He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
That was suspicious. âTo pass the time? Eh, touchĂŠ.â He spoke nonchalantly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. If it really was just nothing, why was it pressing down on that fact so much? It should be obvious, right? It didnât need to âconvince itselfâ if the truth was so plain.
Either way, since when were answers so easy to find?
Watch tilted his head ever so slightly, expecting mockery or the like â yet, nothing. How peculiar! âWhatever you say, 035.â He wasnât going to believe it whole-heartedly, and it was quite obvious why. He didnât seem too keen on changing his mind, it seemed.
As soon as the other pointed out his features, he felt a crash of embarrassment land on him. âIâm not red at all. Why would I be?â right. Just deny everything, thatâll definitely work on a mask with master manipulation skills! Watch internally facepalmed at his own words â not the most believable.
Whatever, he shouldnât care. âArenât you the one being all touchy and such? Iâm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. Emphasis on normalâŚâ he said, sneering at the last words he spoke. âBoth of us? Wow. Glad Iâm not the only one taking the blame, how generous of you.â he added, more sarcasm in his voice â Isaac really was just sarcastic in general.
Watch allowed the other to touch his face⌠surprisingly, although he kept his own hands to himself. He didnât seem too bothered by the SCPâs touchiness either. Perhaps he just wanted to entertain the mask before it lost its host â he kind of felt bad for it. He wasnât supposed to feel sympathy for 035. âGlad you didnât kill me either,â those words werenât completely truthful. One half of him almost wished he didnât wake up from that coma.
Thatâs a topic for another day.
The worst part was, Isaac was practically aware of the fact that the other just saw him as another plaything. Or at least, he thought so. He just didnât care. What was the anomaly going to do? Play with his feelings? No, he made sure to not grow attached to the mask. He wasnât that easy to get.
Right?
He stared at the other, raising a brow. âWhatâs wrong?â
A simple question, but the answer to it was always complex. After all, âloveâ isnât an easy subject even with its abundance.
The anomaly was definitely aware of the otherâs red face. Even as he denied it, the mask wasnât stupid. He could see his face clear as day! âReally?â He spoke mockingly. âYou look quite red. Is it just a trick of the light?â Obviously sarcastic, a chuckle escaping him shortly after.
âI'm not being touchy,â he then scoffed. âWell, maybe only a little bit. But itâs only because of my host. They obviously had a liking towards you.â Sure. He knew Isaac most likely didnât know who this person was . . . And they definitely had no memory of Watch either. Was it a love at first sight kind of deal with this body? Had to be! It couldnât be anything else. The host just liked Watch. Maybe it was a big of a far reach. âYouâre very welcome.â
A distorted gurgle came from deep within the host, exiting through the mask. But he continued on as if nothing happened. It was just a process of decay that he was far too familiar with. âYup! If I did, we wouldnât have had this lovely moment of ours. And I wouldnât have seen you so flustered. Itâs a nice sight, Iâd like to see it more often . .â He uttered, his voice becoming a little quieter. As cocky as usual!
â. . Thereâs nothing wrong,â he responded, shaking its head. âNone of your business either.â A little rude, sure. But he wasnât the type to answer those sort of questions! What was wrong at the moment was his issue and not something he wanted to say out loud. He was a little confusing. Being all flirty then suddenly rude.
There was a tiny pause, and then suddenly the body fell forwards onto Isaac completely. Pressing all of its weight onto him. A curse was mumbled by the mask â was the fall on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. It could easily be because the body was so far rotten. However, he attempted to keep his hand on the others face. But it dropped right after, his arm hanging loosely by his side instead. The muscle was quite shrunken. It was a big difference from when they first met in the room. It just showed the entire process.
âOuch.â He mumbled. At least he didnât need to worry about the acid. Luckily though, he was still able to speak. Which he was thankful for. âCouldâve had a new host by now if you didnât trap us in here.â He joked, head lifting to stare at the other again.
He opened his mouth to talk back, but he decided against it. Just staring at it with a deadpan glare. âMhm,â he confirmed, he wasnât going to admit that he was actually⌠affected by such simple words. He leaned against its hand just slightly, totally not on purpose.
âA little bit? Youâre about to press yourself against me, thatâs not just âa little touchyâ. But sure, Iâll entertain you for this one.â He said flatly, âAnd I donât know this guy. Just say it, you like being all physical with people â even though they clearly didnât ask.â Watch narrowed his eyes at it, clearly talking about the current situation.
He then rolled his eyes at it, he shouldnât be worried about anything. Isaac listened to it and⌠wow. Thatâs, uh, something! His eyes went down as his face flushed and he immediately put his hand over the lower half of his face. âWhat the hell? Be predictable every once in a while.â His voice was muffled, a loud sigh leaving his mouth. UnpredictabilityâŚ
He inhaled and exhaled, he needed to stay calm. He was just giving it the reaction it wanted. He merely nodded, a little⌠weirded out by their defensive demeanor. A little confusing? The SCP was like a puzzle to put back together â he had no clue whether he should act âfriendlyâ or distant. A certain in-between of the two, he supposed.
He let out an abrupt yelp as the mask fell on him, trying to keep his balance â caught off-guard. âFuckâ!â he exclaimed, gripping the edge of the table â anything that was in close range, really. He held the anomalyâs body to prevent its fall, his hand slipping away from the furniture. He took the fall instead, but it could have definitely been worse. Isaac kept his arm around the other while his other hand supported the two, keeping them sat up.
âEver thought of giving me some type of warning?â he spat, furrowing his brows as a frown developed on his features. âYouâre going to get your acid all over meâ I still need my clothes, asshat.â Perhaps that came off a bit too strong, but who could blame him?
He was definitely going to be questioned about this.
âAs I said â wasnât my damn fault. I didnât want to be ripped apart by the big, bad reptile,â he spoke in a sort of jest, a balance between seriousness and comedy.
He shrugged a little. âMaybe I do. And if you didnât like it you would have shoved me away by now,â he glared right back, more out of competition. âYou like it too. Even if you wonât admit it because Iâm an SCP.â He was pretty confident that he was correct on this statement. The way he spoke it alone showed that. He was often confident on what he thought about things.
His opinion was usually one of the best in his eyes!
The mask definitely noticed the flushed expression, his head lifting up to try and see his face better. âI am very predictable! Sometimes. Why are you hiding your face?â He was a little annoyed that he couldn't see the otherâs face, but he wouldnât push too much. He was just trying to see, but not grabbing his hand to move it.
Once he felt the duo fall to the ground, at first a sound of surprise came from him, but then immediately after he let out a bark of laughter. He shouldnât be amused at this, buuut he was! He didnât think that theyâd actually fall. But here they were, on the ground. It was a little funny.
âI didnât know I was gonnaâ pfftââ His head dropped, body shaking as he let out raspy croaks of laughter. Occasionally his body would spasm and splutter mid-laugh, but otherwise, he was clearly entertained. âCalm doowwwn, Watchie. I didnât mean to. You can get new clothes, youâll be just fine.â He raised his head, now staring at Isaacâs face once more. âDonât be so snappy.â He raised a hand and this time poked the other on the cheek. A snort of amusement coming from him as he did. He really wasnât thinking about the consequences this could lead to.
âMhm hmm. Iâm sure. Iâm sure. But your luck always helps you eventually. You would have survived,â his body went limp again. âWhat did you do to piss it off that badly? Call it ugly?â He was still not taking this seriously.
âIf it helps, youâre comfortable to lean on,â he added. âThatâs one good thing, right?â A few giggles exited him as he spoke.
Well, it wasnât wrong. Isaac hadnât pushed the other away yet, hell, he hadnât even considered it until the mask brought it up. That was quite embarrassing! He simply rolled his eyes at them â whatever. He wasnât going to confirm or deny their suspicions, he wasnât obliged to.
âOh, why would you want to know?â he dryly spoke, averting his eyes from the otherâs â he didnât want to hear the teasing. He had this feeling that this wouldnât be the last time either, what a pain in the ass.
He did not find the whole ordeal funny. He tried to back up a little â to a wall, at least. Just so his hand wonât get sore from keeping both of them up at the same time. Why didnât he just move the mask away? Well, he didnât know. He just let it rest on top of him as he put his back against the nearest wall. His shirt will be going to the trash after this oneâŚ
âOh, so I gotta do all the work?â he scoffed, âAnd now I need a new shirt because of you. I want you to repay me,â that was a semi-joke. He certainly wouldnât mind having a favor being done for him â what would he need, anyway? âAnd Iâll be as âsnappyâ as I want, thanks.â Okay, he was giving attitude now.
He blinked as his cheek was tapped â still overly touchy, nothing had changed. âMy luck isnât as great as you think,â he spoke, huffing as 035 went limp â did he really have to do this..?
What a hassle.
âI didnât do anythingâ heâs just⌠naturally aggressive. Shocked he didnât kill me earlier, though.â He shrugged his shoulders in response, âHow lucky.â
He paused for a few seconds, his arm still somewhat wrapped around them, he wasn't really paying attention to that though.
...Comfortable? Thatâs new. âUh, thanks. I guess.â He wasnât the greatest at replies to things such as these.
035 would have been a lot more touchy if his host wasnât as frail as a twig. He was doing as much as he possibly could though! As much as Watch would let him too. If he was told to fuck off, he would! And hey, when youâre literally laying on top of someone â how much closer can you get? Though, the feeling was practically nothing due to the stage of decay his host was currently in. He could feel very little. But still! He was as close as can be.
âBecause I do. I want to see.â He spoke as if that was an obvious thing. As if Watch was the stupid one for not knowing that.
The mask allowed the other to move, it didnât care too much. Whatever kept them both in a somewhat comfortable way, he supposed! He just lay there, keeping his head lifted in order to keep its gaze on Isaac. âRepay you?â He gave a small head tilt. âCanât tell if you mean that or not. How would I even repay you? Not like I have much to offer.â He responded, chuckling; his tone filled with that of jest. Though, it was true! He had nothing to call his own, really. Not even a body!
âAlright then, you be snappy. Maybe Iâll return the energy.â He would have poked the other again, but it felt like too much effort to move his host into completing the action. So he remained as limp as before. As if a dead body was thrown on top of Watch.
A dead body with a rather lively user!
âIâd say it is, I mean. . I already said my reasons before.â He wasnât bothered to list why his luck was great. His reasons before made enough sense to him!
âMm. Yeah. He is,â the mask agreed, even though he knows heâs hardly ever interacted with 682 before. âIâll get my hands on him eventually! Wouldnât that be sick? Having an immortal host, but itâs like. . . A fucking overgrown crocodile. I think itâs pretty cool.â Seems as if heâs still pretty set on getting 682 as a host.
The mask didnât mind the arm, if anything he loved it! What else was expected? He wasnât going to mention it. He didnât want Watch to move it!
He could already feel the black acid land on his skin, streaming down and tainting his clothes. âMaybe stop being an asshole, thatâs what you owe,â he said jokingly, although his body was still tense â even with all of the time they have spent in the same room. He wasnât big on trust, huh?
âBe snappy all you want, Iâm not stopping you.â He reminded them rather blatantly â an obvious fact. âAnd, careful with your acid. Youâre about to burn all of my clothes offâ that sounds worse than I intended.â He internally facepalmed, âWhatever,â perhaps he should have thought about his wording a little more. Especially with the anomaly on top of himâŚ
Okay, maybe what he said was a little funny out of context. He even let out a small laugh at it.
âItâd be uh, worrying. I donât even want to imagine what youâd do once youâve got your⌠âhandsâ on him.â more like âmaskâ. âThe Foundation would never let you have access to him though. That would be their worst nightmare.â He would be lying if he said he didnât want to see the show.
He straightened his posture just a little bit for personal comfort, his arm still around the other. Youâd think heâd realize but â he was too distracted with the anomalyâs antics to care. âWhy are you always so⌠I donât know. Touchy? All over me?â that sounded stupid. âYou really like complimenting me out of nowhere, too. Is this what you do for entertainment all day?â
He didnât know the other all that well, even after the interview and reviewing their files â if theyâre both going to be stuck in here for however long â might as well make it interestingâŚ
And obviously, he wasnât going to disclose all that much information about himself. He didnât want to trust the SCP.
So, why was he repeating that phrase oh so much if he knew that he wouldnât? He didnât know either.
âIâm not an asshole!â He piped up in defence. âIâm a very. . . Uhhhh. . . Polite and kind person. Mhm-hmm.â He nodded his head, seemingly happy with whatever that answer was. Even though he knew it was definitely not at all true.
âMmmmm, PFFTââ he burst out into a fit of quiet laughter at the slip up. His head dropped, resting on the otherâs chest as he laughed rather than staring at him. âMaybe thatâs not a bad idea.. ââ . . . ââ Iâm joking! Joking. Juuuust messing around.â He had to add that âjokingâ part at the end, he was just extremely amused! His shoulders shook with laughter, but it wasnât very loud. His host was struggling.
Once he actually shut up, he went to reply. It took a moment though; âthe Foundation doesnât need to âlet meâ, Iâll just do it myself! Look how close I couldâa been just there! However, I think heâd be really stubborn and not wear me. .â He hummed, it was probably true. But still! It was definitely possible! And the mask would enjoy having the lizard as a host. âJust imagine the chaos that would ensue though!â
The anomaly seemed to almost hesitate at the question. His head remained somewhat slumped down. âIâm always like this. Duh,â he replied. âI enjoy this sort of thing. Iâd do it with anyone. Doesnât make you special.â It sounded more like he was confirming that to himself more than to Watch. . But it was still a little unnecessary to add. He didnât really. . . Think before he spoke. That was obvious. âYeah. Itâs just for entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less. What else would it be?â
He shook his head side-to-side ever so slightly, the movement was hardly noticeable.
âItâs just . . .â Another pause. What he was going to say didnât feel right. Not to say aloud, so he decided against it. Following the words Isaac had used many times before; â. . nevermind.â
His impolite words before weren't taken back. It sounded like he almost meant them. . . Somewhat. There was still an uncertainty behind his voice in most of it. Hell, even as he spoke ânevermindâ he sounded unsure. As if questioning himself mentally. It was a tone he often didnât use. The mask was always so confident in itself! So confident that what it was saying was right at any given time.
Yet here it just felt. . . Different.
He couldnât explain it.
âJust my host,â he thought to himself. âThatâs all. This will go away when you get a new one. Just like always.â
âYou sound pretty unsure for someone who is set on the idea that theyâre a â quote on quote â âgood personâ.â he chuckled lightly, âBut sure, whatever you say.â He wasnât going to argue with a self-pretentious mask.
He nudged the other as they laughed at his questionable comment, he did not need someone mocking him right now. âYeah, yeah. Keep laughing.â He clicked his tongue, clearly unhappy. Although, the next few words the anomaly spoke caught him off-guard â âWhat the fuck? Noâ?â he retorted, âYou shouldnât make jokes like that, fuckinâ hell.â He roughly poked at the other, furrowing his brows.
âMhm. Doubt heâs going to like the fact his body is being controlled though. Heâll probably crush you to bits if you ever even came nearâŚâ he thought aloud, tapping his fingers on 035âs back mindlessly. âWould be chaotic, as you said.â
Isaac rested his eyes, still listening to them. The unnecessary comment sorta hurt, but he didnât speak out about it. That didnât mean that he couldnât be witty, though. âFor someone who insists Iâm not âspecialâ, you sure do repeat it to yourself quite a bit.â He let out a small laugh, lifting his arm that was previously resting on the otherâs back. âIâm aware, you donât need to tell me that a thousand times.â
He thought that the conversation would end there until 035 kept talking, but it didnât. Peculiar! âOh, itâs just what?â he added in between the otherâs pause â definitely disappointed at the fact he didnât get to know what they were about to say. âCome on, donât leave me on a cliffhanger.â He groaned, complaining.
He knew that even if he pushed â the mask wouldnât budge. But, maybe if he convinced it⌠oh, who was he kidding? It wouldnât work. Even luck canât change some peopleâs minds.
âIt was a good joke,â the mask clearly found itself quite funny. âI was juuust kidding.â The anomaly raised a hand slightly to wave it dismissively. Occasionally, chuckling as he did.
âProbably. Iâm sure I can convince him! But I prefer not being shattered. . Eh, weâll see!â Yeah, he was definitely going to try at some point. Heâs had the idea for a long time! He wasnât letting it go anytime soon and that was obvious.
He huffed at the next thing, and just decided not to answer. For once, he didnât feel the need to snap something sarcastic right back. So he didnât, remaining silent for a few moments. Which may come off as a surprise! He always had some comment to make on anything, especially one such as that. He felt the otherâs arm move, head lifting to glance back for a second.
âI just said nevermind,â he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Clearly uninterested in actually saying what he meant. He felt no need to, and it was definitely hard to convince him into doing something when itâs mind was already set. He was stubborn. Really, really stubborn. âIâm leaving you on a cliffhanger.â
And what was he going to do? Thatâs right! He was going to try to frustrate the other more out of âspiteâ.
âActually, fine,â he sighed. âItâs complicated. . But. .â He trailed off into silence again, holding back a chuckle. â. . Ah, nevermind.â
He cracked up silently to himself, an occasional shake of his body present as he did so.
He was doing this for two reasons. One, to annoy Watch as much as he could. And two, because he also genuinely didnât have an answer to speak out loud. Speaking it out loud made his thoughts seem more real anyways. So he didnât. He didnât want himself thinking that his hostâs feelings were his own.
âSay, was this guy your partner or something? Is that why he seems to like you so much and you wonât push me away?â It was a random question, but he decided heâd ask. Even though Isaac had stated before he didnât know the guy. . . Thatâs not important. Heâd be able to notice if that was true or not here. Heâd just lurk in the otherâs mind and see what he said aloud versus what he thought.
Should work, right? Heâd get the answers he wanted.
He was hoping they knew each other . . . A little.
â Not at all. It was just weird.â Well, fair. âAnd I seriously doubt you could ever convince him, but sure.â
He was quite surprised at the silence, hell, he was expecting some kind of snarky remark or something alike. Yet, nothing came out of them. Huh! âWow. So nice of you,â he commented, what a pain⌠âCanât you be any more annoying?â he was being risky with his choice of words, but what did he have to lose in the end?
His attention was brought back as the other began to speak â just to be misled. Again. âAre you fucking serious?â he asked in disbelief, âYouâre one hell of a nuisance.â He wasnât going to hide his thoughts, better off being blunt. Besides, he was frustrated.
The maskâs question genuinely caught him off-guard, suddenly sitting up straight: âOkay, first â Iâm not into guys, just gotta tell you this now. Second, I donât know him. Youâre free to get off of me, I just canât be fucked to push you off.â Words were quickly spoken to clear up the confusion, he didnât know the maskâs host at all.
He was telling the truth, well, for the most part⌠not into guys, huh? Just a little doubtful about that one.
Either way, he attempted to move the other â taking a peek at his shirt. The top half was⌠well, not in the best conditions. He knew this was a bad idea, he should have gone with his gut and pushed the anomaly off of him⌠even if it didnât ooze black acid. But, he didnât, for whatever reason.
Surely he wasnât actually warming up to the SCP? Thatâs practically impossible! No, no, he just felt pity. And thatâs it. He shouldnât question himself when heâs in a position like this.
He tilted his head back, resting against the wall.
âYup, very serious. Iâm always serious. So. . Guess we just have to leave it off like that.â The anomaly spoke, a playful tone present in his words. âI can be more of a nuisance if you wish.â And he definitely could be. 035 was great at getting on people's nerves!
He listened to the other, giving him a sort of unimpressed stare. âUh huh.â It didnât sound too convinced, but then again. . the otherâs mind gave no indication that this was a lie. So, he decided âwhateverâ. Heâd believe him. Or if this wasnât true; heâd simply play along. It depended on whether or not the mask figured out if these words were true.
âFine. Makes sense. But still. . . Most people's first reactions would be to shove a rotting corpse off of them. Youâre just different, is that it?â It was more of a joke, referring to the other as different again. But the anomaly was. . . definitely aware that he was. In a few ways! But something different was nice. Everything was feeling so repetitive. Every person was the same, really. They saw him, they swayed into his words then eventually wore him. Yet Watch didnât. Maybe the mask saw this as a challenge. Something new to cling onto.
That was his excuse for feeling like this now!
He let himself get moved, rolling off Isaac onto the ground beside him, smearing acid and blood as he went. Not like there was much else he could do, his host was as weak as can be at this point.
âPfft, your shirt is fucked,â he let out a dry laugh, slowly dragging itself back to prop itself up agaisnt the wall beside the other. It took a bit, but he eventually managed to do so. âBetter not let . . Whatâs his name? The guy who has never touched another person in his life?â He was referring to Jacobs. âBetter not let him see that. Or youâre going to be on the opposite end of the table next time.â
The mask kept its head tilted towards Isaac, his gaze still fixated on the otherâs face. Sort of trying to see if he found his âjokeâ about Jacobs funny. ( Even though he knew it was true and definitely not a joke. )
// This is a roleplay account! Any message or piece of text not marked with the two slashes shown above is in-character, and is completely fictitious.
This pinned post will inform you a bit about the character, some unique circumstances regarding him, things you should be aware of when interacting, and the person who writes him! I sincerely hope you enjoy it. :)
THE CHARACTER HIMSELF.
Liam Sunshine was an OC created on a Multifandom RP server about a year ago. He started as a character that I would rarely think about, and grew to be my #1 original muse. Friends of mine interlocked their character's lore with his, so you'll probably hear vague references to it in RP. He's set in the SCP 'verse, inspired by the title of a Will Wood song, with slight influence from the game We Happy Few. However, he is his own character, and he stretches far beyond just that!
With the "backstory" set aside, I invite you to look at his 4.3k word DOCUMENT, that entails everything about the character - from personality, to backstory, to strengths and weaknesses. That can be found at the bottom of the post! PLEASE mind the TWs/CWs at the top of the doc, they are serious and important, and I just want everyone who reads it to be safe!
There's one important character missing from the backstory, but they'll be mentioned in RP and, one day, added to the doc! Keep an eye out. đ
One final thing, before we move on;
I (the writer) am an indie dev. I hold this character very, very close to my heart, and he, the mystery character, and his story are going to be turned into a full fledged RPG/VN in the coming years. It's going to take a lot of work! ^^;
With that said, if you end up liking his character, please keep posting about it strictly on Tumblr! This account is like a little experiment; to see how people like the character and what could be improved. (It's also quite a bit of fun, because I ADORE writing him!!)
I'd also like to keep most things about the game under wraps for the moment, so do note that when asked, I can only answer questions vaguely.
THE WRITER.
The writer of this account is a MINOR. (Which is to say; do not attempt to initiate NSFW with the author or his character.)
I'm a huge nerd, and a lover of writing, podcasts, and video games. I really love the opportunity of getting to share this MASSIVE piece of my writing with you guys!
I also am on the Autism spectrum, so please be patient if I (or Liam) doesn't understand something the first time. When speaking OOC, tone tags are greatly appreciated! /g
BEFORE YOU INTERACT.
This account comes with loads of Content Warnings that you really MUST be aware of before interacting. The following list is exhaustive, some of these are not likely to come up frequently or at all, but it's important that you know that they are a possibility. Don't trigger yourself, and stay safe!
The list of TWs/CWs is as follows;
Death, overdose, violence and gore (commonly associated with SCP), self-harm, suicide, forced suicide, mind-altering medication, mutilation/body horror, heavy discussion of manipulation and toxic relationships, religious trauma, hallucinations, and spiking.
That'll do it! I hope you enjoy learning about this little guy and interacting with him. Thank you for reading all this; and stay cheerful!
:)
(There's the aforementioned doc, by the way!)
â˘ââ˘ââ˘â â˘ââ˘â⢠TW for mutilation/body horror, medicine, pills, LSD-type effects, death, OD, derealization, religious trauma, addiction, discuss
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
That was suspicious. âTo pass the time? Eh, touchĂŠ.â He spoke nonchalantly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. If it really was just nothing, why was it pressing down on that fact so much? It should be obvious, right? It didnât need to âconvince itselfâ if the truth was so plain.
Either way, since when were answers so easy to find?
Watch tilted his head ever so slightly, expecting mockery or the like â yet, nothing. How peculiar! âWhatever you say, 035.â He wasnât going to believe it whole-heartedly, and it was quite obvious why. He didnât seem too keen on changing his mind, it seemed.
As soon as the other pointed out his features, he felt a crash of embarrassment land on him. âIâm not red at all. Why would I be?â right. Just deny everything, thatâll definitely work on a mask with master manipulation skills! Watch internally facepalmed at his own words â not the most believable.
Whatever, he shouldnât care. âArenât you the one being all touchy and such? Iâm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. Emphasis on normalâŚâ he said, sneering at the last words he spoke. âBoth of us? Wow. Glad Iâm not the only one taking the blame, how generous of you.â he added, more sarcasm in his voice â Isaac really was just sarcastic in general.
Watch allowed the other to touch his face⌠surprisingly, although he kept his own hands to himself. He didnât seem too bothered by the SCPâs touchiness either. Perhaps he just wanted to entertain the mask before it lost its host â he kind of felt bad for it. He wasnât supposed to feel sympathy for 035. âGlad you didnât kill me either,â those words werenât completely truthful. One half of him almost wished he didnât wake up from that coma.
Thatâs a topic for another day.
The worst part was, Isaac was practically aware of the fact that the other just saw him as another plaything. Or at least, he thought so. He just didnât care. What was the anomaly going to do? Play with his feelings? No, he made sure to not grow attached to the mask. He wasnât that easy to get.
Right?
He stared at the other, raising a brow. âWhatâs wrong?â
A simple question, but the answer to it was always complex. After all, âloveâ isnât an easy subject even with its abundance.
The anomaly was definitely aware of the otherâs red face. Even as he denied it, the mask wasnât stupid. He could see his face clear as day! âReally?â He spoke mockingly. âYou look quite red. Is it just a trick of the light?â Obviously sarcastic, a chuckle escaping him shortly after.
âI'm not being touchy,â he then scoffed. âWell, maybe only a little bit. But itâs only because of my host. They obviously had a liking towards you.â Sure. He knew Isaac most likely didnât know who this person was . . . And they definitely had no memory of Watch either. Was it a love at first sight kind of deal with this body? Had to be! It couldnât be anything else. The host just liked Watch. Maybe it was a big of a far reach. âYouâre very welcome.â
A distorted gurgle came from deep within the host, exiting through the mask. But he continued on as if nothing happened. It was just a process of decay that he was far too familiar with. âYup! If I did, we wouldnât have had this lovely moment of ours. And I wouldnât have seen you so flustered. Itâs a nice sight, Iâd like to see it more often . .â He uttered, his voice becoming a little quieter. As cocky as usual!
â. . Thereâs nothing wrong,â he responded, shaking its head. âNone of your business either.â A little rude, sure. But he wasnât the type to answer those sort of questions! What was wrong at the moment was his issue and not something he wanted to say out loud. He was a little confusing. Being all flirty then suddenly rude.
There was a tiny pause, and then suddenly the body fell forwards onto Isaac completely. Pressing all of its weight onto him. A curse was mumbled by the mask â was the fall on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. It could easily be because the body was so far rotten. However, he attempted to keep his hand on the others face. But it dropped right after, his arm hanging loosely by his side instead. The muscle was quite shrunken. It was a big difference from when they first met in the room. It just showed the entire process.
âOuch.â He mumbled. At least he didnât need to worry about the acid. Luckily though, he was still able to speak. Which he was thankful for. âCouldâve had a new host by now if you didnât trap us in here.â He joked, head lifting to stare at the other again.
He opened his mouth to talk back, but he decided against it. Just staring at it with a deadpan glare. âMhm,â he confirmed, he wasnât going to admit that he was actually⌠affected by such simple words. He leaned against its hand just slightly, totally not on purpose.
âA little bit? Youâre about to press yourself against me, thatâs not just âa little touchyâ. But sure, Iâll entertain you for this one.â He said flatly, âAnd I donât know this guy. Just say it, you like being all physical with people â even though they clearly didnât ask.â Watch narrowed his eyes at it, clearly talking about the current situation.
He then rolled his eyes at it, he shouldnât be worried about anything. Isaac listened to it and⌠wow. Thatâs, uh, something! His eyes went down as his face flushed and he immediately put his hand over the lower half of his face. âWhat the hell? Be predictable every once in a while.â His voice was muffled, a loud sigh leaving his mouth. UnpredictabilityâŚ
He inhaled and exhaled, he needed to stay calm. He was just giving it the reaction it wanted. He merely nodded, a little⌠weirded out by their defensive demeanor. A little confusing? The SCP was like a puzzle to put back together â he had no clue whether he should act âfriendlyâ or distant. A certain in-between of the two, he supposed.
He let out an abrupt yelp as the mask fell on him, trying to keep his balance â caught off-guard. âFuckâ!â he exclaimed, gripping the edge of the table â anything that was in close range, really. He held the anomalyâs body to prevent its fall, his hand slipping away from the furniture. He took the fall instead, but it could have definitely been worse. Isaac kept his arm around the other while his other hand supported the two, keeping them sat up.
âEver thought of giving me some type of warning?â he spat, furrowing his brows as a frown developed on his features. âYouâre going to get your acid all over meâ I still need my clothes, asshat.â Perhaps that came off a bit too strong, but who could blame him?
He was definitely going to be questioned about this.
âAs I said â wasnât my damn fault. I didnât want to be ripped apart by the big, bad reptile,â he spoke in a sort of jest, a balance between seriousness and comedy.
He shrugged a little. âMaybe I do. And if you didnât like it you would have shoved me away by now,â he glared right back, more out of competition. âYou like it too. Even if you wonât admit it because Iâm an SCP.â He was pretty confident that he was correct on this statement. The way he spoke it alone showed that. He was often confident on what he thought about things.
His opinion was usually one of the best in his eyes!
The mask definitely noticed the flushed expression, his head lifting up to try and see his face better. âI am very predictable! Sometimes. Why are you hiding your face?â He was a little annoyed that he couldn't see the otherâs face, but he wouldnât push too much. He was just trying to see, but not grabbing his hand to move it.
Once he felt the duo fall to the ground, at first a sound of surprise came from him, but then immediately after he let out a bark of laughter. He shouldnât be amused at this, buuut he was! He didnât think that theyâd actually fall. But here they were, on the ground. It was a little funny.
âI didnât know I was gonnaâ pfftââ His head dropped, body shaking as he let out raspy croaks of laughter. Occasionally his body would spasm and splutter mid-laugh, but otherwise, he was clearly entertained. âCalm doowwwn, Watchie. I didnât mean to. You can get new clothes, youâll be just fine.â He raised his head, now staring at Isaacâs face once more. âDonât be so snappy.â He raised a hand and this time poked the other on the cheek. A snort of amusement coming from him as he did. He really wasnât thinking about the consequences this could lead to.
âMhm hmm. Iâm sure. Iâm sure. But your luck always helps you eventually. You would have survived,â his body went limp again. âWhat did you do to piss it off that badly? Call it ugly?â He was still not taking this seriously.
âIf it helps, youâre comfortable to lean on,â he added. âThatâs one good thing, right?â A few giggles exited him as he spoke.
Well, it wasnât wrong. Isaac hadnât pushed the other away yet, hell, he hadnât even considered it until the mask brought it up. That was quite embarrassing! He simply rolled his eyes at them â whatever. He wasnât going to confirm or deny their suspicions, he wasnât obliged to.
âOh, why would you want to know?â he dryly spoke, averting his eyes from the otherâs â he didnât want to hear the teasing. He had this feeling that this wouldnât be the last time either, what a pain in the ass.
He did not find the whole ordeal funny. He tried to back up a little â to a wall, at least. Just so his hand wonât get sore from keeping both of them up at the same time. Why didnât he just move the mask away? Well, he didnât know. He just let it rest on top of him as he put his back against the nearest wall. His shirt will be going to the trash after this oneâŚ
âOh, so I gotta do all the work?â he scoffed, âAnd now I need a new shirt because of you. I want you to repay me,â that was a semi-joke. He certainly wouldnât mind having a favor being done for him â what would he need, anyway? âAnd Iâll be as âsnappyâ as I want, thanks.â Okay, he was giving attitude now.
He blinked as his cheek was tapped â still overly touchy, nothing had changed. âMy luck isnât as great as you think,â he spoke, huffing as 035 went limp â did he really have to do this..?
What a hassle.
âI didnât do anythingâ heâs just⌠naturally aggressive. Shocked he didnât kill me earlier, though.â He shrugged his shoulders in response, âHow lucky.â
He paused for a few seconds, his arm still somewhat wrapped around them, he wasn't really paying attention to that though.
...Comfortable? Thatâs new. âUh, thanks. I guess.â He wasnât the greatest at replies to things such as these.
035 would have been a lot more touchy if his host wasnât as frail as a twig. He was doing as much as he possibly could though! As much as Watch would let him too. If he was told to fuck off, he would! And hey, when youâre literally laying on top of someone â how much closer can you get? Though, the feeling was practically nothing due to the stage of decay his host was currently in. He could feel very little. But still! He was as close as can be.
âBecause I do. I want to see.â He spoke as if that was an obvious thing. As if Watch was the stupid one for not knowing that.
The mask allowed the other to move, it didnât care too much. Whatever kept them both in a somewhat comfortable way, he supposed! He just lay there, keeping his head lifted in order to keep its gaze on Isaac. âRepay you?â He gave a small head tilt. âCanât tell if you mean that or not. How would I even repay you? Not like I have much to offer.â He responded, chuckling; his tone filled with that of jest. Though, it was true! He had nothing to call his own, really. Not even a body!
âAlright then, you be snappy. Maybe Iâll return the energy.â He would have poked the other again, but it felt like too much effort to move his host into completing the action. So he remained as limp as before. As if a dead body was thrown on top of Watch.
A dead body with a rather lively user!
âIâd say it is, I mean. . I already said my reasons before.â He wasnât bothered to list why his luck was great. His reasons before made enough sense to him!
âMm. Yeah. He is,â the mask agreed, even though he knows heâs hardly ever interacted with 682 before. âIâll get my hands on him eventually! Wouldnât that be sick? Having an immortal host, but itâs like. . . A fucking overgrown crocodile. I think itâs pretty cool.â Seems as if heâs still pretty set on getting 682 as a host.
The mask didnât mind the arm, if anything he loved it! What else was expected? He wasnât going to mention it. He didnât want Watch to move it!
He could already feel the black acid land on his skin, streaming down and tainting his clothes. âMaybe stop being an asshole, thatâs what you owe,â he said jokingly, although his body was still tense â even with all of the time they have spent in the same room. He wasnât big on trust, huh?
âBe snappy all you want, Iâm not stopping you.â He reminded them rather blatantly â an obvious fact. âAnd, careful with your acid. Youâre about to burn all of my clothes offâ that sounds worse than I intended.â He internally facepalmed, âWhatever,â perhaps he should have thought about his wording a little more. Especially with the anomaly on top of himâŚ
Okay, maybe what he said was a little funny out of context. He even let out a small laugh at it.
âItâd be uh, worrying. I donât even want to imagine what youâd do once youâve got your⌠âhandsâ on him.â more like âmaskâ. âThe Foundation would never let you have access to him though. That would be their worst nightmare.â He would be lying if he said he didnât want to see the show.
He straightened his posture just a little bit for personal comfort, his arm still around the other. Youâd think heâd realize but â he was too distracted with the anomalyâs antics to care. âWhy are you always so⌠I donât know. Touchy? All over me?â that sounded stupid. âYou really like complimenting me out of nowhere, too. Is this what you do for entertainment all day?â
He didnât know the other all that well, even after the interview and reviewing their files â if theyâre both going to be stuck in here for however long â might as well make it interestingâŚ
And obviously, he wasnât going to disclose all that much information about himself. He didnât want to trust the SCP.
So, why was he repeating that phrase oh so much if he knew that he wouldnât? He didnât know either.
âIâm not an asshole!â He piped up in defence. âIâm a very. . . Uhhhh. . . Polite and kind person. Mhm-hmm.â He nodded his head, seemingly happy with whatever that answer was. Even though he knew it was definitely not at all true.
âMmmmm, PFFTââ he burst out into a fit of quiet laughter at the slip up. His head dropped, resting on the otherâs chest as he laughed rather than staring at him. âMaybe thatâs not a bad idea.. ââ . . . ââ Iâm joking! Joking. Juuuust messing around.â He had to add that âjokingâ part at the end, he was just extremely amused! His shoulders shook with laughter, but it wasnât very loud. His host was struggling.
Once he actually shut up, he went to reply. It took a moment though; âthe Foundation doesnât need to âlet meâ, Iâll just do it myself! Look how close I couldâa been just there! However, I think heâd be really stubborn and not wear me. .â He hummed, it was probably true. But still! It was definitely possible! And the mask would enjoy having the lizard as a host. âJust imagine the chaos that would ensue though!â
The anomaly seemed to almost hesitate at the question. His head remained somewhat slumped down. âIâm always like this. Duh,â he replied. âI enjoy this sort of thing. Iâd do it with anyone. Doesnât make you special.â It sounded more like he was confirming that to himself more than to Watch. . But it was still a little unnecessary to add. He didnât really. . . Think before he spoke. That was obvious. âYeah. Itâs just for entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less. What else would it be?â
He shook his head side-to-side ever so slightly, the movement was hardly noticeable.
âItâs just . . .â Another pause. What he was going to say didnât feel right. Not to say aloud, so he decided against it. Following the words Isaac had used many times before; â. . nevermind.â
His impolite words before weren't taken back. It sounded like he almost meant them. . . Somewhat. There was still an uncertainty behind his voice in most of it. Hell, even as he spoke ânevermindâ he sounded unsure. As if questioning himself mentally. It was a tone he often didnât use. The mask was always so confident in itself! So confident that what it was saying was right at any given time.
Yet here it just felt. . . Different.
He couldnât explain it.
âJust my host,â he thought to himself. âThatâs all. This will go away when you get a new one. Just like always.â
âYou sound pretty unsure for someone who is set on the idea that theyâre a â quote on quote â âgood personâ.â he chuckled lightly, âBut sure, whatever you say.â He wasnât going to argue with a self-pretentious mask.
He nudged the other as they laughed at his questionable comment, he did not need someone mocking him right now. âYeah, yeah. Keep laughing.â He clicked his tongue, clearly unhappy. Although, the next few words the anomaly spoke caught him off-guard â âWhat the fuck? Noâ?â he retorted, âYou shouldnât make jokes like that, fuckinâ hell.â He roughly poked at the other, furrowing his brows.
âMhm. Doubt heâs going to like the fact his body is being controlled though. Heâll probably crush you to bits if you ever even came nearâŚâ he thought aloud, tapping his fingers on 035âs back mindlessly. âWould be chaotic, as you said.â
Isaac rested his eyes, still listening to them. The unnecessary comment sorta hurt, but he didnât speak out about it. That didnât mean that he couldnât be witty, though. âFor someone who insists Iâm not âspecialâ, you sure do repeat it to yourself quite a bit.â He let out a small laugh, lifting his arm that was previously resting on the otherâs back. âIâm aware, you donât need to tell me that a thousand times.â
He thought that the conversation would end there until 035 kept talking, but it didnât. Peculiar! âOh, itâs just what?â he added in between the otherâs pause â definitely disappointed at the fact he didnât get to know what they were about to say. âCome on, donât leave me on a cliffhanger.â He groaned, complaining.
He knew that even if he pushed â the mask wouldnât budge. But, maybe if he convinced it⌠oh, who was he kidding? It wouldnât work. Even luck canât change some peopleâs minds.
âIt was a good joke,â the mask clearly found itself quite funny. âI was juuust kidding.â The anomaly raised a hand slightly to wave it dismissively. Occasionally, chuckling as he did.
âProbably. Iâm sure I can convince him! But I prefer not being shattered. . Eh, weâll see!â Yeah, he was definitely going to try at some point. Heâs had the idea for a long time! He wasnât letting it go anytime soon and that was obvious.
He huffed at the next thing, and just decided not to answer. For once, he didnât feel the need to snap something sarcastic right back. So he didnât, remaining silent for a few moments. Which may come off as a surprise! He always had some comment to make on anything, especially one such as that. He felt the otherâs arm move, head lifting to glance back for a second.
âI just said nevermind,â he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Clearly uninterested in actually saying what he meant. He felt no need to, and it was definitely hard to convince him into doing something when itâs mind was already set. He was stubborn. Really, really stubborn. âIâm leaving you on a cliffhanger.â
And what was he going to do? Thatâs right! He was going to try to frustrate the other more out of âspiteâ.
âActually, fine,â he sighed. âItâs complicated. . But. .â He trailed off into silence again, holding back a chuckle. â. . Ah, nevermind.â
He cracked up silently to himself, an occasional shake of his body present as he did so.
He was doing this for two reasons. One, to annoy Watch as much as he could. And two, because he also genuinely didnât have an answer to speak out loud. Speaking it out loud made his thoughts seem more real anyways. So he didnât. He didnât want himself thinking that his hostâs feelings were his own.
âSay, was this guy your partner or something? Is that why he seems to like you so much and you wonât push me away?â It was a random question, but he decided heâd ask. Even though Isaac had stated before he didnât know the guy. . . Thatâs not important. Heâd be able to notice if that was true or not here. Heâd just lurk in the otherâs mind and see what he said aloud versus what he thought.
Should work, right? Heâd get the answers he wanted.
He was hoping they knew each other . . . A little.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
That was suspicious. âTo pass the time? Eh, touchĂŠ.â He spoke nonchalantly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. If it really was just nothing, why was it pressing down on that fact so much? It should be obvious, right? It didnât need to âconvince itselfâ if the truth was so plain.
Either way, since when were answers so easy to find?
Watch tilted his head ever so slightly, expecting mockery or the like â yet, nothing. How peculiar! âWhatever you say, 035.â He wasnât going to believe it whole-heartedly, and it was quite obvious why. He didnât seem too keen on changing his mind, it seemed.
As soon as the other pointed out his features, he felt a crash of embarrassment land on him. âIâm not red at all. Why would I be?â right. Just deny everything, thatâll definitely work on a mask with master manipulation skills! Watch internally facepalmed at his own words â not the most believable.
Whatever, he shouldnât care. âArenât you the one being all touchy and such? Iâm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. Emphasis on normalâŚâ he said, sneering at the last words he spoke. âBoth of us? Wow. Glad Iâm not the only one taking the blame, how generous of you.â he added, more sarcasm in his voice â Isaac really was just sarcastic in general.
Watch allowed the other to touch his face⌠surprisingly, although he kept his own hands to himself. He didnât seem too bothered by the SCPâs touchiness either. Perhaps he just wanted to entertain the mask before it lost its host â he kind of felt bad for it. He wasnât supposed to feel sympathy for 035. âGlad you didnât kill me either,â those words werenât completely truthful. One half of him almost wished he didnât wake up from that coma.
Thatâs a topic for another day.
The worst part was, Isaac was practically aware of the fact that the other just saw him as another plaything. Or at least, he thought so. He just didnât care. What was the anomaly going to do? Play with his feelings? No, he made sure to not grow attached to the mask. He wasnât that easy to get.
Right?
He stared at the other, raising a brow. âWhatâs wrong?â
A simple question, but the answer to it was always complex. After all, âloveâ isnât an easy subject even with its abundance.
The anomaly was definitely aware of the otherâs red face. Even as he denied it, the mask wasnât stupid. He could see his face clear as day! âReally?â He spoke mockingly. âYou look quite red. Is it just a trick of the light?â Obviously sarcastic, a chuckle escaping him shortly after.
âI'm not being touchy,â he then scoffed. âWell, maybe only a little bit. But itâs only because of my host. They obviously had a liking towards you.â Sure. He knew Isaac most likely didnât know who this person was . . . And they definitely had no memory of Watch either. Was it a love at first sight kind of deal with this body? Had to be! It couldnât be anything else. The host just liked Watch. Maybe it was a big of a far reach. âYouâre very welcome.â
A distorted gurgle came from deep within the host, exiting through the mask. But he continued on as if nothing happened. It was just a process of decay that he was far too familiar with. âYup! If I did, we wouldnât have had this lovely moment of ours. And I wouldnât have seen you so flustered. Itâs a nice sight, Iâd like to see it more often . .â He uttered, his voice becoming a little quieter. As cocky as usual!
â. . Thereâs nothing wrong,â he responded, shaking its head. âNone of your business either.â A little rude, sure. But he wasnât the type to answer those sort of questions! What was wrong at the moment was his issue and not something he wanted to say out loud. He was a little confusing. Being all flirty then suddenly rude.
There was a tiny pause, and then suddenly the body fell forwards onto Isaac completely. Pressing all of its weight onto him. A curse was mumbled by the mask â was the fall on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. It could easily be because the body was so far rotten. However, he attempted to keep his hand on the others face. But it dropped right after, his arm hanging loosely by his side instead. The muscle was quite shrunken. It was a big difference from when they first met in the room. It just showed the entire process.
âOuch.â He mumbled. At least he didnât need to worry about the acid. Luckily though, he was still able to speak. Which he was thankful for. âCouldâve had a new host by now if you didnât trap us in here.â He joked, head lifting to stare at the other again.
He opened his mouth to talk back, but he decided against it. Just staring at it with a deadpan glare. âMhm,â he confirmed, he wasnât going to admit that he was actually⌠affected by such simple words. He leaned against its hand just slightly, totally not on purpose.
âA little bit? Youâre about to press yourself against me, thatâs not just âa little touchyâ. But sure, Iâll entertain you for this one.â He said flatly, âAnd I donât know this guy. Just say it, you like being all physical with people â even though they clearly didnât ask.â Watch narrowed his eyes at it, clearly talking about the current situation.
He then rolled his eyes at it, he shouldnât be worried about anything. Isaac listened to it and⌠wow. Thatâs, uh, something! His eyes went down as his face flushed and he immediately put his hand over the lower half of his face. âWhat the hell? Be predictable every once in a while.â His voice was muffled, a loud sigh leaving his mouth. UnpredictabilityâŚ
He inhaled and exhaled, he needed to stay calm. He was just giving it the reaction it wanted. He merely nodded, a little⌠weirded out by their defensive demeanor. A little confusing? The SCP was like a puzzle to put back together â he had no clue whether he should act âfriendlyâ or distant. A certain in-between of the two, he supposed.
He let out an abrupt yelp as the mask fell on him, trying to keep his balance â caught off-guard. âFuckâ!â he exclaimed, gripping the edge of the table â anything that was in close range, really. He held the anomalyâs body to prevent its fall, his hand slipping away from the furniture. He took the fall instead, but it could have definitely been worse. Isaac kept his arm around the other while his other hand supported the two, keeping them sat up.
âEver thought of giving me some type of warning?â he spat, furrowing his brows as a frown developed on his features. âYouâre going to get your acid all over meâ I still need my clothes, asshat.â Perhaps that came off a bit too strong, but who could blame him?
He was definitely going to be questioned about this.
âAs I said â wasnât my damn fault. I didnât want to be ripped apart by the big, bad reptile,â he spoke in a sort of jest, a balance between seriousness and comedy.
He shrugged a little. âMaybe I do. And if you didnât like it you would have shoved me away by now,â he glared right back, more out of competition. âYou like it too. Even if you wonât admit it because Iâm an SCP.â He was pretty confident that he was correct on this statement. The way he spoke it alone showed that. He was often confident on what he thought about things.
His opinion was usually one of the best in his eyes!
The mask definitely noticed the flushed expression, his head lifting up to try and see his face better. âI am very predictable! Sometimes. Why are you hiding your face?â He was a little annoyed that he couldn't see the otherâs face, but he wouldnât push too much. He was just trying to see, but not grabbing his hand to move it.
Once he felt the duo fall to the ground, at first a sound of surprise came from him, but then immediately after he let out a bark of laughter. He shouldnât be amused at this, buuut he was! He didnât think that theyâd actually fall. But here they were, on the ground. It was a little funny.
âI didnât know I was gonnaâ pfftââ His head dropped, body shaking as he let out raspy croaks of laughter. Occasionally his body would spasm and splutter mid-laugh, but otherwise, he was clearly entertained. âCalm doowwwn, Watchie. I didnât mean to. You can get new clothes, youâll be just fine.â He raised his head, now staring at Isaacâs face once more. âDonât be so snappy.â He raised a hand and this time poked the other on the cheek. A snort of amusement coming from him as he did. He really wasnât thinking about the consequences this could lead to.
âMhm hmm. Iâm sure. Iâm sure. But your luck always helps you eventually. You would have survived,â his body went limp again. âWhat did you do to piss it off that badly? Call it ugly?â He was still not taking this seriously.
âIf it helps, youâre comfortable to lean on,â he added. âThatâs one good thing, right?â A few giggles exited him as he spoke.
Well, it wasnât wrong. Isaac hadnât pushed the other away yet, hell, he hadnât even considered it until the mask brought it up. That was quite embarrassing! He simply rolled his eyes at them â whatever. He wasnât going to confirm or deny their suspicions, he wasnât obliged to.
âOh, why would you want to know?â he dryly spoke, averting his eyes from the otherâs â he didnât want to hear the teasing. He had this feeling that this wouldnât be the last time either, what a pain in the ass.
He did not find the whole ordeal funny. He tried to back up a little â to a wall, at least. Just so his hand wonât get sore from keeping both of them up at the same time. Why didnât he just move the mask away? Well, he didnât know. He just let it rest on top of him as he put his back against the nearest wall. His shirt will be going to the trash after this oneâŚ
âOh, so I gotta do all the work?â he scoffed, âAnd now I need a new shirt because of you. I want you to repay me,â that was a semi-joke. He certainly wouldnât mind having a favor being done for him â what would he need, anyway? âAnd Iâll be as âsnappyâ as I want, thanks.â Okay, he was giving attitude now.
He blinked as his cheek was tapped â still overly touchy, nothing had changed. âMy luck isnât as great as you think,â he spoke, huffing as 035 went limp â did he really have to do this..?
What a hassle.
âI didnât do anythingâ heâs just⌠naturally aggressive. Shocked he didnât kill me earlier, though.â He shrugged his shoulders in response, âHow lucky.â
He paused for a few seconds, his arm still somewhat wrapped around them, he wasn't really paying attention to that though.
...Comfortable? Thatâs new. âUh, thanks. I guess.â He wasnât the greatest at replies to things such as these.
035 would have been a lot more touchy if his host wasnât as frail as a twig. He was doing as much as he possibly could though! As much as Watch would let him too. If he was told to fuck off, he would! And hey, when youâre literally laying on top of someone â how much closer can you get? Though, the feeling was practically nothing due to the stage of decay his host was currently in. He could feel very little. But still! He was as close as can be.
âBecause I do. I want to see.â He spoke as if that was an obvious thing. As if Watch was the stupid one for not knowing that.
The mask allowed the other to move, it didnât care too much. Whatever kept them both in a somewhat comfortable way, he supposed! He just lay there, keeping his head lifted in order to keep its gaze on Isaac. âRepay you?â He gave a small head tilt. âCanât tell if you mean that or not. How would I even repay you? Not like I have much to offer.â He responded, chuckling; his tone filled with that of jest. Though, it was true! He had nothing to call his own, really. Not even a body!
âAlright then, you be snappy. Maybe Iâll return the energy.â He would have poked the other again, but it felt like too much effort to move his host into completing the action. So he remained as limp as before. As if a dead body was thrown on top of Watch.
A dead body with a rather lively user!
âIâd say it is, I mean. . I already said my reasons before.â He wasnât bothered to list why his luck was great. His reasons before made enough sense to him!
âMm. Yeah. He is,â the mask agreed, even though he knows heâs hardly ever interacted with 682 before. âIâll get my hands on him eventually! Wouldnât that be sick? Having an immortal host, but itâs like. . . A fucking overgrown crocodile. I think itâs pretty cool.â Seems as if heâs still pretty set on getting 682 as a host.
The mask didnât mind the arm, if anything he loved it! What else was expected? He wasnât going to mention it. He didnât want Watch to move it!
He could already feel the black acid land on his skin, streaming down and tainting his clothes. âMaybe stop being an asshole, thatâs what you owe,â he said jokingly, although his body was still tense â even with all of the time they have spent in the same room. He wasnât big on trust, huh?
âBe snappy all you want, Iâm not stopping you.â He reminded them rather blatantly â an obvious fact. âAnd, careful with your acid. Youâre about to burn all of my clothes offâ that sounds worse than I intended.â He internally facepalmed, âWhatever,â perhaps he should have thought about his wording a little more. Especially with the anomaly on top of himâŚ
Okay, maybe what he said was a little funny out of context. He even let out a small laugh at it.
âItâd be uh, worrying. I donât even want to imagine what youâd do once youâve got your⌠âhandsâ on him.â more like âmaskâ. âThe Foundation would never let you have access to him though. That would be their worst nightmare.â He would be lying if he said he didnât want to see the show.
He straightened his posture just a little bit for personal comfort, his arm still around the other. Youâd think heâd realize but â he was too distracted with the anomalyâs antics to care. âWhy are you always so⌠I donât know. Touchy? All over me?â that sounded stupid. âYou really like complimenting me out of nowhere, too. Is this what you do for entertainment all day?â
He didnât know the other all that well, even after the interview and reviewing their files â if theyâre both going to be stuck in here for however long â might as well make it interestingâŚ
And obviously, he wasnât going to disclose all that much information about himself. He didnât want to trust the SCP.
So, why was he repeating that phrase oh so much if he knew that he wouldnât? He didnât know either.
âIâm not an asshole!â He piped up in defence. âIâm a very. . . Uhhhh. . . Polite and kind person. Mhm-hmm.â He nodded his head, seemingly happy with whatever that answer was. Even though he knew it was definitely not at all true.
âMmmmm, PFFTââ he burst out into a fit of quiet laughter at the slip up. His head dropped, resting on the otherâs chest as he laughed rather than staring at him. âMaybe thatâs not a bad idea.. ââ . . . ââ Iâm joking! Joking. Juuuust messing around.â He had to add that âjokingâ part at the end, he was just extremely amused! His shoulders shook with laughter, but it wasnât very loud. His host was struggling.
Once he actually shut up, he went to reply. It took a moment though; âthe Foundation doesnât need to âlet meâ, Iâll just do it myself! Look how close I couldâa been just there! However, I think heâd be really stubborn and not wear me. .â He hummed, it was probably true. But still! It was definitely possible! And the mask would enjoy having the lizard as a host. âJust imagine the chaos that would ensue though!â
The anomaly seemed to almost hesitate at the question. His head remained somewhat slumped down. âIâm always like this. Duh,â he replied. âI enjoy this sort of thing. Iâd do it with anyone. Doesnât make you special.â It sounded more like he was confirming that to himself more than to Watch. . But it was still a little unnecessary to add. He didnât really. . . Think before he spoke. That was obvious. âYeah. Itâs just for entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less. What else would it be?â
He shook his head side-to-side ever so slightly, the movement was hardly noticeable.
âItâs just . . .â Another pause. What he was going to say didnât feel right. Not to say aloud, so he decided against it. Following the words Isaac had used many times before; â. . nevermind.â
His impolite words before weren't taken back. It sounded like he almost meant them. . . Somewhat. There was still an uncertainty behind his voice in most of it. Hell, even as he spoke ânevermindâ he sounded unsure. As if questioning himself mentally. It was a tone he often didnât use. The mask was always so confident in itself! So confident that what it was saying was right at any given time.
Yet here it just felt. . . Different.
He couldnât explain it.
âJust my host,â he thought to himself. âThatâs all. This will go away when you get a new one. Just like always.â
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
That was suspicious. âTo pass the time? Eh, touchĂŠ.â He spoke nonchalantly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. If it really was just nothing, why was it pressing down on that fact so much? It should be obvious, right? It didnât need to âconvince itselfâ if the truth was so plain.
Either way, since when were answers so easy to find?
Watch tilted his head ever so slightly, expecting mockery or the like â yet, nothing. How peculiar! âWhatever you say, 035.â He wasnât going to believe it whole-heartedly, and it was quite obvious why. He didnât seem too keen on changing his mind, it seemed.
As soon as the other pointed out his features, he felt a crash of embarrassment land on him. âIâm not red at all. Why would I be?â right. Just deny everything, thatâll definitely work on a mask with master manipulation skills! Watch internally facepalmed at his own words â not the most believable.
Whatever, he shouldnât care. âArenât you the one being all touchy and such? Iâm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. Emphasis on normalâŚâ he said, sneering at the last words he spoke. âBoth of us? Wow. Glad Iâm not the only one taking the blame, how generous of you.â he added, more sarcasm in his voice â Isaac really was just sarcastic in general.
Watch allowed the other to touch his face⌠surprisingly, although he kept his own hands to himself. He didnât seem too bothered by the SCPâs touchiness either. Perhaps he just wanted to entertain the mask before it lost its host â he kind of felt bad for it. He wasnât supposed to feel sympathy for 035. âGlad you didnât kill me either,â those words werenât completely truthful. One half of him almost wished he didnât wake up from that coma.
Thatâs a topic for another day.
The worst part was, Isaac was practically aware of the fact that the other just saw him as another plaything. Or at least, he thought so. He just didnât care. What was the anomaly going to do? Play with his feelings? No, he made sure to not grow attached to the mask. He wasnât that easy to get.
Right?
He stared at the other, raising a brow. âWhatâs wrong?â
A simple question, but the answer to it was always complex. After all, âloveâ isnât an easy subject even with its abundance.
The anomaly was definitely aware of the otherâs red face. Even as he denied it, the mask wasnât stupid. He could see his face clear as day! âReally?â He spoke mockingly. âYou look quite red. Is it just a trick of the light?â Obviously sarcastic, a chuckle escaping him shortly after.
âI'm not being touchy,â he then scoffed. âWell, maybe only a little bit. But itâs only because of my host. They obviously had a liking towards you.â Sure. He knew Isaac most likely didnât know who this person was . . . And they definitely had no memory of Watch either. Was it a love at first sight kind of deal with this body? Had to be! It couldnât be anything else. The host just liked Watch. Maybe it was a big of a far reach. âYouâre very welcome.â
A distorted gurgle came from deep within the host, exiting through the mask. But he continued on as if nothing happened. It was just a process of decay that he was far too familiar with. âYup! If I did, we wouldnât have had this lovely moment of ours. And I wouldnât have seen you so flustered. Itâs a nice sight, Iâd like to see it more often . .â He uttered, his voice becoming a little quieter. As cocky as usual!
â. . Thereâs nothing wrong,â he responded, shaking its head. âNone of your business either.â A little rude, sure. But he wasnât the type to answer those sort of questions! What was wrong at the moment was his issue and not something he wanted to say out loud. He was a little confusing. Being all flirty then suddenly rude.
There was a tiny pause, and then suddenly the body fell forwards onto Isaac completely. Pressing all of its weight onto him. A curse was mumbled by the mask â was the fall on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. It could easily be because the body was so far rotten. However, he attempted to keep his hand on the others face. But it dropped right after, his arm hanging loosely by his side instead. The muscle was quite shrunken. It was a big difference from when they first met in the room. It just showed the entire process.
âOuch.â He mumbled. At least he didnât need to worry about the acid. Luckily though, he was still able to speak. Which he was thankful for. âCouldâve had a new host by now if you didnât trap us in here.â He joked, head lifting to stare at the other again.
He opened his mouth to talk back, but he decided against it. Just staring at it with a deadpan glare. âMhm,â he confirmed, he wasnât going to admit that he was actually⌠affected by such simple words. He leaned against its hand just slightly, totally not on purpose.
âA little bit? Youâre about to press yourself against me, thatâs not just âa little touchyâ. But sure, Iâll entertain you for this one.â He said flatly, âAnd I donât know this guy. Just say it, you like being all physical with people â even though they clearly didnât ask.â Watch narrowed his eyes at it, clearly talking about the current situation.
He then rolled his eyes at it, he shouldnât be worried about anything. Isaac listened to it and⌠wow. Thatâs, uh, something! His eyes went down as his face flushed and he immediately put his hand over the lower half of his face. âWhat the hell? Be predictable every once in a while.â His voice was muffled, a loud sigh leaving his mouth. UnpredictabilityâŚ
He inhaled and exhaled, he needed to stay calm. He was just giving it the reaction it wanted. He merely nodded, a little⌠weirded out by their defensive demeanor. A little confusing? The SCP was like a puzzle to put back together â he had no clue whether he should act âfriendlyâ or distant. A certain in-between of the two, he supposed.
He let out an abrupt yelp as the mask fell on him, trying to keep his balance â caught off-guard. âFuckâ!â he exclaimed, gripping the edge of the table â anything that was in close range, really. He held the anomalyâs body to prevent its fall, his hand slipping away from the furniture. He took the fall instead, but it could have definitely been worse. Isaac kept his arm around the other while his other hand supported the two, keeping them sat up.
âEver thought of giving me some type of warning?â he spat, furrowing his brows as a frown developed on his features. âYouâre going to get your acid all over meâ I still need my clothes, asshat.â Perhaps that came off a bit too strong, but who could blame him?
He was definitely going to be questioned about this.
âAs I said â wasnât my damn fault. I didnât want to be ripped apart by the big, bad reptile,â he spoke in a sort of jest, a balance between seriousness and comedy.
He shrugged a little. âMaybe I do. And if you didnât like it you would have shoved me away by now,â he glared right back, more out of competition. âYou like it too. Even if you wonât admit it because Iâm an SCP.â He was pretty confident that he was correct on this statement. The way he spoke it alone showed that. He was often confident on what he thought about things.
His opinion was usually one of the best in his eyes!
The mask definitely noticed the flushed expression, his head lifting up to try and see his face better. âI am very predictable! Sometimes. Why are you hiding your face?â He was a little annoyed that he couldn't see the otherâs face, but he wouldnât push too much. He was just trying to see, but not grabbing his hand to move it.
Once he felt the duo fall to the ground, at first a sound of surprise came from him, but then immediately after he let out a bark of laughter. He shouldnât be amused at this, buuut he was! He didnât think that theyâd actually fall. But here they were, on the ground. It was a little funny.
âI didnât know I was gonnaâ pfftââ His head dropped, body shaking as he let out raspy croaks of laughter. Occasionally his body would spasm and splutter mid-laugh, but otherwise, he was clearly entertained. âCalm doowwwn, Watchie. I didnât mean to. You can get new clothes, youâll be just fine.â He raised his head, now staring at Isaacâs face once more. âDonât be so snappy.â He raised a hand and this time poked the other on the cheek. A snort of amusement coming from him as he did. He really wasnât thinking about the consequences this could lead to.
âMhm hmm. Iâm sure. Iâm sure. But your luck always helps you eventually. You would have survived,â his body went limp again. âWhat did you do to piss it off that badly? Call it ugly?â He was still not taking this seriously.
âIf it helps, youâre comfortable to lean on,â he added. âThatâs one good thing, right?â A few giggles exited him as he spoke.
Well, it wasnât wrong. Isaac hadnât pushed the other away yet, hell, he hadnât even considered it until the mask brought it up. That was quite embarrassing! He simply rolled his eyes at them â whatever. He wasnât going to confirm or deny their suspicions, he wasnât obliged to.
âOh, why would you want to know?â he dryly spoke, averting his eyes from the otherâs â he didnât want to hear the teasing. He had this feeling that this wouldnât be the last time either, what a pain in the ass.
He did not find the whole ordeal funny. He tried to back up a little â to a wall, at least. Just so his hand wonât get sore from keeping both of them up at the same time. Why didnât he just move the mask away? Well, he didnât know. He just let it rest on top of him as he put his back against the nearest wall. His shirt will be going to the trash after this oneâŚ
âOh, so I gotta do all the work?â he scoffed, âAnd now I need a new shirt because of you. I want you to repay me,â that was a semi-joke. He certainly wouldnât mind having a favor being done for him â what would he need, anyway? âAnd Iâll be as âsnappyâ as I want, thanks.â Okay, he was giving attitude now.
He blinked as his cheek was tapped â still overly touchy, nothing had changed. âMy luck isnât as great as you think,â he spoke, huffing as 035 went limp â did he really have to do this..?
What a hassle.
âI didnât do anythingâ heâs just⌠naturally aggressive. Shocked he didnât kill me earlier, though.â He shrugged his shoulders in response, âHow lucky.â
He paused for a few seconds, his arm still somewhat wrapped around them, he wasn't really paying attention to that though.
...Comfortable? Thatâs new. âUh, thanks. I guess.â He wasnât the greatest at replies to things such as these.
035 would have been a lot more touchy if his host wasnât as frail as a twig. He was doing as much as he possibly could though! As much as Watch would let him too. If he was told to fuck off, he would! And hey, when youâre literally laying on top of someone â how much closer can you get? Though, the feeling was practically nothing due to the stage of decay his host was currently in. He could feel very little. But still! He was as close as can be.
âBecause I do. I want to see.â He spoke as if that was an obvious thing. As if Watch was the stupid one for not knowing that.
The mask allowed the other to move, it didnât care too much. Whatever kept them both in a somewhat comfortable way, he supposed! He just lay there, keeping his head lifted in order to keep its gaze on Isaac. âRepay you?â He gave a small head tilt. âCanât tell if you mean that or not. How would I even repay you? Not like I have much to offer.â He responded, chuckling; his tone filled with that of jest. Though, it was true! He had nothing to call his own, really. Not even a body!
âAlright then, you be snappy. Maybe Iâll return the energy.â He would have poked the other again, but it felt like too much effort to move his host into completing the action. So he remained as limp as before. As if a dead body was thrown on top of Watch.
A dead body with a rather lively user!
âIâd say it is, I mean. . I already said my reasons before.â He wasnât bothered to list why his luck was great. His reasons before made enough sense to him!
âMm. Yeah. He is,â the mask agreed, even though he knows heâs hardly ever interacted with 682 before. âIâll get my hands on him eventually! Wouldnât that be sick? Having an immortal host, but itâs like. . . A fucking overgrown crocodile. I think itâs pretty cool.â Seems as if heâs still pretty set on getting 682 as a host.
The mask didnât mind the arm, if anything he loved it! What else was expected? He wasnât going to mention it. He didnât want Watch to move it!
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
That was suspicious. âTo pass the time? Eh, touchĂŠ.â He spoke nonchalantly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. If it really was just nothing, why was it pressing down on that fact so much? It should be obvious, right? It didnât need to âconvince itselfâ if the truth was so plain.
Either way, since when were answers so easy to find?
Watch tilted his head ever so slightly, expecting mockery or the like â yet, nothing. How peculiar! âWhatever you say, 035.â He wasnât going to believe it whole-heartedly, and it was quite obvious why. He didnât seem too keen on changing his mind, it seemed.
As soon as the other pointed out his features, he felt a crash of embarrassment land on him. âIâm not red at all. Why would I be?â right. Just deny everything, thatâll definitely work on a mask with master manipulation skills! Watch internally facepalmed at his own words â not the most believable.
Whatever, he shouldnât care. âArenât you the one being all touchy and such? Iâm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. Emphasis on normalâŚâ he said, sneering at the last words he spoke. âBoth of us? Wow. Glad Iâm not the only one taking the blame, how generous of you.â he added, more sarcasm in his voice â Isaac really was just sarcastic in general.
Watch allowed the other to touch his face⌠surprisingly, although he kept his own hands to himself. He didnât seem too bothered by the SCPâs touchiness either. Perhaps he just wanted to entertain the mask before it lost its host â he kind of felt bad for it. He wasnât supposed to feel sympathy for 035. âGlad you didnât kill me either,â those words werenât completely truthful. One half of him almost wished he didnât wake up from that coma.
Thatâs a topic for another day.
The worst part was, Isaac was practically aware of the fact that the other just saw him as another plaything. Or at least, he thought so. He just didnât care. What was the anomaly going to do? Play with his feelings? No, he made sure to not grow attached to the mask. He wasnât that easy to get.
Right?
He stared at the other, raising a brow. âWhatâs wrong?â
A simple question, but the answer to it was always complex. After all, âloveâ isnât an easy subject even with its abundance.
The anomaly was definitely aware of the otherâs red face. Even as he denied it, the mask wasnât stupid. He could see his face clear as day! âReally?â He spoke mockingly. âYou look quite red. Is it just a trick of the light?â Obviously sarcastic, a chuckle escaping him shortly after.
âI'm not being touchy,â he then scoffed. âWell, maybe only a little bit. But itâs only because of my host. They obviously had a liking towards you.â Sure. He knew Isaac most likely didnât know who this person was . . . And they definitely had no memory of Watch either. Was it a love at first sight kind of deal with this body? Had to be! It couldnât be anything else. The host just liked Watch. Maybe it was a big of a far reach. âYouâre very welcome.â
A distorted gurgle came from deep within the host, exiting through the mask. But he continued on as if nothing happened. It was just a process of decay that he was far too familiar with. âYup! If I did, we wouldnât have had this lovely moment of ours. And I wouldnât have seen you so flustered. Itâs a nice sight, Iâd like to see it more often . .â He uttered, his voice becoming a little quieter. As cocky as usual!
â. . Thereâs nothing wrong,â he responded, shaking its head. âNone of your business either.â A little rude, sure. But he wasnât the type to answer those sort of questions! What was wrong at the moment was his issue and not something he wanted to say out loud. He was a little confusing. Being all flirty then suddenly rude.
There was a tiny pause, and then suddenly the body fell forwards onto Isaac completely. Pressing all of its weight onto him. A curse was mumbled by the mask â was the fall on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. It could easily be because the body was so far rotten. However, he attempted to keep his hand on the others face. But it dropped right after, his arm hanging loosely by his side instead. The muscle was quite shrunken. It was a big difference from when they first met in the room. It just showed the entire process.
âOuch.â He mumbled. At least he didnât need to worry about the acid. Luckily though, he was still able to speak. Which he was thankful for. âCouldâve had a new host by now if you didnât trap us in here.â He joked, head lifting to stare at the other again.
He opened his mouth to talk back, but he decided against it. Just staring at it with a deadpan glare. âMhm,â he confirmed, he wasnât going to admit that he was actually⌠affected by such simple words. He leaned against its hand just slightly, totally not on purpose.
âA little bit? Youâre about to press yourself against me, thatâs not just âa little touchyâ. But sure, Iâll entertain you for this one.â He said flatly, âAnd I donât know this guy. Just say it, you like being all physical with people â even though they clearly didnât ask.â Watch narrowed his eyes at it, clearly talking about the current situation.
He then rolled his eyes at it, he shouldnât be worried about anything. Isaac listened to it and⌠wow. Thatâs, uh, something! His eyes went down as his face flushed and he immediately put his hand over the lower half of his face. âWhat the hell? Be predictable every once in a while.â His voice was muffled, a loud sigh leaving his mouth. UnpredictabilityâŚ
He inhaled and exhaled, he needed to stay calm. He was just giving it the reaction it wanted. He merely nodded, a little⌠weirded out by their defensive demeanor. A little confusing? The SCP was like a puzzle to put back together â he had no clue whether he should act âfriendlyâ or distant. A certain in-between of the two, he supposed.
He let out an abrupt yelp as the mask fell on him, trying to keep his balance â caught off-guard. âFuckâ!â he exclaimed, gripping the edge of the table â anything that was in close range, really. He held the anomalyâs body to prevent its fall, his hand slipping away from the furniture. He took the fall instead, but it could have definitely been worse. Isaac kept his arm around the other while his other hand supported the two, keeping them sat up.
âEver thought of giving me some type of warning?â he spat, furrowing his brows as a frown developed on his features. âYouâre going to get your acid all over meâ I still need my clothes, asshat.â Perhaps that came off a bit too strong, but who could blame him?
He was definitely going to be questioned about this.
âAs I said â wasnât my damn fault. I didnât want to be ripped apart by the big, bad reptile,â he spoke in a sort of jest, a balance between seriousness and comedy.
He shrugged a little. âMaybe I do. And if you didnât like it you would have shoved me away by now,â he glared right back, more out of competition. âYou like it too. Even if you wonât admit it because Iâm an SCP.â He was pretty confident that he was correct on this statement. The way he spoke it alone showed that. He was often confident on what he thought about things.
His opinion was usually one of the best in his eyes!
The mask definitely noticed the flushed expression, his head lifting up to try and see his face better. âI am very predictable! Sometimes. Why are you hiding your face?â He was a little annoyed that he couldn't see the otherâs face, but he wouldnât push too much. He was just trying to see, but not grabbing his hand to move it.
Once he felt the duo fall to the ground, at first a sound of surprise came from him, but then immediately after he let out a bark of laughter. He shouldnât be amused at this, buuut he was! He didnât think that theyâd actually fall. But here they were, on the ground. It was a little funny.
âI didnât know I was gonnaâ pfftââ His head dropped, body shaking as he let out raspy croaks of laughter. Occasionally his body would spasm and splutter mid-laugh, but otherwise, he was clearly entertained. âCalm doowwwn, Watchie. I didnât mean to. You can get new clothes, youâll be just fine.â He raised his head, now staring at Isaacâs face once more. âDonât be so snappy.â He raised a hand and this time poked the other on the cheek. A snort of amusement coming from him as he did. He really wasnât thinking about the consequences this could lead to.
âMhm hmm. Iâm sure. Iâm sure. But your luck always helps you eventually. You would have survived,â his body went limp again. âWhat did you do to piss it off that badly? Call it ugly?â He was still not taking this seriously.
âIf it helps, youâre comfortable to lean on,â he added. âThatâs one good thing, right?â A few giggles exited him as he spoke.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
That was suspicious. âTo pass the time? Eh, touchĂŠ.â He spoke nonchalantly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. If it really was just nothing, why was it pressing down on that fact so much? It should be obvious, right? It didnât need to âconvince itselfâ if the truth was so plain.
Either way, since when were answers so easy to find?
Watch tilted his head ever so slightly, expecting mockery or the like â yet, nothing. How peculiar! âWhatever you say, 035.â He wasnât going to believe it whole-heartedly, and it was quite obvious why. He didnât seem too keen on changing his mind, it seemed.
As soon as the other pointed out his features, he felt a crash of embarrassment land on him. âIâm not red at all. Why would I be?â right. Just deny everything, thatâll definitely work on a mask with master manipulation skills! Watch internally facepalmed at his own words â not the most believable.
Whatever, he shouldnât care. âArenât you the one being all touchy and such? Iâm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. Emphasis on normalâŚâ he said, sneering at the last words he spoke. âBoth of us? Wow. Glad Iâm not the only one taking the blame, how generous of you.â he added, more sarcasm in his voice â Isaac really was just sarcastic in general.
Watch allowed the other to touch his face⌠surprisingly, although he kept his own hands to himself. He didnât seem too bothered by the SCPâs touchiness either. Perhaps he just wanted to entertain the mask before it lost its host â he kind of felt bad for it. He wasnât supposed to feel sympathy for 035. âGlad you didnât kill me either,â those words werenât completely truthful. One half of him almost wished he didnât wake up from that coma.
Thatâs a topic for another day.
The worst part was, Isaac was practically aware of the fact that the other just saw him as another plaything. Or at least, he thought so. He just didnât care. What was the anomaly going to do? Play with his feelings? No, he made sure to not grow attached to the mask. He wasnât that easy to get.
Right?
He stared at the other, raising a brow. âWhatâs wrong?â
A simple question, but the answer to it was always complex. After all, âloveâ isnât an easy subject even with its abundance.
The anomaly was definitely aware of the otherâs red face. Even as he denied it, the mask wasnât stupid. He could see his face clear as day! âReally?â He spoke mockingly. âYou look quite red. Is it just a trick of the light?â Obviously sarcastic, a chuckle escaping him shortly after.
âI'm not being touchy,â he then scoffed. âWell, maybe only a little bit. But itâs only because of my host. They obviously had a liking towards you.â Sure. He knew Isaac most likely didnât know who this person was . . . And they definitely had no memory of Watch either. Was it a love at first sight kind of deal with this body? Had to be! It couldnât be anything else. The host just liked Watch. Maybe it was a big of a far reach. âYouâre very welcome.â
A distorted gurgle came from deep within the host, exiting through the mask. But he continued on as if nothing happened. It was just a process of decay that he was far too familiar with. âYup! If I did, we wouldnât have had this lovely moment of ours. And I wouldnât have seen you so flustered. Itâs a nice sight, Iâd like to see it more often . .â He uttered, his voice becoming a little quieter. As cocky as usual!
â. . Thereâs nothing wrong,â he responded, shaking its head. âNone of your business either.â A little rude, sure. But he wasnât the type to answer those sort of questions! What was wrong at the moment was his issue and not something he wanted to say out loud. He was a little confusing. Being all flirty then suddenly rude.
There was a tiny pause, and then suddenly the body fell forwards onto Isaac completely. Pressing all of its weight onto him. A curse was mumbled by the mask â was the fall on purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. It could easily be because the body was so far rotten. However, he attempted to keep his hand on the others face. But it dropped right after, his arm hanging loosely by his side instead. The muscle was quite shrunken. It was a big difference from when they first met in the room. It just showed the entire process.
âOuch.â He mumbled. At least he didnât need to worry about the acid. Luckily though, he was still able to speak. Which he was thankful for. âCouldâve had a new host by now if you didnât trap us in here.â He joked, head lifting to stare at the other again.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
Not much time, huh? Especially with the hostâs state⌠falling apart on the spot. He tried to ignore it all, though. He wasnât in the mood to feel disgusted. Isaac tapped his feet, thinking. âWell, youâre definitely not an exampleâŚâ he chuckled, sort of light-hearted.
Now, Watch wasnât the most physically affectionate person â hell, he never liked physicality all that much. But this was⌠okay. He wasnât going to push it away, he couldnât⌠for some odd reason. He kind of⌠froze on the spot. âWasnât expecting this much love..?â sounded like a question more than a remark.
Man, he really was awkward.
Isaacâs muscles stiffened as he felt the other caress his cheek â his face felt warm again. This didnât mean anything though, he was just not used to the whole touchy thing! Totally. TotallyâŚ
He wasnât going to âfallâ for the SCPâs charms, that was a promise to himself. Would he truly be able to keep it, though?
Thatâll be answered later on, he supposed.
No, wait, itâs supposed to be a definite âNoâ. Not a âmaybeâ. Was he contradicting himself? Perhaps the mask was altering his pattern of thinking. He shouldnât be worrying about any of this.
âŚOh. A random comment about his skinâ softness? Huh. ââŚAt least the skincare is working,â he added jokingly. He wasnât moving back anymore, he just stood still. âI donât need your empty compliments, though.â He coldly stated, regaining control over his actions â composure. He was being too easily moved by the anomaly.
That wasnât going to happen.
âFeel free to call me an idiot or whatever, youâre the one talking to me.â He continued speaking, averting his eyes once again. He was still blushing, he felt âflusteredâ, if you will. He really wasnât accustomed to the amount of attention being dumped on him.
He brought back his attention to the otherâs features once again â another question asked out of concern. How was he supposed to respond? âUh. Itâs fine. You donât need to worry,â he gave a blunt reply, he didnât need to go into detail. He wasnât forced to, nor did he want to.
â. . .â There was a small silence from the mask, head tilting down slightly. âWell, uh. . Itâs just to pass the time.â He sort of shied away from the âloveâ thing. While yes, heâs had a lot of experience with relationships and such? Love wasnât his thing. He just didnât feel it. He was positive he never did and never will. Thatâs how heâs always been. He was always cold and dismissive of others. Yet here he was, drawn to someone and constantly reminding himself that it was âjust to pass the timeâ or âsimply his host.â
Fuuuck.
A light laugh came from the mask at the joke. âMhm-hmm,â however, he shook his head at the next thing. âTheyâre not empty.â He mumbled, more to himself than to Watch. Then spoke louder; âsee them however you want to see them. Theyâre compliments nonetheless.â
He definitely noticed the redness upon Isaacâs face, a temptation to tease overcoming him. âLooking a bit red there, Watch. You alright?â He spoke, voice having a taunting tone to it. Mischievous, of course. When was he not? Heâd jump at any opportunity to tease.
âYouâre talking to me too,â even though 035 was the one making clear advances. . . Just to pass the time. Thatâs all it was. He wasnât genuinely interested in the other. Of course not! Thatâs absurd. âWeâre both idiots, I guess.â
The others blunt replies didnât shake 035. Even though he paused at them, he always shrugged it off and continued what he was doing. âAlright, whatever you say.â
Time was running out. And the mask knew that. He hated his acid at a moment such as this. It was limiting his chance to enjoy this. It was taking it away. Eating away at his time as well as his bones. âIâm glad I didnât kill you.â He randomly admitted aloud, it sounded genuine. It sounded as if he meant it. Why did he care for this moment?
Who knows.
035 didnât care. He wasnât supposed to. He never cared about anyone before. . Not like this, anyways.
Why did this have to happen now? It was making him question himself. Confusing him. What were these foreign emotions entering his mind? He didnât like this. This was something new. Something he'd have to figure out by himself.
It couldnât be love. He knew that. He was certain of that. He always had been. This was just like the rest. To satisfy his eternal hunger to entertain himself. Thatâs all it was. Thatâs all it could be. Watch was just another plaything. He was just another stupid person thatâd be forgotten by 035 eventually.
Right?
He had to be.
â. . . What is going on.â He muttered to himself. Head turned down.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
âNot surprised,â he clicked his tongue, shooting a deadpan expression. âYou think there are caring people in this facility? What a jokeâŚâ he threw a snarky remark, as usual. Watch generally disliked most people in the Foundation. ââŚBeats me. I wasnât expecting this either. Wasnât even on purposeâŚâ he added.
He paused at the question â what else could he possibly survive, right? âI wouldnât consider any of this lucky. I might as well have died in that 682 breach â but oh well. Iâm here now,â he blatantly admitted, careless. âAnomalous? âŚNice one. I hope the fuck not.â mostly due to the fact he didnât want to become a lab rat for the Foundation.
Besides, he was already working under them unwillingly. Becoming a slave for them would be⌠horrible, to say the least.
He shook the thoughts away, this wasn't the time to be thinking about the more serious consequences. He could simply keep it all under wraps. Not like anyone was watching them, right? He continued to listen to the otherâs shenanigans, heâll have to deal with this for a while more. ââConnectedâ is not the right word. But, sure,â he shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to give much of a reaction.
He had, in fact, caught onto the abrupt sentence in between. He had to fight back a smile, he didnât know why.
âAm I human? Uh.â he let out a soft breath of laughter, âThatâs a ridiculous question. You can answer that yourself,â he was very obviously human â right? Surely, he was. He had human skin, organs⌠he also functioned quite literally the same as humans did â he was just⌠very unluckily lucky. That was the perfect term for him.
Watch paused as the otherâs sudden question popped up. His face? Why wouldâ âWhy would you want to do that?â he asked, although a little too late as he felt the anomaly's hand hold his face. He pressed his lips together, what an awkward position to be placed in!
The redness on his face did NOT help either. How disappointing!
âNo, not really. Considering what you all do.â He responded with a small roll of his eyes. More playful than anything else, really. âMm. Well, itâs good to know! Isnât it? This may be why you survived my first attack, actually. . .â He tapped his chin, nodding. That made sense. Usually people were killed the moment an attack like that occured. Yet Watch escaped unscathed, apart from a coma, of course. That was unlucky.
âYouâre here because youâre lucky,â the mask insisted, followed by a small stumble. His host was . . Uh . . . Not doing too well, thatâs for sure. It was more skin and bone than anything else. The flesh was melting off, and a pool of acid and blood was pooling by both their feet.
âI know itâs a ridiculous question, but itâs a genuine one. âHumansâ donât just . . Wipe acid off of their hands without a mark. Iâm sure thereâs lots of non-human things that look and act like people. Take me for example. . ! . . . Kind of.â Maybe not. Sure, he had the body of a human â but he was far from human. Even going off just the way he acted, âpeopleâ didnât act like him.
Now with his hand resting on the otherâs face, he returned to leaning a little against Watch, not as much as before. Less careful now, he didnât have to be cautious! He was now aware that the acid wouldnât hurt him. Which was an absolutely amazing thing for the mask to know of. He was definitely not leaving the other alone after this. No way! This was the beginning.
âWhy? I dunno,â he shrugged, he was acting really normal about this. Maybe a bit much so. . âI like your face, idiot. Iâve said this already. Many, many times.â He chuckled lightly. âIdiotâ was spoken in a playful manner, not a word of insult. Something Watch would have to come to learn about 035! He used it in an affectionate way! His thumb moved up and down slightly, gently rubbing the otherâs cheek. Then went on to say the most random sentence; â. . . your skin is soft.â
He was full of random things like that, he was speaking his mind! Telling the things he noticed! He had to point it out, especially with how close they were at the moment. And to be fair, he didnât really want to fall into too much silence this time.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
Of course, there weren't any answers. He truly was just clueless about everything happening. Sure, the fact he somehow survived each anomalous encounter was something curious but⌠actually, maybe he was just like the SCPs. Maybe all of this didnât need an explanation.
âYouâve got that right,â he was still witty as ever. âYeah. Of course, Iâm going to say if it hurts,â he paused briefly, hold on. âUm, youâre being oddly caring for someone who doesnât care about anyone.â He joked â the tone of vague mockery, he found the situation just a little amusing.
âI know, fuckinâ Christ⌠good thing those cameras arenât working anymore â right?â he cocked a brow, an attempt at receiving reassurance from the other â anything could have happened, after all. Meanwhile, Watch looked at his wrist, remarking the smudges of acid circling all around it â a little red from the anomalyâs force as well.
âA- A sign? No, I donât think so⌠Iâm sure thereâs another SCP with black acid oozing from their face.â a tad bit sarcastic, but he sure as hell was hoping there was some truth to his statement â he didnât want this to be âfateâ. Well⌠actually, maybe he didnât care all that much.
The whole breach thing must be messing with his head. Huh, maybe he has gone crazy or something. Thatâd be more probable than whatever is happening at the moment.
ââŚDifferent. Whatever you say, but uh, I donât think so. This could have happened to anyone else. Didnât need to be me necessarily,â he scratched his arm, blinking as he stepped backward. âIâm not sure whether you got lucky or if I got unlucky â again.â He added, âProbably both,â he uttered, a sigh leaving his lips while he spoke the last few words.
He had a feeling that the SCP wasnât going to leave him alone after this.
He shrugged his shoulders at the mention of him caring. So, he decided to come off as cold. âI donât care,â spoken bluntly. âMy host was a caring person before, it seems. Iâm more confused on how youâre not. . . Yâknow, melting.â He shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he spoke.
The anomalyâs head turned to the camera stationed in the far right corner of the room, it was still dead. Turned to the ground and unmoving. Occasionally a spark or two coming from the wires at the back. Yeah, the mask had definitely fucked them up. Theyâd need a good bit of maintenance before getting back into working order. âMm. Youâre just one lucky fucker, arenât you? Everything seems to go the right way for you. You survive every attack, no matter the odds, you survive my acid somehow too! What else?â He laughed. âAt this point Iâd assume youâre anomalous too.â
He was actually thinking about that now. Was Watch secretly anomalous? He didnât seem to know himself, oh well. The possibilities were endless in a world like this. Anything was possible!
âItâs a sign that weâre like . . . Connected! You know?â Maybe that wasnât the right word, but still. âYouâre immune to my acid. That means I donât have to worry â not that I would worry â about hurting you.â He had to add that little bit in between, just to show that he doesnât care. Definitely not. Mhm-hmm.
âWhat do you mean it could have happened to anyone? Watch. Every person, or almost every person who I have met who come into contact with my acid have died. Youâre like. . . The first human to survive,â he then stopped. âActually. Are you even human?â
The mask kept its gaze on Watch again â then, his idea from before came into play. âCan I touch your face?â He asked, then, without waiting for an answer; the less mutilated hand spread forwards to practically hold the side of Watchâs face. He wasnât sure where the urge to do so came from, but either way, he had given into it. He wouldnât mind if Watch slapped his hand away though, the mask often invaded people's personal space to satisfy his own hunger for touch and affection.
It was a bad habit, really. Most people died upon him doing so anyway.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
His eyes lifted to look at the other â surprised by the sudden worry the mask displayed. Again, he wasnât completely sure whether they were actually concerned or not. âI, uhâŚâ he wanted to come up with a possible explanation, but he couldnât. Something was clearly wrong. âI donât know why it doesnât hurtââ he winced at the gripâs tightness.
His hand twitched ever so slightly, Isaac was clearly uneasy. It felt as if his blood circulation was about to get cut off â trying to pull his hand away from the mask. âI donât know, how would you want me to explain?â he huffed, glancing at his sleeve.
It was very well acid â but, why was it just laying on his hand? Wasnât it supposed to be corroding his flesh by this point?
âIf you think I know anything, youâre very wrong.â he asserted, âWhat the fuckâŚâ he spoke as low as a whisper, trying to wrap his head around what was currently happening. This shouldnât be happening. âHold on,â he said as he reluctantly touched the otherâs arm, acid coating his digits. Nothing at all.
âHoly shit.â
He was doubtful, but he couldnât really deny what he was seeing. After all, itâs not like this was a game. He carefully stepped back, widened eyes gazing at the anomaly. Words couldnât describe how he felt at this point. Relief for the fact his skin would stay intact? Or fear due to the fact the Foundation could very well classify him as an SCP for this? Heâll decide when he gets there, he supposed.
There were many questions, but very few answers. Hell, none at all to be completely honest.
However, it felt nice to see 035 care for him â whether it was genuine or not didnât matter all that much. He was no stranger to the lack of truths. Besides, it was his job, right? Not like itâs surprising anymore.
The mask eventually released his hand, head shaking. He wasnât too sure what else to do. He just kept letting his eyes flicker between the acid and Watchâs face. He really didnât know, did he? They were both as confused as one another.
He went to speak again, then stopped. Deciding that asking questions wouldnât help. Instead, he went straight back at the otherâs mind, poking and prodding around carelessly. It was definitely easy to feel him doing so, he wasnât being careful. He just wanted answers.
But there were none to be found.
And now Isaac had touched more acid.
âIt doesnât hurt you,â he breathed out. There was a sort of happiness for this. A realisation. Someone who didnât immediately start wailing in agony when the mask brushed agaisnt them! A wave of excitement and joy washed over him. So many more windows were just opened. His brain immediately started scanning over all of them. âI cant believe this! This is great! . . . Make sure you say something if it starts to hurt though.â He added quickly.
However, he paused again. He needed to stop caring. They werenât friends, this wasnât going to change anything really. . âWow, you really have to be careful now,â he started speaking again. âIf the Foundation finds out. .â They could keep them separated too. 035 did not want that. They could see Watch as someone who could work as a permanent host for the mask, and as far as 035 knew, they did not want him to get ahold of such a thing.. Though, for some reason, that was the last possibility that fell in his mind.
They were lucky the cameras had been disabled.
After hundreds of years of meeting new people, been worn by many. . This had never happened. Not one person had resistance or immunity to his acid like this. It brought a genuine delight to the mask. He let out a laugh, his eyes now setting on Isaacâs face,
âIsnât this great? This is like a sign or something! We were meant to be friends!â He spoke. âI knew you were different.â
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
Isaac had a feeling that he would never get used to the compliments, let alone being called âprettyâ. It just felt good to be called pretty for some reason, he had no clue why. Especially with the tone the anomaly used? Someone would have been in a trance already, if not sooner.
âO-oh.â he mumbled, unsure of what to say next.
His eyes kept bouncing back to the walls of the room, clearly on edge â he was just really bad at dealing situations like these. Not everyday you have someone being so straight-forward in advances such as these. Extremely cocky, too. âCareful? Huh. If I havenât fallen for you yet, I probably never will.â he responded with confidence, hm.
As soon as the other quite literally entered his personal space without warning, his face once again began to redden. He really, really wasnât used to people being this close to him. Nor did he usually let people get this close to begin with. â...Sure. Passes the time, whatever you say.â A lackluster nod as he continued, âIf help were to come, I wouldnât complain.â
The mask practically spoke his thoughts aloud â huh⌠maybe he wasnât weird for thinking like this, but still. He shouldnât get so friendly with 035. Even though they were both very close to each other. Watch had barely any room to leave, except going backwards â but thatâd lead to a wall.
Without a second thought, he placed his hand on their shoulder to slightly nudge them away â his fingers catching acid. He didnât even realize this until he felt cold liquid trickle down his palm; oh. He felt practically nothing, not even a burning sensation â yet he opted to smear the black ooze on his sleeve in a state of panic, the acid melting through immediately. Heâll need a new sweater.
â...â he remained dead silent, just staring at his own hand.
His skin was still intact, but the sleeveâs material was burnt through almost instantly.
â..What?â he spoke to himself, confusion evident on his features.
âYou never know.â He continued, it was more just trying to play around with the other. Sure, heâs had a few people who loved him â which, unfortunately for them, he never loved back. He was unable to feel such a thing. Love. It was stupid. Caring that much for someone was. . . stupid.
Or so he thought.
He kept himself leaning against the other, letting himself enjoy the closeness he had with him at the moment. However, upon feeling a hand on his shoulder, he lifted his head. Glancing at the otherâs hand to notice the acid smothering his skin. And for a sudden moment, the mask felt a spike of genuine fear and worry.
What?
âShit, shit, shitââ what could he do? If he grabbed Watchâs wrist; it would smear more acid on his skin. And a part of him did not want that to happen at all.
However, he froze. Watch wasnât shouting in pain, there was no sizzling sound of acid eating flesh. . There was just silence between them. The mask was now staring at the otherâs hand. Now noticing the acid on his sleeve. He was baffled, this hasnât really happened before. Certainly not with a human. Why wasnât it taking effect? Why wasnât it doing its thing? Not that he really wanted it to, actually. . .
And why did he care so much?
âAre you okay? Does it not hurt? How is. .â He trailed off. 035 hasnât been this lost in a while, thatâs for sure. One of his hands, the one less decayed, grabbed Watchâs wrist. Bringing his hand close to the maskâs face so he could look closely. Now knowing the acid wasnât hurting or damaging his flesh.
âIt doesnât hurt you? Why doesnât it. . ?â He shook his head, completely and utterly perplexed. This made no sense! âWhat the fuck.â
His grip was iron tight, more because he was so focused on Watchâs hand. His head moving up and down to look at his face, then to the acid, then back again. His mind spinning to try to figure out a cause for this. There had to be a reason! It was clear how dazed with confusion he was. There was also. . . Concern. What if the acid suddenly started actually decaying his flesh? However, it seemed like it was. . harmless. This was weird. This was really fucking weird.
But relief washed over him.
Why? He didnât know.
âOkay, you have some explaining to do now. What the fuck was that?â As if Watch knew.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
âI get enough of those as it is. Even after those interviews I had with you â surprisingly, nothing changed⌠huh.â now thinking about it, that did seem rather odd⌠oh well! Heâll look into that another time. Once the other demanded him to stop, he halted movement â that one caught him off-guard. He decided to stand still for the time being. Wouldnât hurt, right?
He took a moment to breathe in and out, this wasnât the time to be âflusteredâ. God, he felt like he was going to get mocked for this one for a long time. Not false, though. âIt doesnât suit me at all, what are you talking about?â he replied, taken aback. He didnât mind it, though. âMaybe itâs less boring, but itâs definitely irritating,â he huffed, removing his hand from his face to cross his arms. Just another sign of how tense he was. It was a self-soothing gesture.
When the other offered to quit, he⌠genuinely hesitated. One part of him felt grateful for the option but at the same time, he kind of didnât want it to stop. âI donât care if you try to flirt with me, not like Iâm going to fall for you anyway.â He needed to keep a cold approach towards the situation. Thankfully, he was an expert at acting really, really distant with people. âDo whatever you want, really.â
Maybe he shouldnât have said that particularly⌠that just opened a lot of paths for the anomaly to take. Isaac decided that his future self will deal with that problem, who cares?
Watchâs way of processing the situation was on the analytical side, trying to stay as neutral as possible. However, humans canât really control their bodyâs reactions to certain words, so the red hue on his face hadnât faltered.
How disappointing â for him, anyway. However, for 035? This must have been quite fun to see. After all, itâs not every day you see Isaac become this flustered. He hardly reacted to the maskâs advances in the interviews â must have been because there were people watching. And the security footage, too.
âJust⌠uh,â should he be up-front? âI donât have anything else to do anyway.â
âUh huh,â it was savouring this moment. Itâs words spoken slowly, to drag this out as much as possible. Why did this feel so important to it? âWould have thought that you would go crazy in general, just by working here.â
It didnât think heâd actually stop, so upon him doing so it hesitated itself. Then, quickly regained itself and let out a quiet chuckle, he was glad the other did so though. âIt does suit you. Youâre pretty,â the anomaly hummed, continuing to utter flirts, of course. âIâm just speaking words of true honesty.â
Almost every one of the maskâs words were purred out, he was keeping up his cocky attitude. Happily so. This was great for him.
But, he seemed to sort of pause at the next thing. Almost feeling hurt at that. Why? Who knows. He certainly didnât. He fell into silence briefly, irises narrowed ever so slightly. âRight,â he shook off the feeling with an inaudible grumble. âJust be careful ⌠Iâm quite attractive, I know. Many tend to fall for me.â He cracked a joke, laughing. âYou just might too.â
And upon being told that, he once again got even closer. He wasnât using the table as support anymore, in fact, he was now suddenly using Isaac as something â someone â to lean on. Being as careful as he could to keep his acid covered hands away, folding them behind his back to do so. Weird that he cared that much to do so.
âMm. Me either. I think this is a lot nicer than sitting in a corner and waiting though. Passes the time, doesnât it?â He spoke softly, his eyes unmoving. Hell, this entire time they were unmoving. He was staring a little too much, maybe. But he was enjoying it. He liked staring at the otherâs face.
âShame that this wonât last forever. . .â A disappointed sigh escaped the mask. It sounded like genuine disappointment. He wouldnât mind staying here for a while with the other now that he thought about it. âIâd like for it to. . . Do you agree?â Maybe he had poked in the other's mind a little. But shhh, we donât mention it.
This wasnât going to be as bad as the mask originally thought. Maybe it was worth missing out on a breach for.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
If anything, he thought this was all a big joke at this point. Just to pass the time, he kind of⌠did what the other wanted. Not without the snarky remarks though. âDeaf? Says the one who keeps denying the fact they said please. Itâs not as embarrassing as you think, you know?â he reasoned, blinking. âItâs kind of funny to see you in denial about a simple thing such as this,â a little mockery never hurt anybody!
âI was joking. Of course Iâm not crazy,â he spoke before pausing, taking a moment to fully register what the other said. âWhaâ? Oh, I see how it is.â he took a couple of steps back in retaliation, just looking forward to irritating the anomaly a little more! Trying to limit his facial reactions as much as possible, really.
But, nothing prepared him to hear the words âpretty boyâ. His cheeks immediately flared up at the nickname, utterly baffled. âWhat kind of nickname isâ that?!â he retorted, not offended but just⌠surprised. He didnât know how to feel about that one either. âHow Iâm feelingâ Iâm fine, thanks. I donât need an SCP flirting with me while Iâm stuck in here,â he responded bluntly in return, putting a hand over his mouth.
That feeling in his stomach spiked once more, just thinking about what it said â Watch was⌠well, confused. And very much so. A lot of unexpected things were happening. Was he supposed to ignore it?
He really needed to stay impassive, but the SCPâs cockiness was a bit too much for him to keep his composure. And heâll have to deal with it for the next few hours, how great. How awesome. And he canât even control how his body reacted to the very unnecessary amount of flirting. After all, this wasnât something he was used to.
But 035 was⌠way more different than most people. So, it made sense why new things were happening. Either for the better or for the worst.
He was kind of glad for the large time frame though â he wasnât sure why. Not like he wanted to spend even more time with the anomaly â right?
035âs relatively soft stare turned into a small glare. A grumble escaping him. âYou wouldnât get it,â the anomaly waved one hand dismissively. âDenial?! No way! Iâm being honest! I didnât even say it. Maybe you should get another one of those mental evaluations, make sure youâre not hallucinating.â
When the other moved away, it definitely irritated him. And in response to that, he again got closer. Matching the steps back the other made but going forwards. âStop.â He complained, more of an embarrassed complaint though. But he shook his head, and continued on like nothing. âYouâre definitely crazy. Maybe youâre the one in denial, not me.â
The anomaly was definitely happy with the reaction to the name. Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly with eagerness. âA good one! Itâs another that suits you, really. Do you not like it?â 035âs cockiness jumped back as strong as ever, a little disappointed when Isaac covered half of his face though. âYouâre fine? Okay! Whatever you say. . . And come on! You have to admit itâs a lot less boring to flirt.â The mask pointed out, nodding his head up and down as he did so.
It was still trying to keep itself as close as possible to the other too. âBut Iâm asking how you feel about all this. Do you like it? Do you not like it? . . . I can stop if you want.â He added on the last bit, more just a double check that this was fine! He supposed heâd ask, why not? It felt right to do so.
035 was definitely different in comparison to other people. He wasnât even a person in the end, he was a mask that had built its personality off of the hundreds of hostâs it had acquired throughout its lifetime. It was good at this sort of thing, practice made it easy enough.
Even though the otherâs mind was quite a mess, struggling to decide on how he felt. . The mask was still intrigued on what heâd say aloud. And so, he waited. His head never turning away from the others. As close as Watch would let him get.
He kept running. His breaths were short but heavy, his lungs hurting every time he inhaled the air around him. His legs were sore, he could barely keep up. After all, having an angry reptile chase you wasnât ever fun. It took everything in him to not collapse â the adrenaline running throughout his body. Isaac needed to hide, so as soon as he took a sharp turn, he sprinted into a room. He didnât bother to check the label.
He tripped on his feet, falling down onto the cold floor. As his face scrunched up in pain, he felt the ground under him begin to shake and ear-piercing thuds occurred behind him. He barely had the energy to even turn to look at the door. But once he found the power to lift himself up ever so slightly, recognition overtook his face. Oh. Oh no. He quickly scrambled under a wooden desk, uncaring of the amount of pain surging through his body. This was 035âs containment.
Isaac forced himself to breathe quietly, and god, did it hurt so much. His throat was dry and he felt suffocated. His eyes landed on what was supposed to be the entrance to the chamber, noticing the damage. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, attempting to keep himself quiet. He didnât know if the anomaly already breached, but the chances of it being here were still quite high. He couldnât risk it.
Hiding was the best solution in this situation â or well, he hoped. He did not want to see that mask again. Not after what happened.
Isaac was only praying to not be forced to converse with it.
Ah, the beautiful occurrence of a gruesome and deadly breach! Such a pleasant surprise.
For the mask, anyways. Clearly, others would disagree heavily with this statement. And one of those people would be nearby!
SCP-035 was, as per usual, sitting in his glass case. . . Like some object on display! It was humiliating! But he learned to get over it. (This didnât mean heâd cease his complaints about this though!) Not like it was going to change anytime soon though. He was viewed as an object, not a person. Which was horribly rude, really. He was more than just a mask! The sooner these people learned, the better.
However, upon the brilliant and excitement-inducing sirens blaring to life, he knew today was going to be different. More entertaining! So, the first mind he got the chance to sense, he snagged onto it â aggressively yanking their mentality to forcefully shove them into his cell. And the closer this poor soul got, the more they submitted to the trance. Making the maskâs job so much easier. Upon the individual entering his cell â some unfortunate researcher who had burst into the chamber carelessly, damaging the keypad as they did â they came into visual contact with the smiling mask of comedy, they couldnât help but frantically place the object upon their face. Desperate for the promises it whispered to them. . But porcelain fused with skin and flesh, the person ceased to exist and the mask was alive.
But, his attention was immediately snared once again at the sound of heavy footsteps and the easily recognisable shrieks of 682 echoed throughout the halls â but also the sound of a person stumbling into his cell.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to walk towards the exit of his chamber, the door stuck open due to the damage on the keypad, entering the âviewing sectorâ of his containment cell. Eyes scanning the room, however, not seeing anyone. Yet.
He could hear them.
âAlright, whoâs there? I know thereâs someone!â He called out, followed by a distorted laugh as he wandered towards the desk Watch was hiding beneath. âDonât hide on me, I donât bite! Really! Plus . . It seems as if weâll be stuck here together for a little while. So come say hello!â
Putting a hand over his mouth, he was trying so hard not to let out a sound. His legs hurt like a bitch though. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, sensing that metallic taste in his mouth. As soon as the man heard the footsteps get closer, seeing them approach the desk⌠he figured âWhat do I have to lose?â. After all, not like he was going to escape this situation anytime soon.
His arm fell limp, softly colliding with the wall behind him. Watch placed his hands on the floor, dragging himself out â of course, he chose the exit that was the farthest from the SCP. Isaac took a moment to breathe, his hands red from his fall from earlier. The stinging feeling in his palms didnât matter much to him until now, wincing whenever he moved one of his digits.
âHappy?â he spoke begrudgingly, âWhy did I have to end up with you of all peopleâŚâ Watch continued in a hushed tone, muttering his words in distaste towards the mask. Then again, he was right to do so. He did get tackled by it not long ago, forcing him into a coma for however long. He had the impression he was going insane, almost as if time was running away from him. And being knocked out by anomalies did not make it any better.
He attempted to get up, his hand landing on top of the wooden furniture to use it as a support. His head reeled, the pounding sensation hadnât ceased. Becoming more and more noticeable â especially with the adrenaline wearing off. Maybe he should have kept running instead of booking it and entering a random chamber without paying attention to the label. He assured himself that he wasnât going to do this again. Maybe.
He glanced at the exit. Oh.
Yeah, no. It was wrecked. He definitely wasnât getting out anytime soon. His first reaction was quite vulgar but expected. âOh. Fuck.â
Heâd have to wait for the operatives to come save him. So, once realization sank in, he put his head into his hands. Completely ignoring the pain shooting from his limbs. âFuckfuckfuckââ Watch repeated quietly before inhaling deeply, calming down just a little. He didnât even want to stare at the anomaly in the eyes, let alone interact with it. Maybe this was the payback heâd get for surviving every single SCP encounter. He didnât want this, though!
The mask paused, clearly surprised by the other. He didnât expect /Watch/ of all people to have gotten stuck in here with him! Another laugh exited him, a laugh of disbelief. But it was quite funny too. Of all people indeed!
It cocked its head, taking a few steps closer with a lazy shrug, arms swinging limply by his sides as he did so. The surprise faded off and was replaced with pure amusement.
âMhm! Real happy!â He responded, hysterical giggles coming from him. He was going to enjoy annoying the other! It wasnât like there would be much else to do anyways. They were stuck in this cell together. It was bound to start feeling awfully cramped and stuffy soon. And it spoke as if they were somewhat friends, as if it hadnât attacked him recently enough. And even if that was brought up? Heâd shrug it off! He didnât take fault too often, plus, that wasnât an important topic of conversation now anyways! If it was mentioned, of course.
The anomaly stared blankly at Isaac, before following his gaze to the exit with a snort of amusement. âOh wow. Pfftââ His posture slumped slightly. âYou're just not lucky at all, are you? First you end up in my cell, now youâre stuck here âtill they dig you out and shoot the fuck out of me.â
He skipped on over to the entrance, the entire thing was covered in rubble from the floor to the ceiling. âLizzie out there must have had one shitty day, huh!â He glanced back at Isaac. âI should be mad at you, actually. You ruined my breach by bringing it here. . . But unlike the overgrown gecko you led here, Iâm in a good mood!â It was slightly passive aggressive . . .
After another brief moment of turning back to the collapsed entrance and pulling at some of the rubble, throwing it behind him, a few pieces maybe hitting Isaac, it was all in an attempt to see if there was a way he could dig out ; he gave up. It was far too layered to go through with his bare hands. So, in light irritation, he swung around, prancing back over to Watch and putting an arm over his shoulders.
âDonât be too upset, Watchie! Youâve got me! I'm great company to have. Youâll be just fine, trust me! Donât stress out too much.â
He didnât hate 035 per se⌠he just didnât know how to act in his presence. Not out of fear, just annoyance in general.
Okay, perhaps he was a little nervous speaking to them, but who can blame him? âThanks for the comfort.â he replied flatly, glaring at the other for a moment. âWhy are you even in a good mood?â he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. The pain was slowly sizzling away from his senses â emphasis on slowly.
He watched him intently in confusion, flinching at the pieces of rubble hitting him. âDudeââ he groaned in exasperation, âI-â he wanted to speak, but before he did, he felt an arm sling around him â immediately grabbing his attention. Watch denied its friendliness, moving away from it. âI prefer if we just⌠donât speak at all. I donât like your company, 035.â he admitted in a blunt manner, huffing. âBesides, you donât need to act all nice and friendly to me. Iâm not falling for your tricks.â
Was he being cold? Yes, but understandably so. He pressed his back against a wall, now facing 035 from a more comfortable distance. âIâm shocked at the fact that you havenât left your cell earlier.â he said, glancing at his ankle. Did he twist it while on the run? Perhaps. All he knew was that it hurt like a fucker, just staring at the ground for a brief moment. What was he supposed to do?Â
â...Arenât you the one who usually starts these annoying ass breaches?â he had a point, really. âDid you go dormant on accident or something?â âŚat this point, he was just trying to make conversation. Did this contradict what he said earlier? Maybe. Okay, yes, it did, but he wasnât a fan of long silence either. Too awkward and eerie. At least small talk will keep the anomaly entertained, right?
The dĂŠjĂ -vu was really kicking in. Just without the table separating them this time. Watch didnât know whether this was worse or better. He just didnât want to be in the same room as 035 altogether.
It stared at him once he moved away, then; once again, shrugged. He didnât seem too bothered that he did so. Why would he? The anomaly expected him to anyway.
âWow, Iâm hurt. Really, I am.â He put a hand to his heart, shaking his head as if upset. Before chuckling to himself and letting his hand drop again. âWe need to speak! You might . . . go crazy if it was silent! We could be stuck here for days if push comes to shove . . .â
The mask kept its gaze on the other, before giving a small roll of his eyes to turn around and scan the cell. Maybe he could pick up something to use! To use for what? Good question. He wasnât too sure, the idea would come to him if he found anything. So, the mask went right back to the desk, scattering files laying on top of the surface â just stuff about him, last interviews, blah blah blah. . . âYâknow, they really mischaracterized me in these. Iâm not that bad. If I was, youâd be dead right now.â He rambled a little while shaking one of the papers at Watch over his shoulder. He was just trying to talk about things. âReally hate this place. .â
When Watch continued to speak, he crumpled the paper up and turned around, throwing it across the room at his head. âWhat happened to âI prefer if we donât speak at all.â ?â He mocked, moving his hands to open and close as she spoke.
âBut Iâll answer! Itâs because, dear Watchie, I canât start every breach, you get me? Sometimes they start waaayy over the other side of the facility. And now itâs just getting to this side! You understand? Or do you want me to draw it out for you?â It was mocking him once again. âI understand how stupid you can be! No shame!â
He then turned back to the desk to grab another file, and repeated the same action, balling it up in his hands then flinging it at Isaac, this one, however, missed and hit the wall behind him. Resulting in a huff of annoyance from 035. âBad throw?â
He had to fight back a chuckle, it was rather ridiculous to hear 035 be so upset. He knew that most of his words were, well, just guilt-tripping. He shook his head, exhaling a sigh. âUhuh. Sure.â he dryly responded, examining the room. The feeling of finally being at some sort of peace felt relieving. And that all disappeared once he was caught off-guard by an object being thrown at him.
âGoal.â he said in reply, almost completely devoid of emotion. âAnd stop doing that,â he just wanted one day of peace. Just one day where heâs not in a position of life or death. Yet, he could never catch a break. Wouldâve been better if he just died on that hospital bed. He cleared his throat in an attempt of getting rid of the unpleasant thoughts taking place in his head, he sure was glad that no one could peek into his thoughtsâ
Right?
He didnât reply to the remark. Watch was kind of a hypocrite at times, he had his reasons though â sometimes ridiculous. Isaacâs eyes moved to the other corner of the room, finally eyeing the SCP. That stupid nickname again. It felt childish. Endearing? Maybe, but most definitely annoying.
Isaac let them run their mouth, taking the mockery with only a scowl on his features. His irises followed the paper ball, hitting the wall right above his shoulder and its descent to the ground. He simply lifted his foot and crushed the material, crackling as he applied more pressure. âYou have good aim. Sometimes.â he commented, surprisingly positive. He removed his foot and kicked the paper to the other side of the room, never lifting his eyes from the otherâs.
âDo you ever get tired?â he asked, âCanât you just calm down for one second? Sit down or something.â he remained distant, literally and figuratively. His distrust in the anomaly was there. After all, Isaac wasnât like the norm. Most people would have begun bonding with 035. However, Watch had always kept their interactions cold. Albeit the small occasions where they laughed a little â but it was always short and never long-lived.
The mask continued searching the desk, briefly scanning over files, some, upon seeing, he mumbled something under his breath and tore it into pieces. He then tossed those paper shreds to the sides, now opening drawers and pulling things out.
âSo many files. . Itâs so dumb. Why donât you just remember it all?â He scoffed, he had a good memory! Surely they should too? Or at least some of them. . He seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the otherâs thoughts and glancing back at him.
âStop thinking about that stuff. Youâre really bringing my vibe down.â She spoke, not seeming to care much about the other. Thinking about himself, of course! When did he not? He always managed to make a situation about himself â to become the centre of attention! The star of the show! It was his thing, really.
He continued to search whatever he could. He was always shuffling around. Like a shark in water; constantly on the move. âHm? Nope! I have the energy from my hostâs to work off! Itâs great. However this one seems more . . . Pfft . . . dead. . than others.â Funny joke, wasnât it? 035 sure found himself amusing. âNuh-uh. Iâm not sitting. Not yet! Maybe in a bit when I get bored. However, Iâm busy at the moment!â He flicked âhisâ hair. Too good to sit around!
. . . âOo, hey! Look what I got!â He shoved his arm into a drawer, fingers feeling around within the empty space until they seemed to latch onto something. He pulled back, and in his hand was a glock-19. Someone must have stashed it away in the case of an emergency. . Definitely not something she was meant to find! He then proceeded to check the ammunition compartment.
Empty.
But Isaac didnât know that! So he closed it up again. His emotions were unchanging. It was impossible to tell his disappointment of the empty weapon.
Okay, he couldnât resist. He let out a small giggle at the otherâs ignorance. âWould at least save the trees,â he spoke quietly, more of a comment to himself. He blinked a couple of times before fully understanding what the mask meant by his words- âWhaâ? I didnâtâŚâ he seemed to be at a loss for words. Okay, he wasnât aware of THAT detail. Or maybe he forgot. He had other SCPs to interview anyway. Though, he felt a twinge of hurt by the rather rude and insensitive reply. He shouldnât be caring at all, but he kind of does. Huh.
He leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling. These chambers have always been so dull. Never felt safe to be anywhere â which, that was just the plain truth. But even then, wherever he went, it never felt like home. He was spiteful of the SCP Foundation. He hated how they imprisoned children who were just born⌠different. Who never meant to harm anybody. There it is, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. He only cracked his knuckles to release the tension in his joints, doing nothing else but think.
Isaac wasnât really paying much attention to the maskâs words. He heard a few words though, kicking him out of his trance. âWhat did youâ?â he turned his head to look at the other individual, and he fell into immediate silence. âOh.â
Was that his best reaction? Probably. His brown eyes were fixated on the pistol, yet he couldnât see well enough to identify whether it was loaded or not. He was going to be cautious â but God knows that he wonât be very careful either. If he did get shot, he only hoped for it to be the head.
âAre you shitting meâŚâ he mumbled, of course, he had to jinx himself. He straightened his posture, folding his arms. Honestly, he was a little afraid. âYou know, if youâre planning to shoot me with that thing â well, if thereâs even ammunitionâŚâ he rolled his eyes, âI just hope you know youâll be alone for⌠however many hours.â was he being a little too confident? Sure, but it was easy to see that he was tense, even lifting his hands up in response.
Watchâ âŚIsaac was afraid of death. His risky demeanor always shielded this fact though. It was a little funny to think about. Uncaring of his health, but scared of death? Ridiculous, even.
Isaac wasnât the easiest individual to understand.
The anomaly could tell the other was slightly hurt at his comment. Which had caused him to freeze in place and bite back an apology.
That was weird. Why did he feel the small urge to apologise? He huffed, shaking his head. Shrugging the feeling off altogether. Must be his host. Maybe they were extremely sympathetic towards other people.
Whatever.
The mask carelessly tossed the glock from hand to hand, which may look risky, however, he knew it was empty. She let out a bark of laughter, lifting her arms to then aim the weapon at the other from across the room. If the gun was theoretically loaded. . He doubted heâd shoot the other anyways. But he was going to toy with him for now.
â âOhâ is right! I have a gun now!â He kept advancing forwards, step by step, gun still trained on the other. 035 was known for his good aim with guns, and if this particular weapon did have ammunition? Heâd easily be able to land a shot. Especially with the close distance between the two.
âThere is ammunition. Got every bullet. Nine rounds.â He interrupted quite rudely, finger moving to rest upon the trigger of the gun. Lies rolled off his tongue so easily. Another thing he was known for! And he knew his guns relatively well. Which made this easier to fake.
âUgh, I knooowwww.â He sighed, as if considering the option of avoiding pulling the trigger. âThen again, Iâm always alone for days upon days upon days in that glass case. You get used to the loneliness. . Tragic, isnât it? Depriving someone of speaking to people when they thrive on it!â Throw in a little guilt tripping. Why not?
He was close enough to practically press the gun against the otherâs head. Mere inches away. It was taking every bit of him not to burst out into laughter though.
He didnât have anywhere else to go, and even if he did just run to the other side of the room â heâd just get shot. So he stood still, albeit pressing his back against the wall ever so slightly once they approached. Closer, and closer, and closer. âIntimidating.â he added, trying not to crack a smile when he was expecting a bullet to go through his cranium.
Watch merely scoffed at the interruption, whatever, he canât be fucked to care about that at the moment. Once the guilt-tripping came, he only felt⌠he didnât know what he felt at all, actually. A mix between confusion and skepticism. â...Makes sense.â he nodded, averting his eyes only for a few moments just to witness the gun nearly touching his skin. Should he push the mask away? Could he even do that without getting his skull blown?
âYou donât have to shoot me.â he affirmed, clearly uncomfortable with his personal space being intruded on. âAt least youâll have someone to talk to now. You know, since youâre always alone.â he stared off to the side, nervous. âBesides, what good would it do for you to⌠uh, kill me?â
Watch was talking quite a bit, trying to maneuver his way out of this tense position. He didnât know guns as well as the anomaly did, so he didnât have a say on whether the bullets were in the gun or not. All he could do was just take its word for it and hope that itâll be somewhat merciful.
That, or all of this was a fever dream. Because it sure as hell felt like one. âCould you just spare me the pain once?â he canât remember one single time where the mask hadnât threatened him. âOnce.â
He doubted this would work, but might as well try.
The maskâs host was shaking due to the fact he was holding back an eruption of laughter. This was real funny to him. He found it much more than it actually was. The shaking was clear â and could be taken as some other emotion. âIâm always intimidating.â His voice sounded different. More strained.
His finger didnât move from the trigger, it stayed on it. Almost pressing down. He was dragging this out much longer than it needed to be. Of course she was! She was simply savouring the moment. Heâd definitely tease Isaac about this later on. Torment!
âI know I donât have to. . But I want to! Brace yourself for the sweet relief of death.â Shaking its head once more, that strange sound to his voice was still there. âItâs entertaining to kill someone. I doubt you can relate. You seem like too much of a pussy to actually take someoneâs life.â He hummed. Moving the gun even closer.
At the other's next words. He pretended to hesitate. To freeze in his spot. And then simply shook his head once again. âNo. Bye-bye!â
Then he pulled the trigger.
It clicked once. But no bullet fired out. The sound of an empty round.
The mask then proceeded to burst out into laughter. Leaning forwards as he did so. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! . . . Actually, Iâm not. But there was nothing in it.â He held the gun up, popping the ammunition compartment open to show that to Watch. He then proceeded to toss the weapon across the room to the floor. Standing back up straight, giggles still escaping him.
âThat was really funny. I wouldnât kill you, Watchie! Not here anyways. Like you said; I need company! Plus, you have a nice face to look at. Sweet relief. You get me?â He added a small flirty comment at the end. Backing away from Isaac, giving him his personal space back. âThat was fun. Real fun. Something entertaining. I thank you for being stuck here with me.â He taunted the other, bowing towards him as a joke. One hand spread behind his back and the other over his chest. âWeâll have a great time together.â
He definitely noticed the shaking, but didnât bother to ask questions about it. Maybe his host was having a sort of seizure, possibilities were endless. âIâm not a pussy, I just have standards. If Iâm going to kill someone, I need a good reason to do so.â he was getting just a little bit salty, forgetting that the barrel of the gun was practically pressing against his forehead. Risky much?
Once the realization kicked in â he was actually going to get shot. Huh. Watch didnât know how to feel about it, really. Although, this felt way too dull to be real. That didnât change the fact of how he flinched at the clicking though. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a flicker of pain before he passed out but⌠nothing happened.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the gun â then at 035. âWow. Just my luck,â he only gave out a little chuckle, a baffled one at that. âWait, then, where would you kill me?â he shot back, curious. And that flirty comment definitely got⌠well, some sort of reaction from him. It was just more confusion. âYou canât justâ sweet-talk your way out of this. You made me think I was going to die,â then again, it wasnât too surprising. The mask always had to pull off sick jokes. Darker and dark humor, huh?
He only squinted at the otherâs taunts, a huff leaving his mouth. Isaac was way too tired for this, slumping back against the wall and sitting down â rubbing his eyes. He disliked 035âs antics. That has been quite clear since the beginning. âI canât ever catch a break with you aroundâŚâ he muttered, his shoulders still tense. âThen again, it wasnât really unexpected from someone like⌠well, you.â
A little mean, sure. He felt exhausted, his legs were tired. The only thing he wanted was at least to get some sleep in â but thatâs going to be near impossible with the SCP around. Always full of energy, it seemed.
âPfff. . . I dunno. Iâm not going to kill off the only other person stuck in a room with me. . Plus, bodies tend to smell. And Iâll be stuck here for hoouuursss with a rotting corpse. So. .â Even though he lost the senses of his hostâs eventually. It was more an excuse than anything. He wasnât really sure . . . Where heâd kill Watch. If at all! He seemed like an alright guy. . .
Okay. Enough thinking about that.
âYes I can. And I will. You can die anytime in this place. Iâm sure other people . . Or things . . Have made you think you were gonna die too! But come on, it was a good joke.â He was just weaselling himself out of taking the blame. Giggles hysterically falling from his mouth, head tipped down.
After a brief moment, he paused. Looking back at Isaac. âFrom someone like me? Whatâs that supposed to mean? Iâm a great person!â He scoffed, crossing his arms and shooting the other a small glare. It didnât upset her, but she did just put all that effort into a joke and Isaac didnât even laugh! But then again; he was used to this sort of attitude towards himself from other people. âYour jokes are cruel,â and âthey couldâve had a panic attack!â Blah blah blah. . . His jokes were great! People just had to understand her humour.
âYouâre rude, you know that? My joke was fantastic.â There was definitely no break with him around. Maybe if he sat down and actually shut up it would last for a few minutes . . But it was inevitable that heâd just start rambling about something or moving around again. He hated to sit still! Not when she got the chance to move around! He had to stretch his legs, it was simple.
Sigh.
But the mask did in fact sit down. Just a little away from the other. Crossing his legs and propping his head up on his arms. Still facing Watch. âCan't you just . . . Do something interesting? I'm even getting bored! Usually people would have been all friendly with me by now. . Youâre so. .â He waved a hand at the other, gesturing to all of him. â. . Closed off! You know? Open yourself up a little! Be my friend! Even just for the time being.â
âIâve noticed.â he said, besides, he had seen corpses over and over again. The smell still bothered him, but he wasnât sure whether he had just become desensitized to it all. âAlso, it wasnât a great joke. What if I threatened to shoot you?â he cocked a brow, a ridiculous question but⌠still.
He closed his eyes momentarily, just needing a small break. âI know. Because I donât fall for your tricks as easily as others do.â he did kind of put up a mental barrier â manipulating him was more difficult compared to others. Still⌠possible, though. âAnd if you think you can toy with me, you canât. I wonât let you.â Okay, that came off way colder.
âJust⌠leave me alone,â he wasnât even going to say âpleaseâ. His request was simple and didnât need a âpleaseâ. âI donât want to talk to you. Thanks,â he added before falling silent, giving off an almost dead stare. He really, really wasnât in the mood. Isaac inspected his hand â not as red as previously. He muttered a sarcastic âawesomeâ as he discovered a bruise on his palm. How lucky.
His fall from earlier must have caused it â after all, it was quite a brutal impact. Only grateful that nothing else was bruised â actually, he wasnât sure. All he felt was the occasional pain in his palms. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. âDid you find a radio of some sort?â he questioned, looking around the room. After all, 035 did rummage through files and drawers. Surely there was something that could have been of useâ right?
Oh, who was he kidding. There most likely wasnât any. He wasnât the most optimistic guy and it was easy to see. âNevermind. There probably arenât any.â he trailed back on his words, wavering a hand disappointingly. He stayed in his spot, not moving from it. At least the distance between the two individuals was⌠well, decent enough.
The mask simply shrugged carelessly at that. âI wouldnât care. I can take a shit ton of bullets before going down anyways. Nine rounds wouldnât do the trick.â She spoke matter-of-factly, nodding her head as she did. But it was true. Even though his hosts were as fragile as average people. . He could control those bodies even when they were severely damaged.
A huff escaped him, rocking side to side as the two spoke. Again with never sitting still! The mask simply stared at the other while he did this. âUghhh.â He groaned, tilting his head back. âTheyâre not tricks! Im bored and I want to talk to you without you being all cold and whatever.â He wanted his way. âHmph.â
The anomaly mumbled something under his breath, before then shuffling closer to the other. âI donât wanna leave you alone. And I want to talk!â
Ignoring his request of course. âHereâs something to talk about; this host has a really funny story. Hold on.â He paused, then giggled. âAlright, listen to this . .â He then went on to ramble about some memory â a little funny, sure. Something about them losing something. . 035 made it more dramatic than it actually was. He was good at that.
âHuh? Oh, I donât know. Probably. I doubt weâd get much signal or whatever down here anyways. Considering weâre fully sealed in.â He shrugged, he may have seen one and wasnât saying it. Who knows? âEither way, you really think theyâd rush here to help you? If they know Iâm trapped in here, thisâll be the last place they come to. Theyâll probably wait till this body rots away actually . .â He tapped his chin. That made the most sense to him. But he knew they wouldnât come just to save Watch. There were bigger fish to catch. 682 being one of them.
He didnât want it to come closer to him, actually. âTalk to yourself, just leave me alone,â he repeated himself once again, a deadpan expression on his features. He inhaled deeply as the other began speaking once again, sharing a story. He didnât fully clock out in his head, still paying some attention to the other. Isaac was just pondering on a solution.
âHaha⌠right.â he agreed, âThey could care less about me, actually. Honestly, if they even considered coming here â itâd be more because they want to re-contain you,â it was a bit disheartening to accept that fact, but he had already accepted it long ago.
The otherâs sentence warranted a small moment of silence, he was unsure how to respond to it. â...I know. Iâm aware.â he dryly replied, clearing his throat. A little awkward. âThe only reason why Iâm even alive right now is because of Jacobs. My death would be meaningless here,â he admitted, solemn. âI donât really like them either.â
Was he confirming 035âs suspicions from the last interview? Yes. He put a hand over his mouth, âNevermind,â he quickly spoke.
Watch didnât want to talk about his opinion on the Foundation, he was acutely aware of the consequences if he made them think he was trying to plot something. He really didnât have a plan on how to escape. Because, even then, heâll just get tracked down and killed. So why bother?
âYou can continue talking about yourself,â he changed the subject abruptly, trying to turn the conversation around. âIâm listening.â
âSounds about right. But Iâm still not fully-breached because you, dumbass, trapped me in here.â Maybe he was a little salty. He was missing out on a breach! What if this was the one that granted him his freedom? Chances of that were highly unlikely . . . But still. It was a possibility that he was missing out on!
âCouldnât you have taken a different turn? Then we could have met up outside of here! Since I know you just love my company sooo much.â That sarcasm was evident. He listened to the other, nodding a little. Actually paying attention because he was bored.
âMhm. I know. Youâre what? I-Class, is it? Worth practically nothing in the grand scheme of things.â It was just so helpful and great at making others feel better! âYou donât like them? Of course you donât! They dictate your every move. See, thatâs something that we have in common! We would be great friends.â The mask ignored the ânevermind.â He didnât care! He wanted to say his piece on this.
âMm. . . I know.â He hummed, leaning forwards. He was quite a bit closer now. âYou say that because you just donât want to talk to me. So youâre trying to get me to ramble so you donât have to speak. Isnât that it? I mean, donât get me wrong, I love to talk about myself! But this isnât an interview, darling. Itâs bonding time!â Moving just a little bit closer once again. Hands now resting on her lap. A rather expectant stare pinned on Isaac.
âWe may as well get all buddy-buddy with each other, yeah? Good! Glad you agree! I say we both express our hate for this prison together.â He didnât even give the other a chance to speak. âI hate it here. Truly and utterly. So do you! Technically weâre both prisoners for no reason . . Say, why did you decide to work here in the first place? Or was it a forced sign up?â
âOh, donât get so angry about it.â he laughed quietly, âAnd, uh, wow. Thanks for the advice. Iâll just go back in time and do what you said.â he rolled his eyes dismissively, not taking it seriously at all. He nodded his head at their sentence, âYeah. I-Class. Great, isnât it?â he said in irony, âAnd I donât want to be your friend, 035.â
If he had to be more stern with his words, so be it. He nudged away a little â literally pressing himself against the wall in discomfort. Last time the anomaly got close was⌠well, no less than messy. Heâs still surprised at the fact he lived the violent encounter. He didnât know how to react to the petname, just dismissing it as 035 being â well, itself. âWell, Iâm not going to bond with you. And you canât force me to.â he asserted.
âI didnât agree to anythingâ?â he attempted to input his own words, being talked over by the SCP. He sighed heavily, staring downward. Isaac disliked personal questions like these â âThat information is classified. I donât wanna say anythinâ to you.â he replied bluntly, trying to move the conversation. âPlus, thatâs a little bit too personal, donât you think?â he asked.
The fact that he had to think about that question made it all worse. He didnât want to think about it, really. It was by far his second-worst decision. And it felt surreal to think about. Besides, who wants to think about their life decisions? Not him.
âIf only.â He sighed in disappointment, making a âtsk, tskâ noise and waving a finger at the other. His head turned towards the rubble-covered entrance and he rolled his head along with his eyes. Eventually turning his gaze back to Isaac. âIâm sure itâs not that bad. . Stop being so rude. Gosh. Iâm being so nice and friendly to you and you keep shutting me away!â He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
He noticed the otherâs clear discomfort with the closeness, moving back an inch or two in response. âWhy not? Come onnnn Watchieeee. Iâm not that bad! You clearly need more friends too! You seem like the kind of guy to lack them.â A bit rude, but he didnât care.
As the other spoke, she just grumbled as he did so. âBlah, blah, blah. Classified my ass. Iâm just curious! Why would anyone ever choose to work here of all places? Why didnât you just like. . . I dunno, become a doctor or some shit like that.â The anomaly was slowly starting to lose his patience. That would become more clear as time went on. The sirens outside were just taunting him! He was missing out on so much chaos! The thoughts made him mumble in irritation. The acid flow quickening slightly, his hands were smothered in acid at this rate from propping his head up before. Bone was already exposed. The same thing was occurring around his neck and collarbone.
âI donât care. Iâm bored and Iâm getting more and more bored. My host is going to melt away and then boom! No more me! . . Actually. If that happens I can make you wear me. . .â He mused aloud, looking at the ceiling briefly. âThatâd be interesting. Iâm sure your memories are better than this persons. They really had one boring life . . . Shame they had to die all alone! At least they went out happy!â And he was rambling again. The topics constantly changing. It was hard to keep up with him if you werenât used to speaking with him.
âYour friendliness is fake, 035.â he stated in a cold manner, although cracking a small smile at the otherâs frustration. He appreciated the fact that the mask backed away, even if it was just barely. He was taken aback at the rude comment, letting out a flabbergasted chuckle in response â the anomaly wasnât⌠wrong, per se. âWell- uhââ he stammered, âReally? Huh.â well, he did have a somewhat cold exterior.
He didnât reply for a moment, eventually coming up with one. âFair enough, I guess. I didnât want to be a doctor. I was just⌠interested in science and all. You can guess the rest.â he shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, just sighing. The smell of acid was really getting to him now, coughing a little. âMake me wear yââ his eyes widened, shaking his head.
âNo, and thatâs it. If you think Iâll actually let you take control over my bodyââ he went off, stopping himself from speaking further. âIâm not letting you do that to me, end of story.â
After all, he didnât want to say something heâd regret. âMy memories arenât interesting. I doubt youâd find them anything special.â he lied through his teeth â his memories were⌠something. His past most importantly.
But he didnât want the SCP to know that now, does he? Besides, itâd only tempt them more. Itâs better to lie in these situations. Well, from his perspective.
âWho even was he?â he moved on quickly from the current topic, trying to not die. âI donât know many people in this facility. But, you know.â
He really didnât know where this conversation was going to go. Especially with 035âs spontaneity and impulsivity, anything could happen at any moment. Maybe he should be afraid, but he wasnât. He was slowly getting comfortable. Painfully slow for 035, though. People arenât usually this resistant.
The anomaly rocked side-to-side. Acid hitting the floor below and the hosts legs, sizzling as they did so. This room was going to fill with the stench of rot if there wasnât an airway made soon . . . Speaking of air, was the ventilation system online? If not, theyâd run out of air. This caused the mask to actually stand up. Eyes scanning the room for a moment to spot the vent areas. Once he noticed one, he skipped on over. Glancing back at Isaac and almost tripping as he did.
âWhy not? Youâd make a good host Iâd say. Youâd last a while.â He chuckled, peering into the vent. Then, he grabbed the metal mesh at the front and tried to yank it off. The vents werenât too big, but they werenât too small either.
âMm. Whatever you say. I think youâd have interesting memories. You seem to have some secrets of the past.â What did he mean by that? Take a wild guess. The anomaly eventually yanked the covering off the vent and stuck his head inside. Dropping it with a metal clang to the concrete floor. Would he be able to crawl through? Probably not. But heâd try anyway!
He pulled back for a moment to look at Watch. âUgh, is that important? Whatever. His name was Oliver or something. Worked around this sector. Heâs been here . . . Seven years! Wow. That must be miserable.â He laughed. Kicking the vent mesh along the floor towards Isaac.
âYou think I could fit in here?â And he stuck his head in once again. He might be able to . . âYouâll suffocate in here eventually. I donât feel any air coming in either. .â He did feel air. But he was trying to scare the other once again.
âIt really is.â he insisted, softly hitting the back of his head against the wall. He stared at the mask â noticing its clumsiness. Isaac put a hand to his face just to cover up the fact he found it funny. His humor was quite broken at times⌠âHuh?â he began to speak, snapping out of it. âOh, uh, I donât think thatâs a justified reason to take me as a host.â
He fell silent at 035âs remark â just a tad confused about its meaning. âSecrets? Uh, no. And why would you care? Itâs nothing important anyway.â a little bit on the defensive side, he didnât like being called out like this. So blatantly too.
He shook his head, whatever. âVery important.â he joked, resting his head on his palm. âHuh. Must have been hell. Seven years⌠Christ.â he was aware that some have worked for more than twenty years, which baffled him even more. âIâm not sure how he stayed alive until now. Huh. And he had to die from you. How disappointingâŚâ a subtle insult? Yup.
His eyes followed the mesh, the sound of metal scratching against the floor was⌠unpleasant. âYou can try, but I donât think so. Youâd probably get stuck if anythinâ.â he shrugged. âOh. Well, Iâm confident that Iâll live. Iâll leave if I have to.â Isaac wasnât⌠really scared. Or bothered. Weird at best. âYou can go ahead. But if you do get stuck â thatâs your fault.â
He really didnât care, huh? A little too confident in his survival skills. Not really his fault though. He has survived way riskier situations, and even that was surprising. âIâm also very tired, so Iâll just probably nod off.â
âWhatever you say, Watchie!â He called back, using that nickname again. He found it fun to use! The anomaly enjoyed using nicknames for different people. It was enjoyable! Entertaining! âI know youâve got something interesting to tell.â
He tried to wedge himself into the vent, however, it was difficult to get his shoulders through the entrance. The body had rather broad ones. Of course they did! Great. Juuust great. The mask then pulled himself out again, grumbling in frustration. He wasnât going to fit. However, at the small insult the other gave, he whirled around to shoot Watch a glare. âDying to me is quick and painless. He died thinking everything was fine and was going to get better. Thatâs much nicer than the other ways you can lose your life here.â He retorted. âSo watch your mouth.â
The otherâs careless attitude to her attempt at giving a scare was met with the mask walking back over to him. Not sitting yet. âNo, if the airflow stopped youâd die. Luckily for you, it didnât. Iâm just trying to be funny but you are not matching my vibe.â She crossed her arms. Leaning down towards him. âI cant even fit in the fucking thing either. Why arenât my vents bigger? You know, 173 can fit in some of them . . This is not fair. This place is full of favouritism!â And his patience was thinning even further. He straightened his posture and was now pacing back and forth in front of Watch.
âThis is your fault. You know that? I should kill you for trapping me in here. And you are not sleeping. Nope. You are staying awake until you either die or Task Force gets in here.â He didnât stop pacing. âWhy couldnât you have just been anyone else? Theyâd be my friend by now. I probably could have convinced them to attack the Task Force when they entered! Youâre just. . .â He paused his walking. âWeird. And different. Why arenât you like the rest?â
âYouâre really attached to that nickname, huh? Canât you like⌠at least make it less childish?â he suggested, still staring at them. âMhm. Sure. Totally interesting.â he spoke sarcastically, trying to make the SCP doubt itself. Even though âmanipulationâ really wasnât his thing.
He observed the other try to enter the open vent, sort of amused. Kind of funny, really. The maskâs frustration made it even funnier. âMhm. Iâll shut my mouth. Whatever you want.â he said, smug. He felt his leg using his hand, wincing. Heâll definitely have to get that one treated.
He drew back his attention to the anomaly, crossing his arms once again. âOur humor is different,â he reasoned, rather vague about it. âWell, maybe 173 is just⌠slimmer, I guess. I donât know. If you got a host that didnât have, you know, broad shouldersâ youâd be able to get in.â a pause, âSo, weâre stuck. I canât get out, you canât get outâ and thatâs it.â
His eyes went left and right, watching the other pace back and forth. âMy fault? This room would have been barricaded either way. Itâs the lizardâs fault.â a plain explanation once again, just stating the facts. âIâll just knock myself out using this wall.â briefly gesturing to the wall behind him.
His eyes stayed on the other, even if it halted movement. âDifferent? Iâm just not that easily dragged around.â he continued, âAnd Iâm not that special. So.â a half-assed shrug and an exhale, he didnât know either. He just tried to make up an explanation for it all.
âLess childish? Like what? Use your real name?â He cocked his head to the left, he could do that. Heâd just grab his name from his mind and then never let it go. But whatâs the fun in that? Real names are boring to use! âI think Iâll stick to âWatchie.ââ
âDonât shut up actually. I need someone to talk to.â The mask cut in, he did not like how Watch found his irritation funny. He could easily tell. And quite frankly, it was annoying him even further. Scratch the whole âgood moodâ thing. He wasnât necessarily mad at Watch, he was mad at himself for not being able to come up with a way to get out of this. He should be halfway across the site right now with a weapon in hand! A loaded weapon, at that. But no. He was stuck in his cell. It was worse than the glass case. Being so close to freedom yet so far!
Stupid fucking lizard.
âMaybe.â He sighed, his pacing returning again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. âThis is so dumb. You owe me a breach now. And you can't say no.â He crossed his arms. Head turned to stare at the other as he walked forwards and back. He needed to keep on moving! But his host was rapidly decaying, soon walking would be a lot more difficult.
âNope. Itâs your fault. You ran this way. So itâs all your fault. It would have chased you if you ran the other direction. Maybe be more aware of your surroundings and we wouldnât be in this situation.â She spat, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling once again as she paced.
âMm. . . I guess. Youâre just weird in general.â The anomaly finally stopped pacing, moving to the wall Isaac was sitting against. Pressing his back against it and sliding down until he hit the floor. He was relatively close to the other. Now bringing his knees up to hug them to her chest. âAt least youâve got a pretty face. Not a pretty personality though.â A small jokey and flirty comment. Of course. âMaybe you should shut up in that case. So I can admire in silence.â
â...Not what I meant.â he corrected, âWeâre not on a first-name basis either. Just saying.â he spoke, plain. â..Whatever. Sure, keep calling me that nickname.â he had to let go, oh well. And I sure do wonder why heâs not angry at Watch. You know, the whole reason why theyâre in this mess. âHuh. I would have expected the opposite, but alright.â
He tapped his feet on the ground in a rhythm, completely⌠bored. He had nothing to do â and he was getting a little thirsty. He needed water. âI owe you a breach? No, I donât.â he declined, shaking his head. âI donât owe you anything.â while that was true⌠well. Not to the anomaly.
âI was running. If I kept running, I would have died. Probably.â he wasnât even sure himself. âFucking hell, I need waterâŚâ he tilted his head, cracking his neck. That released some tension. He noticed 035 get closer, nudging away a little. And that comment definitely got him in a state of confusion. He didnât know whether he should take it as a compliment or not.
âIâ what?â he scrunched up his face in bafflement. What kind of tactical-flirting was this? âYouâ you canât just be saying that normally, jesus.â he sighed, not taking his comment all that seriously. Although, the stuttering wasnât in his control. He didnât know how to take flattery at all. He could only smile and nod in those conversations, yet, he couldnât in this one.
Not everyone expects a compliment from a murderous anomaly â but, he still knew that it was manipulative. So he needed to drop it from his mind before he became delusional. Thatâs what he thought, at least. âFine then, Iâll stop talking.â he replied back, more as a joke. Isaac knew he couldnât stay silent the whole entire time â and 035 would be partially to blame.
âI donât care. Iâll use your first name if I want. My choice.â He responded selfishly with a shrug. Okay. Maybe he was a little mad at Watch too. . More than a little. But itâs fine! Not mad enough to actually kill him over it! Lucky him!
âYes you owe me a breach. You have to come and break me out one day because of this. Iâll be pissed off if you donât.â He scoffed, a roll of his eyes following shortly afterwards. He was being rather pissy in general. Throwing his own little tantrum through his actions and words. The anomaly often did this. He was known for it!
âMm. Not my issue. Well, actually, you made it my issue by getting yourself stuck here. Thanks for that one, asshole.â The mask tapped her fingers on her shin, staring at the ground in front of him for a moment. Mind reeling as he began thinking of ways he could get past the Mobile Task Force once they inevitably entered. . Maybe he could use Watch as some sort of shield? That wouldnât work though. If they were given the orders, theyâd shoot them both down. This was so frustrating! âSucks to suck. We donât have water. So go dehydrate and die.â It was more a blunt joke than anything, a snort of amusement coming from 035 as he spoke it.
She looked back at Isaac once the other reacted to his flirt. âYes I can. And I just did.â She didnât move closer when he nudged away. No point. He just stared at him with that same, comedy grin. âCanât a mask ever comment on someone elseâs beauty? Donât tell me youâre surprised by that.â
He paused again, now that Isaac was gone silent. But he kept his gaze on the otherâs face. Letting silence fall over the two, surprisingly enough. He just leaned his head on his legs as he stared at Watchâs face. It was definitely a shocker that he was actually remaining silent. Rather unexpected. Maybe a little weird? Who knows. The mask didnât care for being âweirdâ. He was doing what he said he was going to do! And Watch going silent must have meant he didnât mind, right?
âRight. Whatever you say, 035.â he wasnât going to give it much of a reaction, heâs aware that itâs a âlittleâ angry. âYouâre always pissed off. What are you going to do if I donât breach you? Kill me?â he laughed, taking it all light-heartedly. âDonât worry. Iâm already used to people threatening me.â
Watch flexed his fingers, slowly regaining energy. âNo problem.â he replied without thinking, just being a little sassy is all. And even if the anomaly used him as a shield â well. Itâs easy to tell how that one would go. âI wish.â isnât that a little depressing?
He stared at the SCP for a moment, expecting them to laugh or give a backhanded compliment- besides, he wasnât anticipating genuineness from it. But, that didnât happen. âItâs a little surprising from my perspective,â he answered, falling silent afterward. Nothing. â...Are you actually serious?â he spoke up, glancing at the mask. Genuinely uncertain of its intentions.
âYouâre fucking odd, you know?â he continued, a confused expression becoming more evident on his face. One minute he was getting threatened by 035, and the other it was flirting with him. What kind of twisted humor was this?
Not that he really minded anyway.
He eventually decided to get up, heading to the opposite side of the room; opening drawers and cabinets, just trying to find some water.
âWhat are you even going to do once your host⌠well, corrodes away?â he kept the conversation, just trying to move along. âBecause Iâm sure as hell not lending you my body,â he added, just to clarify. âSurely they stacked water in hereâŚâ he mumbled under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud.
Not like he needed to hide them. Besides, if the anomaly could read his thoughtsâ whatâs the point, right? Maybe not many people will agree, but thatâs his train of thought.
âIâm not always pissed off! And yes, I will.â He nodded his head with a âHmph.â Seeming very certain on that answer, however, he knew if it came to that? He probably wouldnât.
There was a strange feeling pulling him away from actually taking the other's life. She didnât like it. Nor understand it. âYeah, yeah. Iâm sure. .â
The sassy comment got a huff from the anomaly, muttering some insult under his breath towards the other â inaudible. She was still salty. Of course she was! Why wouldnât he be? He was trapped. âI wish too.â A little rude.
You know . . . This felt awfully familiar. . . It paused. Seeming to freeze momentarily as it thought to itself. Then simply grumbled to itself.
His attention was snapped back to reality when the other spoke again. A laugh exited the mask and he rolled the shoulders of his host until they gave a satisfying pop. âVery serious!â He stared right back, amused at the otherâs reaction to his words. âJust accept my words. Theyâre true! Not lies.â It was hard to tell if he was lying or not. . . Considering it was, well, him.
âOdd? I wouldnât say so. Iâm just different from you! Different in a good way, of course.â The mask watched as Isaac got to his feet, a sigh escaping him as he leaned back against the wall again. It let its gaze wander around the room, jumping from corner to corner, wall to wall, stone to stone. There was nothing interesting to look at. . Apart from Watch.
So, the anomaly picked up a pebble from the collapsed rubble. One had skidded over near the walls. He tossed it from hand to hand. Eyes on Watch.
âI donât know,â the anomaly admitted, letting the pebble rest in one hand. âCome on, why not? Iâll enjoy it. Plus, itâll be fun! A little get-to-know-each-other session! Well, I get to know you.â He then threw the pebble at the other, hitting him on the back of the head with a chuckle. He has been throwing a lot of things at Isaac today!
âYou really think theyâll have water stashed away? I donât think so. But hey! You work here! Not me!â
He didnât bother talking back, itâd only be a back and forth of yes and nos. He pushed over files on files of interviews and tests â useless now. He couldnât find anything. What luck, huh? Watch took a moment to think things over, maybe he could come up with a solution to this mess⌠but how?
âIâm not going to believe a mask who lies all of the damn time,â he spat, sighing. He wasnât going to take anything that it said seriously, and if that leads to his death? Well played, he supposed. He was no stranger to playing with his life, hell, even talking back to authority figures who could have terminated him on the spot. Not like he went here because he wanted to â because he needed to.
âDifferent in a good way? Please,â he chuckled, waving a hand at him. âNo need to gaslight yourself,â okay, perhaps that was a little bit too⌠rude. Yet, he couldnât help himself. A little funny, he thought. He stared down at the metal table, trying to think. What could he do? What can he do? He was quickly taken back to reality as he felt something hit his head â he really had enough at this point.
Isaac turned his head, looking around for another small rock. Spotting one, he crouched down and took it; aiming it at 035 and immediately threw it at them without warning. A bit harsh, especially since he aimed it at his face and⌠that one kinda hurt. 035 was lucky that the pebble didnât crack its face.
âPayback. Headshot, too.â he was being witty, a small smile appearing on his lips. They werenât friends, but moments like this were, well, nice. He didnât trust the anomaly thoughâ not yet, anyway. Itâd take a lot more than that. Perhaps it isnât as hard as they thought, though.
âAnd stop throwing things at me, will you?â he tilted back to what he was doing, only useless papers and files. Heâll have to get out of here, it seems. He wasnât even sure if the task force was going to arrive. Let alone get them outâŚ
The mask glanced down at his chest, her acid smearing the white lab coat and the skin beneath. Flesh was exposed and had turned an unnatural black colour. And the smell was definitely horrible. The room was slowly starting to fill with the stench of pure rot. 035, luckily, couldnât smell it. Which he was glad for!
âI donât lie often! I tell stories!â He snapped right back, throwing his hands in the air. âEvery story I tell makes life so much more interesting. However, Iâm being totally honest now.â The mask went to stand up, but his host was weakening â he simply collapsed back down to the ground, splattering a mix of blood and acid on the floor below. âOops.â
He then put a finger in the pool of liquid, swirling it in circles. âHuh?â He glanced back up at Isaac. âIâm not gaslighting myself! I am different in a good way! Unlike yourself.â
The anomaly watched as the stone hit the ground and as Watch bent down to grab another. He didnât expect him to throw it straight back at it, the stone practically ricocheting off of his porcelain face, bouncing half-way back. âWow. That was rude. At least I didnât throw it that hard.â He scoffed, bringing a half-melted hand to rub his finger over where the stone hit. It didnât leave a mark. Good. He would have been pretty upset if it did!
âI should grab a proper rock from over there and throw it at you. But I donât want your face bashed in.â He hummed, returning to poking at the acid on the floor. âCan't be destroying such a handsome face, can we now?â The anomaly, of course, was going to keep toying and flirting with the other. âPlus, I like you a lot better when youâre alive.â
It was hard to tell if these flirts were out of genuine attraction towards Watch or if they were purely because it wanted to mess with him. 035 itself wasnât too sure either. But it was enjoying doing so anyways! And sure, the last thing may be going against his threats to kill the other. . But hey! Itâs funny! He was enjoying himself!
He didnât want to listen to it â knowing that he himself was almost buying into their words. He canât become vulnerable now, that could kill him. He tried to get its words out of his mind, thinking of other⌠things. âUhuh.â he was going to drop this topic.
He briefly looked at them, attempting not to laugh. âOh, really? Youâre not lying to yourself? Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night.â he replied in a sarcastic tone, an exhale leaving his mouth.
He shrugged his shoulders, âYouâre not being so nice to be either,â he spoke, letting out a hum. âOh, really?â he glanced at the other, âHow nice of you,â however, he wasnât anticipating even more attempts at flirting. Believe it or not, it kind of got to him. A small hue of red spread to his cheeks as he looked away. âYouâre way too at ease,â he said, trying to cover up the fact he actually got affected by its words.
After all, having the same words repeated to you over and over eventually takes effect. Whether itâd be positive or negative. Isaac scratched the back of his neck, trying to search for words to say. âThanks. I guess,â he managed to mutter, promptly clearing his throat in nervousness. He didnât even know why it got to him.
Was it the lack of compliments he got? Or did he finally stoop so low that he'd accept an anomalyâs attempts at flirting with him? He felt rather disappointed in himself. His face felt warm, still. If only he could change that. Heâs just internally hoping that 035 did not notice this, albeit the chances of that happening were low. The mask could notice almost any changes in a person, even if it acts dense at times.
How is he even going to get himself out of this mess?
The mask continued the swirling motion on the ground, however, it had eroded his finger almost entirely off. So there wasnât much movement occurring. But it was keeping him somewhat entertained. . So he didnât mind! Plus, he still had his other hand! . . Somewhat. It was also melting off. . but thatâs fine! ââM not! You wouldnât understand.â
He hummed, gaze lifting to the other. And of course, he noticed Watchâs reaction to the flirt. The anomaly immediately perked up, trying to peer around at the otherâs face. âItâs good to be at ease! You should try it.â He giggled, his amusement was clear. He was going to. . . Enjoy this. Thatâs for sure.
âYou are so very welcome! Did you like that?â The mask shuffled across the floor to get closer. A little awkward, sure, but hey! He wanted to get closer and this was the best way to do so! However, he left a trail of acid and blood in his wake. Still, no issue! He was trying his best.
The mask was quietly thinking to himself, trying to pick out the best words to use next. Did he want to keep flirting? Did he want to change up the topic to leave the other confused? He wasnât sure yet. But, once he got to the table, he grabbed onto the edges and used it to pull himself up. Now he was standing! Which was definitely much better than sitting on the floor. He decided what he wanted to do.
And as well as this, the mask was pushing its way into Isaacâs mind; to further understand exactly what he was feeling.
âWhatâs wrong? Youâve gone all quiet, love.â He purred out, voice a little quieter. âSomething you want to say? You can! No shame in liking someone flirting with you. However, Iâm surprised that you liked me doing it. .â He was leaning heavily on the table edge, trying to act as âflirtyâ as he could. He was having fun! Nothing wrong with that, right? Plus, itâs not like this meant anything. It was just a one-time thing that 035 was doing to dig for a reaction and entertain himself.
âI canât really âbe at easeâ when Iâm working here,â he spoke flatly, ignoring what happened earlier. Trying to. âLike what? I mean, compliments arenât an everyday thing for me. Iâm just saying thank you as a form of politeness.â very much trying not to sell himself out! Even if it was a very poor attempt at doing so.
The maskâs attempts to get into his head were⌠well, almost successful. Definitely caught him off-guard and made him just a little more unfiltered. Almost as if he didnât have enough time to think his answers through, or to control his reactions. â..Love? Whaââ he was getting more flustered by the second. He backed away, definitely looking at everything other than the SCP. God, did his head feel this clouded? Almost as if something was messing around with his mindset⌠hm.
Watchâs mind was tougher to completely get into, hell, it was almost as if there was a steel wall separating the two. But, 035 had a moderate grasp on how Isaac felt, whether he liked it or notâŚ
âHahaâ what? I never said anythingââ he was at a loss for words. Isaac was clearly unsure himself, just by his thoughts alone. âI never said anything about that.â he reiterated, trying to seem more composed than how he actually was. On second thought, maybe his face didnât translate that all well. Just a little red⌠totally just a little. Scratch that, the blush on his face was very obvious from the SCPâs perspective. After all, theyâre quite close to each other than previously.
He really, really didnât want the mask to see his current state of feelings. A mix of emotions, to be more accurate. Just not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. âYouâre⌠something. Iâll admit that.â he finally spoke in hopes heâll come off as less awkward. He turned his back to it, trying to find another point of focus.
He didnât want to be called out by a damned mask, thatâs for sure.
The mask giggled to itself. Still slumped across the desk as it spoke to the other. His head continuing to tilt and try to look around at Watchâs face. 035âs excitement was clear, this was something more entertaining than smudging acid on the ground! He was getting a reaction from Watch. . And well, he enjoyed it.
âMhm-hmm. I see. I see.â He nodded eagerly, moving closer. Practically dragging himself down the desk a little. Heâs being smooth about this, shhh. Let him do his thing.
The mask was still digging through the other's head as they spoke. Multi-tasking! Speaking and flirting while also simultaneously rooting around in Isaacâs brain. Or, more accurately, trying to do so. He was definitely aware of the barrier Watchâs mind had surrounding it. But the mask was good at weaselling his way around barriers such as this. Hundreds of years of practice made any mind possible to break into.
âMhm, love! You said you wanted new names, didnât you? I think itâs a nice one. Donât you think so?â He was very . . . Forwards about this. Not giving the other chances to recollect himself. It was more satisfying that way. Watching him constantly slip over his words in a pathetic attempt to gather himself, only for that attempt to be broken down again as the mask continued to utter words of pure sweetness.
He enjoyed doing this.
âMmm. I know. But I can tell. You can be honest with me, dear. Itâs just us in here anyways. The cameras are out. No one is judging your feelings.â And at that, the cameras stationed in the corners of the room flickered, then dropped. Offline. The lights flashing on and off as that occured. Heâs good at this! âSo do you like me doing this?â
This was definitely a stark contrast to the rude and sarcastic attitude he had moments before. But to 035 â for some reason â he felt as if this was better. It felt right to speak this way to the other.
Huh. Weird. . . Probably nothing important.
âI know.â A light chuckle. âWhy donât you look at me while weâre talking? Itâs disrespectful to not look at someone when in a conversation. .â
He noticed just how cocky the anomaly was getting â and Isaac wasnât really specialized in that area. He was a witty person, but he never considered something such as this happening. So he had no clue what he should do. âYou canât just say that normally. Thatâs justâ change it. I, uh, donât like that nickname.â he quickly constructed a sentence based on rationality â what else could he do?
He repeated reasoning in his head - why would it be doing this? What does it have to gain from doing this? Maybe for entertainment, he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks were still quite warm. Heâs never been put in this position, what could he do? Ignore the SCP? But itâd just continue anyway to get at him.
The endearing words were getting to him, not the greatest sign. He took a quick look at the cameras, then back to 035. Was he going to respond? Well⌠âIâm not going to fall for this, youâ you canât justââ he put his head into his hands, âNevermind, just drop it.â he sighed, he was expecting everything but this. Really? Trying to romance a human? Thatâs ridiculous.
Then again, was he actually complaining? No, not really. Heâs just embarrassed. Besides, if he really wanted it to stop, he could easily just walk away and add some distance between them. Or maybe heâs just stupid, who knows?
âI donât want people to think weâre⌠together. Quit the fake flattery,â he stated, pausing in-between a couple of words. He didnât even answer the otherâs question directly aloud, but he was definitely thinking about it in his head. Mostly just confused on why he was actually taking the question seriously.
Why was he even reacting to anything at all? He was just giving it the reaction it wanted.
âIâm not looking at you becauseâ... becauseâŚâ a quick and believable answer. He didnât have one though, minus the fact it was just so it didnât see just how much it affected him. Quite easily, too. But Isaac wasnât going to trust it so quickly. âUhâuhm.â he didnât know how to word it. Actually, better yet, heâd rather just not say anything at all. Keeping silent, hoping itâd move on from this.
035 kept his gaze pinned on the other. Propping an elbow on the table to lean his head on. The other hand resting on his hip. âWhy canât I? Itâs nice! Itâs cute! It fits you. Love, love, love. Itâs a sweet word!â He laughed quietly to himself. He was just . . . Acting a lot quieter in general. And while yes, he still carried that cocky behaviour, there were also more gentle aspects to it. Like the pet names! âLoveâ was somewhat soft. But of course, it was cocky of him to be using it so freely with someone who he doesnât know too well.
Plus, trying out different techniques of getting a reaction was working. He was using a few different tactics, first it was the compliments, now it was getting really up close and personal. The space between them wasnât much at all. Was he pushing a little? Maybe. Was it too much so soon? Also maybe. But either way, it was more. . Testing the waters. He had a feeling heâd be acting like this a lot around Watch.
Huh. Odd.
âCanât just what? Cat got your tongue?â He hummed out smoothly. âDo you really want me to drop it? I mean, I can. But something is telling me that you like it.â That something being the otherâs thoughts. He knew there was a part of Isaac that enjoyed this too. Was it a bit unfair to try and drag that part of the other out? Mmmm. Depends. But heâd stop if needed.
âNo one's gonna think that because thereâs no one here,â he responded honestly. âIt isnât fake either.â Sure, the anomaly was known for how it flattered those who it spoke with, but honestly? To it? This felt. . . Different. More genuine words coming from him. It was weird. Definitely a foreign feeling for the mask. Heâd forget about it later.
Maybe it was a bit of denial. . .
âBecaaauuuseee? Go on? Iâm waiting,â he lifted the hand off of his hip to poke the other gently. He wanted eye contact! He wanted to stare over the otherâs features. Maybe he meant what he had said beforehand by admiring. . . âYou donât have a reason, do you? So just look at me,â there was a brief pause. Then, after a second or two of that pause, an almost silent; âpleaseâ was uttered.
That was. . . Weird of it. A small moment of weakness? Perhaps. Thatâs only if the other heard it though. It was really quiet. And the mask didnât change otherwise. It didnât even know why it said it.
âIt fits me? Howâ?â he had a million questions in his head that he couldnât ask out loud. More or so because itâd be too much. âIt doesnât fit me at all.â he asserted, trying to clear up any confusion as he scrunched up his face. Why would âloveâ of all things fit him specifically? He thought to himself. Itâs not like he was in a relationship â or ever was. He just couldnât see why. Maybe it was crystal clear to the mask.
âYou confuse me,â he said, âWhy are you actually doing this?â ignoring the fact that the mask just called him out for somewhat liking the flattery â but who wouldnât? Right? He wasnât crazy or anything. Well, not yet. Isaac pondered on whether it was actually genuine or not, shaking his head â of course, it wasnât genuine. 035 liked playing around with people, this wasnât any different.
âSure, whatever you say. Iâm betting on the fact that youâre doing this just for some easy entertainment,â an understandable guess, considering the maskâs antics.
The baffled man just couldnât look at himâ that is until he heard the smallest âpleaseâ out of the other, which he snapped his head to look at them with a surprised expression. âWas that a âpleaseâ I heard?â he let out a perplexed chuckle as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Well, thatâs one way to make Isaac finally look at them. His face wasnât⌠too red. Still noticeable from this angle, though. At least it gives 035 something to stare at.Â
He was aware that the mask liked to mess with people, and perhaps this time was no different⌠but still. It was rather surprising to witness, really. It sounded real, though. A certain hesitance to actually say âpleaseâ. Still, skepticism should always come first when dealing with the anomaly.
He felt something in his stomach. Butterflies? No, couldnât be. He wasnât that easy to get, right?
Well, that one was debatable considering the situation he was in.
âIt just does. Canât explain it.â The anomaly spoke, his tone almost genuine for a moment. However, it was definitely hard to tell. The mask was good at manipulating the tone of his voice to whatever he wished. A talent a great liar such as himself has acquired. It made it hard to pick up on what was a true tone and what one was invented to ease the maskâs side of whatever situation he had gotten into.
At the otherâs question, he seemed to hesitate. Then shrugged his shoulders in a carefree attitude to play it off. Why was he doing this? âIâm bored.â Was all he said. Trying to come off as brutally honest but even that felt like a lie as the words rolled off of his tongue.
This was really. . . Weird for it. Just in general. And yes, maybe the mask itself was rather lost on its motive for this. But it could definitely use the âfor entertainmentâ excuse. Even if it, for some reason, sounded wrong to speak. This left 035 in a predicament. He didnât know what route to take next. . . That was until, the realisation that Watch had heard the word he whispered so quietly set in.
But, now he could stare at Isaacâs face. So that was fine.
Which he did. He didnât answer Isaac yet, he just sort of. . . Stared. This may feel rather uncomfortable to others, but this stare seemed much softer. His gaze was moving across Watchâs features. And he was definitely taking his time to stare. He was in no rush at all. Plus, it was giving him more time to come up with a response. Which again, didnât seem right. He never needed time to come up with responses. .
âUh,â he finally spoke. âNo. I donât know what youâre talking about.â He quickly defended himself, he would most likely not admit that he had said âpleaseâ. But it was done now. There was no taking back words, and either way; the anomaly got what it wanted. It could freely stare at Watchâs face without his eyes constantly averting his own. So he thought that was a win? It was in his books! Even if he sacrificed a bit of himself to actually whisper the word out. . It was worth it.
âI donât say âpleaseâ. Especially not to something like this. Youâre probably hearing things.â Probably not the best choice of words, since if Watch was fully aware of the fact he said this, then this would make it look more genuine by desperately trying to push away the fact it was said.
He simply shrugged, just taking it as the anomalyâs shenanigans. They were a liar, so it shouldnât be unexpected. He kind of anticipated the response âIâm boredâ by the other, but being told up-front still hurts at times. He pushed those feelings away, concentrating on the current situation. âKnew it.â he briefly replied, simple enough.
To Watch, he wasnât⌠sure how he should react to the intense staring. He felt his face burn further, not used to people being infatuated by his⌠face, of all things. He occasionally averted his gaze from the other â not much for intense eye contact. He began to bite his inner cheek in nervousness. What was he supposed to do? Stare back? Thatâs awkward. Even for him.
âOh, really?â he said, glad to have something to talk about instead of staying in complete silence; âI heard it pretty well. Iâm not deaf either,â insisting on the fact the other said please. Isaac took one, small step closer. Shouldâve been the opposite, though.
âThe way youâre acting tells me I heard you say it, but alright.â he exhaled, âI appreciate the bare form of politeness.â he silently chuckled, almost amused. They were both relatively close to each other, Isaac just ignored this fact though. Totally not important.
âYeah. Definitely hearing things, mhm.â he spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes dismissively. âMaybe Iâve gone crazy, who knows.â he hummed, definitely not believing the other. His thoughts kept darting back to the flattery from earlierâŚ
Heâs just glad the flirting has stopped â hopefully!
Right?
At least the feeling of having something stuck in his head has lessened⌠he was still puzzled about his own feelings, though. Just trying to not pay too much attention to it all, it was for the best. He didnât want to fall for the anomalyâs tricks.
The mask was sort of. . . Resisting the urge to reach a hand up to touch Isaacâs face. Mainly because he didnât want to hurt him with the acid. So he didnât, he kept his hands to himself and just let his eyes wander the otherâs face. He let himself return to the silence, even as Watch went on about the âpleaseâ. Which earned a huff from the mask. Even now as he spoke, his eyes were unmoving. Now staring at Isaacâs eyes in hopes that he would actually look back and keep eye contact rather than letting his eyes flicker away.
âNo, youâre definitely deaf.â In return, 035 took a step closer to him. He quite honestly didnât think the other would do so, but here they are. Both a step closer to the other. The space between them getting smaller and smaller. 035 didnât mind it, really. If anything, he liked it. He liked having this closeness with someone. Even if that someone was a person he hardly knew. It was. . . A nice feeling, to put it simply.
âIâm acting very normal. Shut up,â he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. âYouâve definitely gone crazy. But at least now youâre looking at me. Itâs easier to see you, you know? I like seeing you.â Once again, the anomaly shuffled just a tiny bit closer. He was still testing things out, seeing how Watch reacted. He wanted to know everything. They were practically brushing off of each other now. And 035. . Liked it. He always loved the closeness he could get with people. He was a sucker for physical contact, thatâs for sure. It was just something he genuinely adored! But he loved this more than any other experience heâs had beforehand.
Was he just messing with the otherâs feelings? Or was this genuine coming from him? To Watch, it was definitely a blurred line between the two and quite frankly, 035 felt the same way. But he was never going to admit that aloud, if anything heâd state it was merely a way to cure his boredom! Making someone flustered was always a pleasant experience.
The flirting was not stopping.
âCome on, pretty boy. Tell me how youâre feeling! I want to know, just speak your mind. . . Iâll listen.â Ah, another little name. It rolled off his tongue so charming and smooth that it sounded like a name he used often for the other. His gaze remained pinned on Watchâs face, studying to see how heâd react to it.
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