Chapter 1: 0: TRAP
Chapter Text
...BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
The sound of an alarm clock can be faintly heard in the room, going off with no one to press it. Around it, life was beginning to stir. A hand, a leg, a body began to move. Said pieces of a puzzle of life belonged to Taco, who found herself staring at a blank white ceiling. Tiles couldn't even be pointed out, and neither could lights. Yet, the room was lit. Strange. What was stranger was Taco's reaction.
She sat up very slowly, still a bit dizzy from what could have happened. She didn't immediately freak out, instead choosing to look around the room. There was barely anything around in the room. Sleeping bags, 19 of them to be specific. A door that's marked 'Bathroom'. Another door that's marked 'Pantry/Fridge'. One last cabinet that's named 'Medicine'.
Now that she has her surroundings in check, now she could properly freak out. "...WHERE THE HELL AM I?" She asked herself quite loudly, far louder than the dinky alarm clock. Some of the others began to stir, not taking kindly to Taco having startled them awake so soon.
"...can you shut the fu- where are we?" Fries asked, as he rubbed at his head, laying on his side and staring out at the wall. His anger immediately dissipated upon finding out that they weren't at home anymore. In fact, this wasn't even a place he could identify. A place he had never seen before. Yet he was in a room full of people he knew.
"Hah... hahaha... this is so funny, Two." Clock chuckled nervously, an incredibly forced and oddly paced laugh escaping his mouth. He seemed to believe that this was all a joke. Some sort of prank, some sort of challenge. Just any reason for any of this happening that he could find, he was going to grasp at. There had to be a reason for this.
Needle walked over to the others who were currently awake, and sat down next to them, just needing some good company. "...I don't think Two would do something like this. They seemed like a pretty genuine person." Needle tried to bring Clock back down to the real world, before anyone could start panicking.
"...th-then it was Four! Or One! Yeah, One must definitely be-" Clock was trying to speak, but Needle glanced over towards him, seemingly confused.
"...you... know who One is? Look, we can talk about that later. We need to figure out how to get out of this place." Needle replied, deciding maybe it wasn't worth her time to deal with Clock right now. As she got up, she walked over to Liy and Basketball, who were investigating the north wall, seemingly trying to find an exit.
"...no, not that spot. We need to check if there's anything hollow. After all, there has to be some sort of point that would lead to a door or something." Basketball said, as Liy moved a couple steps and knocked on a panel. Basketball shook her head, and they seemed to do this process a couple more times before noticing Needle.
"Are you guys not, like, freaking out or anything? We're in some strange room with no way out and we don't know how we got here. I'm surprised you guys can have nerves of steel." Needle commented, looking over at the two of them while they worked. It was as if this was any normal day... though it was anything but, clearly.
"No reason to be worried about anything if there isn't a clear threat. As far as we know, there's nothing in here that can damage us or bring anyone harm." Liy replied with calmness Needle thought would be impossible in this situation. She couldn't understand how they weren't worried, because she was, even if it didn't look the part.
"...I really don't get you people." Needle sighed, as she turned and leaned against the wall, looking at the rest of the others. Taking stock, she could point out Liy, Basketball, Clock, Fries, Taco, Loser, Black Hole, Barf Bag, Firey Jr, Flower, Gelatin, Saw, Match, Winner, Ice Cube, Pen, Cake, and 8 Ball. Including herself, 19 in total. A weird number, an oddly specific one. Why that many?
While Needle was ruminating, across the room, Cake, Loser, and Saw were all sitting against the wall, chatting about what could possibly be happening here. "I mean, it could be a challenge. We never know. Maybe it's some kind of escape room!" Cake cheered, enjoying the idea of playing a challenge where they get to use their brains and wits for once.
"...that doesn't seem right, though. Especially cause we're... all out, barring a few people. This couldn't be a new challenge unless it was part of some new season featuring the 19 of us." Saw explained in response, pointing out a few of the contestants were still in TPOT, many were eliminated, and quite a few more weren't even a part of said season.
"Cake could have a point though. Maybe this is some kind of new season. This wouldn't be the first time we were forced into something like this." Loser defended, and Cake's eyes immediately lit up upon Loser taking his side. Saw raised an eyebrow, not really seeing the sense in it, but she wasn't trying to cause a fight already.
"Maybe so. Anyways, we should probably get to looking for ways out then! There's no telling what kind of stuff we'd find in here." Saw pointed out, recognizing it was quite the large room. Seemed closer to the size of a small parking garage than just a standard room. There was well the distance to seperate into groups and only mildly be able to hear others at normal talking volumes.
"Why'd they get a room so big just for 19 people anyways? Most of the space is just pure emptiness. You'd think they would've cut into some of it using the extra rooms." Cake pondered while they examined the walls and floor for any fake panels, not being able to make much progress in that regard.
"Seems like they wanted to give us plenty of space to walk around? As long as I get to be with my Cakey, I don't mind going on walks." Loser doted, snuggling up to Cake as the two walked, causing Cake's face to go bright red with fluster. Loser was quite the charmer, even if it was overbearing in some ways. Cake couldn't mind less, however.
"...can you lovebirds save it, please?" Saw chuckled, before looking around a little. She then continued, "We are in a clearly very serious situation, and it'd probably be best to flirt some other time, you know?" Saw tried to say calmly, but was met with quite the harsh glare from Loser.
"I can 'flirt' whenever I so please, thank you. I know my lovely little boyfriend adores it. If it's something you wouldn't like, you can move along. I have plenty of other fans who'd kill to be in your spot." Loser jabbed, and Saw just put her hands up, signaling she didn't mean anything, before deciding to take her leave.
Elsewhere, Gelatin, Flower, Pen, and Barf Bag were all sitting in a circle, discussing ways they could possibly get out. "I-I don't know, I just want to see Donut again..." Barf Bag worriedly added, as she could barely sit still in her seat. She seemed to be very tense without her best friend, her partner, her soon to be husband.
"Ya know, Donut would probably be bossy as fuck right now if he was here. I'm glad to get to be my own person for once!" Gelatin chuckled, as he traced invisible lines on the ground, not even seemingly concerned for anyone's safety, even his own. He was more focused on the fact he could do whatever he wanted now that no one was here to reprimand him.
"...do you even CARE?! Do you care that we're stuck here?!" Barf Bag instantly snapped, not taking the joking lightly. She tended to get anxious very easily, which led to her much more wound up nature, to which... Gelatin just laughed off, before leaning back slightly to look at Barf Bag.
"To be honest, no! This is a vacation to me! Do you know how hard it was to get back to civilization after BFB? This is paradise compared to that desert we were in! And why should I care about your precious little Donut?" Gelatin mocked, even using a mocking tone in his final words to drive home how little he regarded her feelings.
"I- You are INSUFFERABLE!" Barf Bag shouted, before standing up and storming off, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Gelatin made a sly smile as she turned around, before looking over to the other two, who also seemed pretty unamused with his antics.
"Now really isn't the time for this shit, Gelatin. I get you love getting off on others' suffering, but you're being an asshole right now, and this is the one time where acting like that isn't gonna get you anywhere." Flower commented, rolling her eyes, while Gelatin lost his smile and raised an eyebrow.
"Getting off on her suffering? I'm just telling her what I think. She cares so much for someone who's not even here instead of worrying about herself or anyone who's trapped in here, I'll give her the same energy right back. I'm tired of pretending to be cute and innocent, you know?" Gelatin then lied back to look at the ceiling, apparently trying to see if he could find any interesting patterns on it.
"...this kid is pretty messed up." Pen mumbled to himself, as he could do nothing but watch Gelatin justify Barf Bag's concerns for her fiancé. "U-uhm... how about we just find a different topic to distract ourselves with. Uhm... what have you guys been up to since leaving our season?"
While Pen attempted to fix a problem, Black Hole, 8 Ball, and Ice Cube were attempting to figure out who would even do something like this in the first place. "It can't be Two, everyone has already agreed on them not really having the heartlessness to trap us all in a strange building." Black Hole explained to the other two, while Ice Cube and 8 Ball were also doing their best to think.
"Whoever did it... I want revenge. Also, it probably wasn't One either, she didn't even know where the majority of the BFB contestants went after their season." Ice Cube ruled out another potential suspect, leaving just two, at least according to their knowledge.
"So either it was Four or the Announcer, unless it's someone we're unaware of. My money would be on the Announcer, Four would most likely add a ludicrous amount of death traps to this place. Plus, the Announcer has clearly shown to be capable of putting us in more true life threatening circumstances." 8 Ball reasoned, as Ice Cube began to look around.
"Speaking of... where are the recovery centers? Shouldn't there be some considering... me?" Ice Cube said, with a lot more panic in her voice, as she noticed that there was, to her eyes, no methods of recovery in the room. Black Hole flew around for a moment, checking the other rooms to see if there was anything she missed.
"...yeah, nothing. It's possible that the centers are outside, at least we hope so. Why would they not put them inside though if the goal is to keep us in?" Black Hole wondered, as he returned to the group. That last question completely reframed what the other two might have been thinking.
"...maybe dying would lead us somewhere bad. Very possible they put the recovery stations in an infinite loop of death to prevent us from finding a loophole in the system." 8 Ball replied, noticing that they couldn't even see outside. "Not being able to see outside could be a way of obscuring that fact, to possibly get us to try the method.
"...this all seems too complex for someone like Four or the Announcer, though. There has to be something more going on. This all just doesn't make sense." Ice Cube continued to question, as she got up, and began to walk away. She felt like she needed some time on her own to think about the situation.
Firey Jr, Match, and Winner were all the leftovers who didn't exactly have anyone to talk to, so they figured they might as well group together. They could tell that whatever this was going to be, it was going to be much easier with people you could rely on.
"...so like... what do we talk about?" Match asked awkwardly, just trying to make it to wher they didn't sit in silence. Winner scratched at the back of their head with their arm nervously, while Firey Jr just glared at Match, before returning his gaze to the other 16.
"Do we need to talk? No. So let's not." Firey Jr responded bluntly, preferring to observe what everyone else was up to. It was almost like he was observing an enclosure of animals. Studying their every move, seeing what one person did that another didn't. These people felt so familiar, yet so different to him. Like something he'd never witnessed.
"...bit harsh, don't you think?" Winner asked, as he peeked over to get a glimpse of Firey Jr. They weren't sure how someone so small could have so much bitterness tucked away inside of him, but they also knew they didn't have a grasp on what was going on in his life. For all they understood, things could be much tougher for him.
"I'd rather not talk with brainless fucks today. I can only assume we weren't kidnapped to make friends, now were we?" Firey Jr didn't even bother giving Winner a look while he spoke, diverting his attention to anywhere except them. Winner scoffed, clearly a bit offended by Firey Jr calling them 'brainless'.
"That was unprovoked! I was just trying to get us to know each other better. We could be here for hours, da-" Winner was trying to explain, but they were interrupted by what sounded like some kind of jingle on an auditory system no one could see. Little did they know, things were going to take a dark turn...
Chapter 2: 1: BLACK AND WHITE
Summary:
The game starts, and drama comes in full force, as the characters try to either escape or cope with the new situation.
Chapter Text
"PLEASE GATHER IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM." An automated voice rang out throughout the area. Considering no one had anything better to do, they all obliged, following instructions and move to the middle of the room to figure out what happens next.
"...who is that? What do they want? Why are we here?" Were just some of the questions rung out by the 19 of them. They were all confused, anxious, and/or upset. However, when a new voice overcame the intercom, everyone immediately fell into a hush.
"Wellll hello there everyone! Welcome back to DEATH VALLEY!! The hottest game show in all of spacekind!" The person began to speak, as all 19 of them had questions they wanted answer, and they all wanted their answers as soon as possible. It seemed like a very overwhelming situation.
"Chillax, chillax, everyone. I'll explain everything. My name's Blue, and I'll be your host through this entire thing. Think of me as your charismatic little best friend... or your worst nightmare if you're actually competing. So, let me get to the twist of it all..." Blue trailed off, as all the residents of the room waited in worry for what they were going to have to get through.
"...you can only leave this room if you kill someone, and get away with it at that!" Blue said, as there was momentary silence. No one wanted to break it. "...what? You guys think I'm joking? I'm being serious! This isn't the first time we've even done this to your kind!" Blue added, and now the chaos began, upon realizing Blue wasn't lying.
"Wh-what the FUCK?!" Pen shouted, as he immediately backed away from the group, worried someone would kill him.
"What do you mean NOT THE FIRST TIME?!" Basketball asked. just trying to get some answers out of this guy.
Those two were just a couple examples of the hysteria going on, as people began to panic. Some were moving from the crowd, worried that people would try to kill them. Others were trying to get everyone to calm down, yet still, other people just either froze up or immediately broke down.
"Relax everyone! Calm, calm down. I still have some more rules to explain, and I kinda wanna make sure you guys can hear what I have to say." Blue continued to instruct, but the noise was by no means calming down. "...whatever, I'll drop off pamphlets when I have the time. You're on your own, you dumbfucks!"
Blue then turned off the intercom, leaving the nineteen of them to their own devices.
As the chaos died down, Fries pulled aside some of the people he figured would be the smartest of the room: Liy, 8 Ball, and Needle. He needed some sort of plan, and fast. "What the hell is any of this? Does anyone know what's happening?" Liy asked, as she looked around the room. She needed to find a way out. She couldn't be in here any longer.
"Look, we can find an exit later, we can figure out what the hell is happening later. We need a plan on how not to get ourselves killed. I recommend groups of four. People will always have at least two others holding them accountable." Fries planned, looking around the room for something to write with.
"Fries, I... think that's not a concern at the moment. That... thing did say you need to get away with it. I assume no one would just kill out in the open. We genuinely do need to look for ways out." 8 Ball tried to reason with him, as the latter leaned against the far wall, sighing as he slumped down slightly.
"I really don't give a damn what you guys think. I'm trying not to get everyone killed, you know. You think someone like Firey Jr or Gelatin wouldn't be fucking leaking at the chance to kill? We all know damn well protection is the most important thing to have." Fries responded, before trying to calculate in his head the optimal groupings.
"Fries... does have a point. We have time to look for exits. We don't exactly have time to prepare for someone taking advantage of these rules." Needle added, as she went over to Fries to help brainstorm. "We probably want people who know each other well, less likely of a chance to end up killing." Needle then explained quietly, as the two got lost in a discussion.
"...it's odd how calm those two are. Are they not worried about potentially being trapped here? We were never even briefed on what would be happening in this place." Liy asked, as more commotion began to spring up.
Where everyone else seemed to be gathering was where the pamphlets were being dispersed. Barf Bag had gone over with Taco so they could read the rules in a much more quiet place without being disturbed.
"...Rule 1: A round consists of the period between trials. Trials will occur after a 'subject' has eliminated another 'subject'." Taco read out, her eyes widening slightly as she read the first rule. "...seems like they weren't joking about us killing each other. At least the-"
"Rule 2: All death is permanent. All recovery stations have been terminated... th-this... this can't be true..." Barf Bag slowly trailed off, as she dropped her pamphlet on the floor. Her eyes were already welling up with tears, while her hands began to tremble. "P-p-people are gonna die..? L-like for real...?"
"I... hah... I-I'm sure none of this is for real, Barfy. I'm sure i-it's just to set the mood! R-rule 3! If a 'subject' kills, they will become 'blackened'. If a blackened gets away with murder by pinning fault on another person during the trial, all others... w-will DIE?!" Taco was starting to believe her own lies less and less, as if she didn't already doubt herself.
"...w-we're all gonna die... we're all gonna die..." Barf Bag repeated, as she slumped down onto the floor and curled into the fetal position, her eyes beginning to drip tears. She already couldn't do this, and she'd been up for maybe ten minutes at most.
"...rule 4. All rooms are open at night. Lights will be off from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM. It is encouraged to sleep during these times." Taco could only read, she needed to do something other than think. "Rule 5. If the killer is identified correctly, the killer shall receive an execution. Rule 6. The pantry will restock every week. The medicine cabinet will restock every month. Rule 7. Every other morning, a game will be provided to pass the time, unless an investigation is taking place."
"...sh-shut up... please..." Barf Bag mumbled, as Taco continued to monotonely read the rest of the rules. By the time she hit rule 9, Barf Bag had enough. "Sh-shut UP! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!" Barf Bag then went over and tore the pamphlet out of Taco's hands, tears still in her eyes. "THE LAST THING I WANT TO FREAKING HEAR ABOUT IS THIS STUPID GAME!" She shouted, loud enough to startle Taco a bit.
Taco recoiled, putting her hands up to show she was going to stop, telling Barf Bag, "I-I'm sorry, I was just-"
"You were just WHAT?! Reading the rules OUT LOUD for some reason?? You clearly see that I'm upset, I'm on the floor CRYING! And all you want to do is read those stupid rules!? Do you EVER think about anyone except yourself?! When we were on BFB, it was all about you, you, YOU. And you clearly haven't changed at ALL." Barf Bag ranted, shouting so hard that she was drawing attention to herself.
"I-I seriously wasn't trying to be rude. I-I just kinda shut down and I didn't know w-what to do... so I more or less went on autopilot. I... I do still care about you." Taco responded, and Barf Bag just scoffed at her attempts at peace.
"You care? About ME?! As if I could ever believe that! Like I said, you're the ONLY person who matters to you! I'm done trying to tell you why you should care." Barf Bag proceeded to stomp off, and head to the corner to cry to herself, leaving Taco visibly upset in the process.
Gelatin, who was watching the whole argument go down with the company of Winner and Saw, couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Man, she is pissed. Wasn't expecting her to care that much about some stupid sheet of rules. How much you wanna bet she dies first?" Gelatin asked, poking at Winner with his elbow, giggling a little.
"Aren't you taking this seriously? She's clearly visibly upset, Gelatin. And it's basically all your fault she's even like this." Winner scolded, pushing Gelatin away as they spoke. They didn't get how any of this was a laughing matter to begin with.
"None of this is real, ya know that right? All just some stupid little challenge by those stupid little numbers. I don't give a fuck about any of this until they give me a reason to!" Gelatin explained after, leaning against the wall while balling up his pamphlet, shooting it like a basketball.
"...what's it gonna take you to believe that this is real? Is it gonna take someone dying? Is it gonna take a trial?" Winner questioned, moving to stand in front of Gelatin, not happy with his way of seeing the situation.
"Possibly. I just don't see how any of you guys can think this is legit. Use your brains for once, dumbasses. 19 of us are locked in some random white room and we all need to fucking kill each orher to get out? This literally can't be real." Gelatin laughed it off, waving his hand dismissively, but was shocked when Winner used his hand to slam Gelatin against the wall.
"Take this seriously, or else. I won't let you die because of your ignorance, and I won't let anyone kill you for the same reason. I'll watch you every last minute if I have to, if this is how you'll act." Winner threatened, not even willing to take chances with Gelatin's attitude, knowing someone who didn't take anything seriously was a serious threat to everyone's safety.
"Harder." Gelatin whispered, as Winner quickly let go, leaving Gelatin to burst out laughing. "Oh my collagen, you should've seen the look on your face! Someone has a problem with getting it on in the face of death." Gelatin joked even more, barely able to keep himself upright.
"Wh-what?! No, I'd never do... that with you. I'm not even concerned with things like that. What I am worried about is you doing something stupid and getting yourself or someome else killed." Winner replied, trying quickly to regain composure, their flush from embarrassment slowly fading.
"...fine. I'll let you baby sit me, if only to prove I'm smarter than you think." Gelatin rolled his eyes, before leaning down into a sitting position, while Winner sat next to him. Saw, who unfortunately had front row seats to all of this, slowly slid away to talk to some of the others.
Saw went to Pen and Flower, who were trying to make sense of the rules. "I... just why would they not block off the food access during night? Someone could very easily hoard food!" Pen asked, as he scanned the pamphlet over and over again, noticing how none of the rules ever gave reasoning for their existence.
"...where would anyone stash food? It's kinda just one big room. Not a whole lot of hiding places." Flower reponded, pointing out the non-existent hiding spots. Flower waved a bit when she noticed Saw, before returning to Pen. "Plus, stashing food and getting caught would probably not help your reputation."
"What are you two chatting about? Hopefully better than whatever the hell was happening with those two." Saw motioned to Gelatin and Winner, who were sitting next to the wall, before turning back. Flower just raised an eyebrow, before shaking her head to return to the topic.
"Just discussing these here rules. Some of them don't really make sense. Like... what are these 'games' gonna be? And what if we can't find a way out? Will we just never get to see our family and friends again? Like, I have a life to get back to, you know?" Flower launched a few questions, as she paced slightly.
"...I guess we'll just get answers as we play. We don't exactly have a choice other than just... play the game. There doesn't seem to be any obvious way out of this place." Pen responded, some pessimism coating his voice. "...maybe we'll all be stuck until we're all dead."
"I'd... really not rather think about it. But it seems like everyone's gathering around over there. We should probably go check it out." Saw mentioned, as the three of them began to walk over to the others.
In the center of the group was Fries, who was waiting for everyone to show up. "...that's 19. Perfect. Okay, I've devised a way to get us not to kill each other. I've split us up into five groups of four... one of them will have three people. Don't worry, I've put you all with your friends for a reason." Fries explained to everyone, as he began to scan the room.
"...how is this a good idea?" Black Hole asked, clearly a bit skeptical about all of this.
"Because if people are put into groups, it lessens the chance someone splits off and kills. Plus, on the off chance that does happen, the odds are lowered to just 3 out of 18 instead of everyone being a suspect, especially if it's during daytime." Fries continued, and Black Hole had no more questions, so he stepped back.
"Now, for the groups. Loser, Cake, Winner, and Gelatin. Clock, Needle, Ice Cube, Pen. Taco, Flower, Saw, Barf Bag. Black Hole, 8 Ball, Liy, Basketball. That leaves me, Match, and Firey Jr. I tried as hard as I could to make the groups as even as possible." Fries explained, and immediately there were complaints.
"I wanna be with Loser!" Clock shouted, before heading over to his friend.
"Yeah... uh... how does anyone on my group know each other?" Basketball asked, raising an eyebrow in questioning.
"...you know what, fuck it. Make your own groups. I'll just take whatever's left then." Fries sighed, and immediately people began to form into new groups of four.
The groups they came up with were the following: Loser, Cake, Clock, and Needle. Gelatin, Winner, Basketball, and Liy. Match, Ice Cube, Barf Bag, Pen. Black Hole, Taco, Saw, and 8 Ball. That left Fries, Firey Jr, and Flower as the last group. "Kay, now that we have that settled, just... keep your group relatively together." Fries said, before walking off to the corner, taking Flower and Firey Jr with him.
Loser was a little upset Winner couldn't be in his group, mainly because Winner was adamant on watching Gelatin, and he didn't want to leave Clock out because of the responsibilities. "Do you miss them?" Cake asked, watching as Loser stared longingly at Winner, who was busy keeping watch of their group partner.
"...I really thought this could be the chance to finally hang out, for real. Even if this isn't the best setting for it, it's better than nothing. But uh... I get why they couldn't be on the team." Loser sighed, as Cake snuggled up to him to try to cheer Loser up.
"It's okay, babe. I'm here, and Clock's here. Plus, it's not like you can't go talk to them. One of us just has to go with you." Cake responded, looking up at Loser with puppy dog eyes. He was practically implying that Cake didn't even need to leave his side, ever.
"Thank you, love. You really are the world's most amazing boyfriend. When we leave this place, I'm gonna spoil you so well." Loser doted with a big smile, nuzzling up to Cake, as Clock and Needle watched in the background, while they looked over the pamphlets.
"...are they always like this?" Needle asked, looking over to Clock, talking about the two lovebirds sitting nearby. Despite being on a team with them for months during BFB, she never really got to know them well. This was the first time getting to learn about them up close.
"...I... don't like being around Loser. At least without Winner's protection. Now that... now that I know about what he did." Clock mumbled, and Needle quickly set down the pamphlet, her eyes widening a bit with worry.
"What did he... do? If it had to be that bad to where you outright don't feel safe around him...?" Needle asked quietly, trying not to draw any attention from the other two their way.
"...h-he... when I tried to tell Cake that maybe Loser wasn't the best for him... cause it felt lovebomb-y... h-he... he... Loser assaulted me... a-and made me b-beg for forgiveness. Told me to... n-never talk to Cake again. H-he beat me so bad I... needed to go to the hospital..." Clock explained, sounding like he was struggling to hold back tears.
Needle sat there in silence for a moment, a hand over her mouth in shock. She couldn't even believe it. Loser seemed like such a nice and genuine person. To hear him do something like that to someone she thought was one of his closer friends really upset her. "...wh-but. But... I-why? Why the hell would he do something like that to you?!" Needle was struggling to keep her voice down as she spoke, having to suddenly quiet herself multiple times.
"He... he wants Cake under his control. He saw me as... I dunno, threatening. He's c-clearly abusing Cake, or at least manipulating him. But... if anyone tries to help... well..." Clock trailed off, as he turned away to not show the rest of the group his struggles to not begin crying.
"I'll keep you safe, Clock. Don't worry. If he tries to pull anything like that again, I'll beat his face in." Needle whispered, so as not to let Loser hear, before raising her voice a bit so she didn't seem suspicious. "...but I'm really sorry you had to go through that. If you need someone to talk to, I'll always be here."
"...th-thank you. Just... don't bring it up with him. Or... or he might do even worse this time..." Clock mumbled, as he walked off to the restroom, needing a moment to breathe and get away from the moment. Needle understood completely, so she just let him walk off undisturbed.
Meanwhile, Pen, Ice Cube, Barf Bag, and Match were searching the pantry, trying to see what there is to eat. They figured they should at least see what there is in stock before making any more plans about the food. "...none of this stuff looks particularly appealing." Ice Cube sighed, as she looked at the packages on the shelves.
"I mean... we can't even make half of this stuff. We don't have a kitchen, just a microwave." Pen commented, picking up a box, opening it to see packages of chicken. "Yeah, we literally can't eat some of this yet." He added after, setting it back down.
"...like, why would they give us stuff we can't make? Maybe... eventually, if we behave, we could get a kitchen? Like, I hope so..." Match replied to Pen, as she grabbed a bottle of water and took a couple sips. "Do they, like, just expect us to live off snacks or something? That so won't be good for my diet."
"I don't think your fucking diet is what matters right now. We should be looking for an exit, not wondering if we're gonna lose the five pounds we pr-" Barf Bag grumbled, and Pen immediately cut her out by getting in her way.
"Woah, okay, uh, I'm gonna take this one to go calm down. I'll be back. Stay safe." Pen responded, having to drag Barf Bag away from everyone else so she could stop ruining everyone else's morale.
"...what the hell was that about?" Ice Cube asked quietly, before returning back to scoping out the food situation. There seemed to be plenty of snacks, microwave food, and drinks. It would be very difficult to run out of food before it restocked, even with the 19 of them.
"Like... I really have no clue. I wonder if someone already made her upset." Match answered back, while continuing to sip at the water she has grabbed, also reaching for one of the healthier snacks that was available.
"Did you not see the huge argument she and Taco had? Apparently she had snapped at Gelatin earlier too. Must be going through Donut withdrawals. 'Oh, woe is me, I can't be with my fiancé every waking second of my day'. It's like she's never experienced a bad day in her life." Ice Cube responded with an unusual level of vitriol for someone who she knew so little about.
Match took a pause, before asking, "...you, like, okay? I don't think I've ever heard you sound so, like, upset..." She was a bit confused why Ice Cube would be so mad at Barf Bag for what she thought was no good reason.
"I dunno, maybe insulting my only friend here is a good way at making me mad. That, and also complaining about absolutely nothing. Not being with her fiancé should not even be in the top 5 of her concerns." Ice Cube answered, to which Match just offered her a glance, before continuing with the food search.
"Anyways... like, did you find any food you're gonna eat? I'd not, like, want anyone to starve." Match then commented, as the two began walking back over to Pen and Barf Bag, while Match ate at pieces of an apple she had grabbed.
Ice Cube rolled her eyes, before telling her, "The only thing I'd wanna eat needs a stove, so I guess I'll just feed off crackers and chocolate until we get a kitchen or I die." Ice Cube had a knack for pessimism as of late, which was slightly starting to get on Match's nerves.
8 Ball, Taco, Black Hole, and Saw were all trying to plan ways to keep morale up. More or less, the five groups were all trying to work on something. Basketball and Liy were working on exits, Ice Cube's group was checking the food, Fries, Firey Jr, and Flower were on the medicine cabinet, and Loser's four were... doing nothing, even though they were supposed to research who could be behind this, and look more into the pamphlets.
"Well... I mean, we could make group activities! For example, we could uh... uh... do icebreakers!" Saw tried to offer, as the four of them sat around in a circle and tried to brainstorm different things to do while they waited until they could have more information on what's happening.
"...we all already know each other, Saw." 8-Ball reminded, and Saw just sighed, while 8-Ball thought of a different idea. "We could do... hm... two truths and a lie."
"That's not even different from icebreakers. Plus, I definitely know a few people who'd use something like that to start drama. A better idea would be to just set up times for everyone to chat with people who aren't in their groups." Taco advised, attempting to map out a schedule in her head so everything could work without hassle.
"...people can already do that though as long as someone else goes with them. Do we really need entertainment? We won't be in here that long. There's no way they keep us in here too long. Might just be a challenge to see who can stay the most sane." Black Hole theorized as he relaxed, trying to keep a grounded mindset of events.
"How can you still think this is some sort of challenge? We don't know who the hell Blue is, or why we're being kept here. All the signs point to this being a death game-" Taco was going to say, but whatever she was planning on talking about whats quickly shut down by Saw.
"...y-you don't need to remind us about... that... part of it, Taco. We know. No one wants to really think about it." Saw mumbled, as she looked away, seemingy embarrassed that she even wanted to voice the concern in the first place.
"Why... does everyone have issues with me today? We HAVE to think about it. Thinking about it gives us a reason to get out! If we forget the game is ever happening, someone is GOING to take advantage of that and strike. So... yeah, I'm not going to stop bringing it up. We can't just rest." Taco reminded everyone, already fed up with multiple people getting on her for simply talking about the situation.
"I-it's just... people don't really like hearing about bad things, Taco. But... yeah, you're right. We can't lose sight of the goal. Even if it means we have to talk about this being a, uh... killing game every day." Saw agreed, and Taco gave a nod, as the four returned to discussing ways to occupy everyone for the forseeable future.
Fries, Firey Jr, and Flower were working through the medical cabinet, and seeing what was inside. "...damn lucky I've had medical experience since the end of TPOT." Fries mumbled, as he looked through medical cabinets and took out pill bottles, reading them in his mind before setting them down on the counter.
"Is any of this even gonna be useful? I'm no doctor, but none of these cabinets look like they even have equipment in them." Flower asked, as she searched a lower cabinet, taking out a few bags and some bandages as she searched for something that could be used to treat more immediate injuries.
"Of course this place isn't gonna have actual equipment. It's just a fucking nurse's office. It'll have low grade medications and maybe bandages. Possibly stuff for minor injuries and pain relievers. 'Bout it." Firey Jr added as he sat on the counter next to Fries, watching him work. "Do you think the reason we're all brought together is that we all have something we're good at?"
"What do you mean? Is it just cause I have nursing experience, Loser is a celebrity and Flower is a fashion designer? Who else would even qualify for that?" Fries asked, noting how there were several of the 19 of them that had no discernable skills they were good enough at to bind them all into a commonality.
"...fair point. I'll have to ask about that. I'm assuming we'll have plenty of time to talk, so I wanna see if there's anything else I can get outta these people. Info can be really important in a place like this." Firey Jr replied, staring down at his hand now, thinking of how he was going to be able of remembering all the information he'll gather.
"I wouldn't just go around interrogating everyone, you know. Might get yourself killed for being a threat." Flower chuckled, while she set down another bag, pulling out a first aid kit. "Finally, something good for once."
"Oh wow, you care so much." Firey Jr said with an eye roll, before continuing, "Look, I'm not gonna pretend to not participate in this game. If it helps me survive, I'll do what it takes. So don't tell me what will or won't get me killed." Firey Jr then explained, shooting daggers at Flower.
"Don't look at her like that. You look like you're gonna fucking kill her. Plus, I literally made the group system so no one would die. You're not gonna do shit." Fries commented, taking this very seriously. He wasn't going to mess around about everyone's safety, especially when it came to a moment like this.
"Tch, whatever. I'm gonna be at the door if you need me. I wanna people watch." Firey Jr announced to the two of them after a pause, leaving the room to go stand by the door. The two of them just let him be, and went back to searching the cabinets.
While Basketball and Liy were checking floor panels for possible ways out, Gelatin and Winner were sitting near a wall just watching them work. "And why won't you let me help them out? You're not my dad, and it'd probably help them much more to have four people instead of two." Gelatin asked, sighing as he watched the two girls work.
"You're gonna mess something up. Or at least make it hard for them to work. I know how you are, especially when it comes to messing things up." Winner responded, using their arm to keep Gelatin in place by grasping him by the leg.
"You are so infatuated with me. More obsessed than Donut ever was, or even Firey, and he literally used to date me." Gelatin giggled, shooting Winner a playful smirk. Winner was not willing to reciprocate the affection. They didn't find Gelatin's shenanigans funny.
"I'm literally only watching you because I'm positive you'd ruin something. I'm not infatuated with you, I hardly even care about you. I just don't need you causing anyone to go overboard." Winner replied with next to zero emotion, rolling their eyes at Gelatin's comments.
"I'm sure. Why do you care so much anyways? I'm not messing with you. I actually find you pretty interesting! We never met before today, and you've already pinned me to a wall, told me you'd babysit me the entire time we're here, and have practically chained me to the ground. You're into some frea-" Gelatin joked, and was immediately interrupted by Winner.
"You're the one making this weird. Look, it's starting to get late. I think. I'm not going to sleep until you do, so it's best you just go to sleep now." Winner advised, and Gelatin got comfy in a sleeping bag, snuggling up close to Winner. Winner apparently didn't mind, since they didn't move.
"There's nothing stopping me from just waiting till your asleep and just going off and killing someone, but... whatever, I'm tired anyways. Have fun not sleeping, Winner winner chicken dinner!" Gelatin cracked yet another joke, before seemingly turning over to sleep.
"...I freaking hate you." Winner simply commented, while they leaned against the wall, knowing it was going to be a while before they'd get a chance of sleeping. It was a long day, and it wasn't going to end any time soon.