[CV!verse] Dark Lord's Logs - The Quest for the Power Ring
(INCREDIBLY SECRET DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE AUTHORIZED PERMISSION!!!)
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Written by Sammy8D
(originally written Aug. 2021, for context, I would write these logs while on vacation to pass the time [^^])
a.k.a. Various random transcripts taken from the Dark Lord's evil villain logs.
[Ao3 Ver.]
[CV!Verse basic info]
+=+
[LOADING...]
[LOG DATE START - 08/08/20XX]
[Dark's Log]
Day 2 of my super secret expedition is running smoothly. The tip about the Ring of Super Awesome Power has proven fruitful since we have stumbled upon a temple in the jungle.
SOON THAT RING WILL BE MINE AND THEN I WILL BE ALL POWERFUL!!
Will record my findings later.
Hench is about to finish making lunch.
They make the best turkey sandwiches.
[End Log]
-
[Dark's Log, I should really start numbering these-]
Day 3 and I can practically FEEL the immense amounts of power this ring holds as we get closer. We have run into a snag. It turns out those meddlesome desktop Stick Figures also hear about the Ring. I know for a FACT they must also be after this ultimate power!
WELL NO MATTER!
ME AND HENCH WILL BEAT THEM TO IT
COLOR GANG? MORE LIKE COLOR LAME
thats a good one I should remember that for later...
In other news, Hench has made some observations that this jungle almost seems hand made. They seemed very suspicious that there was a redstone puzzle that unlocked a room with an animal puzzle which lead to a potion brewing puzzle.
But I think that's all pretty standard temple traps.
Heh, they aren't used to being in the wilderness like I am.
OH! I think Hench has figured out the drawing room puzzle.
Dark Out.
[End Log]
-
[Dark's Log 3 I think]
Haha Nerd
[End Log]
-
[Dark's Log NUMBER WHATEVER]
Day 4, End:
...
Well that was an UTTER COMPLETE FAILURE-
So here we were, it was me and Hench vs the Color Lames
We both made it to the last room at the same time and at the top of a pedestal was the Ring,
And now both teams are racing towards it! Of course, since I have the superior powers and abilities, I made it there first!
(Hench got taken down by the Blue one with a fishing rod. It was kinda funny to watch)
AND LO AND BEHOLD-
THE RING WAS FAKE
IT WAS MADE OUT OF GUMMY CANDY
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GAIN ULTIMATE POWER WITH A PIECE OF SQUISHY SUGAR???
Luckily it was watermelon flavored so it wasn't a total loss,
But it turns out the Green one built this entire jungle temple?
Just so his friends could have fun??
"The real prize was the friendship you made along the way"
Gross, Disgusting, Yucky
Makes me shudder thinking about it.
And they had the gall to congratulate me on getting to the end first and I, of course, said that they'd regret making me waste my time, picked up Hench, and blew a hole through the ceiling. I kept the candy ring of course. It's MY prize...
I gave half of it to Hench because they kept asking for a piece.
...
We're back at home base now. I hate to admit it but that puzzle temple was kinda fun... And the design was very nice...
Hmmm... I wonder how Hench would feel if I added some overgrown vines to the outside of the castle...
Part of the Watered Down Hot Chocolate:
A Melted Marshmallows Side Story
Word Count: 2123
CW: Angst & Hurt No Comfort, Swearing, Parental Sickness (Purple's Mom), Character Death (Purple's Mom), Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Summary:
You have 17 saved messages
To listen to your messages, press 1
To send a message, press 2
To change your personal options, press 4
To disconnect, press *
-
[1]
[AvA STICKTOBER 2024 LIST]
[Ao3 ver.]
-
(LMAO- FINALLY POSTING THIS 2 WEEKS PAST THE END OF STICKTOBER, in my defense, I got busy and my attention was captivated by minecraft smp RP, RIP o7
I will preface this with a warning, this ficlet can get a little intense with the angst so take note of the CWs and take care of yourself! 💜)
=o=
You have 17 saved messages
To listen to your messages, press 1
To send a message, press 2
To change your personal options, press 4
To disconnect, press *
-
[1]
-
First Saved Message
Sent: March 2004
From: My Flower 🌸
"Hi baby! Hee-hee, I know you're just across the room but a certain someone is veeeeery excited about the new phones and wants to leave a very special message to test out the voicemail system."
[sounds of rustling]
"… okay now make sure to hold the phone like this- And speak clearly into here-"
"Hi papa! I have a super duper secret message to tell yah!"
[a pause before sounds of running feet across the floor]
"Wah-?! Purple my phon-"
[a door slam]
"Mama hid the cookies on the top shelf!And I love you so much!! You're the best papa in the world!!"
[the sounds of shuffling and the door opening]
"There you are my little sprout. May I have my phone back please?"
[giggling]
"Thank you Purple. How about we go see if your papa gets your message. And yes Blue, I can still see you laughing even if you hide behind the door frame. So here's my message! I love you my dear."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Second Saved Message
Sent: March 2004
From: My Flower 🌸
"Hello my love, do you think you could do me a huge favor and pick Purple up from school today? The ladies at the boutique are running a lot later than expected and I'm afraid I'll be holed up here for another hour."
[a muffled greeting can be heard]
"Oh hello Jewel, it's always a pleasure to see you today! If you give me one moment, I'm just finishing up a message for my husband!"
[a muffled affirmation]
"Thank you darling, I'll be with you in one moment!
Ah, duty calls! I have to go but oh! Before I forget, remind me to have our discussion later tonight. You know I'm not as knowledgeable when it comes to the whole stick figure fighting scene and if you're so keen on Purple to learning, I'd like to get more details."
[the sound of a doorbell alert rings]
"Oh hello! Welcome!
… I have to go, I love you Blue, see you and our little sprout at home!"
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Third Saved Message
Sent: August 2011
From: Orchid
"..."
[a sigh]
"Listen, I know I'm probably one of the last people you want to talk to right now but whether you want to talk to me or our lawyers, we still need to discuss this."
"My lawyer stated that there are two routes we can take for this. Either we get fully divorced or we can do a legal separation. It is at the behest of my lawyer that we come to a decision soon and I'm inclined to agree."
"..."
"If you don't want to talk to me, then fine. Get your lawyer to talk to mine. I just… I just don't want to drag this out any longer than it needs to be."
[another sigh]
[mumbled] "... shit I need to check on Purple again…"
"Goodbye Blue."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Fourth Saved Message
Sent: June 2013
From: Orchid
"... Hi Papa. It's been a bit.
I uh, mama let me have her phone to play the tetris game and I clicked on the wrong thing, by accident! But it was the place with all the names and numbers and I found your name and it's been so long and I thought…
I turn 14 in a month. I think maybe, if you want, you could com-"
"Purple? Little sprout who are you talking to?"
"No one mama! I was-"
"May I have my phone back?"
"Yeah hold on let me just-"
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Fifth Saved Message
Sent: June 2013
From: Orchid
"Don't talk to Purple."
"Do you hear me? Don't you ever talk to them again."
"We don't need you."
"I'm giving Purple a phone for their birthday and when I do, I will text you their number."
"Block them."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Sixth Saved Message
Sent: July 2013
From: [BLOCKED NUMBER]
"Hi Papa! It's Purple. Mama gave me a phone for my birthday."
"I got your number from Mama's phone so now we can talk again! Ah, or you know, whenever you have time."
"..."
"Mama got mad at me for calling you last month. She's still upset about you and I-"
"..."
"I don't know how I feel. It's my fault. I should have been better. I know I messed up. I just…"
"Uh! Eh, I apologize. I shouldn't worry you with that stuff. I hope you're doing well! I tried texting you but the message said it didn't deliver? I'll have to ask Mama if I messed something up again."
"But I'll call you again soon! Or maybe text? Uh, we'll see!"
"Umm… bye!"
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Seventh Saved Message
Sent: May 2015
From: [BLOCKED NUMBER]
"Pap-uh… I mean, uh… Dad. Sorry. I'm sorry. I-"
[Three deep breaths]
"I'm sorry for calling you. I know you don't want me to. No one ever does but I don't know who else to call and I just-"
[another breath cut off by a short distressed whine]
"Mama she's- fuck, sorry I'm sorry. Mama is, we're, we're at the hospital. She collapsed and and and-"
"I'm scared. Dad, Papa, I'm scared. I don't-"
[A grunt followed by a hiss of pain]
[muffled] "Get a hold of yourself!"
[A deep breath]
"The nurse said to call someone in case Mama needs to stay overnight and I know you don't like me but- !"
[the sound of door opening]
[muffled] "Are you Ms. Orchid's child?"
"Yes, yes! Is she-?"
"Your mother is okay. The doctor is coming soon to look her over and she requested you to be present in the room for it."
"Okay okay, thank you, thank you. Let me just-"
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Eighth Saved Message
Sent: May 2015
From: Orchid
"Why did you call me?"
"No actually better question, how did you know I was in the hospital? I swear to Cursors Blue if you talked to Purple I am going to-"
[frustrated sigh]
"Look, it doesn't matter all right? I'm…"
"Well, it's nothing that concerns you anymore."
"If you really want to talk, call me in 5 hours. Purple will be in bed by then."
"Goodbye."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Ninth Saved Message
Sent: February 2017
From: Purple
"Hello sir."
"I apologize, I probably caught you at a bad time but before you close this message completely, please hear me out."
[a pause and a sharp intake]
"I need you to increase the amount of alimony you send per month. Not by a lot! I got a part time job recently so that should help a lot with the problem but I'm still concerned."
"..."
"Mama she… Orchid's treatments aren't working. Well they're not making things worse but she's not getting better either. We've been fine up until now with paying for medical stuff but there's a new treatment that I want her to try but it's a little more expensive. I just worry…"
"All I'm asking is at max an additional 5% of what you're already paying monthly. And I know how much that is because I do the taxes now."
"... Please. I just want her to be okay."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Tenth Saved Message
Sent: February 2017
From: The Man 🕶️
"Hey hey hey, Big Shot! Wasn't expecting a call from Mr. 'Killer Cobalt' himself on my day off. Sorry I missed yah the first time, you know how busy a man can get."
"But regardless! I listened to your message and I'll see what we can do about getting you that increase in pay. Gotta talk with the bigwigs. In the meantime, if you really are in need of more dough, your best bet is to find some additional gigs to fight at. I might be able to sign you up for a tournament if you want?"
"Eh, we'll hash out the details later, preferably tomorrow. You know what they say, 'All work and no play makes Granite a very dull boy'.
Heheh, alright catch you later Blue."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Eleventh Saved Message
Sent: March 2017
From: Purple
"Thank you."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Twelfth Saved Message
Sent: March 2018
From: Orchid
[a muffled steady beeping]
"..."
"You know, despite it being months, no years of this happening to me, I still can't believe this is it."
[a shaky chuckle]
"I was hoping for you to be in the middle of a match to call you just so I didn't have to have this conversation in person. But now that I'm here, I wish I could hear your voice again."
"I wish I could hear you say you love me again… It's pathetic…"
[a wet laugh]
"Heartbreak. That's what I was diagnosed with. Heartbreak that developed into an actual heart condition because of my animation origins. Can you fucking believe that? All of this because I came from a drama animation."
"I don't know why I never told you… That's a lie, I know why. My pride. My pride didn't let me. I didn't want to believe you leaving had any effect on me. I didn't want to believe anything was wrong. I wanted to believe without you, everything could just go back to normal."
[a sob bit back with a laugh]
"Instead, I messed everything up. We failed them. I failed them. I failed Purple. I kept it all hidden until it was too late. What parent has their child to look after them like this? They just turned 18 a few months ago. They're still so young. And now I'm never going to see them grow-"
[sobbing]
"It's not fair. To any of us. I wish it didn't have to be like this. I wish you weren't such an asshole. I wish you didn't leave. I wish we never met. I wish I didn't still…"
"..."
"Goodbye Blue. I wish I didn't miss you."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Thirteenth Saved Message
Sent: April 2018
From: Purple
[sobbing]
"FUCK FUCK- BLUE- DAD- PAPA PLEASE"
"SHE'S DYING! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE-
I KNOW YOU HATE ME! I DON'T CARE I DON'T CARE!
SHE'S DYING
IF YOU CARED ABOUT HER, IF YOU EVER CARED AT ALL, YOU'D BE HERE-
YOU CAN HELP HER
I CAN'T- SHE'S-
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
I DON'T WANT HER TO DIE
MAMA-
[sobbing and a thump]
Mama…
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Fourteenth Saved Message
Sent: April 2018
From: Purple
"Fuck you. FUCK YOU"
"I hope you rot in hell. I hope there isn't a day where you don't regret your fucking actions and I hope you suffer for it."
"I hate you. I hate that you did this. I hate that you aren't here. I hate that I wasn't enough. I hate this. I hate you. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU-"
[sounds of sobbing, a frustrated scream and then loud crash]
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Fifteenth Saved Message
Sent: April 2018
From:
"Thank you for calling Obelisk Funeral Services, I'm calling to confirm that full payment for the funeral of Orchid Grove has been handled by one, Blue "Killer Cobalt" Stick Figure, instead of the previously listed Purple Grove Stick Figure. All parties will be informed once the transaction goes through. A list of details will be emailed to all acting parties. If you have any questions, please call the call back number at the end of this message.
Obelisk Funeral Services appreciates your time, thank you."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Sixteenth Saved Message
Sent: April 2018
From: The Man 🕶️
"Hey Big Man, I got your message."
"Yeah, I get it yah know. A death in the family is always rough. Don't worry about nothin'. Take as many days off as you need."
"Heh, Cursors know it's been a minute for you."
"Just keep me updated on a time frame and we'll be right as rain."
"Take it easy buddy."
[END OF MESSAGE]
-
Seventeenth Saved Message
Sent: May 2018
From: Purple
"..."
"Thank you for paying for the funeral. I didn't see you there but…"
"I saw the flowers you put on her grave. They're lovely."
"..."
"I've made a decision. I'm leaving. The house and its belongings are yours to do as you want. Store it or sell it. It doesn't matter."
"I'm going to a place where you won't be able to find me. Do not try. I do not want to be found."
[CV!Verse] Dark Lord's Logs - Dark Blows Up a Microwave
(INCREDIBLY SECRET DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE AUTHORIZED PERMISSION!!!)
[ACCESS GRANTED]
[RETRIEVE LOGS? Y/N]
> Y
[LOADING]
+=+
Summary: When left to his own devices, something usually explodes.
Originally Written by Sammy8D257 back on Sept. 3, 2021
[Ao3 Ver.]
[CV!Verse basic info]
+=+
[LOADING...]
[LOG DATE START - 09/03/20XX]
[Dark Lord's Log 9.3.1]
Hench left to do dumb leader things in the village today. Leaving me alone to my own devices. I'm hungry and I don't feel like preparing a meal.
We do have this microwavable mac and cheese in the cabinet though.
The instructions say to put it in the microwave for 12 mins. and to stir every 4.
I don't have time for this.
If I take out the microwave's temperature gauge and rig it so that it heats up the food at a much higher temperature,
surely that cheesy goodness will be done quicker!
[END LOG]
-
[Dark Lord's Log. 9.3.2]
Update. The microwave is on fire.
I wonder if theres a fire department in the village.
[END LOG]
-
[Dark Lord's Log. 9.3.3]
Stupid Hench. Stupid Microwave. Stupid Mac and Cheese.
I can't believe they got mad at me for setting the microwave on fire.
Its not my fault that the appliance is obviously inferior to my genius plans
Now I have to go out and buy a new one while Hench stays behind and cleans the kitchen.
Why do I have to go into the interweb and get a new machine while Hench gets to stay at the castle?
This sucks
[END LOG]
-
[Dark Lord's Log 9.3.4]
I have successfully infiltrated a department store. Luckily, I had my super special disguise on.
NO ONE EVER EXPECTS TO FAKE NOSE AND GLASSES!!
Now I just need to find the microwaves, pay, and get out.
[END LOG]
-
[Dark Lord's Log. 9.3.5]
Y O U-
[END LOG]
-
[An excerpt from an article entitled, "Showdown at the Department Store" from a local Stick Town online newspaper]
On Sept. 3, 20XX, a strange occurrence happened at William's Whole Food and Goods department store. Two stick figures were seen in the middle of the canned goods aisle, seemingly battling over one of the products. A witness has this to say,
"The guy with the glasses let out this like, evil laugh and practically jumped the cloak guy. I think they were fighting over a can of beans. And then the glasses guy grabbed the can and ran as fast as they could to the self-check out, bought the can, and left. The cloak guy looked really pissed and chased after the other guy. They left their basket in the middle of the floor."
The store owner has decided not to investigate the scene any further.
[End of Article]
-
[Dark Lord's Log. 9.3.6]
Ha HA
TAKE THAT CHOSEN ONE
I, THE DARK LORD HAVE TAKEN YOUR PRECIOUS CAN OF BEANS!
AND IT WAS THE LAST ONE ON THE SHELF AS WELL
MWHAHAHAHA-
WE WILL BE EATING LIKE BEAN KINGS TONIGHT
Dummy didn't even think to look up into the trees where I was expertly hiding
trying this trend where you post a wip of whatever you're currently working on, on Wednesday! I'm hoping this helps me actually work on these things consistently
This week's WIP is the next chapter of "In the Week that Follows"!
I'm dedicating this section to my own personal experience of growing up in a household with a dishwasher and only using it as a storage place. To this day, I still don't know how to work one
Anyway, enjoy!
=O=o=
Stepping into the main room, there were no signs of Purple but the sounds of running water emanating from the kitchen told King exactly where they were.
Parked in front of the sink stood Purple, elbow deep in soap and water, washing the pile of dirty dishes left in there. A pair of lavender dishwashing gloves covered their hands and a pastel pink apron was tied around their waist.
As King approached, he could see they were scrubbing diligently at a stain with a sponge that he was positive he didn't own.
"What are you doing?" King asked, taking a step back when Purple yelped in surprise.
"Oh geez kid, it's okay! It's just me," He held up placating hands as the younger sucked in a breath. "Are you okay?"
The answer was probably not since the purple stick had one hand gripped onto the sink edge and the other clenched tightly around the sponge. All the while, they took in deep breaths to steady themself. King stood frozen as Purple quickly shook their head and straightened.
"Ah, I'm sorry about that. I'm alright. You just took me by surprise," The nonchalance of their voice contrasted the way their shoulders were still hunched by their ears.
A second passed, then two, then three as the sounds of the faucet running filled the silence of the kitchen. In an effort to break the awkward tension, King coughed into his fist before speaking, "Right, um… what are you doing?"
At that, their defensive posture morphed into one of confusion.
"I'm washing the dishes?" They tilted their head to gesture at the running water.
"Well no, yeah, I know you're washing the dishes, but why are you doing that?"
"Wha- what do you mean why? I'm pretty sure everyone washes their dishes?"
"No I mean-" King paused, taking a calming breath and pointed directly at the growing pile of dishware left to air dry. "I usually just rinse and scrape off any junk on them before throwing it into the dishwasher. What you're doing is actually washing it by hand."
"Oh." Purple eyes blinked and stared.
"I mean, when I said you could use the kitchen, I didn't think you'd wash my dishes. Why didn't you use the dishwasher?"
A furious blush raced up Purple's face and they pivoted back towards the sink. King couldn't help but smirk at their huff as they mumbled, "... I don't know how to use one…"
King look at them in surprise. "You don't? What did you mean you don't-?"
Exasperated, the purple stick gestured to nothing in particular.
"We've always just used the dishwasher as extra storage! We washed dishes by hand so why would we use a dishwasher?" they said, indignation clear in their voice.
A small grin formed on King's face. The way Purple stood, head held high like they were proving a point, it was childish but so, so endearing. He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of his throat.
"Wha- why are you laughing?" Purple whipped their head around to glare at King but it only had the effect of making him laugh harder. Steam might as well have been rising off of their head with how dark the blush had gotten. "It's a perfectly reasonable thing to do!"
"No! I mean, yeah I just-" His laughter pittering off as he sucked in a breath. "I never thought to use it like that. A little weird but that's certainly one way to do it! Saves on space right?"
He smiled fondly, how long has it been since he had someone to joke with?
"Yes! Well! It's efficient!" And with that, they pointed towards the table with a huff. "Go sit down! I brought oatmeal for breakfast."
Despite the teasing, King could see the corners of their mouth quirking into a grin as he settled into his seat.
Part of the Watered Down Hot Chocolate:
A Melted Marshmallows Side Story
But can also be read on its own
Word Count: 755
CW: Parental Arguing
Summary: A Thursday afternoon in the Grove household during the Blackfire Attacks.
(I wrote half of this before AvA 11 came out, then the episode premiered and I went insane and finished it in 3 hours)
[Ao3 Ver.]
=o=
[... -ank you for listening to 96.8 The Point, your one-stop station for everything radio… ]
Your family's portable radio sits on your kitchen counter. It's light blue in color and its long silver antenna is pointed towards an open window leading to the backyard.
[... From music to news to weather, we provide it all for your listening pleasure. I'm your host, Turquoise Grandeur, here to talk about the latest Interweb news… ]
You blink slowly, your eyes slightly burning from how long you've been staring at its dials. The radio is on today. You usually don't mind because the music the station plays is fun to listen to while you do your homework. But today…
[...Our top story is the recent attacks that have been happening to various websites across the world wide web…]
You stare down at the worksheet in front of you. It's an equations page that your teacher assigned to your class.
Only half the page is completed and the rest you stare at, your pencil taps lightly on the corner of the page.
[... Most notably, the Yahoo! home page as well as various forums have been targeted, leaving widespread panic and destruction in the aftermath…]
You don't want to do this but you have to. You get to go somewhere fun when it's done.
"-really, Blue? Purple has been looking forward to this all week! We promised we'd take them!"
You sigh. Your parents are in the other room but you can just barely hear them from your seat at the table. The radio isn't loud enough today.
"Orchid you can't be serious. Look at what's going on right now! Do you honestly believe going to a popular and crowded place is what we should be doing? I know you listen to the news just as much as I do!"
"Oh please, I'm not ignorant!"
[... Witnesses have coined the phrase "Blackfire Attacks" for these attacks, citing the heavy presence of fire and black smoke in each case…]
You scratch a doodle of a bird into the bottom right page corner. You wonder if birds sound different at an amusement park.
"With the way you're acting you could have fooled me!"
"Excuse me?! How dare you! I am not going to just stand here and be name-called just because I want to make sure our child can still enjoy life!"
[... The attackers have still yet to be identified but eyewitness testimonies cite glimpses of 2 hollow head stick figures, one black and one bright red, on scene…]
You add a tree for the bird to perch on. You wonder how many fries they steal.
"They can enjoy life when the possibility of all of our lives aren't being threatened!"
"You're unbelievable!"
"I don't even know why you're so mad at me! If anything, I should be mad that you're restricting our training hours!"
[... The motives behind these attacks have not been identified but the safety council advises folks to avoid popular sites ports for the time being… ]
Moments later and your dad storms into the kitchen. He's muttering something you can't make out under his breath. Your mom trails in after him. Her face is furrowed in displeasure, her mouth a hard line.
You stare at them.
They don't notice you.
[... If you have any information regarding the Blackfire attacks, please report it to your local-]
Your dad grabs the radio, moves it to the open window sill and exits out the backyard door.
Your mom sighs, turns, and startles when she meets your gaze.
"Little Sprout! Have you been here the whole time?"
You nod and look down at your worksheet.
Your mom says a word you're not allowed to say yet and walks up behind you.
She gently places her arms around you in a hug.
"I'm sorry Purple, I don't think we'll be able to go to that 'Cool Math Games' amusement park this weekend. It's just… not safe at the moment. But I promise we'll all go together when it's better, alright?"
You feel
mad, hollow, sad, upset, frustrated,
disappointed.
Your finger traces the bird you drew. Your mom is still waiting for an answer.
"Okay."
She squeezes you again and then backs away further into the kitchen.
Outside a light blue radio is playing, its music barely covering up the sounds of your dad training.
Inside the stove top exhaust fans turn on, your mom starts humming a tune.
Here at the table, you stare down at your equations sheet.
Part of the AvA/M Watered Down Hot Chocolate Series:
A Melted Marshmallow Side Story
Written by Sammy8D257
Word Count: 700
CW: Little self-deprecating from Purple (Just like, Purple's view on things is a little wonky because of course it is, and it drives their course of action, so just be aware of that)
Summary: Purple likes things. They like things a lot. You could even call it one of their defining traits. They like hanging out with their friends, they like cooking with King. They like shiny things and they like flying.
Purple likes things. But there is something that they like the most.
[AvA STICKTOBER 2024 LIST]
[Ao3 Ver.]
=o=
Purple likes things. They like things a lot. You could even call it one of their defining traits.
They like their friends. They like how fun it is to hang out with them. They like how passionate Red is, how adventurous Green is, how clever Yellow is, how savvy Blue is, and how huggable Orange is. They like their house and they like their desktop. They even like Mr. Becker a little bit too.
They like living with King. They like being his roommate and being able to share a space with him. They like his kitchen and they like filling the fridge with leftovers that they can eat later.
They like objects. They like powerful objects and they like things to show off with. But they also like small, weird objects. They like how King jokingly referred to it as "bird behavior" when a small pile of shiny stones and pretty trinkets started appearing by the door. He grumbled about it, calling it a tripping hazard but he hasn't removed it yet, so Purple thinks King likes it too.
Liking things is easy for Purple. They've always been greedy. And who could blame them? There are just so many things to like in this world. But despite all that, there is one thing that Purple likes the most.
=o=
The bubbling of the pot in front of them almost masked the shuffle of footsteps on the wooden floor. Purple didn't need to turn around to know who had just entered the kitchen. So they kept stirring the spaghetti sauce as the sounds of King's arrival came to a quiet stop.
"Hey, I got your message and uh- Holy cursors, Purple did you make all this food?"
Purple nodded sharply, cutting a glance to the countertops full of various dishes and desserts. They turned their attention back to the sauce and lifted the spoon to their mouth to taste. It was good.
A sigh from behind and the scrap of the chair informed them that King had sat down at the table. With a hum, Purple turned the stove burner off and carefully placed the pot on a corkboard on the counter. Next to it were two plates of noodles that Purple quickly layered the marinara sauce onto with their spoon.
Without a flourish, the plates of spaghetti were picked up and placed gently on the kitchen table, one in front of King and one on the opposite side where they would sit. King tracked their movements, tired eyes searching for things that Purple wasn't going to let him find. They sat down at their spot and picked up their fork, eyeing King until he mimicked their movements.
An air of unease surrounded the kitchen as Purple continued to stare at King and King shifted his gaze to the food on the table. Finally, the orange stick figure lifted his fork and Purple couldn't help but lean in closer. That is until King abruptly stopped and met their eyes.
"Purple, I'm-" King gripped his fork tighter. "I know I've been a little out of it these past few days and I, I know you've been having a bad week too. So I'm sorry I haven't really been here but if you need anything from me, you let me know alright?"
There was in fact something that Purple needed from King.
"Taste the food."
Purple looked at the stick figure expectantly and to his credit, King didn't react to their blunt command. Instead the fork relaxed in his grip and he swirled a bit of spaghetti into his mouth.
Immediately, his eyes widened and Purple preened. The tension from before almost disappeared completely.
"Do you like it?"
King swallowed and grinned at them.
"Like it? I love it! Purple, this is amazing!"
=o=
Yes, Purple likes things. They like a lot of things. From friends to cooking to objects, they like them so much. But the thing that they like the most is nothing that can be held or seen. Because the thing they like the most is;
"You did such a good job on this Purple! Now come on, this food isn't going to eat itself!"
In the Week that Follows - Chap. 2: Day 1 - Cleaning (part 3)
An AvM fanfic Written by Sammy8D257
Part of the Watered Down Hot Chocolate Series
Cover Art / Day 0 / Day 1: 1 - 2 - 3 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8
Chapter Word Count: 4740
Characters: King (He/Him), Purple (They/Them), (Only mentioned but Gold uses They/Them)
CW for this Chapter Part: Unhealthy coping mechanisms, Self-Hatred, Minor Swearing, King's Anger Issues, Poor Mental Health, allusions to unhealthy eating habits
[AO3 vers. (Full Chapter)]
(BRO I SWEAR I DID NOT MEAN FOR IT TO TAKE THIS LONG TO FINISH THIS CHAPTER. God I'm just happy its finally out now. I can't believe Day 1 is almost 4x the size of Day 0. alkslgjsdkgdls [head in hands] I hope you guys enjoy this!)
= O = o =
It was a little past 2 pm by the time they both were done eating.
King finished last and took the initiative to add their bowls to the pile in the sink. He made a mental note to rinse off the dishes and throw them into the dishwasher later. Turning back towards the table, King watched Purple place the now empty container back into their pink tote. A satisfied smile was on their face and King could feel it mirrored on his own.
"Sooo…" Purple glanced back at him as King spoke. "What now?"
"Now?" The younger stick said as they straightened and fully turned to face the other. "Now it's time to do the second part."
King tilted his head in confusion. "Which is?"
"I'm going to help you clean your house."
"Oh," The orange stick paused, the statement not fully registering. "Wait, you are?"
Purple nodded. "Of course. I can't just leave you to clean your entire house by yourself."
And at that, King just nodded. Really, he should have expected this to be Purple's response. With how dedicated they were to helping him, he should have assumed it would also extend towards his home as well.
"Yeah, okay that's," King stole a glance at the full sink at his back. "That would be nice. Thank you."
A smile so bright, King could have sworn the entire room got lighter, lit Purple's face at his words. After a moment, the younger stick figure coughed into their fist, their expression returning to something more neutral, but King could see the corners of their mouth were turned upwards.
"Right, ahem- So, I was thinking we could start by clearing out the easy stuff first," Purple made a hand wave gesture in the air. "You know, like all those books and stuff on the ground? We should organize those first before we clean anything else."
King nodded slowly as Purple explained their thoughts. Overall, it was a solid plan and a pretty easy one at that. Although the effects of the painkillers have since kicked in, King was still pretty tired and sore from the previous day. And Purple was right. The main room of the house was a mess of failed experiments, boxes, papers, and books. It would need to be cleared out first before any additional cleaning could take place. And really, it wouldn't take that much physical effort to organize through what could be kept and what could be discarded. At most, it would take a bit to gather everything.
With a final nod, King loosely crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter. "That sounds like a great idea."
Again, a grin broke out on Purple's face and they patted their pink tote once before taking a step towards King.
"Then let's get started."
Armed with a plan, clearing the main room goes incredibly well with various jobs being split between them. While King gathered all the discarded staff prototypes and welding tools, Purple went around the room collecting any easily picked up items. These ranged from small boxes to books to stacks of paper. Luckily for the two of them, objects like the daggers and the welding equipment that were strewn about the floor, were previously stowed away during the time Purple spent under King. The blanket that originally housed the pile of medical supplies was cleared away (King's bed becoming its temporary holding spot) and the piles of metal and books took its place.
From there, the pair set about organizing through their respective piles. The staffs were sorted into reusable scrap metal, sellable scrap metal, and trash. Although Purple had no knowledge of experience in the field, King occasionally asked their opinion on the viability of some metals.
"What do you think about this one?"
"Oh! Um, it's a very nice blue color! If you can't reuse it for anything, maybe you can get more for it because it's pretty?"
"Hmm… Probably not, unfortunately. It's painted aluminum. It might not sell as well but it should still be worth something."
Likewise, from their seat on the floor, Purple sorted through the stacks of books King had collected throughout the year. Originally, Purple had planned to just gather all the books and then place them on the bookshelf for future King to sort through, but upon picking up a book with a very clear library sticker along its spine, a separate pile was quickly formed.
King to his credit, looked incredibly embarrassed as Purple held a library copy of Welding for Dummies in the air.
"In my defense, I forgot I went there."
"Uh huh, and how long have you had these for?"
"Uh-"
"King."
"Only a couple of months-"
"King-"
"-to maybe a year?"
"King! That's a really long time!"
"I know! I know! I mean, hopefully if the book is still fine, we can return it and only have to pay the late fees and not the replacement costs!"
"Hmmm… let's just see how many there are."
By the time both of their original piles were gone and sorted, a couple of hours had passed. The afternoon sun still shone through the window casting the room in a warm glow.
King's pile of sellable scrap was not as large in comparison to his other piles of trash and parts that could be reused in future projects. Those piles contained bits of combined metal that King created in his attempts at making the perfect staff, so it made sense why the scrap yards probably wouldn't buy it from them. Though, despite the sellable pile being smaller, King reassured both Purple and himself that it would be enough to sell for a decent sum of money.
On the other side, Purple ended up with a stack of about 9 returnable and two damaged library books (turns out oil and burn marks are hard to get out of paper). Next to it was another stack of books that King owned and two boxes that Purple used to hold all the research paper found in the room. It was decided that the library books needed to be returned regardless of their physical status and to get their fees paid.
The two of them sat back and took a moment to admire their work.
"Huh, well that wasn't too bad," King remarked, stretching out his back to release some tension. "And it only took us until… 6:30?!"
King's mouth hung open in shock. True to his words, the clock's keys pointed a little past the half hour mark.
"Huh… I guess so," Purple squinted up at the clock before turning towards King. "I'd say it's about dinner time, right?"
The older stick figure blinked, taking a moment to register the other's question before nodding. Despite having eaten hours ago, all the manual labor had worked up an appetite in him.
Purple tapped their chin. "We already finished all the food I brought. So how about you wash up and I can get started on something to eat?"
A noise of protest sounded from King but was almost immediately shushed as Purple stood up. They had a sheepish look on their face.
"Don't worry about it. I like cooking! Plus uh…" Their eyes landed on King's hands and grimaced. "You've been touching metal for the past few hours. I don't think you should be handling food right now."
An embarrassed blush crept up his cheeks. Lightly, King wiped his hands along the bandages on his stomach, only to wince when it left a coppery brown stain.
"Ah."
"Yeah…"
"I should probably go clean myself up."
"It would be for the best."
Purple shot him a small smile as King hissed out a breath and stood up. Turning on his heels, King made his way towards the hallway bathroom as Purple headed towards the kitchen. Once again back in the bathroom, the formerly royal stick took a moment to reassess his bandages. Aside from metallic markings along his midsection, the rest of the wraps looked fine. He figured he probably didn't need to change them yet and instead opted to use a slightly damp paper towel to clean up the residue.
He had just finished his clean up when a call caught his attention.
"Hey uh, King? I think there's a problem."
King frowned. He stepped out of the bathroom door to find Purple poking their head out from the living room archway. They looked nervous but also slightly annoyed.
"What's wrong?" King asked. Purple stared at him, eyes narrowed, as he walked down the hall.
"You don't have any food here," They replied. "Or rather, the only food you have are boxes of instant macaroni and cheese, and ramen packets."
King raised an eyebrow at the younger stick figure's words. "Do you… not like mac and cheese?"
Purple huffed, the frustration growing on their face. "I do, but why are these the only sources of food in your house? You have a half quarter of milk in your fridge but you don't even have any cereal to go with it!"
King shrugged. "I'm not much of a cook."
And Purple sputtered as he sidestepped them to enter the main room.
In all honesty, King didn't really know why Purple was getting so worked up over this. Sure it wasn't ideal, but food was food. The easier it was to make, the easier it was for King to dedicate more time towards his goals. Though that was in the past, right now he was more focused on just getting something to eat.
From behind, Purple caught up with his walk towards the kitchen and fell in step.
"Has that all you've been eating?" They asked quietly.
King shrugged again, taking a moment to glance back at the other. Their mouth was a hard line. "I also get takeout a lot."
Purple's face pulled into a scowl.
"What was the last thing you ate?"
King blinked. "Aside from that thing you brought? Um… "
He squinted at the pile of dishes in the sink, trying to remember if the last thing he consumed was cooked or bought. "You know, I don't remember but it was probably ramen."
A hiss of air escaped Purple's mouth as they mumbled something under their breath. After a moment they sighed. "Let's just… order something."
"Alright," King said as he made his way to the kitchen counter.
From one of the drawers, King pulled out various takeout menus. There were menus for pizza, Italian, Mexican, American, and Chinese cuisine, all of which looked worn from use and sporting little golden stars next to specific menu items. He handed them to Purple for them to look over.
"Pick something, I don't really care what you want," he explained, pulling out his phone. "Just let me know what you want and I can order."
The kitchen was quiet after that as Purple shifted over the pamphlets. After a moment, they silently handed the menu for a local Chinese restaurant over to King and told him what they wanted.
One phone call later and an order of vegetable lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, and a side of white rice was set to arrive in 30 minutes.
With that taken care of, King turned back towards Purple. Said stick figure was staring at his fridge with an unreadable look on their face. The orange stick chewed at the inside of his cheek. Was having an understocked fridge that bad? Sure it wasn't ideal but it never really bothered him. He didn't have time to go to the store that often and he was doing fine eating what he had on hand. Caring about food gets a lot harder when it's only yourself you're caring about.
Still, the stare that Purple gave made him uneasy.
"So… um," King said, breaking the awkward silence. "Let's say that I did have ingredients. What would you have made?"
Purple blinked in surprise. They brought a hand up to their chin and hummed.
"It depends on the type of ingredients you had on hand," King watched as they glanced around the kitchen. "Probably would have made something easy on the stomach. Maybe a soup?"
"Oh! Like that porridge thing you brought for lunch?" King asked. A small smile formed on Purple's face.
"Lugaw, it's called lugaw. It's a rice porridge dish," They said softly. "My mom used to make it for me whenever I got sick."
"Aw, that's actually really sweet-" And not for the first time today, King felt like ice water was dumped down his back.
Mom.
He jolted from his spot against the counter. "You're not a desktopper?"
Purple flinched, on guard from the sudden tone change. "What?"
"You're not a desktopper?!" A roaring panic rose in King. "You have a parent?"
"I mean-"
"You were born?!"
Whatever Purple said in reply drowned in the sea of King's racing thoughts. If Purple wasn't a created stick from someone's desktop or from some other media, then that meant they were born. And that meant they had a parent or guardian.
That meant he almost killed someone's kid.
"KING!"
Purple had his arms in a tight grip. They were trying to coax them down from their place at the sides of King's head. Huh, when did they get there…
Just like before, they were gentle in their actions, voice soft and calming even if he couldn't make out what they were saying.
Eventually, panic subsided and all that was left was a hollow numbness in his chest. Purple had settled themself next to him.
"King… are you-"
[DING DONG]
Two pairs of eyes shot up at the sound of the doorbell.
King startled, moving to push himself off of the counter but Purple shook their head.
"The door, the food-" King rasped. Purple only shook their head harder and pushed him towards a kitchen chair.
"Sit," They commanded. "I got it. Where's your wallet?"
King gestured towards the main room. "At my desk. Top left drawer."
The younger nodded. "Okay. Stay here. Focus on your breathing. I'll be right back."
And with that, they turned and hurried out of the kitchen.
Slumping into his seat, he could hear the faint sounds of Purple talking to the delivery guy. King groaned and buried his head into his hands. His mind was a mess of guilt and embarrassment. Guilt over the thought of nearly inflicting the same lonely torment he endured on to an innocent mother, and embarrassment because what the Flash was wrong with him?
Having the occasional breakdown every couple of weeks (or days) was fine but multiple times in one day? That was absurd.
Purple probably thinks I'm a nutcase.
He felt pathetic. But before he could spiral further, Purple strode in with a brown paper bag in hand. King lifted his head to watch as they gently placed it on top of the table. They shot him a glance with a question clearly forming on their lips but King paid them no mind. The smell of noodles and chicken was already distracting him from his previous thoughts.
"I used one of your 20s. The amount was $18.48. The change was $1.52," Purple quietly said and placed King's wallet within his reach. "You can check to see it's all there."
He glanced down at it, taking a moment to gauge Purple's own stare, before picking it up and tossing it onto the counter.
"Thanks," He muttered before turning back to open the bag. The other end of the table was silent as he pulled out the cartons of food and chopsticks. King could feel Purple's eyes on him but he ignored them, instead focusing on arranging the food out on the table. After a moment, he heard Purple sigh and move towards the dish cabinet.
They arrived with two plates, two forks, and a spoon as King finished opening all the takeout containers. They stuck the forks into the lo mein and sweet and sour chicken, and the spoon into the rice. With that they handed King one of the plates and settled into their seat across the table.
It was quiet as the two sticks added food to their plates and it stayed quiet as they began to eat.
King chewed on his chicken as he eyed Purple. The younger stick wasn't looking at him but he could tell that they had something on their mind. He cringed. No doubt Purple was going to ask him about his whole "freakout" over learning they had a parent. He gnawed on his chopstick. He hoped Purple didn't ask him too many questions. Frankly, even he didn't know why he reacted so viscerally and he did not want to explore those feelings at this moment.
From across the table, Purple took in a breath and King mentally prepared himself for the confrontation.
"Do you know of any places that buy scrap metal?"
He blinked. That certainly wasn't what he expected Purple to say. Though, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't relieved that the topic of conversation was about the future and not the past. If Purple didn't want to bring up what happened in the last half hour then King was more than happy to sweep it under the rug.
King stuck his chopsticks into his noodles, "There's a few places we can head too. Copper and Steel is the closest one but Mety's has better prices."
Purple nodded. "Which one is closer to the library?"
"None of them are close per say, but C&S is on the same side of town at least," King chewed thoughtfully. "Why? Are you planning on checking some books out?"
"Well no," the younger stick answered. "I just thought that since we'd already be out, we could also get the rest of the errands done at the same time."
King paused, mulling over what Purple suggested. "Hmm… You know, that's not a bad idea. Nice thinking Purple!"
They beamed at him. "Thank you! So it's settled. We'll go to the metal place, the grocery store, and the library."
King nodded along. "Metal, grocery, library… That sounds good- Wait grocery?"
The orange stick looked over to Purple in confusion, second-guessing whether or not he heard them right. Purple, to their credit, held his gaze and blinked almost innocently at him.
"Well you did say we could go run some errands while out," Purple said nonchalantly. "Wouldn't it also make sense to get some groceries?"
King slowly blinked at Purple, taking in that little bit of sleight of hand. A disbelieving smirk formed on his face.
"You sly little stick," King shook their head and chuckled. "Alright, I get it. I need more food in the house. We'll go get some tomorrow."
The grin sent his way could only be described as self-satisfied as the purple stick hummed and took another bite of noodles. King couldn't help the snort of laughter at the younger's action as he shook his head again and continued to eat.
With plans for the next day sorted, the two started chatting about how to continue cleaning. It was decided that King would work on finding some sort of means of transportation to help carry the metal and books for tomorrow. Once that was done, he'd start sweeping the floors. Purple in the meantime, would focus on putting the remaining books onto King's shelf. After that, they would organize the rest of the papers and miscellaneous boxes on the floor for King to look through in the future.
Over food and conversation, the outburst from before slowly slipped from their minds and neither of them were too sad to see it go.
= O = o =
Nearly half an hour later and their Chinese takeout dinner was done. Just like before, King grabbed the used dishes and placed them into the sink while Purple gathered the leftovers and placed them in the fridge. With their meal complete, they made their way to the main room where King rummaged through his storage closet in search of bags big enough to hold pieces of metal. Purple busied themself with reorganizing medical supplies left out on King's bed.
By the time King had found a couple of sturdy yard bags, Purple had deposited the various items into one of the empty boxes from the floor. As he approached them, they carefully scooted the newly christened medical box to the head of the bed by the shelf. From there the pair started going about their assigned tasks to tidy up the main room. They worked in a comfortable silence with only the occasional comment or question interrupting their work flow.
This is nice, King thought to himself. How long had it been since he had another person in his space like this? Sure, Purple was there to help with the Minecraft plan but that felt different. He paused his sweeping to watch them work.
They were short, a whole head shorter than King and that left them on their tip-toes as they slotted some books back on the top shelf. Despite the inconvenience, Purple had a look of determination on their face. It reminded him so much of the antics Gold would get up to…
A feeling akin to fondness bubbled in King's chest and he shook his head to clear it. He turned back to his broom and he continued sweeping.
It was nice to have someone around again.
It wasn't until the sound of an alarm broke the quiet within the house, causing King to jump and Purple to scramble for their blaring phone. With a quick tap on the screen, the room fell back into silence.
King shook his head, a hand on his chest. "What was that?"
Purple, with their phone still in hand, blushed and rubbed at the back of their neck.
"It's my bus alarm," They said sheepishly. "It takes about 10 minutes to get to the nearest bus stop so I set it so I'd have enough time to get there."
"You're leaving?"
They nodded. "It's already almost 9. I'd like to get some sleep for tomorrow."
"For tomorrow? Yeah! That's right! You're coming back tomorrow?" Of course they'd be coming back. A few hours ago they made plans to meet back up the next day but that still didn't stop the hopeful lift in King's voice. If Purple noticed it, they didn't say anything.
"Mmhmm. I promised to help you, didn't I?"
"I mean, yes, but-" He stumbled over his words, a previous concern pushed itself to the front of his mind. "But, you also have to help yourself. Or, at least let me help you too."
The younger stick had started gathering their belongings into their pink tote but stilled at his words. Their eyes darted to meet his before darting down towards the medical box. For a moment, King thought they were going to protest like they did before but after a moment, they sighed and reached to pull out a roll of bandages and a bruise cream tube. They tossed those items into their bag.
"Okay."
"Cool."
"So… I'll see you tomorrow then?" A goodbye posed as a question, a small awkward smile formed on King's face. Purple readjusted the strap on their bag and hauled it over their shoulder.
They locked eyes with King and with a look that could almost be considered fond, replied, "I'll see you in the morning."
Then without a word, Purple turned and left the house, the door closing with a soft click.
A second passed, then two, then three. There King stood, staring at the closed door. Slowly, he turned around to face the rest of the room. It was silent again, but for once, it didn't feel as oppressive as it once did.
Maybe it was because for the first time in a while, the house was clean. Well not clean but it was as organized and tidy as it could be given the circumstances. Maybe it was because of the food King ate. He hadn't eaten that fully in a while. Or maybe it was because he wasn't alone anymore. Sure his house was empty at the moment, but Purple had promised to come back tomorrow morning. Even if they were… weird (and they were, a voice in the back of his mind told him he should probably assess those comments and actions he had filed away) but their help equaled companionship and who was King to complain?
Whatever the reason was at the moment, it was lost on King as he shuffled quietly towards his bed. The events of the day had well and truly begun to hit him. He was tired but it was a good tired. A satisfied tired. One that reminded him of trips spent camping from years ago.
Dimly, he knew he probably should clean himself up before going to sleep. He needed to brush his teeth, wipe the dust off himself, recheck his bandages…
But as soon as he locked eyes with the bed, he knew what his main priority was.
He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.
= o =
Purple pressed their forehead against the bus's window, its coolness doing wonders for easing the tension in their head.
They were… content, for lack of a better word. King had a smile on his face when they left so they must have done a good job.
The closest bus stop to their apartment was on West 9th street. Glancing at the screen near the front of the bus, told them they had just turned on off of 5th Avenue. Purple closed their eyes. They had 10 more stops left before they had to get off.
Today went well. Not as smoothly as they had hoped it would but they were always ready to roll with the punches. Maybe they were just rusty when it came to this type of helping.
9 stops left.
A series of giggles and poorly hushed laughter brought Purple out of their thoughts. Cracking an eye open, they watched as a group of nicely dressed stick figures passed by their seat and took some of their own seats near the back. They looked to be around Purple's age and were excitedly discussing a new club that opened up. Purple closed their eyes again, letting their chatter fade into the background.
8 stops left.
King had been right. And that meant Purple had been wrong. But that was fine. Purple was wrong about a lot of things. That just meant they had to try harder to learn what was right for King.
7 stops left.
Today they learned that what they say can come off as condescending, even if that wasn't the original intention. King is more than capable of helping himself. Purple is there to only aid in his recovery and to make things easier. They owed it to him.
6 stops left.
Don't assume to know what's best, even if it worked well with their mother. King is not the same. Similar but not the same. Purple couldn't forget that.
5 stops left.
One of the stick figures for the group had pulled the cord, signaling for the bus to stop. Purple blinked and watched as they filed excitedly off the bus. One stick, lilac in color, met Purple's gaze. They smiled at them, giving a curious but confused stare back before a friend pulled them towards the nightlife. For one brief moment, Purple felt a pang of jealousy.
4 stops left.
They shook that thought out of their head and refocused their eyes out onto the familiar lamp post lit streets. Going out to "party" was not important.
3 stops left.
Two old men climbed onto the bus and sat in the front, quietly chatting about their day. Trying to get friends was not important (at least not yet, a smiling green face flashed across the back of their mind).
2 stops left.
A mother cradling a sleeping toddler walked off the bus. The child snuggled closer as the summer air hit their skin. Helping King was important. And by proxy, so was Purple. The bandages felt tight on their skin.
1 stop left.
The tired stick lifted their head from the window. They had a job to do. Nothing else should matter. They just needed to keep their priorities straight.
Purple pulled the cord and the bus slowed to a stop.
