Yellow Addison: *Leaning against the booth and using the inside of their arm as a headrest. They’re clutching their stomach and trying their best not to grimace.
Blue Addison: Hey. Yels, you doing okay? You’ve been doing this kind of thing for the past week.
Yellow: *Straightens up, laughing and shrugging with a pained smile. Yeah- I’ll be fine. I think I ate something that didn’t agree with my code…! It’ll pass! I’ll be fine!
Pink Addison: Maybe tea-?
Yellow: *Apologetic smile. Thanks, Pink, but the tea didn’t really help last time.
Pink: If the tea didn’t help then you really should go home and rest till it passes.
Orange: Could it be a virus? Have you talked to an Ambulance?
Yellow: *Leans against the stall again and buries their eyes in their elbow as they shake their head. They couldn’t find anything wrong with me…
Blue, Pink, and Orange: *Share a suspicious glance, then look back at Yellow with a strange amount of concern as Addisons.
Pink: You should really go home.
Yellow: Why? Do you think some sort of sneaky TH virus?
Yellow: Then we should close the stall-
Orange: I don’t see a reason to, honestly. We’d already have it if it were THAT contagious.
Blue: *Worried. Just go home, Yels. Come back when you’re not half dead.
Pink: Besides, no one’s going to buy goods from anyone suffering from a stomachache!
Yellow: Okay… *Starts stumbling towards home… Where they pass out for a day.
Yellow: *Wakes up and sits up in their bed and takes a biiiiiig stretch with a loud yawn. They reach up under their oversized “TV Time!” t-shirt to scratch their back. Huh… When did I change into my PJs…? Could have sworn I went straight to bed… *Rubbing the side of their head.
Yellow: Huh… Oh well. *Stretches again and leans to the side. Point is! I feel a lot better! Maybe I was just overwOOOR-!!! *Crashes face-first into the slightly coarse brown carpet in their bedroom as they try to get out of bed.
Yellow: Ow… *sits up again, sitting on the floor as they rub their face. What did I trip over…? *As they turn. I don’t usually leave things in the middle of the-
Not too far away from their bed… is a small, smooth, yellow object- one they don’t remember owning. Or acquiring.
Yellow: Wh- what is that…? *They get on their hands and knees and slowly approach it. It’s not a creature… I think. It’s not really… moving…? Is it safe to touch…?
Yellow: *Flinches as soon as their finger tips touch the surface. It’s warm…?! Is it going to.., Um… Explode because I tripped over it? Why is it in my apartment? Where did it come from…?
Yellow: … *Staring at it… almost marvelling at it.
Yellow: *Reaches out again and firmly but gently presses their palm against it. It’s… really warm… Consistently warm… *Picks it up finally. It’s… an egg? A… Yellow egg.
Yellow: *Stunned, trying to process what happened for an egg to be sitting in the middle of their bedroom floor.
Yellow: NO- No no no no no no no no no-! Did I lay this thing? This… *Snaps their fingers, trying to place the name of it. …Pipis?! *Gets up and starts pacing around the room, still cradling the egg in their arms. I can’t have. I wouldn’t have?! I don’t DO that! That’s not something I DO!
Yellow: *Pauses and lifts the egg. …Do I…?
Yellow: I should ask the others about this… *A small envelope appears next to their head, then vanishes with a bounce. It’s not long until what looks like a blue shopping bag takes its place.
Yellow: Oh! Blue might know! *Opens the message.
Blue: “I don’t think any of us have laid eggs either. Hopefully it’s not… active.”
Yellow: Active? What does that mean…? *A pink chat notification icon replaces the bag. They open it.
Pink: “Eggs? You want to know if we can lay eggs-? Yellow, is that virus getting to you? I can send over a care package if you need it.”
Yellow: *An orange shirt icon pops in.
Orange: “What does it look like?”
Yellow: *Sends off another message to the group with a picture of what they’re holding.
Pink: “WTF YOU LAID AN EGG?!?!?!!!! HOW. IS THAT WHY YOU WERE SICK?!!?”
Yellow: *Shrugs with an incredulous look at the message. Yes???
Orange: “It kind of reminds me of something Blue described from Queen’s basement. But ya know… blue.”
Blue: “Hold on is that the only one? There aren’t more?”
Yellow: *Directly to Blue and Orange. “What do you mean “more”? Also, if this one is yellow and that… thing was blue…”
Blue: “I know what you’re thinking- I didn’t make those, but there were a bunch of them down there. There’s not more of them-?”
Yellow: AAAH!! *Protectively squeezes the egg against their chest while diving for their bed. They peak up at the now open door.
Pink: You weren’t answering your messages or the door so I came by to check on you!!
Yellow: Did you have to break into my apartment???
Pink: *Starting to open drawers and cabinets. Blue and Orange are manning the stall right now and freaking out about you! *Checking under the bed. This could be serious!
Yellow: So serious you BREAK INTO my apartment?!?
Yellow: It’s just an egg-! How?!
Pink: Well, for one, it might duplicate itself exponentially, and you’ll end up with a bunch of them everywhere, doing who knows what. Or two. *Sits on the bed after finding nothing. It could hatch.
Yellow: H-hatch?! As in- I’d be-
Pink: *Sending off a message to Blue and Orange. Yeah. But it could also be a dud.
Pink: Yeah. For your sake. I hope it is. Kinda hard to get famous taking care of a kid… But then again, Tenna managed to do it. *Lays on their back, sprawling in any free space they can find. Not to mention you’ll be so much busier and stressed. Lightners with kids always seemed about ready to lose it every time I sold them on food and tea… *Continues to ramble on about the business and fame pitfalls of parenthood.
Yellow: *Staring down at the egg, haunted. “Me? A parent? An ACTUAL parent? I’m just one Addison! I don’t even know if the other parent will take care of them? Or who they are? Or whether they can take care of them- No wait it’s GOTTA be one of the Mikes! It’s gotta be one of the Mikes… Maybe I could raise them…!” If it hatches, I think I can do it.
Pink: H-huh?! *Bolts upright. You?! With a KID?! *Snorts. You could barely handle E-MAIL!
Yellow: *Winces at the memories. All that paperwork… All that sorting, filing, sending, sorting, filing, sending, sorting, filing, sending, sorting, filing, sending… and it all kept piling up. It crushed them, smothered them… Never a moment to themself even in the scant times they got away from their office to meet up with their fellow Addisons- always E-Mails, always work. All they do is advertise. No time for themselves. No freedom- No-
Yellow: *The warmth of the egg nestled against the center of their chest radiates through their arms and torso… They remember that little ball of lint of an infant Tenna handed them when they first met. Even with watching the stand and the band performances, they helped raise that child into what they are.
Yellow: But I could handle babysitting Tenna’s kid. I practically RAISED her.
Pink: This would be a full-time thing, Yels! Not just the occasional, “Can you watch her while I work!” What about your shift at the stall?? What about us?!
Yellow: *Hunches over the egg at the oversight. “Oh Sweet Heaven… I hate that they’re right about that, but…” I’ll take a cue from Tenna- I’ll ask the Mikes to watch them. I’ll ask YOU!
Pink: *Huffs. We need staff to watch the stall. We can’t drop everything for your kid that might not even hatch. *At the look of uncertainty on the brighter Addison’s face. Do you even want a kid?
Yellow: I… I'm not sure. I know I can raise one.
Pink: But do you WANT to? Really REALLY want a child, Yels?
Yellow: This doesn't happen with Addisons often, right…? We don't just. Lay eggs out of nowhere.
Pink: I'm not really sure about the rest of us. But yeah, unless you were the guy before you, it's pretty rare. But that doesn't mean you have to keep it-
Yellow: If this kind of thing doesn't happen, that makes this egg and whatever’s inside precious, right?
Pink: I guess…? *Pinches the bridge of their nose. Gees, you're so sentimental and dramatic…
Yellow: *Grimaces and a hushed growl at that. I made this thing. Of course I'm going to be a little sentimental, Pink.
Pink: I mean. Yeah. Again- that doesn't mean you have to keep it. We could give it to Ralsei and you'd be free to do anything you want again-
Yellow: *They hold the egg tighter to their chest. The bitter frustration they’ve held for years rises in their throat like bile. You mean “free” to run the stall. “Free” to make it Big- whether it be with Tenna or someone else.
Pink: *Nervously waves their hand in front of them. N- no no no! Not like that-! I meant-
Yellow: Why does it have to be me, Pink? Why do I have to be the one that pulls us out of our failing business?? Why does it matter so much what this egg means for MY career to YOU?!
Pink: It's not that- I thought maybe you were worried about your future-
Yellow: *Stands and shifts the egg into one arm as they gesture emphatically. I AM!! I'm VERY worried! *Smacks their hand against their chest. But I don't need you, Orange, or Blue deciding it FOR me! I can call my own Shots! I can make my own Deals!
Pink: *The familiar phrasing rings in Pink’s mind. For a moment they seem so much like him it scares them. Yels…?
Yellow: I'm not the same lost email Addison from Cyber City, Pink. Ever since we moved here, I've had the chance to do and be something different.
Yellow: I write… *Waves their hand at their writing desk with unfinished drafts scattered on it in front of their bedroom window then to the wall of shelves with neatly organized manuscripts as well as a collection of books.
Yellow: I sing and play in a band. *Points at their instrument case with music sheets haphazardly hanging out of it.
Yellow: I've helped raised a kid. *Looks behind them at the taped up crayon drawings of them and a little kid with a screen for a face holding hands on a sunny beach.
Yellow: *They look down in wonder and mild fear... But also adoration. Now, I might get the opportunity to raise my own. And I get to CHOOSE this. I get to DECIDE if I want to experience this new and rare thing! Do you know what I choose, Pink?
Pink: *Nervously rubbing their arm. “This pitch has gone down in flames…” They take a deep breath before hissing it out with a hushed and defeated whisper. …You tell me, Yellow…
Yellow: Yes! *Beams down at their mysterious creation before clutching it to their chest again, this time happily, lovingly. I'm keeping it! If it hatches, I'm going to raise it-! *Catches the sound of the bed creaking. They tilt their head at Pink standing in the door, their silhouette cast by the hallway light. Huh- oh… you're leaving.
Pink: Well, yeah. You're not in danger and you've made up your mind… *Scratches the door frame in thought. I hope you give whatever comes out of that egg a good life… *Walks out of the room followed by the final sound of the front door closing.
Yellow: *Looks down at the round object in their arms. Guess it's just you and me, little guy… *Yawns as they sit and lay down. I think I should go back to bed.
Yellow: *Walks out of their bedroom with a stretch and a yawn, holding the egg under one arm. I have no idea what time it is but I'm starving- *They stop short. Barely making it to the kitchen when they see a very hard to miss TV sitting on their couch. They hunch over. I really need to change my locks…
Tenna: *Looks up and over the back of the gold colored couch and waves. YOU'RE AWAKE!! And in impeccable sleep attire, too. *Pointing at the oversized TV Time shirt.
Yellow: Mr. Tenna? What are you doing here? *Moves to cradle the egg with one arm.
Tenna: Why am I here? Your Ad friends told me about your kid so I made time in my schedule to bring a couple of care packages for you and chat.
Yellow: Chat-? If this is about Tennis, I can still watch them-
Tenna: I know you can- I'm not worried about that.
Yellow: *Walks over to the couch, trying to ignore the massive red and yellow basket and the smaller pink one sitting next to each other. Then what is it you want to chat about?
Tenna: I’d like to repay the favor.
Tennis: *Peaks their white hair adorned screen out from behind the larger basket. HI ELLYYYY!!!
Tennis: *Hops off the couch and runs over to hug her caretaker.
Yellow: It's always good to see yooou!
Tennis: *Gasps at the yellow egg. You DO have a baby!!
Yellow: *Sheepish chuckle. They ruffle the GPS’s mane. Let's not count Ads before they air, hm?
Tenna: Nis? Why don't you tell them about your idea?
Tennis: OH YEA! Elly, I wanna help take care of your kid!
Yellow: Huh- Tennis- *Holds her shoulder. That's a lot of responsibility…
Yellow: No, Nissa. You'd be responsible with someone else's life… You've never had that kind of responsibility in your hands.
Tennis: *Looks down, their screen dimming slightly with disappointment. Oh…
Yellow: How about this! When or if this hatches. *Lightly pats the shell. I'll show you how to take care of them and we'll go from there, okay?
Tennis: I don't get to babysit…?
Yellow: You will most certainly get to babysit, Nissa! I think you'd make a wonderful older cousin! *Playfully ruffles their hair again.
Tennis: Yay! *Raises and waves their arms excitedly. I can't wait until my little cousin Arrives! *Stops and touches the bottom of her screen.
Tennis: Can I hold them…?
Tenna: Oh, Tennis… that might not be-
Yellow: It's alright. This could be good practice. *Holds out the egg with a hand on the top and on the bottom. Make sure to hold it like this, okay?
Tennis: Okay. *Reaches out and touches it. They flinch back with a gasp at the warmth. It’s-
Yellow: Warm? *Chuckles. I had the same reaction earlier…
Tennis: Is it supposed to be…? *Taking the egg and holding it as Yellow instructed. They find themself petting the smooth shell.
Yellow: I'm not sure… but I think so.
Tennis: It's so… small. The warmth makes me feel all nice and comfy! *Hugs their possible eventual little cousin. I think they like me a lot!
Yellow: Heh… It's too soon to tell that, but perhaps they will when they hatch! *They gently take the egg back with a kind smile.
Tenna: So do you know who the other parent is…?
Yellow: *Ice runs down their back. They turn to look at a casually smiling Tenna. Other? Parent?
Tenna: Yeah- How else did the pipis get here?
Yellow: Uuuuuuuhhhh… Well… Hmmm… I haven't told my partners yet but I think it's one of them…
Yellow: Can we not joke about this in front of Tennis?!
Pink: I guess they were serious about keeping it…
Orange: They look so… silly.
Blue: I think it's kinda cute. Might even attract customers!
Yellow: *Standing next to the stall with their egg strapped to them in a blazing red TV Time papoose with Tenna's face on it and wishing it was anything but that design. I can hear you three, you know.
You can go to the direct sequel of this post here: Confession Tiiiime!
