speak next. “Unfortunately, getting along with that group’s an impossibility.” They stop swinging, and you also cease, curious as to what they’re going to say next. “Since you’ve mentioned feeling safer in my presence, I now feel it is acceptable for me to progress your training from simple practice.”

He twirls around the remaining sword in his hands before pointing it at you. “To put it more bluntly, I wish to duel with you.”

Your gaze alternates between the tip of the daemonshank and his eyes, which have an intensity to them now. You really really do want to duel with him, but… “I’m still nowhere near your level. I think I’d lose in 10 seconds. Less than that, actually.”

He shrugs. “You’re not wrong in your assessment, but I won’t be using my full strength. After all, it’s a training exercise, and I can’t really train you if I go all out, hm? I’ll guide you, too, just like when I normally teach you.”

That doesn’t sound as bad, you think! You nod, before stepping back and readying your sword and stance. He does the same, and your eyes meet each other before you begin. 1x1x1x1 is quick on the offensive, and you barely manage to block his swing. Your breath speeds up a little bit— of course he wouldn’t hurt you on purpose , but you’d rather avoid being hit by his poisonous daemonshank.

He follows with a couple more fast attacks, and you block them decently well, before he manages to slash in a way that knocks your sword away, and you fall to the ground. Before you can do or say anything, he helps you up, and checks to make sure he didn’t injure you or damage your clothes. You say nothing, partially because you know you’ll make a comment about how cute he is doing this for you, and possibly accidentally reveal you love him. And, well, you want to gauge his feelings before you do anything.

After making sure you’re okay, you pick up your sword, and you both go back to your original positions. When 1x1x1x1 attacks again, it’s slower, enough so that you don’t get caught off guard like the first time. You can tell he wants to actually duel with you, not just practicing, but you appreciate the fact he’s being patient for you.

The night continues mostly the same, though occasionally he lets you attack while he blocks. He gives you helpful pointers and advice, and despite being utterly exhausted at the end of the night, you feel like you’ve made a lot of progress. You wonder what training would be like if you matched his skill level… the thought of it just makes you even more excited to improve.

When you head to bed, you feel utterly content with the routine that’s taken home in your life.

Chapter Text

In your dreams that night, the sky is a shade of green, turning to black as it comes to the horizon. Shards and debris hover in the sky, unbound by any laws or gravity. You can’t make out what they would’ve been a part of, but you know they’re destroyed remnants of… something.

You can sense that you’re being watched, but looking around reveals nothing. There are green eyes littering the ground and destroyed buildings, but they’re not focused on you, instead looking around at other things. Despite the intimidating and ominous layout of the place, you feel strangely at ease, as though the presence watching you means no harm.

As you walk through, you have the sense everything is friendly to you— then, you see a single golden feather covered in blood, and an intense strike of dread courses through your soul. You hear two sets of footsteps walking towards you— one that makes you feel comfort, the other sends terror into your heart. Before you can say anything, you hear a clash of two swords—

And then you wake up.

You can intuit the basic aspects of the dream; anything black and green in your dreams is generally associated with 1x1x1x1, and thus, a sense of comfort. It’s a recurring theme in your dreams to see something related to them now, and you find it rather sweet. The golden feather is something you can’t decipher, though, nor the second presence at the end of the dream. You know you don’t have all the details, but something inside you says that you should know what it means.

When you get breakfast (later than you typically do), only Shedletsky is there, and he gives you a friendly smile and a wave. “Hey! How’s the whole ‘watching 1x1x1x1’ thing going? Got any new info to share?”

In all honesty, you really don’t. If anything, you think Shedletsky’s more than a bit paranoid whenever 1x1x1x1 is mentioned. Always assuming the worst whenever she’s brought up— if anything, he’s the only reason you haven’t mentioned getting along with her. He’d overreact (something which he does when it comes to her and ‘protecting you all’ from her, even if he’ll never admit it), and then you’d fight and everyone else would be dragged into it. The longer you put it off the more severe the consequences will be, but that’s a problem for future you to deal with.

You shrug. “Not really? She’s been acting normally, as far as I can see. I don’t know if she’s still ‘planning something’, but if she is, she’s hiding it very well.”

Shedletsky kind of huffs, crossing his arms as he sits down. “Of course she is. Figures only I’d notice something like this— I’m always watching her like a hawk whenever we’re in a round together. I should’ve just kept her locked up in the Banlands, then this wouldn’t be an issue…”

It takes every single fiber of being in your soul to not smack him senseless and shout that maybe if he took proper care of his creations 1x1x1x1 wouldn’t be nearly as ‘evil’. It’s annoying enough to have to pretend you don’t like her, it’s downright infuriating having to deal with people treating her like she is just hatred. You know full well she can feel other feelings, and you feel like your patience should qualify you for being the patron Saint of it, because the fact you haven’t lost it on everyone is a miracle.

You should be given an award for the acting you’re doing, because instead of showing your annoyance, you give him a nervous smile. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure out what it is, Shedletsky, even if I can’t pick up anything.”

Like you’d share anything with him anyways. The other killers? Yeah, sure, you wouldn’t mind spilling their secrets. 1x1x1x1 is probably your closest companion in this place, though, so he’d have to take her secrets from your dead body.

Shedletsky perks up at that, and puts his hand on your shoulder. “Y’know what, you’re right! I’ve just gotta believe in myself more. Say, you’re pretty good at this motivational speaking stuff! Anyway, I’ve got stuff to do. Catch ya later!”

And with that, he’s off, and you can enjoy your breakfast in peace. By the general make of it, you guess that Guest 1337 made it. Despite his resting face giving him a more intimidating appearance, he was actually quite a kind and caring soul outside of the rounds. He would occasionally speak of his family and friends back home, and you could tell he misses them just by his voice. His gentle nature outside of battle carried over to his cooking, and whenever he could he tried to cater to someone if they liked a dish cooked a certain way. It always brought a smile to your face whenever you got to eat his cooking.

It feels like you’ve barely had any time to yourself by the time the rounds start, though you did wake up pretty late. The day’s been kind of a blur, really. It just happened sometimes— you were always a bit disconnected with reality, off on adventures in your thoughts. Everyone else seemed to think that you needed space on those days, and while you did enjoy being left alone, you didn’t necessarily mind being interrupted as long as it wasn’t for long. Maybe that dream messed up your thoughts more than you realize. It’s been on the back of your mind since you woke up.

Actually, perhaps it was an omen more than a dream— it settled in your soul and writhed as its contents whirled through your mind. It reminded you a bit of the horrid ‘dream’ that had landed you here. The things you saw in that place would remain unspoken for many many moons, yet it had filled you with dread, similar to this dream. But the difference was that the ‘dream’ wasn’t yours; you’d entered that place, knowing it was dangerous and you could not return until you completed what you came for.

This dream, however, was crafted entirely from your mind. You’d felt safe , even, comforted by the ominous fixtures that littered the landscape. But as soon as that feather appeared, it felt like someone had invaded, and you were thrust out of the dream in order to be protected by whatever watched over you before.

As the first round begins, you accept that you don’t have all the pieces to decipher the meaning of the dream, and instead wander around the map, doing generators and doing your best to avoid the killer. The latter half didn’t go great, as you had been half-focused all day, and you died quite a few times. The pain didn’t really knock you out of your stupor, but being stabbed and slashed at more than woke you up eventually.

Thankfully, your next round, as you find out, has C00lkidd up against you all, and he has decided to forgo his usual “tag” game in favor of gathering all of you up and making you watch as he plays swords with Shedletsky. A part of you hopes C00lkidd wins, if only because Shedletsky was exceptionally annoying and smug whenever he won anything. Which, to be fair, C00lkidd was a freakishly and unnaturally powered 10 year old, but that didn’t make dealing with Shedletsky’s overconfidence any more bearable.

And, unfortunately, C00lkidd is not as well versed in games where he’s not solely focused on killing(tagging) you all, because Shedletsky easily bested him. He made a show of it, too, talking to Builderman and Dusekkar as he looked away whilst swinging his sword. You internally criticize how sloppy his technique gets when he gets too smug, because 1x1x1x1 would never let herself do that.

C00lkidd looks like he’s about to start up a real fight before he stomps his foot and shouts. “No fair! You’re super MEAN! YOU'RE A MEANIE! I wanna fight someone else!”

Most everyone else backs away, save for you, Chance, Guest 1337, and Two Time. You’re skilled enough with a sword, of course, and you did just learn a few techniques about dueling last night. Chance, of course, loves to gamble, and he’s probably(definitely) done similarly dangerous games before. Guest 1337 is a bit unexpected, but not entirely— he’d mentioned having a kid back home, so there was likely a bit of sentimentality involved along with his natural desire to protect all of you. Two Time was… well, a little bit off , and they seemed to have an uncanny ability to backstab things with their dagger, so maybe they wanted to try out something similar here.

C00lkidd looks around at the four of you, before he points to you, nodding. You have a slight feeling he chose you because of you knowing 1x1x1x1, and because the others all “bully” him (though he was unintentionally killing people).

You shakily nod back, before Shedletsky shrugs and gives you his sword. He’s surprisingly careful with making sure he doesn’t accidentally hurt you by tossing it, and he smiles as you grip it. You look back at C00lkidd, who’s holding the Firebrand with glee. Where he got that from, you’ll never know.

He counts down from 3 before eagerly dashing at you with his sword— unfortunately for him, he doesn’t have much skill, and you easily block it.

C00lkidd huffs, pouting as he tries to get another hit in, backing up before trying to fake you out. You dodge it easily enough, though, and hit him (though you try to not damage him too much).

Despite being injured, he seems fine; well enough to quickly move and try to hit you again— despite your best efforts, you get hit, and you do your best to not make your pain obvious, despite the fact it burns a lot.

You hear at least one survivor wince, but before C00lkidd can do anything else, you quickly swipe your blade— taken off guard, he doesn’t do anything to defend against your next move, and you knock his blade out of his hands with your own sword.

He quickly looks between you and the fallen sword, shocked that you have enough skill to even do that— which, you didn’t think you did, either, you just acted out of instinct and it somehow worked. Then, he brightens up, giving you a hug while jumping up and down (bringing you with him). “THAT WAS SO COOL! How’d you learn how to do that? Can I do it too?!”

You glance at the other survivors for confirmation you can teach him, though part of you withers at Shedletsky’s suspicious stare. In your excitement you’d forgotten that you weren’t supposed to know any of this, and you dread having that conversation with him. You quickly move your gaze and turn back to C00lkidd, a smile on your face. “Ah, um, maybe! It’s not an easy trick to do. And I uh, just picked up the skills from watching everyone else?”

By everyone else, you really mean ‘by watching 1x1x1x1 like a middle schooler with a crush each round and training with them’, but no one needs to know that. C00lkidd seems content enough, anyways. “Oh, okay! I’ll just ask 1x to teach me next time! I’m gonna beat all of you in a duel next time, promise!!!”

The rest of the round consists of you all playing games with C00lkidd, but during one of them where you’re not participating, Shedletsky pulls you aside to a more private area. The expression on his face spells nothing good for you. Curse him for being more aware recently. “Hey, so where’d you really learn to do all that? As far as I recall, you don’t own a sword to practice or anything.”

There is definitely something else he wants to tell you, but he keeps his mouth shut as he waits for you to respond. You laugh nervously, unsure of how to navigate the situation without making him even more suspicious. “I just observed you and 1x1x1x1…? I mean, I want to get better at protecting everyone, so…” you trail off, unsure of how to continue.

Shedletsky absolutely does not buy any of it. “… Well, if you ever want to tell me the real reason, I’m all open ears. Right next to 007n7’s room, used to monitoring things— if I listen carefully, I can even hear him muttering and tinkering with his little gui thing. Builderman often visits my room to talk to me or borrow things, even when I’m not there, so I’ll shoo him away if you come over. I’m especially good at tracking stuff related to 1x1x1x1, if you ever have any information concerning them .” He walks off, though, giving you this one mercy.

You are so unfathomably screwed. The cosmos and universe have conspired to make your life in particular miserable. Shedletsky definitely has an inkling of your connection to 1x1x1x1— if he finds out the full thing, it’s going to be so bad for you, in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. Actually, no, it’s going to be bad for you even now. You curse out everything that’s led you to this moment in your mind.

At the very least, you have someone that can calm you down. And, well, you’re going to get found out soon enough anyways, so might as well forgo any reservations about confessing, hm?

Chapter Text

In the beginning, it had started out as a small bud— a seed, more than anything.

A presence had sought something, and he was what greeted them. He still saw himself as above, and them as nothing but a mild annoyance. Yet, still, they treated him with kindness, and his walls fell; they did not fall fast, nor all at once, but they crumbled with time, and he allowed only them to walk over the debris and enter his heart.

Though he had expected misery and a newfound wound in his heart, they did not turn their back on him. No, instead they opened up their heart too, allowing him to peek inside the vulnerabilities of someone beside himself. They offered a hand to him, giving him a taste of true friendship.

And yet, over the days, that feeling had morphed and bloomed into something greater than what he could deem mere friendship. Though it had started as a small bud, it had bloomed into a garden, covering his heart and intertwining with his soul. He accepted it more readily than anything else in his entire life, allowing himself to bloom with the feeling too. Together, they became a singular being, and he felt the overwhelming urge to protect that which he now held dear.

Yes, 1x1x1x1 was in love . A love that blanketed and covered him completely, shielding his emotions from the harsh and cruel world. It was a warmth that could keep him safe even in a blizzard, and he nurtured the feeling as if it was the most precious thing in the world— and it was, to him.

The process of realizing she was in love was not quick, nor was it something she accepted immediately. It began with that damned comment from C00lkidd, and that conversation she had with that survivor under the stars. While she knew they were her friend, any other label was an unknown— but after that, she began thinking. Did she love them? Was she enamored by someone she was so apathetic to at first?

She observed them, watching how they moved and acted with others. How they treated everyone with kindness— and yet she knew she was treated with a special affection reserved only for her. It made her heart flutter, stomach filled with butterflies. The rare moments they shared together in a round felt sacred; time would stop when she looked into their eyes, and though she still went through the motions of eliminating them, she found it did not bring her the same joy as it would for anyone else. No, she wanted to protect them, to keep them close and safe from all harm this would dare bring upon them.

Never before had someone made 1x1x1x1 desire to clean the blood on her hands, to turn back on her vows of hatred of violence— and yet, so easily, they had made her realize the world beyond negativity. They had shown her that, perhaps, were she ever to go back, that she didn’t want to leave a trail of blood wherever she went.

A hesitance to kill would surely never be appreciated by The Spectre, so she made sure to carry on her role in these twisted “games” it oh so loved to play. Slashing down people who could easily revive felt rather burdenless on her heart, though when it came to them , 1x1x1x1 found that if she didn’t eliminate them as one of the first, she could never muster up the willpower to stab the one who had provided such light into her life.

This new development in himself did not go unnoticed, by both his fellow murderers and survivors. Shedletsky, ever a pain and thorn in his side, had mocked him over becoming “soft” in one of their duels. Hah, like he would know anything. 1x1x1x1 had found something to truly fulfil his life, yet Shedletsky would always be chasing after him, looking for feelings he could not find on his own. Were it not dangerous for them, 1x1x1x1 would gladly rub his friendship in Shedletsky’s face— oh, the admin had friends, but the blight he created gaining one and even possibly more? Yes, it would surely anger the man to no end.

It would please her greatly, but she feared Shedletsky’s reaction. He had cast her out almost immediately after her creation, so what is to say he wouldn’t attempt and do the same to someone who got close to her? No matter how much poison and damage her daemonshanks could deal, it felt as though she was helpless to actually help that survivor sometimes. The moment they escaped that land, she would do everything in her power to keep them safe, including teaching them all of her tricks and skills in the blade.

Shedletsky’s mere existence had made her a bit more on edge, especially considering how he’d been acting recently. He’d always been afraid of (and hated) her, but now it seemed as though even mentioning her name would make him mad. The killers had the power to observe rounds, and at least one would often be watching one for various reasons. 1x1x1x1 typically only had them on to watch Shedletsky suffer, but these days he seemed paranoid about something she was supposedly planning on doing. Which, she was , but not in an evil way like he was imagining. He’d managed to involve them , too, and she felt her skin crawl every time they and Shedletsky talked in rounds. The only saving grace was the fact that she could tell they were annoyed whenever he insulted her.

(It had even extended to her very infrequent exchanges with Shedletsky. He was intent on proving she was planning something, and she didn’t like it. Especially if it concerned them .)

… Though, speaking of them, 1x1x1x1 would now often watch the rounds to observe them. They admitted to observing her so they could better plan around her attacks at the beginning, though they also watched her to observe her sword skills, and because she “was cute”. To be quite honest, she had no idea how she was in any way cute, but their words made her heart flutter, so she wouldn’t complain. If anything, they were the cute one, with how they adorably smiled and laughed and the way they helped everyone else and how they would always smile at her and those lovely eyes that sparkled when she laughed—

Okay, maybe 1x1x1x1 had it bad. It was her first time ever being in love, forgive her.

She’d taken to watching rounds inside of her room, purely because if anyone saw how she was observing her crush, she’d cut them up thousands of times. She had a reputation , you know. It was a lucky thing the killers never discussed them, because 1x1x1x1 didn’t think she could suppress her smile if she were to talk about them.

Though, nothing good could last forever. That survivor had gifted her a small bouquet of flowers from the garden the survivors took care of. They’d even taken the extra time to pick flowers that reminded them of her! It took all of 1x1x1x1’s strength and willpower to not cave in and confess her undying love that very moment. After their training that night, they said they had something to tell her tomorrow, something that filled her with equal parts hope and anxiety.

She promised to take good care of the bouquet, and during the night, she’d placed them in a fitting vase on the kitchen’s counter. Her room’s windows were almost always covered, and she didn’t want them to wilt in just a few days. The kitchen, at least, had decent light from the uncovered windows, so she put them there before she went off to bed. She’d even tied the ribbon the bouquet was wrapped with around the vase, adding a nice decoration to the counter.

Clearly, in her tired state, she had forgotten how annoying her fellow killers were. By the next morning, she could hear a few of them discussing the new vase of flowers when she was descending the stairs from her room. They’d been murmuring amongst themselves before 1x1x1x1 stepped into the room and C00lkidd decided to speak up. “Hey, 1x! Do you know where these came from? We’ve been trying to figure it out all morning!”

Before she could shrug and deflect the topic, the kid spoke up again, clearly excited. “Oooh, are they from that person you talked to that one time?”

Almost immediately, everyone turned to stare at her, and she felt like withering under their curious stares. Of course C00lkidd knowing would come back to bite her. Noli spoke next, clearly very amused by this turn of events. “A person? Please elaborate, I’m sure everyone here wants to know the details.”

1x1x1x1 shifted a bit uncomfortably, before clearing her throat. “… I’ve been hanging out with one of the… others , recently. About 2 weeks, if I had to guess.”

Jason made a gesture, and 1x1x1x1 had been around him enough to interpret what it meant. She sighed, grumbling out, “Yes, it’s that one,” to which he nodded and went back to the cutting board, going back to making breakfast. He still seemed interested, but his main question was now sated.

Noli, the only one of the current group having not heard the conversation a few days prior, still wanted to know more. He leaned in closer to 1x1x1x1, trying to decipher her expression. “Which one, pray tell? And how did you meet?”

She huffed, backing up. “The one with the dream related abilities. They happened upon my training spot, I let them stay and watch, and we ended up bonding.”

He hummed, content with most of her words, before speaking again. “Yes, I know that one. They’re friends with 7, as far as I can tell, so at least you’ve picked well.” He grinned, more mischievous. “So the two of you are friends, then? Perhaps more, considering they gifted you flowers in your color scheme ?”

… There was also that, which would’ve probably tipped off the others had C00lkidd not spoken up. Speaking of him, he gasped, a realization coming to him. “So you DO have a crush on them! I was right! The genius of Team C00lkidd strikes again, mwehehe!”

John Doe, previously silent, decided to speak up after C00lkidd’s remark, letting out a breathy laugh that barely went above a whisper, before speaking. “… Looo… …veee……..? Heehehe…hehehehe….” He coughed after, his throat always unused to talking, but 1x1x1x1 could feel the sheer amusement in his tone and expression. This whole situation was clearly something he found great joy in, especially since 1x1x1x1 was the one suffering.

She pauses for a few seconds. “… I might have a crush on them,” she utters, quiet for her, “but none of you are allowed to interfere with it. This is my situation, not yours, so none of you even think about messing with them.”

The edge of venom in his voice surprises even him a bit, but everyone else backs off, sitting back down around the kitchen table. 1x1x1x1 leaves for the currently unoccupied living room, taking off his hair tie and gently admiring it in his hands.

He’ll do anything to protect them, he’s sure of it. He’s never felt this way about a single other person before, and if he could, he’d make some way so that they could eternally be protected from all harm that would affect them. And yet, they were locked in this twisted game, and his hands could do nothing but harm them as soon those rounds began.

Yes, one day, he’d eviscerate and destroy the false god who trapped them here, he’s sure of it— and then he’d live a quiet life he now dreamed of with them.

Chapter Text

Throughout the entire day, you feel so light that you could walk on clouds.

You’ve made a promise to yourself, and you won’t run away (despite being very very scared 1x1x1x1 will reject you). You need to pull out all the stops this time, which means you need to be there extra early! Before they even get there, even. Fortunately, they’ve told you the usual time they get to the clearing once, and now you’re using it to plan your ultimate confession.

The energy that flows within you is boundless, and you feel like you could skip and frolic with every move you make. You’ve made up your mind, seeing this through, and now you’re going to see this to its end, regardless of if it ends or not. Ever since you woke up, you had an idea in mind, and you’ve been trying to plan it out without alerting anyone else. Even during the rounds you’d been spaced out, only focusing on what tonight would bring.

You’re not exactly used to being in love, but you want to prove yourself and your feelings, so you think about how 1x1x1x1 would best enjoy a confession. They didn’t seem much like a grand or extravagant person when it came to their emotions, but neither were you, so the best option would likely be something more quiet and intimate.

Thusly, you had prepared a picnic for the two of you. It was just a few desserts and snacks you’d been able to take from the fridge without notice, but you felt proud of yourself all the same. After all, it wasn’t the picnic that mattered the most, it was your confession. You’d found a patterned blanket that would work laid on the grass, and even a larger bag than the one you carried to hold all the food.

You have to leave early in order to set everything up, so there is a chance someone catches you leaving, but you make sure to carefully close your door and listen to the ambient sounds of where people are walking and conversing before you escape through your window. You dash through the clearing as silent as you can before getting to a point where the foliage becomes denser. At that point, you sigh in relief, knowing that you aren’t followed now.

Your pace while walking is faster than normal, if only out of the pure excitement you feel. It’s finally time, you’re finally doing this! You may have only known 1x1x1x1 for a few weeks, but you’ve formed an undeniably close bond with them. You believe in yourself that this will work, and this belief puts an even bigger spring in your step.

When you make it to the clearing, thankfully, 1x1x1x1 isn’t there, so you quickly set down the basket and prepare the small picnic. You even found some paper plates and utensils! (You are almost absolutely sure the being that trapped you here has set at least some of this up. You’re not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, though.)

You finish before he arrives, so you sit down on the blanket and admire the sky. The stars are out tonight, and they look stunning. It’s almost like the cosmos themselves are setting the mood, and that’s rather nice, isn’t it? It’s perfect— almost like the thing that trapped you here wants to set the mood. You won’t complain, of course, you do want this to go well, after all.

The time passes serenely, only the rustling of bushes (more often than usual) accompanying you, until you hear the footsteps of 1x1x1x1 approaching the clearing. You turn to the direction you hear the noise from, slowly watching as his figure slowly distinguishes itself from the leaves and other foliage in the forest. He stops when he sees the picnic, surprise evident on his face when he spots you too.

“… You’re early.” A pause, as he walks closer. “… Is this for me?”

You nod, patting the empty space in the blanket next to you. He strides over, setting his daemonshanks on the ground as he sits on the blanket, seeming a bit awkward. You give him a smile, and he returns it. You grab the basket handle and reach inside, pulling out the food you stored for the two of you, offering him a plate with some of the snacks and other delicacies you brought.

He accepts it, and you both eat slowly, taking more time to converse. You begin first, heart fluttering and beating faster in your chest. “I, um, have something I want to say to you. After this.”

His eyes widen, and you see him calculate a couple thoughts in his head, before he resumes his normal expression. “I see. I’ll be awaiting it, then.”

In the meantime, you talk about various topics with him, from the progress you’ve made on your training to gossiping a bit about the other survivors and killers. It’s fun, and you’ve almost forgotten what you were going to say by the time you’re both finished with your food. 1x1x1x1 looks at you expectantly, though, and you remember. “Ah, yes, that! It’s a bit of a long-winded story, so be patient with me.”

He nods, and you continue on. “Ever since that first night we stargazed, I’ve been thinking about us— not in a bad way! I’ve just been thinking about you more. You’re really nice, and kind— to me, at least— and I’ve found myself thinking about what I feel for you more often.

“I didn’t want to bring this up because I thought it would ruin things, but the worst you can say is no— or kill me, but I’d probably be fine anyways. And I promised myself I’d try and not run away anymore, so um—

“I just wanted to say I really like you. Love you. And it’s fine if you say no I just wanted to be clear in case like you wanted us to just be friends you can say that and I’ll respect it and I’ll still visit if you wan—“

You’re stopped by a hand laying itself over yours. You’re not looking at 1x1x1x1 anymore, you realize, having drifted your gaze to look at the grass; perhaps out of fear or shame. When you shift your gaze back, you find them looking back at you with a mix of joy and surprise. They speak before you can continue your nervous rant, intertwining their fingers with yours.

“I love you too. I… I have for a little while, but I didn’t realize it until recently.” They pause, a bit nervous. “I’m glad you feel the same.”

You both go quiet, taking in the atmosphere and relishing in each other’s presence, before 1x1x1x1 speaks again, quietly. “… So how does this… work, exactly?”

You pause, then shrug. “… I’ve never been in a relationship, so I don’t really have any idea how they work. I guess I can keep visiting you and giving you gifts…? Maybe sprinkle in a “I love you” during rounds or something…”

Their posture feels uncomfortable as soon as you mention the rounds, but they speak again before you can acknowledge it. “Tch. Those accursed things. As much as I wish to never stain my hands with your blood ever again, I fear I may have to do so to appease it . But enough of that— what do relationships entail? What shall we call each other now?”

To be quite honest, you have no idea how any of this works. Your only idea of romance came from fiction, and you didn’t even typically read stories where they talked about all the relationship stuff. They just sort of… kissed and suddenly knew how it worked. “Well, um, I don’t mind being called your partner, or, um… pet names, I guess.” You mumble out the last part.

“… And what might “pet names” be, my… partner?” You think you can see a blush on 1x1x1x1’s face, but yours is undeniably worse, so you don’t mention it.

“They’re like, little terms of endearment you use on someone to show how much affection and love you have for them. For example, uh, stuff like dearest, beloved, my love, honey, you know… words like that.”

You continue on, because both of you are blushing and quite frankly you think 1x1x1x1’s is worse now. “Relationships, as far as I can tell, are kinda just like… friendships but with extra stuff? Like, you go on dates, and like, uh. Live together, if you really like each other, kiss, hold hands, things like that…”

You go quiet, and they pick up the silence, speaking up after a few seconds. “… That sounds nice. Pleasant. I’m sure we could make do with what we have here for dates. I could perhaps show you around my room in the killer cabin, and we could…”

They trailed off, looking away, before reaching a hand out to cup your cheek. “… we could possibly, perhaps, share a kiss right now…?”

The both of you are blushing so much it might as well be permanent, but you nod, leaning in closer, and they lock eyes with you, before you both close them as you kiss. It’s gentle, shy, and lasts for only a few seconds.

It’s the best thing to have happened to you here.

When you pull away, 1x1x1x1 has the most love-struck expression on her face. You don’t have a mirror, but you’re pretty sure you mirror it. She speaks first, voice filled with wonder, barely above a whisper. “That was… nice. Is this what love is?”

“It can be, if you want.”

“… I think I’d like that.”

The two of you devolve into other conversations about your relationship and what you could call each other (as much as the two of you could without becoming flustered, at least). The rounds were also discussed, mainly 1x1x1x1’s hatred of harming you and you reassuring her that no, it was okay if you got stabbed a few times. By the end of your encounter, you feel like there’s no worries in this realm.

“So I’ll see you next night, then, unless something awful happens! Ah, um… my beloved 1x.”

You’re still getting used to the whole ‘sweet pet names’ thing, and so is she, evidently, because she makes a visible noise and blushes. “I’ll… see you too, dear.”

You both swiftly walk away to avoid the embarrassment of blushing over calling someone a singular pet name. As you walk back, though, you notice a couple things. Disturbed bushes not yet sprung into the correct shape. Broken branches along the path.

Grass flattened into the shape of footsteps.

Denial creeps into you, but dread and anxiety overpowers it. Someone knew . Someone was watching you. They crept in on a private moment, seeking observance for… what? To ruin you? To cast you out? Spying on your confession simply for the fact they wanted to? Quite frankly, were it not late at night and your body not shivering and sick from anxiety, you would’ve found out that person’s identity and punched them in the face.

You’re so wrapped up in your thoughts that by the time you walk back, the joy of being in a relationship seems like a distant memory. The sight of your room shocks you even further, your stomach twists and curdles.

Your window, and door, ever so slightly, are the most minute amounts of open.

You know you locked and closed them. You did it every night. And yes, the room keys worked for every room, but most people had the common sense to not snoop through each other’s rooms— it was practically an unofficial rule, even. So for someone to intrude on that, intrude on your space… a mix of resentment and horror built up within your system.

When you sleep, it is far later than usual. You can’t sleep until your body physically exhausts itself, too aware of the ruin that tomorrow will bring.

You wonder if you ever deserved this.

Chapter Text

Your dream that night is tainted in a black engraving of thorns. It’s a maze— it feels like it, at least, with how unfamiliar and unfriendly it feels. You’re reminded of the dream in which you saw the golden feather; this time, however, you felt none of the safety you previously did. Instead, everything felt hostile, and all traces of green were either erased or gone.

As you traverse the maze, it gets increasingly more tangled. At some point, it feels as though the maze wants you to be trapped here forever. Part of you wants to turn back, but you’re not sure there’s even a place to go back to. No matter what, you have to press on, and you continue to travel through the thorn-covered vines in the maze.

Once you get to a certain point, the thorns curl in on themselves and become sharper, tips stained with ichor. You don’t want to know what it’s from, and you avoid all contact with the thorns as you continue on. One of the vines is split clean open, and a golden sap bleeds out onto the maze.

You hear a snap of a branch, and before you wake up, you feel a deep, cold, piercing fear in your soul.

You do not wake up refreshed, nor relaxed or ready for anything. No, instead you wake up with a pure sense of dread clinging to your very soul. Nothing you do dismisses it, and yet you must still go through your day. The anxiety follows you around, looming, akin to a dark shadow, but you try and shake it off so that no one will notice.

Breakfast is ready when you go to the kitchen, but you’re not hungry, so you resolve to sit in an empty room while everyone else eats. No one bothers you, and when the rounds begin, you feel even more detached from everything than usual. You avoid the killers, of course, but you don’t do much else. You’re too nervous that the world will suddenly turn its back on you to do anything of note besides merely exist. Perhaps it already has, and you’re just delaying the inevitable.

You don’t even see 1x1x1x1, which is the worst part. The two of you were still very new on the whole relationship thing, but if you had her to confide in for even a couple minutes, you’d probably feel a lot better about everything. Even looking at her brought you joy, but she was entirely absent, even from rounds you weren’t participating in.

When the rounds end, you retreat back to the empty room (it’s the main room closest to yours, actually), thinking about how to surprise her that night, when Shedletsky walks in, a serious expression on his face. He walks in and guards the door entrance behind him, leaving no room for you to run away.

“Can I talk to you about something?”

Your heart drops, shattering and beating too loudly all at once. You feel your hands start to shake, even more than they did when you felt a typical amount of anxiety. He tries to meet your eyes but you avert them before you can even register that he’s staring at you. Your voice doesn’t come out when asked, so you merely nod. He understands it, anyways.

“It’s about 1x1x1x1. I’m a very lenient person, right? I’d say I’m willing to put up with a lot of things. I even let 007n7 off the hook for his exploits here! But with 1x1x1x1 specifically, I have a much less favorable opinion. So imagine my surprise when I happen to overhear from Builderman one day that he heard you and 007n7 talking about them— he was looking through my room for something, can’t remember the details— telling me you have a crush on them, even!

“Having a crush is one thing, even if I think they’re the most reprehensible; I mean, can they even feel emotions besides hatred at all? I keep it in mind, though, especially since I asked you to watch them for me. You always had nothing to report, but I see the reason why now. Especially when I catch you dancing with them like there’s not a care in the world earlier that same day. You’re lucky no one else was watching, or your secret would’ve been gone!

“And then I watch you spar with C00lkidd, using the same techniques as 1x1x1x1. And I can’t prove anything, but I have the suspicion you’re colluding with the killers, so I ask Buildie for help on what to do. Tells me to watch and observe carefully, so I do. And fate favors me, it seems, because I find you sneaking out one night, and I follow. Forgive me for sneaking through your room, though, I was acting a bit rash there.

“As it turns out, you and 1x1x1x1 have a mutual thing going on! I caught your confession scene; had it not been for them, it would’ve been quite sweet! But it was, so now I have to know.”

He lowers his voice, a dangerous inflection to it. “Can we even trust you anymore? What’s to say you haven’t told them all of our secrets?”

You don’t think you’ve been breathing correctly since he first mentioned their name. With every new word he spoke, it felt like the life you’d settled into was cracking and shattering into a thousand pieces. It’s over, your life is over, and you’re sure all of the survivors will hate you now, no matter what you say. How could you possibly explain what 1x1x1x1 meant to you? How it wasn’t even colluding, that you’d formed a genuine bond and connection?

The part that sickens you the most, though, is that Shedletsky watched your confession. That Builderman knew . You feel viscerally exposed, as though your organs have been taken out and ogled at for how disgusting they are by the friends you’ve made here. You’re shaking, your breaths are fast-paced, and you’re not even sure how you’re standing, but a flicker of anger also arises in your heart. Hatred for the nerve to dare intrude on something you kept private. On one of the most intimate moments you and 1x1x1x1 shared. And it is with that flicker of anger that you speak, voice warbling, yet still understandable.

“I— you— you can’t just— it’s, it’s not, I’m not betraying you—“

“Oh yeah?” Shedletsky challenges your words immediately, and the flicker of anger turns into a small flame, “then what is it? Letting yourself be deceived by something that can’t even feel love? What drives you to love something that’s done so much harm?”

You step forward, breaths now shaky with the anger flowing through your soul. Oh, he could disrespect and slander you, but you wouldn’t dare let him insult your beloved. “Ah, really? Really? You think they can’t feel love? How would you know, huh? You don’t know anything about them. Not even close to my knowledge, for the self proclaimed ‘expert’ here.”

With every back and forth you do with him, you know it’s incredibly likely at least one of the others is listening in, but honestly? You don’t care anymore, vision tunneled on only Shedletsky. Let your life be burnt down. You’ll set up all the kindling, even. There’s nothing to lose.

Shedletsky narrows his eyes, clearly mad and offended by your statement, before stepping closer to you as well. “You know nothing about them. I’ve spent a long while trying to keep them contained, to keep them from harming anyone. I know they can’t feel anything but hatred, Builderman knows this, nearly everyone admin knows that your ‘beloved’ can only feel hate.”

Your eyes sharpen into a glare that could kill as you step closer to him, challenging his supposed authority in this situation. “You’re only saying that because you never bothered to care for who you created. You just tossed them out without any care, then got surprised when it backfired on you.”

His expression turns into one of both shock and fury, and you hear at least one gasp from the hallway— but you hardly register it, hardly register anything at all except for the white hot anger thrumming under your skin and the man who’s threatening to take away your entire life’s routine. “I fail to see how me creating them influences anything. I created a manifestation of my bad emotions, so what? When I defeat them, I can just reclaim what I put into them, even if they have felt new emotions or whatever. It’s dangerous to be around them— even just as an extension of my emotions, you could’ve gotten seriously hurt! Do you want to be injured and poisoned and killed by something which I never made to love?”

You feel a rush of rage through your veins— it feels like your blood vessels have been replaced with molten lava. Your anger at his baseless insinuations about someone he barely even cared to acknowledge the existence of pissed you off so bad you didn’t know it was possible to feel this amount of rage. Your fist connects with his face, and you hear murmurs around you. But you hardly care, now. It’s ceased being just about you long ago.

“1x is their own person, like it or not. They have tastes bad preferences entirely unlike you, but I doubt you bothered to learn anything about them. Are you going to admit you’ve abandoned them? To admit you never cared about their feelings or health in the slightest? That you only see them as part of yourself, even now?!”

Shedletsky suddenly reaches out and grasps your wrist, but you punch his face again with your free hand, startling him enough to let go. It doesn’t stop him, though, grabbing your forearm with enough pressure to leave a small bruise. There’s nothing but hatred and venom when he speaks, much quieter but no less intimidating. “1x1x1x1 will never care about you in the way you want, because I’ve seen them interact with Robloxians before. Last night? Yeah, they acted soft, but who knows if that’s going to last? What if they just leave you if we ever get out?”

He scoffs, pushing you back, bitterness in his expression. “But I guess I can’t prove anything. You should just go over to them. You’re basically one of them already, probably told them all of our secrets. Just leave. Now.”

You hear someone speak, 007n7, timid but no less resolute— but you’ve already pushed your way out of the room, tuning out everyone and everything as you pack your bags. Thank goodness you had a backpack, right? You stuff it and your normal smaller bag with most of the things in your room, carrying a fuzzy winter jacket in your arms. The voices in the other room have descended into more yelling, but you quite honestly don’t care anymore. You’re leaving, running away from the argument yet again.

You don’t even tell them you left, choosing to leave through your window instead of the front door. That way they can’t track you again, ruin everything you’ve been happy about again. All you leave are small notes, addressed to 007n7, Elliot, and a few others in the cabin you were close to. There’s probably tear marks and awful handwriting in them.

(It’s more than you left your parents the day you moved out, the only remnant of your presence being the memories of an argument.)

When you reach the forest, you find yourself automatically heading to the clearing, before you stop. 1x1x1x1 would make your day better, but can you really go back there? Shedletsky knew where it was now, and no doubt everyone else would learn too, based on the fact they were arguing when you left. And despite knowing she’d help you regardless, you can’t help but feel like you’d be a burden. She was your partner, and yet you still felt scared about being too vulnerable. You didn’t know where the killer cabin was, either, so that wasn’t an option. And where you came from wouldn’t accept you, so…

It was time to head out in a direction you’ve never been in before. You turn right of the path you normally follow to the clearing, walking into the unknown until you slump on the ground from exhaustion. Nothing looks familiar, and it matches the emotions you feel in your own heart. Running away when everything got tough— you’ve done it before. Maybe you can just stay here forever, and never deal with anything again. You close your eyes, curling in on yourself, lying on the ground.

… You want to see her again, though. You want her to hug you and say it’ll all be okay. But you ran, like a coward, away from even the thing that would accept you. Maybe she’ll really hate you now. Haha. Right after confessing, too. If you could see it now, perhaps the being keeping you all here would be laughing.

( Unknown to you, the now red sky shifts and twists. Amusement, perhaps. Such a thing cannot feel pity for a mere toy. )

Your sleep is dreamless. It feels worse than a nightmare.

Chapter Text

When you wake up, part of you expects to be at the cabin. That everything was just a bad dream, a prolonged nightmare, and now it’d all be okay.

But that wasn’t your reality, and now you were out in the woods, with nobody who knew your location. Isolated from everything and everyone you knew. It felt familiar, but in the way that clung to you uncomfortably. You didn’t want this kind of familiarity. You wanted to be somewhere warmer and filled with people who wanted you around.

It’s colder now, too, the kind forecasting snowfall. Of course it would decide to blanket the forest in winter the moment you didn’t have a solid shelter. Always toying with its victims, even now. Especially now, actually— you’re sure it finds the misery you’re experiencing delightful.

You put on the winter jacket you brought; it’s a warm, fur-lined thing that’s incredibly fluffy, and it’ll keep you insulated unless the cold gets really bad. You open your bag and look through all the things you got, lamenting a lack of food and water. It’s not a death sentence, you technically didn’t need those things to survive here, but you could still feel a dry throat and the pains of starving, so everyone elected to make food to prevent that and keep up some morale. But you didn’t have those things, did you? You’d just… you’d be fine. A little pain wouldn’t affect you that much.

The forest is eerily quiet, sparse with even the normal wildlife you hear. Maybe they just didn’t come out this far. Perhaps it just wanted to make you feel more alone. And, well, if it wanted that, it was going great. A tree rustles, and you find yourself looking in the direction you came from— you can tell which way it was from how disheveled it is. You ran until you couldn’t, uncaring of the wilderness. It’d bounce back soon, anyhow, snow covering all traces of your leave.

As you look at the path you came from, you start to think about 1x1x1x1. They’d surely accept you, but… it was hard being vulnerable around anyone , and you wanted to fix all of your problems yourself. You’d always been an independent child, only relying on others when necessary. You knew it would only lead to issues, yet you let that part of yourself grow until it became a thorny vice, cutting into your skin the moment a tangle in the road ahead became visible. It had led you here, and unless you faced it head on, it would continue to cling to your soul until it tore it to shreds under the weight of taking it all on yourself.

There was a thought, too, racing through your head no matter the attempts to suppress it. The thought that, perhaps, Shedletsky was right , and you were a fool for ever trusting 1x1x1x1. You knew he wasn’t correct, you knew he had no idea what she was capable of feeling; and yet, deep down, in the deepest recesses of your heart, part of you wondered if he was correct. If he was right and that 1x1x1x1 was just using you. That she didn’t care. But… but you knew he was wrong, she’d expressed her love many times. That she would surely come searching for you, and that she would find you soon enough.

( But when that happened, would she still care? Would she think you’d abandoned her? Would it be your fault that you’d inevitably ruin your relationship? )

Part of you wants to go to bed and rest until it’s over, but the cold nips at your skin, enough to where you can’t comfortably rest. You don’t have the energy to walk around or do anything (what would you even do?), so you simply lay your head down on the fluff of your jacket and watch the scenery. 

It would’ve been nicer if you had someone to see it with.

As the day goes on, when it’s time for the rounds (you don’t have a clock, but you have an internal sense), you notice that you aren’t transported. At all, actually, even though you always get at least one. Perhaps it was being kind to you by sparing you the turmoil of talking to them so soon. Perhaps it just wanted to isolate you further. You couldn’t really bring yourself to care about which one it was.

Ah, surely 1x1x1x1 would notice when you didn’t show up tonight… that thought filled you with equal parts hope and dread. It’d be nice to have someone worry over you, especially in a situation like this… and yet, at the same time, you couldn’t help but feel like a massive burden for what you’d done to both yourself and her. She’d probably be really mad at you for making her worry over what was really nothing… after all, eventually Shedletsky would have to forgive you in some manner. Even if he didn’t want you in the main cabin anymore, you could find somewhere nearby to stay.

… You’re tired. Your legs ache from the running. Tomorrow, your body would probably be incredibly sore, from how you pushed it so much today… in addition, you feel as though the only emotions you could experience were an exhausted sense of fear and sorrow. Ah, was this how 1x1x1x1 felt for so long? No wonder she hated her creator that much… you’d surely hate them too if they made you to be like this.

You cover yourself in your hoodie and the blanket you brought, trying to sleep all of your issues away. Perhaps a couple tears slip out, but no one can see them, so it’s not really an issue or cause for concern.

As you lose consciousness, you think you see the start of a snowfall.

—

1x1x1x1, despite what many would think, is not unobservant of things he doesn’t care about. It pays off to pay attention to things he could personally care less for, such as any of the survivors besides his partner.

( Partner… the word sends a bit of an overjoyed thrill through his system. Not even a day and he was acting like this. It is a blessing he can keep his composure as well as he does, because if his emotions reflected in his mannerisms… well, he’d likely be teased to hell and back by the other killers. )

His disregard for the survivors was almost always an aid— no foolish emotions to complicate rounds with— yet he still kept an eye on them. Watching as they conversed, learning their tics, how they acted when nervous, some more often than others. Perhaps it was useless information in the long run, but it kept him occupied when he was bored.

Now, though, his observance paid off, though even if someone was dropped into this realm today, they could notice the tension in the air. The survivors had clearly been through some kind of schism, judging by how they gave each other nervous glances. The admins, formerly respected, now seemed to be distant from the others, constantly met with tense stares. This sentiment was especially evident for Shedletsky, and 1x1x1x1 reveled in his suffering.

Yet, even with that joy, there was something else that slowly built up a sense of worry. The absence of the one dearest to him, missing throughout all of the rounds he’d been in. The avoidance of the admins meant that something major had happened, and some part of him knew they were involved.

The Spectre toyed with him, though, not giving him a single round with Shedletsky or Builderman. He’d encountered Dusekkar, but he seemed to have been largely left out of whatever happened, even saying he’d been avoiding those two as well. It mattered not, though. He would meet with his partner that night, and they would tell him what happened. Then, the next time he encountered Shedletsky and Builderman, if they had done anything, he could rip them to shreds.

It was that thought which kept his sanity going as he went to the clearing, waiting for his partner. The scenery, calm as ever, littered with the small indents of sword slashes. Remnants of their training, remnants of the tender moments the two of them shared alone.

She waited. And waited. The stars in the sky, now looking dim and bleak. Past the time they normally arrived, waiting until the moment she normally left. Yet she did not move until hours later, when the birds started to chirp again.

Despite the exhaustion, she couldn’t rest, couldn’t think of anything except how she had failed them. She had promised to protect them, to keep them safe, but they’d gotten hurt, vanished , and they were none the wiser. They’d believed in her, her abilities, and trusted her more than anything, and she couldn’t even repay their kindness.

She trudged through the light snowfall— hopefully they were just in another cabin, unable to come out. If they were left to fend for themselves, she didn’t know what she would do to the one who had caused it. All the knew is that it filled her with a rage she didn’t know could happen.

When she entered the killers’ own cabin, she immediately went to her room, ignoring everyone else (only a couple were awake, but they immediately knew to not mess with her). The Spectre couldn’t toy with her for that long. She’d find the answers eventually, and when she did…

Nothing in this realm could hope to stop her rage.

( She had slept, a nap before the rounds. Her sleep was normally dreamless, but tonight, wisps of clouds and stars followed her, only to disappear when she tried to grasp them.

Perhaps she shed a tear over having a dream. It was no one’s business to know.)

When the first round of the day started, it was a blessing that she was gifted the opportunity to kill first. More information, more torture, more catharsis. She immediately went to rip out her eye— a painful process, yes, but in the wake of the emotions she felt, the stab of pain felt welcome. The survivors were nothing to her, but the moment she saw Shedletsky’s aura in her peripheral vision, she ran off in his direction, dragging her swords with her.

Ignoring all other pretenses of kindness and formality, she pounced on him while he was busy with a generator, stabbing her daemonshanks into his arms, poisonous claws threatening to shred his skin. She leaned in close, bright red eyes glaring into his very soul, and she whispered with barely restrained wrath.

“Something happened involving you, Builderman, and my partner. You will tell me what happened, and I will spare you with a merciful kill now. And if you try and play the fool…” she twisted one of the swords embedded into him, making him wince, “I will get it out of you, no matter how close to death you become.”

When she pulled back to stare at his face, Shedletsky looked at her, a terrified expression on his face— yet there were other emotions too. Resignation, a sense of acceptance, annoyance. He coughed, giving her a bitter stare, before speaking, quiet in his words.

“Thought they’d be with you, after allying with you guys. They just left the cabin after our argument. I would’ve thought they went to where you both hung out every night to see you and run away.”

There’s blood rushing in her ears. Her eyes have widened, impossibly filled with rage. She was shaking, her claws already moving, fulfilling her desires as she processed his words.

They’d left. They were forced to run away, out into the cold , nonetheless, and he. Her creator, the oh so great Shedletsky , CAUSED such a thing! He had an argument with them, and they left. They ran, ran to where no one knew, a place only they inhabited. She knew the true target of her rage, and now there was nothing holding her back.

She tore him to shreds, cutting through his veins, his arteries, ripping off his skin. She broke his bones, stabbing him until his skin became tinted green from the poison in his system. Her expression became more and more manic as she tore him apart, levels of torture and gore she’d never given to a person before. His only saving grace was the fact he died quickly— it was almost a shame, his screams becoming wet as the blood and poison accumulated in his throat and killed him.

By the end of the round, she’d only killed a single survivor. Her body, clothes, and swords covered in blood, extremities covered in the bits of flesh that clung to her. She could taste the fear off the other survivors— it was a palpable thing, having seen a glimpse of the true carnage her ire could bring should she ever be seriously provoked. Oh, it was a lucky thing none of them dared to mess with her before— but then again, had they seen the consequences of messing with what she held dear, perhaps a part of this could’ve been avoided.

The moment she was transported to the cabin, clean of blood, she stormed into her room, closing the door with a loud slam. Her breathing ran ragged and heavy as she leant against the door and slid down until she hit the floor. She brought her legs to her torso, leaning her head against her knees. Her partner… her beloved partner, the one who lit up her life and gave it new meaning…

She untied her hair, cradling the hair tie in her hands as she lifted her head to stare at it. Currently, between that and the flowers… Ah, it really was the only physical gift they’d given her. Staring at it now, she felt a sudden burst of emotion within her, the past day’s events finally settling in her mind—

And for perhaps the first time since she arrived here, she allowed herself to feel the overwhelming sorrow that encompassed her. She had failed, failed in her promise, failed as a person entirely. She did not care for the pretenses of separation everyone participated in— she wanted her partner, to see them, to assure their safety, to cradle them in her arms and eliminate everything that bothered them. She desired it to such a degree that it competed with her wish to kill Shedletsky; perhaps it surpassed it, at this rate.

She wept, uncaring of the world outside the confines of her room, until the tears had stained her cape. The hair tie that was held in her hands was now wrapped around her wrist, long white hair cascading down her form. Then, slowly, she stood, summoning her sword, her expression turning to one of determination. She left her room, pushing past the other killers as she left the cabin.

If the Spectre wouldn’t bring her beloved back, then she would get them herself.

Chapter Text

It’s snowing.

That’s the first thing 1x1x1x1 notices when they slam the door open and stride outside. It’s not a light snowfall anymore— no, it falls with more purpose, and were it not for their righteous quest, they would’ve marched up to the Spectre and skewered it themself.

There are more important things to focus on, though, aren’t there? They need to find that survivor. They need to locate their partner. If they get dragged into a round, they’ll slaughter everyone in seconds. Not even another killer could impede their progress, and if they tried, they could meet the sharp blade of a daemonshank. They’d cut everyone down in order to find their love, no matter what obstacles might stop them.

First things first, they’d need to figure out what direction their love went in. They immediately went to tug at their eye and rip it out, but they felt themselves be stopped by an invisible force (but one which had a name, nonetheless). The sky turns red with streaks of black, and they feel a whisper into their ears, present from all directions.

Once.

Then it vanishes, alongside the sky, and 1x1x1x1 wants to scowl at the Spectre— but they refrain, because there are more important things to focus on. Their claws tug at their eye, ripping it out almost as soon as they find flesh to hook on to. The pain still persists as their eye regenerates, but more important is the silhouette in the distance, aura uncovered by the snow.

She dashes off, the snow crunching under her footfalls. It’s cold, and knowing the Spectre, it’ll only become more frozen. Deep in her heart, she knows that it’s extremely unlikely anyone can die for good in this realm, but she still moves with a sense of urgency. If her beloved was hurt, or suffering from the cold in any way… she’d comfort them, of course. And also perhaps slaughter Shedletsky ten times for his insolence, his foolishness. That would also do her good.

As the snow picks up, turning into something more akin to a storm (were it not for more pressing matters, she’d shred the Spectre into little ribbons), 1x1x1x1 finds that trudging through the snow alone was bringing more issues, such as the lack of visibility and her wavering confidence in locating her beloved.

Twirling her swords, she stabbed them into her chest, pulling from a power she had beyond this realm— normally, the Spectre limited it to only reviving the dead, an easier and less painful process. Now , though, she was pulling from energy innate in this realm, transporting her lovely servants directly from the land they came from. They emerged from underneath the snow, finalizing their forms as 1x1x1x1 pulled the daemonshanks back out of her chest, immediately kneeling on the ground from the energy and pain that took.

Her minions immediately leant to look at her, and she shifted her head up to give them a serious glance. “You… you all. I’m looking f-for my—“ she coughed, an ichor-like substance coming out of her mouth, before she managed to stand up and compose herself. “I need to find someone. You know who it is. Help me.” She pauses. “Please.”

All of them nodded and ran off, leaving her alone again. She shakily stood up, before continuing her advance through the snow. There was wind, now, making it especially annoying, but she would persevere. She had to.

She walked, and walked, and walked, until her cape and hair were whipped around by the wind. The Spectre could deter her all it wanted, but she was determined— she wouldn’t dare dream of giving up unless she was physically unable to continue. Even then, she would keep on with her goal until her very form ceased to exist.

The second she spotted something different, her eyes immediately locked on to it, moving in that direction. There was a small lump on the ground, a furred jacket covered in snow. And wearing it, turned away from her, still in the snow—

Was her beloved partner.

Chapter Text

When it began snowing, you didn’t pay it much mind. There wasn’t really much to care about, after all. You’d been in the cold before, and you already felt numb inside. It kept snowing, though, and you uncomfortably shifted as it continued.

You began curling into yourself when the wind and snow both picked up, sending snowflakes into your face and everywhere else. Moving felt like it would destroy the little warmth you had internally; keeping yourself balled up would at least make you feel a bit warmer, even if the reality was different.

Night comes, and you sleep, waking up to another day of isolation and frost. The cold feels even worse, somehow, but you don’t really feel like doing anything. You didn’t bring any food or water, but you still persisted, suffering all the same. Will you freeze, or will you enter hibernation as the forces above deem you unworthy? Both outcomes are unpleasant, so you allow yourself to disassociate most of the way, counting the snowflakes and trying to make note of any interesting shape you see.

When you wake up again, it’s a snowstorm, and you feel colder than you ever have before. A frozen shell with a hollow and barren interior. You tug your jacket around you tighter, pulling up the hood to cover up even more of your face.

It gets colder as the day turns into the afternoon, but as you hear the snow and wind whirl around you, a set of footsteps crunching the snow instantly make themselves known. You know who it is before they stop moving, taking in your pathetic form. Their voice stings and brings comfort all the same, exhausted as it is (wasting energy, looking for you).

“… I found you.”

There’s a bit of disbelief in it, and you smile bitterly, because the great 1x1x1x1? Feeling this way, because of you? Ah, only you could cause such a calamity. Before you can respond, they speak again, still not daring to walk forward as the storm begins to settle, winds calming down immensely— enough for the two of you to speak softly.

“I was… I was worried. Why are you even out here? You know I… I would’ve taken you to my cabin, right? You wouldn’t even have to ask, I’d protect you forever. So… I just… why would you be out here alone? Why are you out here at all?”

You feel a deep coil twist and turn in your stomach as they speak. Of course you worried them. They, who cares so much for someone like you. It felt as though you’d let them down the moment you ran away from them. You can feel yourself start to get emotional, but you blink it away as you finally speak. “… I… I just… I don’t know. I didn’t want to bother you. I felt like I’d just be a burden to you. And I didn’t want Shedletsky to harm you— I know, it’s stupid , but I’d never be able to live with myself if I let you get harmed.”

( You wince, hearing your voice sound so awful from disuse and no water. Thank goodness no one baddies them was around to witness it. )

1x1x1x1’s expression isn’t visible to you right now, still with your back turned to them, but a part of you doesn’t want to view it, too scared of seeing an emotion you can’t bear to imagine. As the winds slow to a stop, they speak again, taking a step towards you. “You’d never bother me. Nor ever be burdensome. I’ll always listen to you if you need help, just as you aided me with my own issues. And he —“ you can hear the venom, far more dangerous than anything they could do with their swords, “he isn’t worth your worries anymore. I’ll slaughter him until he repents for casting you out, alright? I’ll make sure he regrets ever daring to stare at you with contempt.”

Ah, it’s so sweet… you finally make a move to sit up, a good amount of snow cascading off of you as you do. You feel lightheaded, tired and exhausted from everything you’ve been through, but you carry on. You keep your back turned on them, too afraid to meet their eyes. You know you wouldn’t be able to keep your composure if you saw them, anyway.

“It’s… it’s a stupid thought, but as soon as I found myself here, I thought… I thought, perhaps, that I deserved it. That this was my punishment for daring to love. To break outside of the little boxes our groups existed in. So, if you… if you abandoned me, as I am now, then… then wouldn’t that be the correct decision for someone like me, who… who left you behind without even saying anything…?”

As you speak, a sob wells up in your throat, and tears threaten to escape your eyes. Your voice wavers as you continue, barely keeping yourself together, and you curl in on yourself as you find yourself in a lonely and tight embrace with your arms. Even a stranger could sense your distress and closeness to tears, much less 1x1x1x1. They finally move again, making their way in front of you— head turned to the ground, still not meeting their eyes. They gently kneel down in the snow until they’re sitting, finally meeting their expression as they wipe away tears threatening to form.

Their expression contains only concern and an unending love, staring directly into your eyes. Their voice has quieted to a whisper, words only meant for you.

“You’d never deserve anything like this. You are the kindest person I’ve ever met, befriending me even when I pushed you away. If loving me is your supposed ‘crime’, then I’ll keep you safe from anyone who’d dare try and harm you again.”

A pause. “You believed that there was something good in me. You loved me when all others had already given up hope, even from the day of my creation. If I ever abandoned you, then I would be committing a crime with no suitable punishment except eternal suffering.” They cradle your face, claws more gentle than the soft snow below you two. “So, please, will you allow me to take care of you now?”

At that, you break, finally crying. Your sobs become the only thing that echo throughout the forest as you weep into 1x1x1x1, undoubtedly staining the cape they’re wearing. Your hands cling onto it as you reach around them for a hug, fingers digging into the only comfort you’ve received in who knows how long. You don’t know how long the two of you lie there, but after sobbing out your heart as 1x1x1x1 does their best effort to comfort you, you feel exhausted.

Leaning on them, face still buried in their coat, you feel safer than you have in a long while. Adjusting your face so you can speak properly, your head finds comfort in the crook of 1x1x1x1’s neck. “… I’m tired.”

Your voice is weary, and they hum, the sound sending a vibration through your chest as well. “I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.”

As you fall asleep, all you can think of is how much you love them.

-

After 1x1x1x1 makes sure his partner has fallen asleep, he adjusts them in his arms, making sure all their supplies are gathered and that their jacket is covering them as best they can. Then, he picks them up, making sure they’re in the most comfortable position to be held in.

His steps crunch the snow underneath, and there is a chill that has settled in his bones, but he can’t really bring himself to care. The most important thing in the world rests in his arms, and it is his job to make sure they come to the cabin safely.

It’s easy to follow the path back, even with the blizzard doing its best to cover up the trail— he was frantic in his pursuit, and so there lies quite a few bits of damage to the trees. One of his minions walks up to him in the middle of his walk, and he glares them into silence before he speaks, voice quiet so as to not disturb his love. “Find the others and tell them the search is over. Then you may retreat to your own realm.”

They nod before walking away, and 1x1x1x1 spends the rest of the walk in silence, watching the light snowfall and the scenery as he walks. By the time he gets to the cabin, evening is soon to fall upon the realm, and everyone turns to look at him as he walks in, falling silent from their previous conversations. C00lkidd is absent, presumably having gone to bed early.

Noli is the first to speak, leaning over towards his partner— to which he pulls them away, glaring at Noli. No risk of injury. Noli holds up his hands, trying to pacify 1x1x1x1. “Ah, relax! I meant no harm. Just wanted to know who you were carrying. And where you’ve been. After that first round you vanished without a trace! Quite concerning, really.”

The other killers nod, Jason and John Doe making a motion of concern. 1x1x1x1 holds her partner closer, scoffing. “I am fine . I was just… concerned for someone. I needed to find them, so I left. And now they are here, and you will not lay a hand on them.”

Their features are obscured, at least, so none of the killers could know who it was unless they looked closer. Not that it was too hard to figure out who it was. Before anyone else can say anything, she speaks again, a bit of a final tone on her voice. “I will take them upstairs so they can rest, and tomorrow I will introduce them to you. Now leave me be .”

She walks upstairs to her room before anyone can say anything in response, and thankfully they have the sense to not follow behind. Once they both get outside her door, she shakes the snow off of both her and her partner. Opening the door, she gently sets them on her bed, taking off their jacket so that the hardened snow won’t freeze them further. She hangs it up on one of the coat hangers in the hall— she’ll deal with the melted water later.

Gently covering them with her blankets, the exhaustion finally starts to catch up to her, and she sets down her crown upon her nightstand. She unties her hair, setting the tie next to her crown, and sets her cape upon a coat hanger on her door. Their partner has long since fallen asleep, and 1x1x1x1 doesn’t want to make them uncomfortable by sharing the relatively small room the bed had— it wasn’t big enough to give them both space to sleep without cuddling. And as much as she really, really wanted to do that, she could wait until her partner was fully comfortable and adjusted to everything before giving them too much affection.

Instead, she sits next to the bed on the floor, head leaning against the mattress. It’s not exactly comfortable , but it’ll do. One of her hands reaches to hold theirs, and she finally closes her eyes, knowing they’re safe, away from any issues that could bother them.

Tomorrow was when she could worry again, but for now, it was okay.

Chapter Text

In your dreams, the world is filled with clouds and an eye that sees all. You walk on top of the clouds as if they’re solid, admiring the pretty night sky and world around you. It looks as though a horrid storm swept through the area, but you’d arrived just as this place began to recover.

Just as the sun begins to rise, you feel the clutches of sleep leave you.

When you wake up, in the few moments it takes to open your eyes, you feel everything come back to you slowly.

You were in the snow yesterday, feeling the cold seep in further in your bones and a frigid chill running up your spine. The day went on, and the snowstorm got worse, but as it got darker, the shining light that was 1x1x1x1 appeared. You sobbed in her arms, and you felt tired after, and then…

And then you woke up here, you suppose. You finally open your eyes, and thankfully the room isn’t brightly illuminated. It’s clearly not yours, because 1x1x1x1 would never take you back to the survivor cabin, so clearly it’d be…

You look around the room, but your gaze settles on the person holding your hand. 1x1x1x1 is sleeping on the floor in a sitting position, her head leaning against the mattress. Her hand is laid on top of yours, gripping it protectively. She still looks fast asleep, so you decide to look around the room (presumably hers) before you get up.

It’s very thematic for her, largely colored in shades of black and green. The lack of light makes it very dark, too, all the curtains covering the windows and no lamps or other room lights on. You could believe it was still night if it weren’t for your awareness it had to be morning. The nightstand holds their crown, but you can also see the hair tie you made them gently placed inside the crown’s rim. A smile comes to your face, and your heart feels warm with joy. You knew she still wore it after all this time, but knowing she kept it close to her even in rest… it made you really happy.

1x1x1x1 was still sleeping, so you decided to take the time to admire her appearance up close. She looked like she’d been through a few things, with her hair seeming like it’d been tossed around by the wind. Did she even do anything to take care of herself before putting you on her bed and going to sleep? Probably not, you reasoned, knowing how dearly she must’ve seen your company. Her body even had some visible marks from when she probably ran by some bushes and trees. It made you wince slightly, knowing that you were somewhat responsible for it, but you tried pushing it aside.

You shuffled in the blankets, moving so that your free hand could fix her messy hair. It was very quiet, and you enjoyed looking at her up close— you didn’t really get to do it often, considering the nature of this place, so you savored the moment while you had it. Your hand was on the top of her head, smoothing out any stray pieces, when a crash was suddenly heard from downstairs, alongside a familiar childlike voice going “OOPS”. Kids will be kids.

You jumped a little bit, and 1x1x1x1 was woken up from the noise of whatever crashed, blinking her eyes groggily before they rested on you, fully awake. Your hand was still resting on her head, in the middle of smoothing out more stray strands. You awkwardly removed it, coughing. “I was, um. Trying to fix all the stray bits.”

She looked away, clearly a bit flustered, before realizing the two of you were still holding hands. Neither of you made a motion to pull away as she spoke. “… It’s fine. I needed to brush my hair anyways, so… thanks for the help.”

Before she could fully move up to get the brush, you decided to interrupt. “I can do it! Only if you want to, of course, it’s okay if not—“

You were cut off by a fond sigh. “You don’t need to repeat yourself any time you ask something of me. If I don’t want you to do something, I’d say it. You can… brush my hair, by the way. We’re…” she paused, blushing at even saying the word, “dating, so… I wouldn’t mind if you touched it.”

She sat down on the floor after getting the brush and giving it to you, letting you have free reign over her hair. You sat down behind her and started brushing, getting out any tangles and straightening out any parts that were out of order. It was relaxing, and you decided to start a conversation while you did the repetitive (but soothing) task. “Would you mind if I tried out a new hairstyle for you? You’re always in the high ponytail, so I, uh… want to see what you’d look like in another hairstyle.”

1x1x1x1 nods, and continues the conversation as you move to make a couple things. “Just… refrain from making me look too foolish. I have a reputation, you know.”

“Yeah, a reputation for being a softie,” you mutter.

She huffs out a “be quiet,” but you know she doesn’t really mean anything by it. As you section off a couple parts of her hair to make some small braids, she decides to speak again, fidgeting with her hands nervously. “… So. Last night. And that… that whole situation.”

Your hands still for a moment, to her immediate notice. “We don’t have to talk about it now if you feel uncomfortable, but… I was very worried. And I want to know if I can help you in any way, and… and what was going on to make you… leave.”

A sense of desperation lingers in her voice, as if this was a problem she realized her strength alone couldn’t fix. Something that made her feel powerless. You speak up, softer than usual, continuing to gently braid her hair. “No, it’s fine, I just… I’m not used to doing this sort of stuff. Normally I just figure out issues on my own, so, um, opening up is… a bit hard. I’ll do my best, though, to recount the story. Just let me speak for a bit.”

She gives you an approving hum, and you continue. “After I confessed to you, I went back to my room, and found that someone went through it. I slept a bit uneasy, and the next day, Shedletsky confronted me about… well. Being friendly with you. Liking you. He even saw our confession. We had an argument, he said some not nice things about you, I got really really mad at him, and… and then I ran. I was too scared that something would happen if I stayed.”

“… And I just… I was worried. It was a bit stupid, but… I worried about you, too. If Shedletsky followed me back again and tried to fight you, if you got hurt… it was a stupid fear, but I didn’t want to bother you, so I just… I just. I ran like a coward.” You paused. “… And then I lied in the snow until you found me.”

You finished braiding her hair as you ended your speech, curling into yourself a little bit. As you did, 1x1x1x1 turned around, pulling you into her arms. “… You know what I said last night, yes? You could never bother me. And I… I will tear him down until his blood stains the walls of any place we meet.”

It was a sweet comment, even if it was… very gruesome. She continued on, ending the hug so she could look into your eyes. “You mean a lot to me. I hope you understand it, now. As a friend, as someone close to me… as my partner. As long as I am here… you won’t ever have to run away. I’ll protect you from any harm. That is my vow.”

A blush covers your face, and you reach out to hold her hands. “I… I really care about you too, 1x. I promise I won’t try and run away again. I was just… I was just scared before, you know? But, um… I’ll try and be braver now. I really love you, so… if I face another issue like this, I’ll come to you for help, okay? And I… it’d be nice if I could also be someone who can help you.”

She smiled, something filled with pure joy. “I would like that. A lot.”

Another crash was heard moments later, followed by another shout going ‘C00LKIDD!’. 1x1x1x1 sighed, taking one hand to cover her face. “… We should go downstairs and see what’s going on.” A pause. “… I’m also a bit hungry.”

You let out a soft laugh. “Breakfast sounds nice. I’m just, um… they won’t mind me being there, right? Anything I should know about before I meet them?”

Something akin to realization dawned on her face, and she looked at you before flashing a glance towards the door. “… Hm. They shouldn’t mind you around, but I’ll have an eye on them and keep you close. Just in case. And about them… you know how C00lkidd acts, already, but the others…”

“Jason is mute, but he’s calm as long as he’s not in a round. John Doe can’t speak normally most of the time, but he typically means well, unless the corruption is particularly meddlesome that day. Noli is rather mischievous, but he wouldn’t cause grave harm without reason. The others… they don’t have breakfast with us often, so I don’t expect to meet them.”

Before she could stand up fully, you made a noise, reaching for the hair tie you made her. “Ah! One sec! I need to finish your hair!” You quickly made a low ponytail with her hair, smiling at your result. “There. Now we can go.”

She uncovered the full length mirror in her room (you didn’t even notice it until she pulled down the curtain), standing as you sat on the bed, looking at and admiring her hair, turning around to see all of it. She picked up a braid, admiring it as she spoke. “It… it looks beautiful. Thank you.”

With that, she offered her hand, and you took it, letting her pull you up as you walked out of her room. The killer cabin looked remarkably similar to the survivor one, albeit with fewer personal rooms. 1x1x1x1’s room was on the second floor, and you both walked down the stairs, her keeping you close, a tight grip on your hand. Her protectiveness was really sweet, and a soft smile was on your face as you entered the kitchen.

Inside, you found a rather amusing sight; C00lkidd was putting on his best puppy eyes, Noli was scolding him (“Why would you Walkspeed Override in the kitchen? TWICE?!”), John Doe was watching with amusement, and Jason was cleaning up the mess. You both watched them talk for a little bit, before John Doe looked in your direction and made a curious noise. Almost immediately, everyone turned to look at you, and 1x1x1x1 protectively held you closer.

Noli stepped forward first, examining you and your appearance. “Ah, so you’re the one they fell in love with… well, as long as you’re not going to break their heart, hope you two lovebirds have fun!” Before he left, he shifted his attention to 1x1x1x1. “Nice hairstyle, by the way, did they do it for you?”

They immediately pushed him away, and they averted their gaze as everyone else turned to look at it.

It was… oddly nice? Then again, if the killers didn’t like you, they had the means to get rid of you whenever you faced each other in a round. And they’d likely be observing you anyway… well, you’d rather it be them watching than your fellow survivors. You still didn’t really want to go back, even though you knew you had to by the end of the day.

While you ruminated in your thoughts, C00lkidd walked up, a spring in his step. He could barely hold back a giggle as he spoke, in a singsong voice. “I kneeew it! I predicted it allll along! C00lkidd’s the greatest detective ever!”

Noli looked on in amusement, rolling his eyes. “Okay, C00lkidd, let’s leave the bragging for later. I’m sure 1x1’s gonna love hearing about how you outsmarted them, right~?”

They glared as Noli dragged C00lkidd off, and you held back a laugh as you gently pet their arm in a small soothing gesture. Underneath all their personas and perceived notions, they really were just a softie, weren’t they? It was downright adorable how sweet they could be.

Jason gave you a curious glance, but it seemed he was content with just observing, as he quickly went back to cleaning, and Noli seemed to have finished scolding C00lkidd, going back to cooking the abandoned breakfast in the meantime. John Doe, on the other hand, was very curious, shuffling forward and nearly breaching your personal space. 1x1x1x1 pulled you closer, sending a glare towards John Doe, who made a hum and went back to observing from his spot on the couch.

“They seem… nice,” you whisper, not wanting to be heard.

1x1x1x1 rolled her eyes. “They’re fine, they just need to get used to new people. Just stay close to me, okay? I don’t… don’t want you to get hurt.” She mumbled out the last part, the words muffled as she leaned her head into your shoulder, clearly embarrassed.

She led you to the dining table, sitting next to you. You put your head on her shoulder, listening as everyone else chattered in the other rooms. After a minute or two, she spoke first, quieter than normal. “Earlier… you said Shedletsky said things about me? Can I… ask what they were?”

You shifted a bit, nervous. “Ah, just, um… saying stuff like you can only feel hatred, that you couldn’t love me, that you weren’t anything beyond your creation…” you quiet down, looking at the floor, voice barely above a whisper, “… that you’d leave me if we ever escaped here.”

As you finished speaking, you noticed a shift in mood, and a very seething 1x1x1x1– not towards you, though. Her voice came out glitched and warbled, muttering as she glared into the wall. “Shedletsky when I find you I’ll kill you so viciously everyone will remember it for eons and I’ll do it again and again and again and it still won’t be enough to describe my pure rage I’ll break all of your swords into little bits and tear off your stupid wings and crush each feather so finely they become dust—”

She kept muttering, and you listened on, though not really paying attention to the words anymore. Quite frankly, it was really nice seeing someone vow to tear down the person who’d caused so much misery for you. It probably wasn’t right, nor would you do such a thing yourself (well, not to such a gruesome degree; you were definitely not opposed to beating him up…), but it felt nice to have someone speak aloud all of the thoughts you kept quietly contained within your anger.

Her angry ramble kept going, and you looked up at her with a look only describable as pure love. After a minute, she calmed down, and glanced down at you, only to immediately look away with a blush. “… You know, you don’t typically give that look towards someone who’s talking about tearing apart their creator in gruesome ways.”

A light laugh left you, leaning more of your weight onto 1x1x1x1. “Well, I’m not a typical person, am I?”

She sighed, a fond expression on her face. “No, I suppose not.” She then paused, conflicted. “I just… about earlier, before I went on that tangent. You know I’d never abandon you, right? I’d rather destroy the whole world than leave you unhappy.”

You gave a small nod. “I know. I even punched him twice for insulting you.”

Her grin at that was filled with equal parts glee and sadistic malice, eyes sparkling with admiration. “Did you, now? Next time, I could hold him down so you could do even worse.”

A laugh escaped you, both from the hilarity of that scenario and 1x1x1x1’s joy at causing him pain. “Yeah, yeah, we both know the only reason he’s still alive is because it nerfed my power levels.”

She gave you a kiss on the forehead. “Mhm. The strongest survivor. What would I do without your protection, hm?”

As the two of you kept talking, a warm feeling blanketed the two of you. It felt like there was endless safety and happiness, as long as you two had each other around. Not even the purest of darkness could snuff out the light that appeared when the two of you smiled at each other.

( And that was all you needed, really. )

Chapter Text

The two of you kept talking to each other, until you heard Noli announce breakfast was ready— you both straightened in your seats, too scared of embarrassment to stay in your current position. You were already in the dining room, so you watched as everyone else filed in to their respective spots on the table. Not everyone was present, and they respectfully left a seat's worth of space between you and another killer. Had someone gotten too close, you’re sure 1x1x1x1 would’ve chased them off, anyways.

Before you was a beautiful looking omelette, along with some hashbrowns and a bit of garnish. Everyone mumbled their thanks to Noli for the meal, you included, and you all dug in.

It was a very good omelette, on par with some of the better chefs among the survivors, and you busied yourself with eating it while listening to everyone talk. It was mostly things you didn’t care much for, though you did perk up when Noli began talking about his cooking skills. “Yes, this recipe was something I created all on my own~ though, fun fact, I actually first learned how to do this sort of stuff from Seven!”

You leaned in a little bit, intrigued. “Really? I knew he was a good cook, but I didn’t know he also taught you.”

He laughed, clearly happy to talk more about the subject. “It was all the way back in college, when we first met. I didn’t know much, but he took one look at my ‘excuses for food’ and immediately went into teaching mode! He always said I should take care of myself and learn— which, ironic, when I could hardly get him to eat more than a cup of noodles on any given day.”

Before you respond, you pause, because, okay— what? Noli and 007n7 went to college together?? 007n7 was always that bad at taking care of himself???— actually no that wasn’t a surprise. In any case, you nod along to his words. “I’m surprised you’ve known each other for so long— Ah, but then again, he would mention someone like you sometimes…”

Noli makes a face (good or bad, you can’t tell) at that, before continuing on. “Oh, enough about me, let’s learn more about you! Like how you got here, for example. Any reason we found 1x1 carrying you in from the snowstorm last night?”

You shifted a bit hesitantly, though not entirely uncomfortable. 1x1x1x1 immediately went to hold your hand, and you let her, gripping it tightly. Everyone had stopped their individual conversations to focus on you, all keenly interested in what you had to say. What story you had to tell. And while you’d never been on a stage like this before, you could surely perform a retelling of the past few days’ events.

And perform you did, retelling not only the argument, but revealing the fact that Shedletsky (and Builderman) had been spying on you for quite a few days before then. You skimmed your emotional confrontation with 1x1x1x1 in the snow, but you got the main ideas across, all leading to when she carried you back to her room in the cabin as you slept, exhausted.

When you finished, you looked around, and everyone was wholly invested— you’re pretty sure all of them were planning elaborate and gruesome ways to get revenge on Shedletsky and Builderman, most of all your partner. Noli and C00lkidd seemed quite proud when you mentioned 007n7 defending you as you left; they seemed like they wanted to talk to you, even, but they both shared a look. Perhaps they wanted to discuss it first?

1x1x1x1 had a sadistic grin on her face as she spoke, leaning in, her claws slightly tearing the tablecloth. “I think we can all agree that Shedletsky deserves some first hand experience in why he shouldn’t do things like this, yes? Especially to my beloved partner?”

All of them nodded in agreement, some with far more eagerness and malice than others. John Doe even brandished the claws on his left arm, letting out a low and breathy distorted laugh. “Heeehehehe… hahehehahaaaaa… kiiiilllll… hahahehehe….”

Things dissolved into assorted conversations after that, everyone moving to the kitchen to put their plates in the sink as they finished eating (Jason grabbed John Doe’s), and you followed suit. After you did so, you would’ve conversed with the killers, but 1x1x1x1 grabbed your wrist and (gently) pulled you into her room, closing the door immediately after.

She practically tackled you onto the bed, immediately smothering you with affection, her head eventually settling on your chest. “I have waited far too long for that.”

You ran your fingers through her hair, shuffling slightly so you could give the top of her head a kiss. You let out a very quiet laugh. “Y’know, if you wanted to cuddle, you could’ve just said so.”

She grumbled, moving up so she could give you another kiss in return— this time on your lips. “I can only go so long without expressing my affection towards you. For too long we’ve only done the smallest of gestures, and then I could not see you for more than a day— it should not be a surprise I am this clingy, love.”

It wasn’t, really, and you felt the same towards her. You’d always been someone who loved physical affection, but you’d never really had someone you felt comfortable enough to be affectionate with without fear of rejection. Now , though, there was someone who was fully comfortable with it. More than that, she was willing to be that affectionate in return . Perhaps even in this hell, there was Heaven. And that Heaven was currently nuzzling into your neck for your attention like an oversized cat.

Well, you weren’t one to turn her down, and you made a sudden move, flipping your positions so you could smother her with affection instead. A smile came to your face upon seeing how flustered she was at the dynamic being flipped. “You want affection, yes? So let me give it to you , then.”

Your actions and words seemed to have made 1x1x1x1 bluescreen, as she failed to respond outside of making incoherent sounds. You let out a chuckle, diving in to pepper her face with kisses, watching as she practically melted under your attention. It was adorable, and you wished you could take a picture of the moment. “You know, you’re very cute when you’re flustered. It makes me wish I didn’t have to go back.”

At the mention of that, she let out a small whine, dragging you towards her and wrapping her arms around you, muttering her next words quietly. “If I had a say in it, you wouldn’t need to go back and see him ever again.”

You sighed, letting her hold you protectively, like she was the shield protecting you from the outside world. “I know, I’d also like to stay here for a few more days, but I need to go back. I’ve made friends back at my cabin too, and I don’t want them to keep worrying about me.” You absentmindedly played with her braids as you spoke, “How about this. You can walk with me until we get near the cabin, when I go. You can’t go inside, because I don’t want to scare everyone.” She huffed at that, “but, I promise I’ll visit again, okay? Now that everyone knows, there’s no point in keeping it a secret, so we don’t have to limit ourselves to the clearing.”

She moves so she can hold your face in her hands, gentle and delicate in her touch. “Visit soon. I can’t bear going so long without seeing you again.”

A laugh escapes you. “Yeah, yeah. Will you wither away without my presence, dear?”

1x1x1x1 rolls her eyes, before going along with it. “Mhm. I’ll start melting if I can’t be there to appreciate your presence. I’m ailed with an illness to which the only cure is giving you affection.”

The both of you dissolve into little giggles, simply relaxing in each other’s arms. A few minutes of blissful silence passes, before you shuffle to move out of her arms. “… Can I say hi to the other people here? You can watch, I just… you don’t need to hover over me, you know? I can protect myself.”

There’s very clearly apprehension in her expression, for a multitude of reasons, you imagine, but she relents. “… Just stay in my sight. Please.”

You nod. “Of course, 1x.”

The two of you slowly stand up, making your way out of 1x1x1x1’s room. When you go downstairs, she follows, though she doesn’t stick as close as before. As soon as you make your way into the living room, Noli and C00lkidd pounce on the opportunity to talk to you. The latter speaks first, practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. “Hey! Hey! We have something to talk about! With you!”

Noli nodded in agreement, taking over the talking. “C00lkidd and I have been discussing something, and we want you to help us out. To put it simply, we wish to meet again with Seven. And now that you’ve broken the status quo, we want you to help us out by bringing him here.”

C00lkidd huffed, sticking out his tongue. “Noli says we can’t come over ‘cause it’d be too scary for them. They’re the scary ones! They have a gun!”

It was very sweet, and you were happy to help. 007n7 always seemed downtrodden, and you’d always wanted to help with that however you could. You’d need to discuss it with him, of course, but you weren’t going to crush Noli and C00lkidd’s dreams by denying them the chance of saying hi.

You nod, watching as their faces lit up a bit. “I’ll certainly do my best! I’d have to introduce 7n7 to the idea, but I’m sure he’d love to see you two again! I can try and bring him around when I visit next?”

Noli and C00lkidd looked at each other, having a silent conversation, before coming to an agreement. C00lkidd answered before Noli could speak, eagerly butting in. “That sounds SUPER AWESOME! I’ll be sure to go easy on you next time we play tag, so 1x doesn’t get mad at me!”

You and Noli barely held back a laugh as you overheard 1x1x1x1 talking about how she was not that overprotective. Noli quieted down C00lkidd, so he could talk next. “I’ll also keep you out of my chaos. For a few rounds, at least. You know how it is, yes?”

He smirked, and you gave him a nod. The good old status quo of being murdered. It’d been quite a while since you were ripped apart, actually! The pain would be a refreshing (and agonizing) return to pace, even.

As he led C00lkidd outside so they could play some games together, John Doe stood up and made his way towards you, eyes inquisitively looking, carefully keeping his spike arm angled away from you. You could hear 1x1x1x1 shift, a slight change in the air. John Doe was a nice person at heart, you’d learned that from Jane, but the corruption made him unpredictable at best.

Thankfully, he seemed to be in control of himself currently (from what you’d seen, he was generally calmer outside of rounds), and made a noise that you could interpret as a question. You didn’t know what he meant, as you hardly knew him, but thankfully 1x1x1x1 did, speaking up after a few seconds of silence. “He’s asking when you’ll be back at the other cabin. I think.” He nodded, and you went to respond.

“Ah! Um, probably when the rounds for the day end? Or sometime during then. I doubt I can stay here forever, and I’m not equipped to be a killer, so…” you trailed off, and John Doe nodded in understanding. Your partner mumbled something about it being “unfair” she couldn’t see you all the time, and you and John Doe did your best to suppress your laughter. He seemed pretty disinterested after you answered, though, leaving you and 1x1x1x1 alone in the room together.

Just as you were about to walk over to her, you felt a familiar tug in your chest, and you were transported to an all-too-familiar place, spawning in the graveyard of Yorick’s. As you took in your surroundings, and the entire shift of the situation, you spotted someone nearby you. A familiar ex-hacker with a burger hat, a gui held in front of him as he surveyed the overview he was given.

He hadn’t noticed yet, but you were taken into a round just so you could have a crash-collision reunion course with 007n7. You could almost hear that damned Spectre’s laughter.

Oh boy.

Chapter Text

It’s quiet.

Part of it is because you’ve been holding your breath since you saw 007n7, but it is very quiet. Aside from the ambience, you can hardly hear anything, not even a minor scuffle between sentinel and killer in the distance.

You don’t move, too afraid that you’ll mess it up somehow. The proverbial shoe drops anyways, because after a few seconds, 007n7 looks up, and lets out the tiniest of gasps. For a few precious seconds, nothing happens, but then you move, ever so slightly, and the illusion shatters. 007n7 rushes over, hugging you tightly with a strength you really didn’t know he possessed. You nearly fall to the ground, even, but you manage to keep your balance as the two of you shift to sit down on the floor, a more comfortable position to have a touching reunion.

The impact of everything takes your words away, so 007n7 is the first, a wavering voice filling the silence, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “Y-you’re here! I thought— I thought that— we all worried for your safety, and I just— what happened? Where did you go? Are you okay?”

It takes you a few seconds to process everything; he speaks fast, the words tumbling out, unrefined and spoken as if you’ll disappear any moment now. You gently rub circles into his back, trying to get him to calm down. “I’m okay, 7n7, don’t worry. I can try and explain what happened, if you want?”

007n7 goes to respond, but he’s interrupted by Elliot walking over, who is very casual before noticing you. “Hey, n7. I didn’t see anyo— YOU’RE BACK?!”

Normally, survivors spoke in hushed whispers during rounds, too afraid to alert the killer; Elliot abandoned such pretenses, too stunned to remember to quiet his voice. It wouldn’t matter much anyway, as you were pretty sure the killer would leave you alone regardless. You and 007n7’s little hug circle gained a third member as Elliot rushed in, hugging the both of you.

Elliot and 007n7 had always had an odd relationship— most of the time, they had tension with each other, palpable to everyone else. Their past gave Elliot every reason to hate 007n7, and yet, you’d seen moments where Elliot dropped his distaste. Moments where the past didn’t seem all that prevalent, where all that mattered was making sure each other was okay. Right now was one of them, both of them more concerned with you than with any animosity they shared. A solid minute or so passed before you all stopped the group hug, sitting close to each other.

Both of them were curious what had happened— even aside from 007n7 asking you, Elliot had all the body language of someone invested in learning something. You already had their rapt attention, so you simply started speaking. “So, what happened… after my argument with Shedletsky, I ran into my room and grabbed my stuff before leaving— I just didn’t feel welcome there.

“After that, I ran deep into the woods and stayed there for a couple nights. Even when it began snowing, I just kind of… laid there? I couldn’t really bring myself to care about anything. I kept thinking about myself, and 1x, and what had happened.

“And I laid there until last night. It began storming, and I was content to sit there in misery until it passed, but then I heard 1x. They’d followed… some sort of trail to get towards me, probably. We talked, I fell asleep in their arms, and they took me back to their cabin, which is where I’ve been staying until now.”

Elliot immediately pipes up with a question, confusion evident in his expression. “The killers just… let you walk around? I mean, I know you’re like, dating one of them now, but I thought they’d have more reservations about it.”

007n7 nods, and you awkwardly shrug. “They seemed pretty chill about my presence. I even had breakfast there. I’ll, um… probably be back at my actual cabin later today. Actually, speaking of, what even happened after I left?”

The two of them look at each other for a few seconds, progressively getting more uncomfortable before 007n7 caves, sighing. “I’ll… I can tell the story.

“After you stormed out, e-everyone sort of looked at Shedletsky and Builderman for an explanation, because, um, while we’d only heard a bit of the argument, it seemed like they started it. Shedletsky talked about you dating 1x1, and I stood up for you… it was the angriest I’d gotten in a while, and it probably would’ve escalated to a fight had Guest and Dusekkar not stepped in.

“From there… we questioned Shedletsky and Builderman on everything regarding what you and Shedletsky said. It turned out 1x1 was a creation of Shedletsky’s from years ago, and no one knew except Builderman… Dusekkar was pretty mad about that, and Taph was conflicted about not knowing too… all of us kept talking for a bit after sending Shedletsky and Builderman away to their rooms. We just needed… some time away from them, I think.

“We decided to avoid the admins in rounds, or, at least, not help them unless they really needed it. They could handle healing minor injuries fine. After, though, one of us noticed you were gone, after opening the door to check in on you… it shook us all, to s-say the least, especially with your letters… I had to t-take a bit to compose myself.”

Elliot took over from there, gently rubbing 007n7’s back in comfort. “We looked all over, but we couldn’t track you. We had to give up eventually, and just pray for you to come back. All of us, uh… we got really pissed at Shedletsky for that. Everyone went to their rooms after that, even if they couldn’t sleep. We were just… tired of arguing and fighting.

“Next day we kind of pretended to go back to normal. Minus the two admins, of course. We didn’t exile them, but… they sorta knew they weren’t welcome and stayed to themselves. Even in rounds. I think that Spectre thing was messing with us because we didn’t even get a round with your…” he trailed off, unsure.

You supplied the word for him. “Partner.”

“Partner, yeah. On one hand, I was grateful, because 1^4 tends to get the most kills out of all of them, but I also… felt bad about them being left in the dark? Which is. It’s weird to say that about a person I disliked, but they were still your partner. Maybe they’re nice, it’s just… hard to wrap my head around everything, you know? Still a bit bitter you didn’t tell me. Didn’t tell anyone besides n7, really.”

You tilted your head downwards, avoiding his gaze as you fidgeted with your hands. “… I was… I was scared, you know? I was worried that if I told too many people, that the information would find its way to Shedletsky, and that… that this would happen.” A bitter laugh left your throat. “Then again, everyone found out anyways, so I guess it didn’t matter what I did.”

Elliot looked away, a conflicted expression on his face. “I’m… I’m getting over it. Slowly. I get your situation.” He let out a long sigh. “Anyways. I’m getting ahead of myself. Next time we got a round with 1^4, she sort of, ah… well, let’s just say Shedletsky got karma for what he did to you.”

Both him and 007n7 shuddered, and you could imagine how mad she’d be if she learned her partner was missing from the person who helped cause it. It was… a bit charming how much she cared, at least…? Even if you didn’t exactly agree with the methods used. You didn’t mention that, though, because you knew they’d look at you weird. “Did anything important happen after that…?”

They both shook their heads, Elliot speaking up again. “After that round, we didn’t see 1^4 for the rest of the day. And until you came, it’s just been normal. Normal as this whole situation could be, at least.”

A small silence follows, and you listen to see if anything is happening. A couple distant shouts were all you could hear, and you decided it wasn’t your problem. You decided to speak again, awkwardly coughing. “I’ll, um… I’ll be back by tonight, hopefully. I’m gonna gather my stuff from the other cabin, of course, but… I’m not exactly opposed to going over again? My partner lives there, so I’d like to be able to see them more often than I normally do. Just wanted to put that idea out there.”

Elliot hums everything over, though he doesn’t seem as conflicted now. “Well, it’ll be nice to have you back. If you delay it until a bit after the rounds end, I can throw together a small coming back party. As for the visiting stuff, I mean… as long as everyone’s safe, I don’t really mind. That’s just me, though. Someone else will probably have objections if we bring it up to the group.”

007n7 nodded in agreement, though he was still nervously looking around for the killer. “I a-also wouldn’t mind. F-from what you’ve said, they seem to get their anger out by killing us, but b-be careful, okay? None of us want you to get h-hurt again.” He glanced towards Elliot. “A-as for the party, any chance I could help…?”

The younger man seemed apprehensive, before sighing, a smile on his face. It wasn’t a happy one, but it wasn’t entirely sad either. “It’s fine with me, n7. It’ll be a group effort from everyone, probably, to set it up, but you can help with the planning. After all, I’m sure they’d all be happy to see them again.” He looked towards you. “And for the record, this conversation never happened and we’re planning a surprise party and no one will know it’s you coming back until you open the door. Got it?”

You let out a small laugh, giving him a thumbs up. “You got it, Elliot.”

From there, the three of you discussed party details, and how Elliot and 007n7 could make it happen in less than a day. They could obviously intuit some of the things you liked, but you also gave them a few details to make it even more perfect. It felt really nice to be able to talk to them again— the killers seemed to like your presence, but you missed your survivor friends a lot. You’d been hanging out with them for a little while now, and quite honestly, you’d have been rather sad if you could never see them again.

As you talked, you all seemed to forget you were in a round. Then again, it wasn’t as if you saw the killer nor any survivors. You had a hunch the killer was herding them away, playing with(taunting and harming) them so they wouldn’t find you, and was keeping you alive so you could talk to your friends. It was a bit sweet, in a morbid way, and if you ever found out who it was you’d be sure to thank them.

By the time the timer is about to end, the three of you have made a solid enough plan for the party, and you belatedly realize you didn’t get to talk to 007n7 about visiting Noli and C00lkidd. You could do that when you got home— it was a bit of a personal subject for him, and Elliot would understand that it wasn’t a conversation he was meant to be a part of.

All in all, a pretty good round, you’d say!

Chapter Text

When the rounds ends, you are decidedly not transported back to the cabin. Well, not yours , at least. You’re brought back to the killer cabin instead, and you find that everyone’s gaze is on you for the second time this day. There’s even a couple you haven’t talked to, though Jason leads them to another room— presumably to explain the whole situation.

Immediately, 1x1x1x1 heads over to you, checking to make sure you’re alright. You hadn’t even taken damage during that round, and if you did, your wounds magically fixed themselves when the round ended. It didn’t stop phantom pains and other such issues, of course, but the pain you felt daily wasn’t really that bad.

As you did your best to wave it off, Noli rolled his eyes. “Relax. None of us would’ve hurt them today, right?” He looked around for confirmation, before giving you a knowing wink, and you’re pretty sure you know who the killer last round was now.

Regardless, your partner halfheartedly glared at him, before leading you to the couch. They leaned on your shoulder, closing their eyes as they relaxed. It was a very sweet sight, though you did hear C00lkidd gag and say something like “ewww!!!” before leaving to go have fun outside. Ah, children never really changed, did they.

A few other killers are looking at you two (with various levels of amusement and fondness), though 1x1x1x1 doesn’t seem to care. No, instead, she’s choosing to savor all the time she can to cuddle you. By the end of the day you’ll have to leave, anyway, which you’re sure is the explanation to at least part of her behavior. In any case, it’ll undoubtedly lead to relentless teasing from the other killers, though she almost certainly doesn’t care at the moment. Maybe you’ll tease her too for being such a softie around you. She was so cute when she blushed, so was it evil to want to see her like that more often? You giggled to yourself internally.

“So what do you normally do between rounds?”, you begin, because you are very curious. The killers, just like the survivors, seemed to have a routine. It was rather sweet, seeing how much they clearly all cared for each other. Of course, no one had threatened to kill you if you harmed 1x1x1x1, but, really… she could just kill you herself if you ever severely harmed her, and the other killers would gladly subject you to eternal torment if you dared to hurt her. No one said it out loud , but it was something unspoken— it felt like everyone knew.

While you were musing, your partner had shifted slightly, moving so that she could look at you while you were being cuddled. You weren’t too big on this much PDA in most situations, but you did just go through a rather stressful couple of days, so her clinginess was probably justified. When she spoke, she did so in her typical voice, though a bit quieter. Though, even when she was mad, she typically wasn’t one to raise her voice past a shout. “It depends on who you ask. I typically train or tend to small chores around the cabin. I also sometimes make food for everyone here.”

She looked around, surveying the other killers currently in the room— just Noli and John Doe. “Jason tends to enjoy his time alone in the woods. He sometimes brings back small prey animals or herbs for us to cook. John Doe… it depends, though he mostly helps out with chores or wanders around the cabin. Noli prefers to annoy people—”

Noli loudly ‘AHEM’d, and he gave 1x1x1x1 a smile that definitely didn’t match the glare in his eyes. “I would say I keep things fresh and interesting, but whatever you say, 1x1!”

Both of them held a silent staring competition, and you sat there awkwardly until Noli turned his attention to you. “Well, I won’t start anything in front of our esteemed guest. As for you, I assume you’ll be leaving soon? While I certainly have little objections to an extended stay, there will probably be others who aren’t as keen on your presence. I’m sure you’ll break through their shells, but perhaps that should be saved for a later date?”

Admittedly, you were also excited to go back. Staying with 1x1x1x1 was really nice, but you also wanted to go back to the room you’d become attached to. You missed your friends in the survivor cabin, and you were sure they missed you too. You nodded your head at Noli’s initial question. “I’ll be back at my own cabin by the end of the day. I’ll probably stop by tomorrow before the rounds begin, if that means anything? In case you want to tell anyone I’m coming over for a bit so they aren’t alarmed— and before you ask, if all goes well, someone else you know should be coming along.”

Noli hums, pleased with your answers. “Well, that certainly gives me something to look forward to! I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone, then. Now, John Doe, if you could help me take care of the garden?”

John Doe perks up at that, happy to help. He follows Noli out the door, humming a song you vaguely recognize (though the notes and tempo didn’t seem to be correct), leaving you and 1x1x1x1 alone. After a few moments of comfortable silence, you spoke up. “Is there anything you want to do today before I have to go back?”

1x1x1x1 closed their eyes, deep in thought, before they spoke, quieter than normal. “… I’d rather just stay beside you all day.”

The way they said it felt vulnerable in a way you don’t think either of you could really address in that moment, so you simply nodded in agreement. “Do you want to head back to your room, then? So that no one else can really bother us.”

They nodded, and you both got up (though you did have to wait for them to get off of you first). You both held hands as you were led to their room, and as soon as the door was closed and locked, they (less than gracefully) flopped onto the bed, adjusting themselves soon after. You followed, gently lying down on them while you both settled down.

You’d always been a pretty affectionate person, and it was evident 1x1x1x1 was too. While you cuddled them, they closed their eyes in contentment, clinging onto you as well, before they looked away. “Can I tell you something?”

Something about the way they said it— hushed, as though someone was watching and waiting to deny them this weakness— it struck through to your soul. You would always listen to their words, but especially now, when they spoke as if their own feelings were a sin. “I’d always listen to you, 1x, no matter what.”

They let out an amused breath of air, something akin to a laugh. Their claws held on a bit tighter, though, so it definitely meant a lot to them. “… I’ve never allowed myself to be this vulnerable before. Anyone else who knew me, I either pushed away, or they… they pushed me away, instead.”

( It wasn’t hard to guess who the latter example was primarily composed of, though you wouldn’t comment on it unless they did first. )

A silence followed, but you didn’t speak. It was obvious to you they were trying to figure out what to say, and a way to say it at all. Eventually, they settled on quietly speaking it, so quiet you’re pretty sure only you could hear it, even if you were both in a crowded room.

“When I was… when I was created, I was immediately treated as nothing by my creator. I’m not sure if he even knew I could feel things beyond hatred. He probably… he wouldn’t have cared anyway. I never… I wasn’t allowed to be vulnerable. I had to fend for myself ever since I was created— I never had a childhood, either. I was made to be something fully grown, as just a vessel and not a child. And I… I just… I want…”

They trailed off again, a conflicted expression on their face, and you reached to hold one of their hands, squeezing it a little bit. It seemed to calm them, and you let out a little smile. “… I want to stay by you. I want to learn new things with you. I want to experience things I’ve never seen or heard of before.

“… Will you grant me the honor of being by your side, even when we leave this realm?”

You shuffle yourself so that you can give them a kiss, before breaking apart, so that you can stare at them. You bring the hand you’re holding towards you, so it rests almost upon your heart. “I said it back when we stargazed, didn’t I? That I’d wait years if that was what it took to convince the world you weren’t evil anymore. Even if you did push me away, or try and insist I was better off without you, I’d search for you again every time. I’ll stay by your side, even when you don’t believe I should, 1x.”

You think you see tears well up in their eyes, but they use their free arm to cover their face before you can tell for certain. They don’t respond, but you tighten your grip on the hand you’re holding, and that seems to do something good. You both sit in silence, though you can hear some muffled sniffles and watery breaths from 1x1x1x1. After about a minute, they pull you into a hug, letting some tears spill, and you hold them while you run your fingers through their hair.

“Want to just stay here until evening comes?”, you ask, and they nod, silently.

The day passes by without much incident, though you do get pulled into a couple rounds— when you do, no one finds you, neither survivor nor killer. Immediately after you arrive back in the cabin, you resume your cuddling with 1x1x1x1. No words need to be said, and you simply bask in each other’s presence.

Hours pass by, ever quiet and peaceful in your own world, and you find that evening comes sooner than you’d like. Reluctantly, you sit up, and your partner lets out a grumble, knowing what has to happen. You gather all of your things, which… isn’t much, truthfully. The two of you hold hands, walking downstairs. Only Noli is there as you and 1x1x1x1 walk down, and he doesn’t seem interested until he gets an idea, smirking. “Ooo, look at me, I’m in a happy relationship. Save some for the rest of us, you greedy souls!”

Your free hand clenches into a fist, but 1x1x1x1 speaks before you can do anything. “Says the person who will talk incessantly about 007n7 when he gets drunk. It seems you’re projecting a bit, hm?”

Noli’s stare turns downright murderous, but he looks at you and seems to recall something, because he laughs and dashes off soon after. Oh well. Shame you couldn’t punch him. You’ll get your revenge anyways in a round, through methods that are definitely moral and legal (stealing Shedletsky’s sword and beating Noli up).

You and 1x1x1x1 stare at each other, before you decide to walk out the door, your love walking out behind you. You look back at them, giving them a smile. “Shall we head back to my cabin, then, dear?”

He nods, returning your smile. “Lead the way, my beloved.”

Now, you’ve never travelled to the killers’ cabin, but you know the forest decently well, and once you find one of your trail markers, it’s easy to find the path back to your own cabin. 1x1x1x1 walks with you in silence, as you pass through the many trees and foliage. The view is nothing special, the same trees and muted greenery you’ve seen for many months. Still, though, it’s nice— for this realm, at least.

The walk back takes quite a few minutes, though it’s not as far as you thought it would be. If you had to guess, you’d say it’s about 30 minutes, which isn’t terribly far by any means. Part of you wonders how no one’s discovered it yet while hunting, but perhaps they just never ventured in the direction you often did. It was right outside your window, after all.

You stop before the forest gives way to the clearing surrounding the cabin, and you turn to look at 1x1x1x1. “Guess this is where we part for today.”

They look at you and sigh. “I suppose it is. You’ll visit tomorrow, yes?”

A light and airy giggle leaves your mouth as you grin. “Yeah, yeah. Tomorrow morning, promise? I’ll even give you a parting gift for tonight, okay?”

Before they have time to question what the gift is, you give them a gentle kiss on the lips, before walking out into the clearing, giving them one final wave. “Bye, 1x.”

A few seconds pass before they dazedly lift up their arm to wave back. “… I’ll be seeing you.”

They walk off soon after, and you turn your attention back to the cabin. Quite frankly, you’re terrified to go inside, what with everything that happened in the past few days, but… people probably have your back, don’t they? 007n7 and Elliot do, at least. And everyone else has been avoiding the Shedletsky and Builderman, too, which surely means something .

Despite your fears, you walk around to the main door. You stand there for a few seconds, before your hand settles on the doorknob. No matter what, you’ve already made up your mind on what needs to be done today. If it goes bad… at least you'll have another cabin that can accept you, right?

You open the door.

Chapter Text

The view you find upon opening the door is… well, it’s expected, but also a bit not?

Elliot mentioned a party, but you don’t see much of anything besides an eerie lack of anyone besides you. Everything looks as normal as it always is, and you’re halfway sure that everyone went to bed very early (it isn’t even dinnertime!). Before you can do anything, though, Elliot wanders in, looking around before quickly finding your presence.

He practically stumbles over himself running to you, a look of immense relief on his face. “Oh, thank god you’re here…! I was almost worried I’d gotten everyone hyped up for nothing.” He paused. “They’re in the large main room at the end of the hall, if you wanna let me lead you there?”

You’re still a bit confused, which must be evident on your face, because Elliot stops and smiles. “Ah, yeah. After the first round today, n7 and I began planning the party. Now, we didn’t tell everyone what it was for, only that it was tonight and that everyone should ideally be there. Luckily they all showed up, even those two , but uh. We’ll get them to apologize to you, don’t worry. Judging by today’s actions, they both seem pretty remorseful, but hey! Not my apology to accept.”

It was… nice, almost. He was very considerate of you, and honestly… you didn’t really forgive them. You’d let them apologize as you didn’t want to cause more tension, but you still couldn’t fully forgive them. It’d take quite a while for that to happen, and you could only hope they knew that too. Even if they didn’t… well, they’d get their comeuppance. Heheh.

You needed to respond, so you gave Elliot a smile. “You can lead me in. I’m as ready as I can be, and I’ve got people on my side, right? There isn’t anything that can get me down in the dumps today.”

(… It probably helped that you’d been cuddling with and kissing 1x1x1x1 all day, but that was your little secret.)

Elliot’s hand guided yours to a door, with light and sound behind it. This would typically be the point of no return, but you’d already crossed that when entering the house. You’d sealed your destiny, and now you could only hope to roll with the punches if they came. Your hand grasped the doorknob, slowly twisting it open as you stood there.

What lied behind it was… a typical party in this realm, really. Decorations dragged out of a closet, some lights that lit up in different colors, food cooked by various survivors. Everyone was relaxing, striking up friendly conversation (save for a certain duo who were in the corner), when you opened the door. The noise alerted them all, and they immediately turned to find you standing there. You almost shriveled up then and there from the sudden attention, but you stood strong.

Everyone reacted slightly differently, but they all seemed both relieved and surprised by your presence. The only one who wasn’t surprised in the room was 007n7, but that was expected— the first one to rush over was Noob, a worried expression on their face, muttering things you couldn’t hear. Taph wasn’t far behind, holding out their hands for a hug. You accepted, and it seemed like the floodgates opened after that, because nearly everyone went over and smothered you in a group hug.

You’d always been a tactile person, and so the physical contact was much appreciated, especially by your friends. You hadn’t even seen them in days, and you all sort of stood there for a small while until everyone broke away. There were quite a few tears, and everyone seemed at a loss for words. 007n7 seemed to have something to say, though, speaking before anyone else seemed to get a grasp on the situation.

“I-it’s nice to see you. We planned this for your return, so… I hope you enjoy it…!”

The ‘we’ in question is not all of them, because a few people make confused faces at the mention of it. Those two awkwardly look away, like they have been the entire time they’ve stood in the corner. Perhaps you should mess with them a bit more. It’d be funny.

Elliot doesn’t seem phased by 007n7’s comment, of course, choosing instead to smile at the crowd. “007n7 and I saw them earlier today and decided to plan this party as a secret reunion thing for everyone! It was super last minute, so I’m just glad you all agreed.”

He let out a nervous chuckle, and after that, it felt like everyone spurred themselves into action, crowding around you. The questions were endless, and varied from ‘are you okay’ to ‘are you actually dating 1x’. After a bit of chaos, you, Elliot, and 007n7 somehow managed to calm everyone down into not speaking over each other. Noob was the first one to speak, having finally found the words they wanted to say.

“I-Is everything okay? How was it o-out there? I hope… I hope n-nothing bad happened…”

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement— it was a good first question to ask, really, you couldn’t blame them for being curious. Okay, well, you’ve told this story twice already, but you can gladly do it again. And, in addition— you really wanted to make Shedletsky and Builderman uncomfortable. It was mean, yes, but they made you feel utterly awful and horrible. Was it really so bad if you paid it back to them at least a little bit?

Once again, you tell the story, and honestly, you’ve gotten pretty good at the storytelling aspect of it. You’ve even started choosing what words to use to draw out certain feelings, crafting a bit of a narrative with the emotions. It’s a bit of an art, really, at this point. By the time you’re done, you’re pretty sure those two are going to be on a kill waiting list from both the survivors and killers. It’s amusing on levels you can’t even begin to articulate, but that’s not the important part.

No, instead, what matters is that your friends and companions are nearly all close to tearing up by the end— even Elliot and 007n7, who had heard the story before. Jokes on the Spectre for making the blizzard, because now you had the story of all time once you got out of here. You’d be undefeatable in two truths and a lie. You were halfway expecting a group hug again, but everyone seemed to be getting over what you’d been through. Chance seemed to recover before anyone else, and while you couldn’t see his eyes through the glasses, his voice wavered like someone who’d just held back tears.

“… Glad you’re okay, and if there’s anything we can do, just… ask, y’know? Lotta help to go around here.”

Once again, agreement in murmurs, as everyone gives you their own personal message of offering help. It’s sweet, and you couldn’t possibly give out enough thanks to convey how grateful you were to know them all. You’d have to do it later— maybe some personalized gifts and hangout time over the next week? You could definitely fit that into your schedule.

After making sure you’re okay, it seems everyone shifts in a silent agreement, because Chance speaks first. He looks around in a bit of panic, silently arguing with Taph, before speaking. “So, uh… 1x4, huh? How’s uh. How’s that whole deal been going?”

Everyone is clearly shy about asking, which is downright hilarious , so pause and hum for a few seconds while everyone else looks around nervously. “Well, it’s been going pretty good, I’d say! It’s… somehow gone without any major incidents, minus… you know. Any, uh, specific questions, or…?”

You kind of just wanted to move on to the party part of reunion party, but it seemed like everyone had at least one burning question on their mind. Yes, you really did manage to date 1x1x1x1, no, you weren’t gonna randomly become a killer because you were at the cabin (what the hell, Dusekkar), and no, you hadn’t TASTED your partner’s jello-like torso to see if it was edible (what the HELL, Two Time) . Most of the questions were normal, aside from that one, thankfully.

After your little QNA session, everyone seemed to be mostly over the new buzz of your arrival, and you finally had some breathing room. The drinks were nice, although you did hear a couple people complain about the lack of alcohol this time. In any case, the soda was nice, and the party had a nice atmosphere.

The entire time, you noticed, Shedletsky and Builderman awkwardly stood in the corner, too afraid to do anything (not that they could , really, with everyone staring at them if they moved too much). It was funny, yes, undoubtedly tonight’s entertainment, but you’d also get the whole apology thing over with sooner rather than later. You gave a nod towards Elliot before walking over to the corner where the two admins were.

They both shifted under your gaze, increasingly awkward the longer you went without speaking, and it took everything in you not to laugh when you spoke (though some amusement did leak through). “I was told you both had something to tell me? Unless I’m mistaken.”

Builderman went to speak, but Shedletsky spoke before he could actually say anything. “We, uh, did, actually! Some… apologies, for what we did. It’s a private matter, so we really don’t want to do it in public?”

It was incredibly awkward, and you basked in the feeling. But you were nice (kind of), so you stopped him before he could speak again. “We can go in another room to talk, don’t worry. Want to do it one at a time, less pressure?”

Builderman was the one that spoke this time, much more timid than usual. “That was what we were plannin’, yeah. I’ll go first, I think I’ve got, er, my words in more organized places.”

Well, he also had less to apologize for , but you didn’t mention it (again, you were mostly a nice person). You both went to a spare room, and he sat down as he started to speak. “… I still don’t know how to say it, but… I’m sorry. I really am. I jus’… I don’t know what I was thinkin’, honestly. I always thought that 1x was evil, never thought about them further, an’ that. That clouded my judgement, and I assumed I was doin’ the right thing. I wasn’t, at all, and I’m sorry it took until… that for me to realize it. You don’t hafta forgive me, and I’ll respect your wishes if you don’t want me around you for a bit.”

Considering everything, you weren’t as mad at Builderman as you were at Shedletsky. Still mad, of course, but less so. You didn’t want to complicate things by alienating them completely, so you suppose you could forgive them. You nodded at Builderman’s apology before you spoke, some amusement leaking into parts of your speech.

“I don’t… okay, I don’t hate you, but it’s going to take a while for me to completely get over it. You can talk to me, but don’t be surprised if I’m sometimes mean or standoffish. And don’t expect me to save you in rounds, either, for a bit. Oh, and, ah…” you leaned in a bit, a smug grin on your face, “the killers might use you and Shedletsky as particularly violent anger management, so… have fun with that!”

He shuddered, and you gave an act of an innocent grin as you left the room, him following behind soon after, milling with the public. You ushered in Shedletsky afterward, him being even more awkward than Builderman, somehow. Were you a more vindictive person, you would’ve found some way to drag the torture out longer, but you kind of wanted to get back to the party already, so you motioned for him to begin. He coughed and cleared his throat before speaking, slowly looking towards you as he did.

“I’m sorry for what I did. I know it’s gonna sound fake or disingenuine, but I am. When I created 1x4, I didn’t know they could feel things beyond the hatred I put into them. When I left them, I thought they were just a vessel, and I never thought differently. Even when you got close to them, I didn’t bother to wonder if they could actually feel. I just assumed they didn’t and hurt you both because of it.

“When you left, everyone… well, they argued with me until I finally started to see some sense. The arguments continued in the morning, but we both just decided to avoid each other’s little groups. I talked to Builderman a lot, and I realized I was being incredibly childish over everything— though 1x4 also gave me a lesson first hand.  And when I was in the cabin one night, during the blizzard… I saw a glimpse of them. 1x4. Chance was there too, but we didn’t really speak to each other.

“Anyway, I saw 1x4 there, just barely, and I got a brief glimpse at them. They looked… they looked unlike how I’d ever seen them before. Determined, desperate… hurt. I’ve just. I’ve been thinking about how stupid I was to never think that 1x4 could feel, and how I hurt you in the process. You don’t have to forgive me, but I feel bad, and I’ll make it up to you however I can. I’m supposed to protect you all, but I accidentally caused all of this instead, and I’m sorry.

“That’s all I have to say.”

It was… actually, this was probably one of the most heartfelt apologies you’d ever noticed. You weren’t expecting it to be as heartfelt as it was, given the last time you’d talked to him, but it was somehow really sweet? You were now intensely curious on what sort of soul searching Shedletsky went through to arrive at this conclusion— but that was a story for later, so you left it at that.

You… wanted to forgive him and get it over with, certainly, but you also were never one to get over a grudge easily. Especially one such as this, with events that had hurt you. But… he was getting better, being more accepting, and that was more than some people had done for you in the past. You’d need time— a lot of it— but you could eventually forgive him. Possibly. Jury’s still out. But it was time for your response, now, you couldn’t leave him hanging.

“It’s… it’s going to take a lot of time before I can fully forgive you. I’m still really hurt, and I’ll probably avoid you for a bit. But I-“ a sigh, “I want to forgive you, so I’ll do my best. Just— as long as nothing else like that happens again, I can do my best. Okay?”

He nodded, and you both awkwardly stood there before you made your way to the door. He didn’t follow, and you didn’t care where he went as you made your way back to the party. You should feel better about everything now, all the apologies had been said, but even so, you didn’t feel all that great about everything? You wanted to feel good, but you didn’t, because it still hurt.

Before you left, though, you turned back to him. “Oh, and, uh, 1x will probably use you like a chew toy for a few rounds, just a warning.”

He lets out a knowing groan. “Oh, I’m well aware, she’s already torn me apart enough.”

A sigh escapes you as you walk back and pick up a drink. If only emotions weren’t so complicated, and you could just move on with everything. But enough about Shedletsky for tonight, really. You’d gotten your one mandatory interaction with him out of the way, and now you were free to not think about him.

Besides, this party was for you, so why not enjoy it?

Chapter Text

As the party settles down, it becomes more and more quiet. People fracture off into their own mini-groups, cleaning up as they make idle chatter under the darkened sky. You’re the guest, though, so everyone insists you can rest in your room until the meeting. It’s a nice offer, but before you take it up, you walk over to 007n7 and quietly whisper into his ear. No one else notices, too caught up in their own little worlds.

“I have something to tell you, when you’re done. Meet me in my room.”

He nods, you nod, and you walk off, preparing for what you’re going to say to him. Well, you’ve been planning all day, really, but now you really have to think about it. The thoughts crowd in your mind as you watch the rest of the survivors have fun in their little groups. Chance’s group had devolved into a little game night, and it was very amusing to watch them play. After a bit, though, you get bored, heading off to your room.

When you enter, it’s surprisingly been cleaned up— a paper on the nightstand specifies it was Elliot and Noob who did it, and you make a mental note to thank them later. A lot of thanking to be done in general, really. You finally set down your little bag of things to unpack (you’d put it down beside you during the party), putting everything away in what feels like no time at all. After you finished, you lay down on your bed, staring at the ceiling until a knock was heard on the door. You know who it is, but you open it carefully anyway, smiling at 007n7’s appearance.

“Come in, come in,” you speak softly, closing the door behind him, “this is a bit of a private discussion, so I don’t want anyone to hear.”

He sits on the chair you have by your desk, and you resume occupying your bed. As you settle, he nervously looks around the room. “What did you want to t-tell me…? I-It’s nothing bad, right?”

You shake your head, and you can see the relief on his face. “No, it’s just a little offer! Two of the killers wanted me to bring you over when I visit 1x, and I was wondering if you wanted to go? No pressure, but I’m sure they’d be happy to see you, and I wager you’d be happy to see them too.”

007n7 looks confused at that— not that you can blame him, though, this did come very out of the blue. He taps his foot on the ground as he speaks, mumbling in a volume you can only hear so well because you’re beside him. “The first one’s obvious, it’s C00lkidd, but the other… it’s not Jason, or John Doe, I’m hardly even close to them… it’s obviously not 1x1, I doubt she even knows who I am… the mafia’s out, too, so is Azure… I’m not close to anyone else, which just leaves… but, even if he was nice, I never thought he’d want…”

He turns to you, wary, as if awaiting the moment when you crush his ideas. “… It’s not… it’s not Noli , is it…?”

You nod, because you are nothing if not truthful in this endeavor. “He and C00lkidd asked me to bring you over. I was going to ask in the round we shared, but… well, I’m friends with Elliot, but I assumed this was a conversation to be had in private.”

After your confirmation that it was in fact Noli who’d asked for him, he stared off, lost in his own world— you’re not even sure he actually listened to anything you said beyond that. He muttered again, this time too quiet to hear, and you quietly sat there as he presumably had a discussion with himself about whether this entire thing was real.

“If it helps, he seemed excited to see you,” you say, and that causes a few more minutes of muttering and an expression so conflicted it feels foreign on 007n7’s face. You were obviously not equipped to deal with such emotions, and you weren’t sure if this was the kind of thing you could help with, so you stayed silent until he spoke towards you again, excitement and nervousness coloring his words.

“I would… i-if you’ll let me, I’d love to go along…! It’s been s-so long since I could see them, and I— I want to apologize and say that I’m sorry and that—“

You cut him off before he can go any further, moving over to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright! You don’t need to worry yourself over it if it’s causing you unneeded stress. Just think about what you want to say, and how to say it. I’m sure they’ll give you time to speak. They both will.”

He mumbled in agreement, taking off his hat and messing with it. “Y-Yeah, you’re right, I just… it’s been what feels like years, a-and I don’t want to mess up this opportunity, I…”

With your best reassuring smile, you tried to assuage his fears. You thought about if you were in a situation like that, and… “I get it, 7n7. It’s easy to get nervous about this sort of thing, especially since you’re so close to them. Just make sure to try and take care of yourself too, you know? We don’t want to see you get worse or fall into bad habits again. And, um… is next morning okay for when I bring you over? It’s when I next visit 1x.”

That sure seemed to be surprising, and he immediately turned to look at you, shock evident in his eyes. “T… Tomorrow…?” Then back to the floor, muttering, “n-no, it’s fine, you can do it, n7… you just… you just have to face the people you left behind, that’s… t-that’s fine! Don’t even have to worry about it! J-Just… be ready by tomorrow…”

He stood up before you could do anything else, something you couldn’t place in his expression. “I… I need to go to my room to think for a bit. T-There’s a meeting tonight in the main hall, I-I’ll, um… someone will get you for it, I just… I need to think by myself for a minute.”

With that, he was off, closing the door behind him. You couldn’t blame him, honestly, and you did feel bad for springing it up on him so suddenly, but that wasn’t exactly your fault, so… he could take it up with Noli, really.

You flopped onto your bed, staring absentmindedly at your room’s nightstand while you thought about 007n7’s final words before he left. A meeting… you weren’t unfamiliar with those, of course not, but… you had no idea what would even be discussed there. It wasn’t something bad, you hoped. They didn’t hate you, did they? Everyone was nice, of course, but what if that was just a lie? They could throw you out again, and—

Okay, you just tried to stop 007n7 from spiraling, you were not about to do that to yourself. People liked you, they didn’t secretly talk behind your back, and the meeting wasn’t about throwing you out. It was fine, and you should push the meeting out of your mind until someone drags you to it.

Think, think, what to think about instead… hm… something cool… nothing that stresses you out… Ah! Your partner! That would cheer you up! You may have just seen them earlier today, but you were still very excited for the visit tomorrow. The killer cabin was actually quite nice, and you were at least friendly with a decent portion of them! That was progress. Maybe you’d even work up to befriending them too…? Actually, maybe that was a far-fetched idea, but you’d still try.

Meeting with 1x1x1x1 tomorrow… it’d be the same as always, but it was different now, right? You didn’t have to hide it anymore, didn’t have to wait until everyone fell asleep so you could simply talk to them. It helped that you were now also dating them, instead of being incredibly close and somehow still thinking that you were friends. If you could go back in time you’d probably insult your past self for being rather stupid in that regard. And insult past 1x1x1x1 too. You were both kind of oblivious and stupid. Ah, past them would definitely kill you for that, but wouldn’t it be fun? You softly laughed to yourself in your room as you thought about it.

Thinking about 1x1x1x1 and your visit, you simply relaxed in your room until you heard a knock on your door. Had it been a few minutes? Half an hour? You found you didn’t really care all that much, getting up to see who was at the door. It was Guest 1337, surprisingly, and not anyone else you’d consider yourself particularly close to. “I’m here to let you know there’s a meeting going on soon. I can also take you to it.”

You nodded, following him out and closing the door behind you. “Can I ask what this meeting’s about? It’s, uh, not about me , right? I think I’ve had my fill of exile for the week.”

Something crossed his face, though whether it was regret or guilt, you had no idea. In any case, he made sure to walk in front of you, always protective of everyone else— sweet, really. “No, nothing about you specifically. We’re all just talking about the killers in general.”

He turned to look at you, expression softening. “But we’d protect you if someone tried to start anything. I would, 007n7 would, Elliot would. More, too. You don’t have to worry about going through that again.”

… Everyone here was far too nice for their own good. Including you, trying to forgive people you should probably hate… if only you could just hate easier. Maybe that’d be nicer— and 1x1x1x1 would certainly teach you how to do it, hehe. “… Thanks, 1337.”

The two of you went silent, quietly walking to the main room. He entered first, and you went in behind him. Everyone else seemed to already be there, and you sat down between Elliot and Taph. Shedletsky normally led the meetings, but now he was quietly sitting near Builderman, letting Guest 1337 take the lead.

“I’ve decided to set up this meeting due to recent events, and because almost all of us have a say in it. Many of us have affiliations to the killers, good or bad, and I’ve decided to hold a meeting to see how we feel about them. Now, whatever decision we come to, you are free to disagree— we are all adults here, and I expect us to behave civilly. Anyone can raise their hand to begin our discussion.”

Everyone nodded at his words, and it was surprisingly Taph to raise their hand first, thinking for a second before deciding what to sign. You’d all learned basic ASL, and while you had a bit of trouble with most things past that, Chance could luckily translate for everyone. “ ‘I think that we should let the people close decide what to do. I don’t have any say in this.’ … I agree with them. I mean, I’m not friends with the killers, so it’s not like I should boss you guys around if you wanna talk to them, yeah?”

Dusekkar nodded, as did Guest. Noob nervously looked around, before speaking. “I… I haven’t seen them here yet, but if I can… I r-really want to say hi t-to Sixer again… I-I’ll be safe, I promise!”

Sixer… it was a name scarcely mentioned by Noob, always nervous to even say it. You’d all heard enough of them to figure out who it was— Guest 666, their old friend. Their relationship had soured, and their last interaction before being sent here was a massive fight. Noob felt intense guilt about it, but no one knew how Guest 666 felt about everything. If she came here, though… the only thing stopping Noob from visiting would be either of them refusing to talk to each other for some reason or another.

Everyone went silent at their words, pausing to think for a few seconds. After, it was Two Time who broke the silence, their grin seeming less genuine than usual, clouded with doubt. “It would be… greatly agreeable if all of us could work out our differences with those in the other cabin.” They pause, looking away. “Such is the teaching of the Spawn.”

It’s muttered, silent, an empty afterthought to something spoken from their own emotions. It’s not hard to imagine why , of course— Azure and Two Time were incredibly close, practically inseparable. One day it all changed, but no one could ascertain the details. Two Time was incredibly tight-lipped aside from the fact they blamed themselves for how Azure ended up like this, and none of you even dared to speak to the killer himself about it during rounds. It was a drastic transformation from what he’d used to look like, according to the photo of him and Two Time, and it would almost certainly be a sore subject.

With Two Time’s part said, refusing to interact with anyone, it seemed there were two killers left to converse about in terms of survivor affiliation. A silence settled as everyone waited for who would speak first, and Elliot was the one to sacrifice himself. Clearing his throat, he spoke clearly, any emotion that snuck through being uncommented on.

“I think that we should allow those close to decide what they want to do. It’s not anyone’s job here to babysit over people’s actions. And I kinda just… want to get all of this over with? No offense to anyone here, but I don’t care about what goes on in the other cabin as long as people are safe. We’re all adults, aren’t we? There’s no reason I should poke my business into your guys’ affairs.”

It seemed like everyone had decided on an internal turn order, and gazed subtly shifted to 007n7, who looked nervous under all the pressure. “I… I w-want to see a couple of them again, s-so… I think… we should be allowed to do what we want…?”

It’s nervous, wary, not even phrased as a statement. But everyone is supportive, it seems, nodding along. Everyone knows of Elliot and 007n7’s relation to C00lkidd, even those who hadn’t been here as long as others. At times, it felt like you’d learned almost everything, even if that wasn’t really true.

After he speaks and everyone digests it, people turn their eyes to scrutinize Shedletsky and Builderman. You hide the smile on your face with your hands, watching as they squirmed under the attention. This was a bit cruel, considering earlier, but you didn’t really care to stop it. Shedletsky was the one to speak, after a very quick and desperate conversation of silence between the two.

“I. Um. Okay, I know it sounds hypocritical, but I’ve learned my lesson, and I won’t interfere in business that’s not mine anymore. I won’t even step foot near that cabin, actually, so it’s not my issue whatever happens in there. And I’ve apologized to them, so it’s all over, right? I can go now?”

Perhaps not the best phrased thing, but he did seem very stressed from the stares. A couple people tentatively nodded, and he bolted, leaving only you to offer your opinions. Sigh. Of course, leave it to Shedletsky to make the atmosphere incredibly awkward.

“… I’m going to be biased here, of course, but I think we should let people do what they want…? Don’t let people get hurt or think we’ve gone missing, but we’re not bound by this place, either. I just think it’s kind of stupid to interfere in other people’s businesses—” if the admins were here, you would’ve glared at them, “and it’s fine for people to want to adventure past the people we already talk to daily.”

You coughed. “… Also I’m going to be visiting 1x tomorrow morning and 7n7 is coming with to see C00lkidd so if you could not make a fuss about it that’d be great thanks.”

The announcement at the end definitely surprised some people, but no one seemed overly opposed to it. It helped the attention was on you, and not 007n7– he seemed very relieved that no one cared if he wanted to see his son tomorrow. With that, it seemed like everyone had said what they wanted to, and Guest 1337 stood up to gather everyone’s attention again, seemingly much happier now that the meeting went well.

“Great job staying civil, everyone. Meeting adjourned, I’ll see you all in the morning for breakfast. Try and get a good night’s rest, okay?”

With that, everyone left to go to their nightly routines, you included. It wasn’t long before you ended up in your room again, exhausted from the day’s events. Goodness, that day was tiring after you left the killer cabin. At least it was over, right? You could put most of it behind you, and continue on.

At least you could see 1x1x1x1 tomorrow— that was the respite that carried you. That even though today was exhausting mentally, you could wash them away by being with her tomorrow.

And that, well— that was just the thing you needed to end the day on a good note.

Chapter Text

The morning is a new day, of course, and a finalization of the previous day’s events.

It’s— it’s odd. It’s really odd. That everyone knows about you and 1x1x1x1, that they’re fine with it, even. For so long, you’d been running, avoiding telling them in fear of a bad reaction— a reaction you got from Shedletsky, even— and yet, after that, during the party yesterday… everyone was perfectly fine with it. Asked some silly and odd questions, for sure, but they were nice .

You’d been so used to the possibility of never telling anyone that you’d accepted it as fact. Now, though, there wasn’t a need to worry, which was something both comforting and unsettling. Growing so used to something bad, that now, when there wasn’t a possibility of it happening anymore… it felt weird. Perhaps it was a bit too pessimistic to think you’d have to keep up the façade forever, but you’d always been taught to prepare for the worst. Hope for the best, too, but you often worried too much about the bad to focus on the good.

Now, though, with your secrets having been laid bare for the world, with your friends supporting you… it didn’t even feel real, as if everything past the snowstorm was just a dream. But you knew the difference, and everything happened . It was real, and you were actually going to visit your partner later this morning. You didn’t have to hide, to sneak out, you could just… see her, with people knowing, like it wasn’t a massive deal.

It’s nice, of course, it’s really nice that you don’t have to hide anymore, but… even so, clinging to the back of your mind, you can’t help but think that you’re on eggshells now. That if you mess up even a single bit, they’ll all turn on you, whispering behind your back about your mistakes. It was stupid , they clearly liked you, but still, doubt and paranoia fed themselves on your thoughts, always whispering in the back of your head.

You shoved them away as you got ready for the day. It was… you could work on that later. And those thoughts would disappear eventually, so you should focus on the good! Like seeing your beloved partner! Today! The fact you weren’t in their arms right now was kind of a crime, really. God, you were acting like every sickeningly sweet couple, weren’t you? It was a wonder you hadn’t seen anyone gagging over it besides C00lkidd.

Exiting your room, you give it a once-over. It’s not too different from when you left it after running away, but it certainly feels like a lot has changed. When you left that room, you were at one of the lowest points in your life, running away from your problems. Now, standing here, hand on the doorknob… somehow, for a moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day.

Closing the door, you go to the kitchen, connecting to the table where most meals are eaten. There, 007n7 is cooking breakfast, focused as he flips pancakes and heats up bacon. There’s no one else besides you two— maybe it helped you both retired from the party early, going to bed immediately after the meeting, but it seemed everyone else was asleep. If anyone was awake, they were very quiet, or outside the cabin. You wouldn’t have paid mind to them, anyways. Talking to 007n7 was more important.

You sit down on one of the table’s seats, accidentally startling 007n7 when you speak, him jolting his head to look at you as the pancakes slide on his pan. “Sorry, 7n7! Didn’t mean to scare you. Just wondering when you want to, um… head over. Not to rush you, just excited. Haha.”

The face he gave you was sympathetic, a fond look as he seemed to remember his own past. “Oh, you’re fine… love is a beautiful thing, and I won’t stop you. Seeing you and 1x1… it reminds a lot of, um… a-actually, don’t worry about it. Let’s just f-focus on the present, right? I can, um… a-after breakfast, we can go. That gives us a f-few hours before the rounds, which should be g-good enough…”

For a moment, he seemed more confident, speaking on his past… before you could comment, though, he went back to his nervous self as soon as he realized when and where he was. It made you curious, but asking likely wouldn’t yield any results. It felt like one of those topics where you’d have to be a certain person in order to glean anything useful from it, so you didn’t press.

Instead, you nodded, smiling. “That sounds good! I’ll round up everybody when it’s finished cooking and we can be off after we eat, unless you want to leave more privately? Either way’s fine with me.”

Turning away to put a few more pancakes on the plate of finished ones, he hummed, tapping his fingers on the handle of the pan. After a few moments, he spoke again, more decidedly. “I’d… I w-want to leave quietly. I don’t l-like when people stare at me. W-We can just eat by ourselves and g-go after… I’m sure they won’t c-care since there will be food for them… I o-only have a bit left to prepare, if you want to g-grab some plates and cutlery.”

“You got it!” Grabbing enough plates, forks, and knives for everyone, you set aside two sets for yourself and 007n7. He placed down breakfast for you two, and you ate in silence, enjoying the rare moment of silence in the cabin. For a few minutes, the only sounds were cutlery and the wildlife outside of the cabin. It was something you relished in until it ended, when 007n7 washed both of your dishes in the sink.

As you stood up, bag slung over your shoulder, you looked at him. “Got anything you want to bring over, or are you good to go right now?”

He shook his head. “I… I don’t h-have anything in my room to bring. I can’t put this off any longer, anyways. L-Let’s just go, okay?”

You nodded, and he followed you out the main door, closing it behind him. The sky was ominously bleak as always, though paler and lighter than it was at night. It almost felt serene, were it not for the fact a malevolent entity trapped you all here for god knows how long.

As you walked the path to the killer cabin, you took 007n7’s hand in your own, to make sure he wouldn’t deviate from the path. He walked beside you, eyeing the scenery carefully. Thankfully, you’d left many markers from your previous trips into the wilderness, as well as spotting some marks from when 1x1x1x1 was here, their presence much less subtle than yours.

Right before you exited to the clearing where the killers’ cabin rested, 007n7 stopped, nervously grasping your hand tightly. You looked back, and he was anxiously staring into the ground. “… Everything okay, 7n7?”

“I-I just… are you sure I should d-do this? What i-if it’s just a prank, or a l-lie, and he doesn’t want to see me again, or w-what if C00lkidd hates me —”

You put your free hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at your face, supportive expression and all. “I don't think they would’ve done this if they hated you. When they asked me, they seemed excited, and happy, and I didn’t see any maliciousness. I know it’s hard to believe in the fact they want to see you, but in this case, you just need to trust them. Trust me, who guided you here. And hey, if they get mad, I know someone who’s more than willing to stab someone, hehe.”

It was a silly remark to make in the situation, but it was the kind of thing you’d say to make people smile when nervous. And it worked, too, as 007n7 gave you a huff and a small smile. “I d-don’t think she’d protect me like that, but I’m glad y-you have my back. L-Let’s just go in, alright? Before I try and b-back out again.”

He stepped forward into the clearing with you, and you both walked until you reached the front door of the killer cabin. Well, if there was any chance of backing out, there really wasn’t a chance to do it now, so you knocked. A moment of silence followed, and 007n7 looked at you nervously, before the door opened. Noli was on the other end, and he had a snarky remark on the tip of his tongue before he noticed the person beside you, stopping in his tracks.

“… Hi, Seven. Did you want to go to another room? Jason’s watching C00lkidd, so—”

He was cut off with a sharp nod, and 007n7 grabbed his wrist to drag him out of the room. You gave him a threatening smile; you two were somewhat friendly now, but you were much closer to 007n7, so you wanted to make sure he’d listen.

He actually did seem a bit nervous at that, despite the fact you couldn’t really do anything in a round to hurt him, and you were left in the main room alone after the two left. Honestly, they both seemed incredibly nervous, 007n7 was just being forceful so he could get over with it. Ripping off the bandaid fast so the pain didn’t last at long.

But as much as you were curious, what they talked about wasn’t your business, and you had other reasons for being here. After all, you’d been excited since yesterday, and you practically couldn’t wait, only stopping to let 007n7 calm himself down. If it was just you, you’d have sprinted here the minute you could.

Now that you were alone, you took a minute to look around the room. It was quite nicely taken care of, and there was a little collection of items on the shelves. Most of them seemed to be from C00lkidd, rocks and random doodles, but there were a couple that seemed to be from other killers. A small display of dried flowers, a stand for the skeleton of a rabbit… there weren’t many items that were from the adults in the cabin, but you supposed they probably spent more time taking care of the place and furnishing their rooms.

Opening the door, you were met with the living room, and the sight of Jason babysitting C00lkidd. The former nodded in your direction, while the latter waved enthusiastically. “Hiiii!!! Noli and papa are talking right now, so I’m being watched. 1x is in the kitchen making breakfast if you want to say hi! The door’s right behind you!”

You thanked him, opening the large door (it seemed like it used to be an open archway at some point), and quietly slinking into the kitchen. There, you saw 1x1x1x1 cooking, completely focused on the breakfast in front of them. It looked really good, too, and you almost wished you didn’t eat before you came just so you could have a plate. You took a seat at the nearby counter as you entered, silently watching them cook.

It was adorable seeing how focused they were, softly mumbling to themselves. They hummed something, a song you didn’t recognize, but it sounded so sweet coming from them. Perhaps you’d ask about it sometime. Throughout the entire thing, they didn’t even notice you, so preoccupied with cooking.

Their tunnel vision on what they enjoyed was something you’d noticed about them, even back before you’d first encountered them in that clearing. While they certainly could pick up on minute details (and they certainly did so, learning the habits and behaviors of the survivors to kill them better), their natural instinct was to hone in on one thing, to completely focus on it until their task was accomplished. They hunted down each survivor one at a time until none remained, and it seemed they also focused intently on cooking.

As you watched, you wondered if they’d ever let you help out with them cooking, or if they were the kind of person who needed to be left alone when making food. Baking with them also sounded nice, though you certainly wouldn’t mind simply watching them as they cooked. Perhaps it was like training, and they’d allow you to talk, as long as you both focused on the task they’d given you.

After a few minutes of blissful silence, watching 1x1x1x1 finish their cooking, they turned around, finally noticing you. They startled, thankfully not holding anything, and quickly went over to you. Instinctively, their eyes scanned you over for injury, and they sat beside you, some stray wisps of cooking staining their body and clothes.

They spoke first, affixing you with a look you easily discerned as love. “I didn’t expect you to be here so early. I would’ve prepared extra if I knew you’d come over by breakfast.”

You shook your head. “I’m good, don’t worry! 7n7 and I made breakfast before we came over, so you don’t need to make anything else. Um, speaking of breakfast, though, do you want me to help you clean up? I can also plate things if you need it.”

1x1x1x1 thought for a moment, closing his eyes in contemplation. “… You may aid me in cleaning up the kitchen, but I shall be plating the cooking. The people here are quite specific in their food preferences.”

After they finished, you nodded, standing up, and immediately going to clean. Most of it was just the dishes, since he’d managed to keep everything surprisingly clean, but you were happy to help nonetheless. While you did so, 1x1x1x1 took the food to the dining room, plating everything and cleaning themselves up afterwards. When you were both finished, he called Jason to get everyone else, before sitting down, making you sit in the chair beside him. You certainly wouldn’t complain, and you grabbed his hand underneath the table as you both waited for people to walk in.

Predictably, C00lkidd was the first, and you halfway thought he might explode from how excited he seemed. John Doe was next, sitting down, curious gaze never leaving you. Noli and 007n7 walked in together, decidedly much more calm and collected— you could even spot a blush on them if you looked hard enough. The last was Jason, giving a nod to 1x1x1x1, before sitting down as well.

You didn’t eat, and neither did 007n7, so you simply made light conversation as everyone else had their breakfast. When people finished, they joined in talking, until eventually most everyone was chipping in to their little conversations. It actually felt rather nice to talk to everyone like this, a warm and cozy feeling blooming in your chest. As a whole, you were closer to the survivors, but you wouldn’t lie if you say you hadn’t become friendlier with at least a couple of the killers.

After 1x1x1x1, the one you were closest to was surprisingly Noli. Even though you had a relationship that festered a bit on bickering and threats, he actually did seem to like you. He spared you in a few rounds during your stay at the killer cabin, and in general his flair for eccentricity was a bit endearing. In another place, where you weren’t trapped here, you probably could’ve been close friends, but what you had now was alright (though you still wanted to get a bit of revenge on him).

When everyone finished with their food, 1x1x1x1 cleaned everything, and you helped. Everyone filtered out slowly, and you were left alone with him after a few minutes. A nice silence returned, and you sat by the counter together, holding hands.

“This place is nice,” you mumbled, looking around at everything. “If I was the one killing people, I think I’d enjoy it a lot.”

1x1x1x1 hummed, eyes never leaving you. “If you were killing people, I’m not sure if you’d be scary. You’d be too adorable to find intimidating. There’s… time to get used to this place, too. It’s not like you’ll stop visiting me.”

You let out a little laugh at his comment about you being adorable, looking back towards him. “That’d be my secret, 1x. I’m so cute, that they’ll let their guard down, and before they know it, they’ll be dead! And, uh, speaking of this place… any place you want to hang out before the rounds? Your room is lovely, but maybe there’s somewhere else you wanna show me? I’m open to a lot of things, you know.”

He huffs in amusement, rolling his eyes. “You’re dating me , I’d be surprised if you weren’t open to new experiences. But if you want to go somewhere other than my room… I’d take you to the garden. Everyone takes care of it, and it surprisingly hasn’t gotten trampled yet. Azure would likely come for our heads if we messed up the flowers, so perhaps that’s enough motivation for everyone. It’s… rather nice to sit down near, take a break. On days where I’m not focused on training, I’ll sometimes take a few minutes to admire the flowers.”

“That sounds nice. Our cabin actually has a garden, too, so I want to see how they compare. Maybe one day I can take you there, too. You can lead the way, dear.”

1x1x1x1 led you out the cabin and to the garden, growing next to the right side of the cabin. It was larger than the one at the survivor cabin, but you supposed it made sense. After all, all of the killers took care of the garden, as opposed to primarily Jane Doe’s handiwork. There were more varieties in flowers, more precision and perfectionism evident in their placement. A little path had been paved from random stones, and you both sat on a tree log refurbished into a small bench.

Despite the bleak sky overcasting the area, it was indeed extremely pretty, and you found yourself sitting in pleasant silence with your partner. You leant against their shoulder, and for a moment, everything felt like it’d be okay. Even if you were trapped here, even if you didn’t know if you could ever escape… as long as you had your friends and 1x1x1x1, part of you felt like you could take anything on. Even if it was a terrifyingly powerful godlike being who played with your souls and vessels like toys.

In your musing, you hadn’t noticed 1x1x1x1 threading her hand through your hair, claws gently scratching your scalp. Without putting much thought into it, you let out a pleased hum, closing your eyes as you focused on your partner, focusing on the tactile sensations. She leant her head on top of yours, and in the silence of the forest and the garden, it was easy to let the minutes pass by, smiling all the while.

Eventually, you opened your eyes, garden still faintly illuminated by the faded pale sky, and spoke, voice quiet even against the silence. “... It’ll be nice to pick up swordfighting again.”

At that, you could sense her excitement, hearing the smile in her voice. “I see you remembered. I wouldn’t have pushed it in the chaos of the past few days, but I’ve been excited to go back to our usual routine. Perhaps, starting tonight, we can begin to rearrange when we meet, so that it isn’t late for you. Our nightly meetings were… unforgettable, unable to be recreated, but I would prefer to be able to show you off.”

Ah, what a pleasant thing to hear her say… you could almost envision your face aflame with blush at those words, and there was no doubt she had a similar expression on her. “Is that so, 1x… in that case, I’ll try and show you off too, okay? I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re mine, heheh.”

She— awkwardly, nervously, out of clear embarrassment— pushed you away, using her cape and hands to cover up her face adorned with an evident blush. It was cute, to such a degree you almost forgot people widely considered them terrifying, and her grumbled words also sounded adorable. “You’re lucky I love you so much, because otherwise I’d tear you apart for saying that. You’re awful, you know that? You present yourself as a nice person, but you go around making me blush like this where everyone can see. Horrid.”

Her words hardly had any bite to them, and you simply smiled at them. To be quite honest, you probably weren’t normal, laughing away death and willingly dating someone routinely killing you, but you never really cared for following norms. While it led you to this realm, your oddities and fixation on the unknown, you’d also made new friends and acquired a partner because of it.

“Love you too, 1x.”

It was simple, but it was all you needed to say. The two of you made small conversations as you waited for the rounds to start, losing time as you held hands and leant on each other, completely immersed in each other’s presence. It felt peaceful in a way you hadn’t been in a long time, and you savored every minute of it.

When you felt the familiar fog of the rounds, of the Spectre’s glee at another moment of suffering, you didn’t even find yourself that annoyed. Instead, you were just excited to see what would happen, and how this round would play out. They all ended up differently, sometimes with a massacre, and sometimes with everyone alive. All that went through your mind was how this one would play out, and what your role would be.

Right next to you, standing out amongst the grass of the Ultimate Assassin Grounds, was a sword. The Spectre wasn’t kind enough to give you weapons unless it decided you had one as part of your “kit”, so this was very surprising, especially since it felt very deliberate. You knew this sword, too— it was the one 1x1x1x1 gave you for your training together.

As you contemplated why the Spectre would give you a weapon, you heard sounds somewhat far away from you. Every killer had a distinct sound to them, a way of knowing who it was hunting you down each round. Jason’s was the whoosh of a machete, the sound of a chainsaw. John Doe breathed and growled like a wild animal during rounds, the hum of the corruption much louder than it was at the cabin. C00lkidd laughed, the mafia muttered amongst themselves, and the sound of plant growth was how Azure made himself known. 1x1x1x1 had the most recognizable sound of all, a clicking as her sword swept poison through the map, and a silence that permeated her time spent stalking you all down.

These sounds were different, a glitchy voice and other distorted effects— the distinct mark of Noli, undoubtedly smirking as he chased after whoever had the misfortune of being his first chase. You glanced down at the sword again, a very funny idea forming in your mind. You absolutely stood no chance to win, but it would be oh so amusing if you could inconvenience Noli for even just a minute. Grabbing it with a practiced finesse, you started towards him, barely holding back your giggles. Even if you got hard targeted for the next few days, his misery would make this all the better. It served him right for poking fun at you and 1x1x1x1, anyway. What’s the fun in spilling one’s mouth if there’s no sense of karma to keep one in check?

Perhaps the rounds would have variety now, if you could have a sword from time to time. Spar with C00lkidd, beat up Noli when he’s being annoying, have a little duel with your partner… hell, maybe you could even try your hand against the survivors. You certainly knew at least one you wouldn’t mind using your full knowledge and skills on, hehe… the thoughts began ticking in your head, swirling around as you finally reached where Noli was, ready to enact your little petty revenge.

Yeah, you could get used to something like this.