the boxes are a pain to move, and it’s even worse Hollow has to do it alone.
the apartment room is dull and boring, stacked to the ceilings are so many BOXES. Archive left him all alone to heave them up and down the stairs (theres a short staircase up to a little overhang where their rooms are, right over the kitchen. he left the bigger ones alone for the most part, swearing at the architect for nOT GIVING THE GODDAMN STAIRS ANY RAILING!! like, that’s a really big safety hazard!! he nearly died pushing a big one up the stairs!! so he just left it on the stairs and decided that was enough for today.
Hollow decided it would be fine to leave, and since he had reconnected with his friends briefly before moving. the four settled a meeting place (some random park). Hollow just walked there since it was right across from his apartment. Oleander was there, waiting. she perked up when she saw him. they talked while waiting for the other two.
Oleander seemed fine with talking to Hollow like the disappearance never happened. Hollow was a little hesitant the first half of the conversation but eventually they were just best friends again.
Java darted up to them. “We’re here!” he said, skidding to a stop. Tourma slid to a halt next to him only a few moments after, panting.
and soon everything was the same from when they were all little.
Oleander as a peacekeeper, stern but sweet to everyone in their arrangement of misfits. Java, protective and always making half-hearted mean jokes. Tourma, stubborn and determined. and Hollow. not quite fitting in, but none of them truly did anyway.
They ended up milling around the empty city, stopping in arcades, stores, and cafes, joking and laughing and making a ruckus nobody cared to interfere with. now that the last crooked puzzle piece lied with them, it was all the same. they reunited.
Hollow got back home late, after Java and Tourma had to go and he insisted to Oleander he saw something move. a person.
“I’ll explain tomorrow.”Oleander had murmured, apologetic. Hollow couldn’t get the thought out of his head.
the sky already darkened. He stepped into the apartment. Archive looked up. “oh, youre back.” he said in relief. “yeah.” Hollow said. his soul felt faintly crushed as he remembered right. he was back. no longer with his friends, where he could at least partially feel like he belonged, but back to this stuffy apartment and awkward interactions with his father.
“you were with your friends?” Archive guessed, smiling. it seemed fake, obviously not a genuine grin, but Hollow didn’t say much. it was weird enough as is. “yeah. sorry I just left.” Hollow said. but he wasn’t really sorry. he had been thrilled to be back with them rather than holed up here. Archive just nodded. “I assume you already ate?” he changed the subject. Hollow might’ve smiled if it didn’t feel so underwhelming in general. “mhm. the food here’s good.” he said. and it was true. back where he had been transitioning between cities in the area, the food had always been meh or borderline revolting. it was new for his taste buds to experience Hopes Dawn’s food, and even more surprising since he thought a gloomy town like this would have some uninteresting or awful dishes.
“alright.” Archive turned back to watching some guy talk in a monotone voice on the TV screen, which was new because Hollow didn’t remember that there. in fact, all the boxes were gone. Archive must’ve moved them after he came back from inspecting the old Library.
Hollow sighed and took a quick shower and brushed his teeth, typical hygiene, before flopping into his bed. that day’s adventures were enough to knock him out in minutes, falling into a slumber of forgotten dreams and a few nightmares.
maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
written mostly at unreasonable hours November 30 - Dec 3 bc for some reason it takes me longer to write at daytime than at like 3am.
@tales-of-the-heartless Hollow
@chouette-de-la-flore Oleander
@blogverse-mori-but-hotter Java
BV is pretty much just one big thing run (for the most part) by
@tcoti-archives (run by Pen) and @crackerqueen-ineedsleep (Queeny) and accidentally created by @onlyplatonicirl (and Lorl)
sorry tags are wacky. ANYWAYYYYYYYY GEEEEEEEEET READY FOR SOME CRYPTIDS IN CHAPTER 3 WHICH WILL PROBABLY TAKE FOREVER CUZ I NEED TO GET MY SLEEP SCHEDULE IN ORDER BC IT PHYSICALLY HURTS MY GRADES OKTHANKSBYE
also thanks for the positive feedback bc thats pretty much all my motivation :3
