Work Text:
a cold wind bites at builderman’s cheeks. he shivers, burrowing deeper into the turtleneck he was wearing. dirt crunches under his boots. he accidentally kicks a pebble and watches as it tumbles away, coming precariously close to falling off the edge. the height still makes him wary, he has to admit. glancing over the edge for a second rewards builderman with a view of foggy clouds, miles below his current vantage point. the burning red sky reflects in the clouds, igniting them with an orange hue. builderman knows it’s pointless to stare. he wouldn’t be able to see the ground.
builderman comes to a stop, another gust of wind whipping past. one of his hands instinctively grabs his hardhat, lest the wind blow it off his head.
the heights are empty, as they have been as of recently. builderman remembers how active they used to be. robloxians dueling for their honor, or purely for fun. it feels like a distant memory. now, there’s only one person to be found here. they’re sitting on the edge of one of the numerous towers, hunched over and silent. despite surely hearing builderman approaching, they make no move.
builderman idles for a few moments before clearing his throat. “telamon.”
she turns a little at that, just enough for builderman to know she’s acknowledging his presence. after a few moments of silence, telamon speaks.
“what do you want? didn’t i tell you i didn’t need your help?” she tries to snap, but it falls flat. her voice is raspy and quiet, a far cry from her usual haughty tone.
builderman doesn't quite know what he's doing here, either.
“i suppose… i may be worried,” builderman replies after thinking for a moment.
“worried?” telamon repeats, turning enough so builderman can see her eye. “about me? you expect me to believe that?”
builderman doesn’t look at telamon, opting to stare out at the clouds beyond her. “i’m the only one who knows about what happened. i’m offering my help, because i believe i’m the only one who can help.”
“so that’s it? you’re here just- on some kind of- am i a service project for you?” telamon sputters incredulously.
she was visibly getting agitated. her wing had clearly seen better, but even in it’s decayed state builderman can see her feathers puffing up. telamon was always aloof and apathetic, showing no indicators to her true feelings. and yet, involuntarily or not, she was now. builderman tilts his head slightly, eyes flicking over to telamon’s hunched form.
“no,” he murmurs. “you’re… you’re not okay, telamon. i can’t just leave you to die.”
“just because you happened to be there doesn’t mean i need your help,” she spits out the word as if it’s foul tasting in her mouth. “you don’t have any idea what happened. you don’t- you can’t just fix this.”
builderman tries to remain calm. he doesn’t want to let telamon rile him up. “i saved your life, telamon.”
“i didn’t ask you to save me.” telamon’s voice is cold. “maybe you shouldn’t have.”
builderman is shocked silent. how does he reply to that?
telamon scoffs at builderman's lack of reply, turning away. “i’m no idiot, builderman. leave before i toss you off these cliffs.”
they both know she currently doesn't have the power to do that. regardless, builderman heaves a sigh of resignation. “right.”
builderman doesn’t bother begging telamon to let him help. he turns away, another cold gust of wind cutting him to his bones. still, he waits for a moment, just in case telamon changes her mind. she doesn’t.
builderman mutters a teleport command under his breath. he’s whisked away, leaving telamon alone at the top of her hand-crafted mountains.
someone opened the door to his office, knocking as they did. “hey, boss? got a sec?”
builderman sat up from the paper he was filling out, eyebrows raising slightly. “what brings you here, mr. doombringer?”
doombringer stepped into builderman’s office, ducking under the door frame. “i got a question.”
“and you had to ask me in person?” builderman asked, faintly amused.
doombringer huffed. “i was in the area.”
“sure.”
doombringer cleared his throat with a deep, rumbling sound. “anyways. so, this might be a weird question.”
builderman’s interest was piqued. he gestured for doombringer to continue. the admin shuffled a little in the doorway, glancing behind him. “have… you seen telamon lately?”
that was a question builderman wasn’t expecting. he blinked, taking a moment to think before replying. “i… hm. it has been a while, but that’s not out of the ordinary. is she causing you trouble?”
doombringer huffed a humorless laugh. “the opposite, actually.”
“is that so?”
“yeah.” doombringer finally stepped fully into builderman’s office, closing the door behind him. “you know how she… ah, has a habit of sending hordes of people to badlands? even if it’s unjust?”
it’s an issue that doombringer has brought to builderman before. he nodded.
“well. she… isn’t doing that anymore.”
builderman paused. “she isn’t?”
doombringer laughed again. “yeah. she’s practically stopped. which would be nice in any other context, but i haven’t seen her in…” he whistled, “ages, probably. she didn’t go croak on us, did she?”
“i doubt she could ‘croak’ in the first place,” builderman murmured, mostly to himself. he thought for a moment. “she has been fairly busy with this… project of hers lately.”
“a project?” doombringer repeated.
“of sorts.” builderman sighed. “i’ll check up on her regardless. for now, enjoy this break while it lasts.”
“oh, i will.” doombringer raised two clawed fingers to his forehead in a salute. “thanks for the help, boss! keep me in the loop, will you?”
builderman nodded. “of course.”
“appreciate ya!” doombringer said before stepping out of builderman’s office. the door closed behind him.
telamon’s behavior, or lack thereof… how odd. perhaps he should look into this.
it’s late at night. builderman is still working, trying to wrap up the last of his papers. the only light source is the lamp, aiming a beam of light at the ban appeal in front of him. he never liked leaving a job unfinished, even if finishing it was at the cost of his own rest. he’s trying his best to focus, but…
builderman straightens up from his hunched over position, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. he scans his dimly lit office. he’s alone.
he sighs. “i know you’re there.”
it’s silent. builderman waits a few moments. he’s about to speak a command to reveal who is in his office when he hears movement. he pauses.
a few more seconds. then, suddenly, a figure is standing in front of his desk.
builderman blinks. “telamon? i hafta admit, i didn't expect it to be you.”
telamon, impossibly, hunches further into herself. her tattered wing drew closer around her body. for a person that always made herself tall and imposing, seeing her so subdued is a new sight.
“did… you need something?” builderman asks, since clearly telamon doesn't want to speak first.
telamon is silent. builderman patiently waits. it takes a while but finally, she mumbles, “i’m taking you up on your offer.”
builderman’s eyebrows raise. “my offer, eh?”
“if you’ve decided to retract it, i’ll tear your limbs off one by one.” telamon’s voice is quiet, shaky, effectively ruining any effect that threat might've had.
“i haven’t,” builderman replies. “i’m just surprised. quite frankly, i didn’t expect you to agree to my help.”
he waits for telamon to bristle, to snap a reply for builderman daring to imply she needs help. strangely, she doesn't.
someone taps on the office door. telamon full on flinches, vanishing from view a moment later. builderman studies the place telamon was standing before clearing his throat. “who is it?”
his door softly creaks open, a blue, helmed head peaking in. “i hope i am not interrupting anything.”
“oh, clockwork!” builderman smiles. “you can come in.”
clockwork doesn’t fully enter, opting to stay in the doorway. “i was just turning off all of the lights for the night. i thought i heard you speaking.”
“my apologies,” builderman chuckles. “i was talking to myself.”
clockwork nods. “i see. do you plan on working late again?”
builderman sighs, eyes drawn back to the mess of papers in front of him. “most likely.”
“do not stay up too late,” clockwork chides. “i will be informing brighteyes if you continue to neglect your rest.”
“please do not. i don’t need her on my case again.”
“then you will go to bed at an appropriate time,” clockwork instructs.
“since when were you my mother?” builderman teases.
clockwork seems stumped at that. “i am not your mother. unless you require one?”
builderman snorts. “i’m kidding around.”
clockwork’s mouth lifts into a small smile. “ha ha. i will leave you to your paperwork now. go to bed at a reasonable time. those are your orders.”
builderman can’t help but smile back. “orders received. thanks for shutting all the lights off.”
“of course. goodnight, builderman.” clockwork gives a small wave before quietly shutting the door.
builderman waits a few moments. he looks down at his papers, feigning disinterest. there’s a small rustle in the otherwise silent office. when he looks back up, telamon has reappeared.
“i thought you had ditched me,” builderman tries to joke.
telamon doesn't seem amused. “i don't flee.”
“looks to me like you just ‘fled’ from clockwork,” builderman points out.
telamon leans forward over builderman's desk. “nobody can see me like this,” she hisses. “that includes that junk of scrap metal you call a friend.”
“don't call clockwork that,” builderman warns. “if you want my help getting you out of this mess, i would recommend not insulting my employees.”
telamon growls, but retreats. builderman narrows his eyes slightly. “so. what exactly do you want me to do?”
“i’m not sure yet,” telamon mutters. “tomorrow we will brainstorm.”
“i have a meeting tomorrow.”
“does your meeting last all day?” telamon asks incredulously.
builderman lifts his shoulders. “it might. you never came to any meetings, so you wouldn’t be aware.”
“quiet.” telamon snaps. “the day after, then.”
builderman thinks for a moment. “that should work, yes.”
“good. don't disappoint me.”
telamon glares for a moment, before disappearing without another sound. a blackened feather floats to the ground where she was standing. builderman sighs. he’s not finishing this ban appeal report tonight. he best just go home. he reaches to turn his desk lamp off.
“so,” builderman started. “what’s this ‘project’ of yours?”
telamon walked a step ahead of him, hands folded behind her back. “you’ll see,” she said, sounding somewhat annoyed at his question.
builderman scoffed to himself. instead of doing something productive, he was practically forced to come see a so called ‘project’ telamon had been working on. this was a waste of his time, time he could spend filling out reports and catching up on paperwork.
builderman wasn't sure where they were, exactly. telamon had teleported them both here, but refused to tell any details about the location. all builderman could tell was that they were currently in a sparsely wooded area. he noted that there appeared to be cuts on some of the trees, like they had been chopped at with a sharp blade. he didn't get the feeling that this was a trap or something sinister, but he took mental note of the marks anyways.
“this way, love.” telamon interrupted builderman’s thoughts.
the two of them had been walking through the forest, slowly approaching a small building randomly plopped in the forest. builderman hadn't realized they had arrived, too busy thinking about the weird gashes on the trees.
telamon raised a palm at the door, and builderman could feel the slight shift in the air that signified he could now enter. telamon turned the knob, bowing slightly. “after you.”
builderman gave the deity a wary glance. “...thanks.”
he stepped inside, telamon closing the door behind them with a small click. the inside of the building was small and hardly furnished. there was a bed in the corner, a table and a few chairs in another. a drawer sat against a wall under a window. that was practically it.
what caught builderman’s attention wasn’t the barebones furniture. it was the figure sitting on the bed, staring down into their lap. they raised their head as builderman and telamon enter. they look ordinary, having grey skin, a simple green vest and black pants. a green crown with dominoes on it sits upon their head. their face is young looking and innocent. still, builderman felt an inexplicable shudder go down his spine. this… thing in front of him feels…
“this is my project.” telamon glided into view, giving builderman a smile that’s all teeth. “builderman, meet 1x1x1x1.”
builderman taps a pen against his chin in thought. “this is probably be the best chance at retaining at least some of your power, but it’ll be a drastic change. we’ve gone through a lot of different options, and in my opinion this will… ah, i’m rambling, aren’t i?”
he turns his head slightly. telamon is quiet beside him, as she had been for the past few minutes. he can tell she doesn’t like this idea, but also doesn’t have anything better to suggest.
“what kind of name is that, anyways?” telamon mutters under her breath. “it’s a fools name.”
“i told you, it’s a placeholder name,” builderman replies. “you can change it if you want.”
“why can't i just be telamon?”
builderman gives her a disbelieving look. she grumbles at his expression. “i like my name as it is. i see no reason to change it.”
“the whole reason we’re doing this is to hide your identity. it’s not very secret if you use the same name.” builderman can’t believe he has to explain this.
“i don’t like this. i won’t be me anymore,” telamon complains.
“that’s the point, telamon.” builderman glances at her. “is that such a bad thing, anyways?”
telamon stares back, expression unreadable. builderman could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she digests his words.
“you don’t have to decide tonight,” builderman murmurs after a few moments. “and if you think of anything else, i’ll be glad to help. but… i believe this is the best opportunity, telamon.”
telamon is silent. builderman sighs, almost raising a hand to rest on her shoulder before he thinks better of it.
“leave me to think,” telamon says, voice uncharacteristically unsteady. “i’ll get to you with a decision whenever i decide.”
builderman lowers his head in acknowledgement. “of course. i’ll be ready whenever you are.”
builderman didn’t want to be here.
telamon sighed in disappointment beside him. “again.”
1x1x1x1 looked back at the two of them. the look on their face…
“maybe you’re bein’ too hard on them,” builderman muttered to telamon.
“don’t tell me how to raise my own child,” telamon snapped.
builderman folded his arms, biting his tongue. 1x1x1x1 had gotten into position again, crouched slightly with a sword in each hand. it’s impressive, in builderman’s opinion. the child (teenager? builderman wasn’t sure about their exact age) was a young prodigy. their sword skills were very impressive, especially for how young they were.
their skills aren’t enough for telamon. the best of the best would only expect perfection from her child, after all.
“begin,” telamon commanded.
1x1x1x1 began running through the same routine as before, speeding through the course. their swords gash against wood with scarily accurate precision, but they have to slow occasionally to brush their hair from their eyes. once they reached the end, they turned to telamon. builderman hoped that telamon would praise the poor kid, at least this once.
“too slow,” telamon said.
“but- that’s not fair!” 1x1x1x1 stabbed one of their swords into the dirt. “my hair was in my eyes!”
builderman could practically feel the venomous aura coming from telamon. he fished in his pockets, hoping to find something of use.
“here,” builderman stepped forward towards 1x1x1x1. “i have a hair tie.”
1x1x1x1 hesitated, before gingerly taking the hair tie from builderman. they looked embarrassed, confused at what to do.
“you just put your hair in it.” builderman waited for them to do so. “then, twist the tie, and pull your hair through again. keep doing that ‘till it’s tight enough.”
1x1x1x1 obediently did as they were told. their ponytail was messy and imperfect, but it did the job. builderman gave them a small smile. “there you go.”
1x1x1x1 stared at builderman, something unreadable in their wide eyes. telamon snapped her fingers. builderman gave the kid what he hopped was an encouraging look before making his way back to telamon’s side. he could feel the force of her glare from under the shadow of her hood. he raised an eyebrow at her, silently daring her to lash out, to make a scene. she didn’t. amazing show of self-restraint from telamon today.
“go again,” she commanded to 1x1x1x1.
builderman wanted to reprimand telamon, tell her she was being too hard with 1x1x1x1. pushing someone this hard will only end horribly. it will blow up in her face, and as rude as telamon may be, builderman didn’t want to stand by and watch it happen.
he exhaled, remaining silent. she wouldn’t listen to him anyway.
“get up.”
the bundle of blankets on builderman’s couch doesn’t reply.
builderman frowns. “you can’t stay hidden under my blankets forever.”
the blankets rustle a little. a hand emerges from the comforters, the middle finger raised in defiance.
builderman cannot believe this. “you little-”
he grabs the mass of blankets, yanking it off the couch onto the floor. the person inside squawks in surprise, flailing around in an attempt to save themself. this only succeeds in tangling them up in the blankets, leading them to land on the floor with a thud. their wings splay awkwardly behind them.
they make no move to get themself up. builderman stares. “are you just gonna lay there?”
they narrow their eyes, not saying anything in reply.
“did you spend the whole day sleeping on my couch?”
no reply.
“have you even eaten anything?”
the silence speaks volumes.
“telamon.”
“who’s telamon?” they ask.
builderman feels a headache start to form. “shedletsky.”
the figure on the floor drapes an arm over their eyes. “that’s a stupid name. whoever came up with it is stupid.”
“you are unbelievable,” builderman mutters.
“you are unbelievable,” shedletsky repeats back in a mockingly high pitched tone.
“fine! lay there for all i care!” builderman turns heel, walking off towards his kitchen. “i don’t have time to take care of a toddler.”
shedletsky blows a raspberry in response. builderman chooses to ignore it. he opens his fridge, thinking for a moment before grabbing a beer and some leftovers from the night before. he’s too tired to make anything new. he tosses the food in the microwave, cracking open the can and taking a sip. he pointedly doesn’t look at the couch behind him, even as he hears movement. the floor creaks under footsteps. builderman turns his head slightly, seeing shedletsky slide into one of the barstool seats behind the counter. a blanket is wrapped protectively around their shoulders. they prop their head up with an arm, scratching at the stubble on their face. oh swords, they have facial hair. builderman doesn't want to teach a former god how to shave their face.
shedletsky notices him staring. they narrow their eyes. “what are you looking at?”
builderman looks away, taking another sip of his beer. “nothin’.”
shedletsky doesn’t say anything in response. builderman watches the food spinning inside the microwave.
“i hate this,” shedletsky suddenly says. “i feel awful and tired and gross and my body hurts. how do you live like this?”
builderman gives them a side eye. “are you just gonna complain at me?”
shedletsky glares back. “i’m politely asking if you know how to stop feeling like garbage. no need to be a jerk about it.”
builderman scoffs. “well first, you should probably eat something.”
“eugh,” shedletsky sticks their tongue out. “no thanks. the sensation of eating is awful.”
“tough luck,” builderman deadpans. “second, you should shower. it’ll help you feel cleaner.”
shedletsky thinks for a quiet moment. “okay.”
“...have you ever showered before?” builderman can’t help but ask.
“i don’t need to be shown how to shower, but thanks for offering,” shedletsky sarcastically replies.
“i’m not- whatever.” builderman fetches a glass from his cupboard, filling it with tap water. he places the glass in front of shedletsky. “third. drink something.”
shedletsky stares at the water, eyes narrowed in distrust. builderman sighs in annoyance, grabbing it and taking a drink. he slams it back down in front of shedletsky. “there. it’s safe. now drink.”
“don't gotta be dramatic about it,” shedletsky grumbles under their breath, but they do as they’re told and take a small sip. “what else, o wise builderman?”
the microwave beeps. shedletsky jumps, short curls bouncing with their sudden movement. builderman doesn’t comment on it. he grabs an oven mitt, taking the thoroughly heated food from the microwave. currently, it’s too hot to eat. he sets it aside to cool.
“well,” he starts in reply to shedletsky’s question. “most people need a purpose. we should probably find something to do. sleeping all day is just going to make you tired and depressed.”
“that's contradictory,” shedletsky points out, “and i don’t get depressed.”
“sure you don’t. unrelated, but did you know that symptoms of depression include lack of motivation to do anything, loss of appetite, exhaustion despite sleeping all day, and a general sense of emptiness?” builderman waves a hand in the air. “extremly simplified. among other symptoms."
shedletsky narrows their eyes. “…i don't like what you’re implying.”
builderman sighs, turning to face shedletsky directly. “you've basically been sleeping ever since you became shedletsky. you don't eat, don’t drink- frankly, it's a wonder you haven't died from thirst or starvation. we have to change something.”
builderman expects a witty, deflective comeback. instead, shedletsky hesitates, before quietly saying, “okay. how?”
“eat up, for starters.” builderman takes the food, now cooled enough to eat, and slides it over to shedletsky.
shedletsky pokes at it with the provided fork. “do i have to?”
“yes,” builderman says. “three times a day, usually.”
“this blows,” shedletsky mutters. they reluctantly take a small nibble. their brow furrows. they give the food a new, thoughtful look. “...what is this?”
“some left over shredded chicken i made last night.” builderman replies.
“huh.” shedletsky takes another bite. “noh bahd.”
“chew and swallow before speaking,” builderman reprimands on autopilot.
shedletsky swallows, sticking their tongue out before shoving another forkful of food into their mouth. builderman rolls his eyes, but he can’t help a small, fond smile from making it’s way onto his face.
“whah abouh you?” shedletsky asks around a mouthful of chicken.
“you’re gross. i’ll eat something later,” builderman dismisses.
“hypocrite.”
builderman gives shedletsky a bewildered look. they simply smile, taking another bite. for someone who was whining about how they didn’t like to eat food, they sure were eating quickly.
“once you’re done eating, i’ll show you how to work the shower,” builderman says. “we should get you a change of clothes, too. well, a change pants at least. i still need to get shirts that accommodate your wings…” he trails off, speaking mostly to himself.
“mhm,” shedletsky hums in acknowledgement, apparently focused on eating as fast as possible.
while they feast, builderman steps out of the kitchen. he makes his way down the hallway, stopping to grab a towel from the hallway cabinet. he thinks for a moment, grabbing a second towel. he opens up the bathroom, setting the towels on the counter. he leaves a fresh change of clothes, taken from his room.
when he returns back to the kitchen, it’s to shedletsky finishing off the chicken. they look like they’re considering licking the tupperware container, but quickly abandon the thought when they catch sight of builderman. they sheepishly put the container down. “uh. i’m done.”
“i can see that.” builderman gestures. “follow me.”
shedletsky slides off the stool, gripping the blanket around their shoulders as they trudge to builderman. builderman nearly tells them to leave the blanket on the couch, but the way they were clutching it makes him pause. they’ve had a tough time adjusting, and after all the events that had happened to them… perhaps they deserved to find comfort in something simple like an old blanket.
builderman leads shedletsky down the hallway, opening up the bathroom. “showers in here. here, i’ll show you how to work it.”
he turns the shower knob. “turn right to make it hotter, left to make it colder. when you’re done, push it all the way to the left. oh, and-” builderman gestures at the various soaps. “use the shampoo for hair, body wash for the body. you can use conditioner too for your hair, if you want. it makes it softer.”
shedletsky hovers over builderman’s shoulder, not unlike the way telamon used to. it’s much different now, somehow. it felt less condescending, more curious. it was a welcome change. it probably helped that shedletsky was several feet shorter than telamon.
“any questions?” builderman asks.
shedletsky squints a little at the shower. “any, uh… nevermind. yeah, i got it.”
“what were you gonna ask?”
shedletsky looks embarrassed, hunching in on themself. “was gonna ask for, uh, stuff for my feathers. but- it’s, like. i’ll figure it out.”
“oh.” builderman thinks for a moment. “i think you could use… hm. i mean, none of the soaps are harmful. maybe the shampoo would work. you can test it out.”
“i might use a lot.”
“that’s alright. i can always buy more.”
“...okay.”
“you can use all the towels, they’re all clean.” builderman points. “washcloth is here, and change of clothes here. just leave the blanket outside the door, please. it might get wet if you keep it in here.”
“oh, yeah.” shedletsky makes no move to lower the blanket.
builderman doesn’t push. “holler if you need me.”
he steps out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. he walks back into the kitchen, pausing for a second. he hears the bathroom door open and close again. peeking back down the hallway reveals the blanket on the floor outside the door. glad to see shedletsky listened.
builderman takes the can of beer on the counter, relatively untouched. he considers pouring it down the drain but thinks better, placing it back in the fridge for later. he takes a heatable meal from the freezer beneath, popping it in the microwave.
he hears the shower start. builderman sighs, leaning back against the counter. he can’t wait to go to bed.
the wind howled, as it often did atop the heights.
1x1x1x1 charged forward, a deadly streak of grey and green. telamon stood in their path, even as 1x1x1x1 raised their sword to stab into their chest. builderman’s breath caught in his throat.
at the seemingly last possible moment telamon side stepped, dual illumina in her hands. with a flash of lavender sparkles one sword swung, knocking 1x1x1x1’s own sword away. the other stabbed forward, nearly impaling 1x1x1x1 as they leap away. it was almost too fast for builderman to comprehend.
1x1x1x1 stumbled back with a hiss, clutching their side. telamon flicked blood off her blade, 1x1x1x1’s blood. a gust of wind punctuated her movement. “pick up the sword. we are not finished yet.”
“telamon, they’re injured,” builderman cut in.
telamon didn’t bother to look at builderman, continuing to stare 1x1x1x1 down. “that does not matter. a true sword fighter continues to fight despite any injuries. get up, 1x1x1x1.”
1x1x1x1 growled. before builderman could protest further they move, snatching their sword up from the ground. they charged again, sword clashing against telamon’s with a clang of metal.
“predictable,” telamon said, sounding almost bored.
telamon pushed downwards on her swords, dislodging the stalemate the two had been caught in. 1x1x1x1 leaned back before lunging to the side, attempting to stab at her side. one of telamon’s swords meet their own before it could hit her. they remain like that for a while, with 1x1x1x1 constantly attempting to land a hit and telamon blocking them all effortlessly. builderman could do nothing but sit there and wait for their duel to be finished.
eventually, 1x1x1x1 stumbled back, sword drooping. their head lowered in defeat. the wind picked up, blowing their long hair around their face. telamon sighed, standing up straight. “disapointing.” she turned towards builderman. “what did-”
the moment the attention was off of them, 1x1x1x1 moved. they leapt forward, sword aimed at telamon’s back. telamon froze for just a moment before she snapped around in a whirlwind of feathers and rage. in an instant 1x1x1x1 was on the ground, pinned under one of telamon’s clawed feet. their sword clattered away from their grasp, leaving them defenseless. an illumina was pointed directly at their throat. with her back turned to him, builderman can see that 1x1x1x1’s blade had struck true, leaving a small but noticeable cut between her wings.
they remain like that for a few moments. the wind blew, billowing telamon’s robes around her. eventually she spoke, voice eerily calm. “that was a dirty move. i don’t recall teaching you that.”
despite the sword poking them in the throat, 1x1x1x1’s mouth lifted in a small smirk. “anything to win. isn’t that what you’ve taught me?”
telamon’s head tilted slightly. after a few more tense seconds, telamon stepped off of 1x1x1x1. she lowered her swords, turning away but keeping them in her eyesight. “you are dismissed.”
1x1x1x1 pushed themself into a sitting position with a grimace. blood stained their green shirt. builderman walked over to their sword, picking it up. golden blood dripped from the tip of it. he wiped it off on his pant leg, making his way back to 1x1x1x1. he offered a hand, helping pull them to their feet. he held their sword out for them to take. they do so without a word.
1x1x1x1 scowled at telamon. they look like they want to say something but ultimately decide against it. builderman was about to ask how they were supposed to leave, when they vanish from sight. he blinked in surprise.
“they can teleport?” is the first thing builderman asked.
“of course,” telamon replied.
builderman’s eyes caught on the blood 1x1x1x1 left behind on the ground. “they were injured.”
“it’s no matter,” telamon dismissed. “they’re more than capable of healing themself.”
they fall into silence. builderman studied the small patches of blood. he would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried about 1x1x1x1 being created by telamon. creating life was a fickle thing. an admin has to imbued their creation with a portion of their power, which in itself is a difficult task. too much power and the creation will be a danger, too little and it may not even function. if the process is successful, the creation will come to life, fueled by the emotions of the admin that created them. builderman had a few creations of his own, and he would consider them his pride and joy. he had taken great care to raise them properly.
builderman had extensive knowledge on creating life. he wasn’t sure if telamon knew the same things he did. how much power did they put into 1x1x1x1? how did they feel creating them? even if she knew, did she care?
“what did you need from me, darling?” telamon asked, shocking builderman from his thoughts.
“oh, yes.” builderman doesn’t want to have this conversation, but he has to. “i wanted to talk to you about 1x1x1x1.”
telamon appeared indifferent, but builderman can tell the question set her on edge. “what about them?”
“i… ah, just need to how you created 1x1x1x1, exactly.” builderman started. “i need to be aware of how strong they are, in case things… it’s mostly a precaution.”
“are you implying there is something wrong with my creation?” telamon asked, voice icy cold. a gust of wind blew past, as if to accentuate her anger.
“i’m asking what the process was,” builderman replied. “we need to know what they were created with, what drives them, you know.” knowing you, it’s nothing positive.
“does it matter?” telamon asked dismissively, wiping a cloth along her lavender blade. despite appearing disinterested, builderman could tell her eyes were on him.
“we need to know the circumstances in which they were created,” builderman tried to explain. “they’re incredibly talented, you’ve done a good job at… training them. i just need to know the conditions of their mental state. like i said, it’s a precaution."
telamon swiped the cloth down her illumina. “it does not matter. they are fine.”
“really?”
“why does it concern you?”
builderman had the urge to rip his hair out. “why can’t you just work with me here? it shouldn’t be a hard question to answer.”
telamon rose to her full height, sword gripped in her hand. “then ask.”
“i have been.” builderman didn't let her height intimidate him, even as she towered above him. “what was going through your mind when you made 1x1x1x1? that’s all i need to know.”
telamon doesn’t reply instantly, which is enough to tell builderman that it certainly wasn’t positive.
“nothing,” is what telamon settled on. “indifference. i wanted to make something, so i made it.”
“that- no, that isn’t true.” builderman rebutted. “1x1x1x1 wouldn’t have any will to do anything. they wouldn’t have gotten back up after you disarmed them. they wouldn’t have tried to stab you in the back.”
“it doesn’t matter,” telamon snapped, wings flaring behind her. “i’m tired of you implying my creation is lesser than yours. they are fine, and if they decide to act out i will punish them accordingly. stop trying to stick your face into my creation’s life. it’s only making you look pathetic.”
builderman was left speechless for a moment. “are you serious?”
telamon silently cocked her head, as if daring him to speak. there’s many things running through builderman’s head. insults, warning, careful explanations for why telamon may be in danger. he knew she wouldn’t listen. he would have to keep this brief. he took a breath to cool himself off.
“1x1x1x1 is going to destroy either you or themself,” builderman carefully said. “i’m warning you. they will break under the pressure.”
telamon, of course, doesn’t take builderman’s warning seriously. “is that all?” she scoffed.
builderman sighed. “yep. i suppose so.”
telamon twirled away, back to builderman. “then get out of my sight. don’t attempt to interfere with my creation again.”
builderman has nothing more to say. “understood. goodbye, telamon.”
he doesn’t wait for her reply before leaving. there was no point in trying to talk to someone who wouldn't listen. he had done his best to warn her.
the death of telamon occurred two weeks ago.
builderman stands in the manager’s office. roblox looks stressed, like they normally do.
“i can’t believe this,” they’re grumbling, leafing through papers on their desk. “she barely did anything, and now she decides to up and leave? this is ridiculous.”
builderman rocks on his heels a little, listening as his greatest creation mutters and rifles through papers. they tap at their computer, before they finally look to builderman. “any news?”
builderman has to shake his head, has to lie through his teeth. “afraid not.”
“grrah,” roblox growls, slamming a palm onto their desk. “we’re drowning in work. employees are forced to stay overtime. we can’t keep going at this rate.”
there’s builderman’s chance. “i’ve got a few people i think could be good hires.”
roblox sighs, sounding bone tired. “i think that’s the route we’ll have to take. how many people do you have in mind?”
builderman whistles. “one. maybe two. i can ask some other admins, see if they have anyone.”
roblox starts scribbling something down on a post-it note. “okay. can you get back to me in… a week? preferably as soon as possible.”
“of course.” builderman tries for a smile. “i’m sure a few more hands on deck will lower the stress load.”
“you’ll have to train them, though.” roblox mutters.
“i didn’t expect anything different.”
roblox looks up from their papers, giving builderman a tired smile. “you’re a godsend.”
builderman chuckles. “it’s no bother. you’re single-handedly keeping this whole operation together. it’s the least i can do to help.”
“i trust your decisions, builderman,” roblox says, straightening up in their seat. “i’ll leave the hiring and training process to you. the hires are allowed to work as soon as you deem fit.”
“understood.” builderman hesitates a second before leaving. “...make sure you get some rest soon.”
“yeah, yeah.” roblox waves him off. he knows they won’t be resting any time soon. it’s something the two of them share in common.
“telamon?” builderman called out. he received no reply.
it had been disconcertingly long since builderman had last seen telamon. he wasn’t worried, exactly. just… something was making him uneasy. he hoped he was wrong, even if it meant making telamon upset at his interruption.
the forest was quiet, almost abnormally so. sticks and leaves crunch under builderman’s footsteps. it had taken him a while to locate the spot 1x1x1x1 was kept, and even then he only found it due to seeing it before. telamon wasn’t found at the heights, or in the office. this was one of the only other places builderman could think to check.
a distant shriek caught builderman’s attention. it could just be a bird or some other woodland animal, but an uncanny feeling dripped down his spine. he broke into a jog, scanning his surroundings. he knew he was getting close when he started to see old gash marks on the trees. he can hear the sound of clashing swords. maybe they were just dueling.
builderman knew that wasn’t the case, even before he spotted the cabin.
the small house that 1x1x1x1 had lived in was destroyed. large holes peppered the building, and as builderman watched a wall collapsed in on itself. the sound of sword fighting was clearer now. he picked up the pace. someone was screaming. with dread dripping down his spine like ice, builderman approached the house. nothing could have prepared him for the sight that awaited him.
the metallic smell of blood hit builderman’s nose first. the furniture had been aptly trashed and ruined. what wasn’t destroyed was splattered with blood. that’s not what caught builderman’s attention, though. telamon was laid on her back, one wing splayed out on the ground beneath her. the other… builderman’s eyes widen in horror. the other wing was fully detached from her body, laying a few feet away in a pool of golden blood.
an illumina was impaled through the wing that was still attached. 1x1x1x1 was standing above her, a sword raised in trembling hands. a foot was firmly planted on her wing beside the illumina, successfully trapping her in place. she was weakly struggling against 1x1x1x1, grasping at their sword with her bare hands. in the few shocked seconds builderman stood frozen, telamon’s hands limply fall to her sides. she was defenseless.
“get up. sword fighters fight despite any injuries, RIGHT?! THEN GET UP! I HATE YOU!” 1x1x1x1 shrieked. with a cry of rage they raised the sword, aiming directly at telamon’s heart.
builderman can’t let this happen. he shook himself from his shocked state, quickly stepping forward. “:freeze 1x.”
surprisingly, it worked. they freeze in place, sword a few precarious inches from impaling telamon. only their eyes betray any movement, and the stare they gave builderman was full of unbridled fury.
builderman took a breath, trying to get his heart rate to calm down. with a thought, his btools appeared in his hand. carefully, he moved the frozen 1x1x1x1 off of telamon. he doesn’t breathe until they’re a good few feet away from her crumpled form. he then selected the sword, taking much less care in flinging it away. it clattered to the ground somewhere off to builderman’s left.
builderman exhaled. “:jail 1x1x1x1.”
a transparent box with a black roof and floor popped into existence around 1x1x1x1.
“okay,” he muttered. cleared his throat, repeated louder, “okay. you’re going to explain to me what’s happening here. understand?
1x1x1x1 glared. well. it’s not like builderman was expecting them to reply.
“don't make me regret this,” he warned. “:unfreeze 1x1x1x1.”
1x1x1x1 immediately began bashing on the walls of their tiny cage. “let me out!”
“can't do that, i’m afraid.” builderman stepped closer, around the golden blood pooling under telamon. a quick glance at her face revealed a mess of golden blood. he can’t tell if she’s still alive.
he peeled his eyes away, back towards 1x1x1x1. “explain.”
when it’s clear they aren’t going to be released, 1x1x1x1 calmed down enough to seethe at builderman. “what does it look like?”
“it looks like telamon is bleeding out on the ground.”
“put the pieces together,” 1x1x1x1 spit. “do you need me to spell it out?”
builderman narrowed his eyes. “i don’t. i want to know what caused this.”
“the longer we chitchat, the closer telamon gets to death,” 1x1x1x1 replied instead of answering builderman’s question. “aren't you worried about her?”
“she’ll be fine.” builderman wished he believed that.
1x1x1x1 barked a humorless laugh. “sure she will.”
builderman tried not to let telamon’s state distract him. he can worry about her later. no he can't. swords almighty, one of her wings was chopped off. things like that don’t just happen. 1x1x1x1 was dangerous. builderman needed to know what he was dealing with here.
1x1x1x1 pressed their palms against the glass wall of their enclosure, trying a different approach. “you know, i think i like you. let me out. let me finish her off, and i’ll spare you.”
builderman raised an eyebrow. “i think i like you too, kid. don't throw your life away like this.”
“i don't have a life to throw away in the first place.” 1x1x1x1’s fingers curled against the glass, claws making an unpleasant squeaking sound at the movement. since when did they have claws? “she took it from me. i was never good enough. well guess WHAT.”
a fist pounded against the glass. it fractured slightly. builderman balked. that should be impossible.
“I AM ENOUGH. I’M MORE THAN ENOUGH! I’M BETTER THAN HER! I’LL FUCKING PROVE IT!” something dangerous flickered in 1x1x1x1’s eyes.
the chance of reasoning is slipping through builderman’s fingers in real time. he took a cautionary step back, placing weight on his back heel. “kid-”
“LET ME OUT!!!” they screeched, clearly not listening. “I HAVE TO KILL HER! :FREE ME!”
the unintentional command worked. it shouldn't have. builderman’s admin powers rank above telamon, even at the top of her power. a life force created by telamon should not be able to upsurge his command. it shouldn't have worked. but it did.
1x1x1x1 stumbled forward in surprise, but wasted no further time. they make a break for their sword, sweeping it up before builderman can blink. they turn on their heel, bolting towards builderman. towards telamon.
builderman’s ban hammer is in his hands in an instant. the step back he had taken before proves crucial. he stepped forward, swinging the hammer with deadly accuracy. it connected against 1x1x1x1’s torso. their eyes widen, and then they’re gone.
it’s suddenly too silent. builderman panted for breath. that wasn't an ideal ending to that situation. he has to alert doombringer.
builderman leaned on his hammer, staring down at telamon. “:message doombringer. i just sent a… hacker to badlands. they seem dangerous. be on guard.”
the reply is near instant, a whisper in builderman’s head. “on it, boss.”
great. okay. builderman willed his hammer away. his eyes land on telamon’s detached wing again. he felt nausea rise in his throat. he has to force his eyes away, but even then it remains in the peripheral of his vision.
builderman carefully stepped around telamon, wrapping his hands around the illumina stuck in her remaining wing. he gave her a remorseful glance. “sorry about this.”
he yanked the sword out as quickly as he could. telamon twitched, but otherwise didn’t react. he threw the illumina to the side before kneeling down next to the bloody god. he pressed two fingers to her neck. there’s a very faint thump, thump, thump under his fingertips. she’s alive. he breathed a sigh of relief. he wouldn’t know what to do if she wasn’t.
“alright,” builderman grunted, gathering telamon in his arms and lifting her up. it would normally be a difficult task to carry her, but the lack of one wing makes it easier. that’s a horrible thought. “let’s get you out of here.”
he teleported away from the ruined cabin. the duo appeared in builderman’s kitchen. the closest, clean surface is the tabletop. builderman heaved a breath, fingers twitching under telamon. he used his btools to clear the few sparse papers and other miscellaneous items from the table. he can clean the floor later. he carefully laid telamon down on her stomach, taking in the full view of her tattered wing. there was a bloody stump left where her other wing was. builderman thought he could see the bone if he stared hard enough.
builderman went to his kitchen before the sight became too much to bear. after spending a few moments hunched over the sink, the urge to vomit faded enough for him to function again. he grabbed an old rag and wet it, returning to telamon’s side. something green and unnatural buzzed in the wounds on her wing. he carefully dabbed some of the blood away. where the green flickered, the feathers and skin around it seemed to be blackened. that definitely wasn't good.
he collapsed into a chair, staring at telamon’s bloodied face. it looked like a majority of the blood was coming from a large gash directly over one of her eyes. she might loose vision in it. it made him sick to his stomach. he’s going to have a long night. he just wanted to catch his breath before getting to work cleaning and patching telamon up. all by himself, no less. if anyone found out about this, telamon would have his head on a spike.
“hey, boss?” doombringer’s voice buzzed in his head. “don’t mean to alarm you, but there’s no new robloxian here. no hacker, nothing.”
builderman dropped his head into his blood covered hands. he didn’t like swearing, but he felt like after everything that happened, he deserved it. “fuck.”
“this is a horrible idea.”
builderman rolls his eyes. “it’ll be fine, you big baby.”
he ignores the offended gasp behind him, opening the door before his companion could complain more. the staff room is relatively filled. of course not all of the employees were preset, but some of the longest working admins had shown up. many of them stop what they were doing, turning their attention to builderman and the newcomer in the doorway with him.
“i’m sure you guys have heard about the new hires,” builderman begins. “and, shucks, this isn’t very formal, but-”
“builder, these are never formal!” doombringer cuts builderman off. “just bring the newbie in already!”
“mine was formal,” dusekkar remarks.
“you don’t count, because- i mean, it’s you,” doombringer says. “of course it’d be formal.”
builderman turns behind him, gesturing for his companion to step up. they groan, reluctantly trudging into the room. they stop beside builderman, awkwardly shoving their hands into their pockets. “hey. i’m shedletsky.”
the room erupts into chatter. builderman clears his throat, waiting until the room quiets slightly. “say hello to shedletsky. they’ll be shadowing me for a while to get the ropes. i hope you all will treat them like any other coworker.”
“oh, they’re a cute one!” brighteyes coos, approaching and offering her hand. “hello! i’m brighteyes.”
shedletsky eyes her, stiffly taking her hand and shaking it. “nice to, uh, meet you.”
“so you’re the fresh meat?” a shorter figure pushes himself up beside brighteyes. he looks shedletsky up and down, raising an eyebrow. “yuknow, you’re the newest recruit now. that means people are gonna be obsessed with you. you better not fu-”
“language, scripter.” builderman scolds. “who let you up here? shouldn’t you be working?”
scripter grins. “am i not allowed in the staff room? if noob-letsky is allowed here, so should i! hey- wait.”
scripter falls silent, studying shedletsky intensely. “you kinda remind me of someone.”
shedletsky shoots builderman a wide-eyed look. thankfully, before shedletsky could make a scene or do something drastic, brighteyes steps forward again. she places a hand on scripter’s shoulder. “i’ll take him back to work. you promised to show me that new hat model, right? i still have to help pick the colors for it!”
scripter thinks for a moment. “yeah, you’re right…”
“that was close,” shedletsky murmurs as brighteyes leads scripter away. “who even was that?”
builderman sighs. “one of our… younger workers. he does good modeling work, but he’s not very, erm, disciplined.”
“clearly,” shedletsky grumbles. “does he know? what if he tells everyone?”
builderman stifles a snort. “nobody would believe him, don’t worry. he isn’t the most… reputable person in the office.”
“hey, newbie!” doombringer interrupts their hushed conversation. he grins at shedletsky from his seat at the table. “welcome to roblox hq! come on, take a seat!”
builderman guides shedletsky further into the room, prompting them to take a seat. they stiffly slide into a chair, looking like they’d rather be anywhere else.
“so,” clockwork, seated to doombringer’s right, speaks up. “what skills do you specialize in?”
shedletsky hunches on themself, looking uncomfortable under everyone’s gazes. “bug fixing, mostly. i’m good at coding.”
clockwork nods in approval. “that’s excellent. we need a good coder, especially after telamon left.”
“i’m sure you’ll do great! don’t worry about living up to telamon!” doombringer laughs, clapping shedletsky on the shoulder. the shorter almost falls out of their chair.
“not like there’s much to live up to in the first place,” sorcus mutters from his place by the coffee maker. “i never saw telamon in the office. ever.”
clockwork taps a finger against his chin with a tink tink sound. “i recall seeing her… once? i believe she threatened to dismantle me when i passed her in the hallway.”
doombringer gawks at clockwork. “you never told me that?”
clockwork tilts his head. “...was i supposed to?”
“she did so little, it’ll be easy to do better than she. don’t let stress overcome thee,” dusekkar says in an attempt to reassure shedletsky.
stickmasterluke taps dusekkar on the shoulder. the pumpkin headed admin pauses, then says “stickmasterluke would like to inform you that he is a coder, too. he wishes that you will not be afraid to request his aid if need be.”
stickmasterluke nods enthusiastically. shedletsky scratches at the back of their head. “...thanks.”
“don’t trust him,” sorcus warns, mixing creamer into his coffee. “i asked him to help me code something once. ended up with hurricanes and lightning storms.”
stickmasterluke rapidly shakes his head. dusekkar turns to look back at sorcus, looking skeptical. “did that truly happen?”
sorcus nods gravely. “do you know how long it took to repair everything? it took months. months off my life.”
“that didn’t happen,” doombringer calls out.
“it did. ask clockwork.”
everyone’s attention turns to clockwork. the robot freezes, seeming at a loss for words. “i… what? i have no memory of this happening.”
“i don’t expect you to.” sorcus takes a dramatic sip of his coffee. “you were badly damaged by the rain. i had to repair you myself.”
“i am waterproof?”
“you got struck by lightning.”
“okay. sorcus, that’s enough,” builderman cuts in before stickmasterluke starts crying. “shedletsky, none of that was true. stickmasterluke is a wonderful coder.”
sorcus sighs. “they're silencing the truth.”
“the ‘truths’ you preach are falsehood in nature,” dusekkar says. “you’re causing distress. lay your lies to rest.”
sorcus turns away, but builderman caught a glimpse of a small smile on his face. “right, my bad. i’ll see you all later. got work to do, you know.”
“hold on,” doombringer interrupts, looking at a small device in his hand. he stands up abruptly, all traces of his former humor gone. “i gotta go.”
“why?” shedletsky asks, the first word they had spoken in a while. “what’s happening?”
“our little pest is ruining builder brother’s pizza again,” doombringer growls. “sorcus, you’re coming with.”
sorcus shrugs. “sure.”
doombringer grabs sorcus’ arm. the pair teleport away without another word. dusekkar sighs. “i should follow. sorcus will most likely not help much. farewell.”
dusekkar vanishes. it’s silent for a few seconds, before shedletsky breaks it. “what was that about?”
“there’s a hacker that primarily targets builder brother’s pizza,” clockwork explains. “they keep evading doombringer. he has gotten increasingly frustrated, but i must admit… it’s doubtful this hacker will get caught any time soon.”
stickmasterluke nods in agreement.
“i’m sure we’ll get them eventually,” builderman says hopefully. even he can tell it falls flat.
“well,” clockwork sighs, standing up from the table. his body whirrs as he moves “it was a pleasure to meet you, shedletsky, and i hope we will have opportunities to get to know each other better in the future. know all of us are here if you require assistance in any way.”
“thanks. i, um, appreciate it,” shedletsky awkwardly replies.
builderman gives shedletsky a glance. “smooth,” he murmurs.
the avian rolls their eyes with a scoff. clockwork doesn’t comment on it, turning to stickmasterluke. “would you like to assist me with a project, luke?”
stickmasterluke eagerly nods, standing up from his chair. he gives shedletsky a small wave before following clockwork out of the room. and just like that, only builderman and shedletsky were left.
"that was so awkward," shedletsky grumbles. "they were shit talking me to my face."
"language," builderman chastises on autopilot. "they don't know it's you. if anything, it's a good thing."
"right." shedletsky shifts in their seat. "so, that hacker… it isn't who i think it is, right?”
“hm?” builderman tilts his head. “oh, no. no, it's not them. it's someone named 007n7, i think.”
“oh, okay.” shedletsky relaxes slightly.
“we better get to work, then.” builderman stands from his chair with a stretch. “come on, then.”
rain pattered against the windows. builderman always liked the rain. unfortunately, he wasn’t able to properly enjoy the weather today, due to a god-shaped problem currently pacing around his home.
telamon has been restless, which was both a good and a bad thing. it was good, because it meant that telamon was feeling well enough to move around. it was bad because it was telamon, and she was angry and frustrated and in pain. builderman was discovering that an angry, frustrated, pained telamon was a very unpleasant telamon to be around. not like it was pleasant to be around telamon in the first place.
“i don’t understand why i can’t just leave,” telamon muttered.
“i’ve explained it several times,” builderman replied. he took a swig from his can of beer.
“why do i have to listen to you?”
“that's the crazy thing. you don’t.”
builderman glanced behind him from his place on the couch. telamon didn’t notice, too busy pacing back and forth. it was weird, seeing her in this state. her usual robes were gone, as builderman had deemed them too bloodied and ruined to continue wearing. her hood was gone along with them, revealing her face and hair. long, knotted brown curls cascaded down her shoulders. one of her eyes was covered by bandages. her hands were similarly wrapped, and builderman watched as she absentmindedly picked at the wrappings. her remaining wing had been patched up to the best of builderman’s abilities, but he knew that under the bandages it was turning blackened and corrupted.
builderman sighed, turning away. telamon’s claws click, click, click against the floor as she continued to pace, audible over the rain.
“what's keeping me here with you?” telamon asked.
“nothin,’” builderman grunted in reply.
telamon stopped pacing for a moment, before picking it back up. “then why don’t you want me to leave?”
builderman takes another swig from his beer. “i don’t care if you stay or not. it’s up to you.”
“you lie.”
“okay, fine.” builderman turned around to look at telamon again for extra emphasis.
“i do care if you stay, because one of your wings got chopped off, telamon. your remaining wing is corrupted and decaying. 1x1x1x1-” telamon flinched at the name. builderman paused for a second, but decided to continue speaking. “they're still out there. i believe they’re sapping your power. eventually it’ll reach your vitals and then- i don’t know what will happen then. i think you might die.”
telamon stared at him. her golden eye flickered over his face, as if attempted to figure out if builderman was being truthful or not. “that- i will not die. i need time to recover, but i will not die.”
builderman sighed, turning away from that piercing gaze. “see, this is why i don’t care. you’re not going to listen to me.”
“oh, stop acting so superior,” telamon scoffed behind him. “i don’t need your help.”
“then leave,” builderman snapped. “i’m not going to try and force you to stay when you clearly don’t want to.”
“okay, fine. goodbye, builderman,” telamon hissed in return.
and like that, telamon was gone. builderman groaned, letting his head fall back on the couch cushions. he stared up at the ceiling, listening to the rain fall outside. it’s too quiet now.
builderman did care. he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to save telamon if he didn’t. he could’ve left her to bleed out, but he didn't because he cared about her. but he was tired and stressed, and telamon was too stubborn for her own good. he needed a break. he’ll check up on her later.
he took another swig from his beer. thunder rumbled outside. hopefully he’ll be able to sleep tonight.
builderman takes a drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke. it isn’t something he does often. he used to do it more, back when reports stacked high and the paperwork was endless. there’s not much of a reason to do it anymore. and yet, here he was.
the balcony door opens and shuts, interrupting his thoughts. builderman doesn’t have to turn his head to know it’s shedletsky. he approaches the railing, stopping on builderman’s right.
after a few seconds of silence, shedletsky speaks. “i don’t like this avatar. you made it too short.”
builderman raises an eyebrow. “you’re average height.”
“do you know how humiliating to have doombringer looking down at me?”
“i’m pretty sure he did before, too.” builderman snorts.
shedletsky groans. “well, it’s stupid. i’m so average.”
“is that the only complaint you have?” builderman takes another drag while waiting for shedletsky to respond.
shedletsky thinks for a few moments, staring out off the balcony. “i guess.”
builderman is quiet, waiting for shedletsky to continue. he shuffles a little. “it’s, uh, different. i don’t know if i regret it yet or not.”
“fair. it’s only been a few months.” builderman exhales smoke. “anything you like about it?”
shedletsky thinks. “it feels like… me. more than it, uh, i used to? you know what i mean. i’m…”
he trails off, visibly deep in thought. “i actually have a choice on… how people perceive me. i’m allowed to change, you know? i never… really… felt like being feminine fit me. but i had to be, ‘cuz telamon was known for being feminine. you know?
“and-” shedletsky stiffens up, giving builderman a sharp glance. “why am i telling you this?”
“couldn’t tell you.” builderman shrugs. “‘m glad you’re confiding in me, though.”
shedletsky narrows his eyes slightly. “really?”
“‘course.” builderman takes a hit from his cigarette.
“what is that?” shedletsky asks, gesturing slightly to builderman's face.
“this?” builderman points at his cigar. “cigarette.”
shedletsky’s brow furrows. “aren’t those bad for you?”
“a little, maybe.” builderman sighs. “i don’t smoke much. it won’t kill me.”
shedletsky doesn’t look convinced. builderman offers the cigarette. “wanna try?”
“not really.” shedletsky takes the cigarette anyways.
he raises it to his mouth, immediately sucking in the smoke and choking. builderman can’t help but laugh, patting shedletsky on the back. after a few seconds of coughing his lungs out, shedletsky holds the cigar up for builderman to take. “that sucked.”
builderman chuckles. “it does, doesn’t it?”
shedletsky looks bewildered. “then why-” cough “-do it?”
builderman shrugs. “good question.”
shedletsky studies builderman. “you confuse me.”
builderman snorts. “right back at you.”
shedletsky huffs, pushing himself away from the railing. “i’m going home. you should go to bed soon.”
“sure, sure.” builderman waves him off.
“i mean it. i’ll tell brighteyes.”
builderman lets his head drop. “oh heights, not you too.”
shedletsky giggles a little. “goodnight, builder.”
“g’night, shedletsky.”
the other admin leaves builderman alone on the balcony. he sighs, snubbing the cigarette out on the railing. shedletsky’s warmth lingers on the air.
telamon was like the sun in the way she was intense heat, blazing so bright nobody dared approach. shedletsky was the same sun, but instead of burning fury, he was gentle and comforting. he lit up the whole room with nothing but his smile. where people had to avoid looking at telamon directly, shedletsky was someone people sought out. he was a sunny day, warm and inviting.
builderman smiled to himself. perhaps all the long nights spent stressing over telamon’s recovery was worth it, after all.
rosesandth0rns Sun 03 Aug 2025 11:38PM UTC
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