Mephone ran again, it was really a pattern at this point, just running away from his problems like a coward. But what else was there to do? He was there, he was there and he was saying something, Mephone had to run, it's not like he had much of a choice. He couldn't go back there, ever again, and he especially didn't want to see him.
Why was he there? What's been happening lately?
First, his only friends left. Second, Taco lied. Third, Bow's apparently partially alive, and now Cobs is back?
He always loved reality shows for a multitude of reasons, one of the most prominent ones being that he got to watch the drama happening. Not participate in the drama happening.
Cobs hated that about him, too.
Always berating him on every single little thing- he couldn't do anything around that horrid place or that disgraceful man.
Watching television was a big no unless it was somthing Cobs wanted to see, and that was all boring, it was all business-y shady stuff, and his own commercials.
EATING was a no too, Mephone didn't necessarily need to eat, but it was fun, and food was tasty, and it made him feel better. Like, what was the harm? It was just TV. It wasn't going to like- poison his brain or anything.
And the way he yelled, it was so loud. What was the need? Mephone could have done the simplest most easy-to-make mistakes of all time and Cobs would yell like he'd just seen his precious Meeple explode.
And the pointless tasks, too. Mephone was just made, and all of a sudden he was getting screen protectors shoved on him for 'protection' and, 'safety.' Funny how Cobs was so keen on keeping his physical self and appearance in check but never his mental-self. That left a mark, but like, literally.
He found a dark quiet spot at the back of the Hotel, and sat in the corner. His fingers were gripping on the floor so hard that they started to burn. He didn't want to let go, if he let go he'd have to go back again. Up there.
As he held on tight, he couldn't stop thinking about those thoughts that invaded his mind constantly. He didn't want to think about them, but he wasn't given a choice. They just, appeared in his thought process completely randomly. It'd usually just be things like, 'What would happen if,', or, 'What would this do?'
They always came unprompted and unprovoked too. He wasn't even doing anything most of the time.
He hated it, though. So much.
He tried to focus on the environment around him, apparently it said on the internet that that helped when things like this happened. He doesn't remember what it said, but it was something like, 'Panic attack', or 'Dissociation.'
He stared at the walls that had orange and lighter orange stripes on them, with the white part where the ground was.
And the strange wine coloured-carpeted floors... Oj was a good person, but a terrible designer. Down right horrendous. Seriously, it was horrible.
It made Mephone let out a small laugh through his current tears that soaked his screen. He should be careful he doesn't accidentally do water damage.
Nothing was working, he felt like he was drowing and getting shocked all over again. Like, someone punched him in the chest repeatedly.
He didn't have the energy or time to run anywhere now.
He was alone, still.
Everyone left him and Oj pitied him too much. He didn't want anymore pity. It made him feel like something was scratching him inside, he hated it.
None of the contestants even got his letters. None of them.
He doesn't even get to apologise to people.
Why can't anything go right? Why does he have to be so sad? Why is it like this? It wasn't supposed to be like this.
He was supposed to be a reality show host, and everything was supposed to be fine, and fun, and entertaining.
But it ended with- with Cobs, and the spaceship, and an awfully impulsive hiatus.
And the contestants were fighting with eachother so badly, Mic and Marshmallow quit.
They quit.
Up and left, just like everyone else in his life. Why did Taco have to be right? He hated what she did, but he hated that she was right, too.
"You're a sad person, Mephone."
He couldn't stop hearing it, he could never stop hearing it.
She was right though.
He was sad.
What kind of person sits in a room all day eating cookies and making.. making dumb challenges that make his contestants upset? A sad one.
Taco was ... a bitch, quite frankly.
Usually he wouldn't use such wording when describing sometone or something but there was no other way to put it.
But Taco was still smart. She knew what she was doing.
He was gullible and idiotic.
The media is in a bit of a mood because of the hiatus, but thankfully most of them don't mind as much as others.
Everyone else here hated him, almost.
So how would he even keep the show going?
There was the idea of a third season, but that'd take too long.
He completely forgot other people were in the building for a moment.
What if someone saw him? What would they think? They'd know he was sad too.
He was supposed to be funny. And confident.
He only was those things when he had buried his memories, quite literally.
Does that mean he was never any of those things? Was it all fake?
He barely knew who he was anymore.
Why couldn't his life just be like- like how it was on television?
Why was he like this?
He put his face down in his knees and could barely breathe.
He felt a light tapping on his shoulder. Who-??
He jumped back startled, and through his blurry eyesight he saw the shape of a glass with orange blobs. Oj.
"Mephone-?? Are you okay? You just, ran when Bow put the interview on. I swear it looked like your screen brightness went down."
Mephone could only just look at him and choke on his own words. Ew. Cringey, cringey... Why is Oj here? Oj, seeing him crying? Absolutely not, no.
Oj leaned back a bit, before inching closer. "Hey, uh- it's alright, relax. Just breathe, alright?"
Oj sat beside him and started- patting his back or something. Oh God, Mephone felt like crawling into a hole and dying. This day could not possibly get any worse.
"Mephone calm down, alright? What's wrong? I- Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't seem like the .. type of person to.. get upset, easily. I'm sorry if that came out wrong- I just, you know.."
Wow. This was extremely awkward. Mephone didn't have it in him to stop crying though. He didn't know if he was now crying from embarrassment, sadness, or fear.
Oj got no response from a few sniffles and a strange stare.
"If you don't wanna talk about it, it's fine, byt I'd like to know what's got you upset like this. Hey, remember back at the party? My birthday party? When I was upset, about the whole Paper ordeal, and you listened to me?" Oj shifted in his place and settled in beside Mephone on the floor.
"Well, I can listen to you too. Do you know how many complaints I hear a day? I remember when
Paper took over that shift for a day and he almost collapsed when he was done. It was some crazy stuff."
... The party? That's what happened? He comforted Oj? About Paper? Why? How? He didn't remember. He could've said anything and he doesn't even remember. He can't let Oj know that, if Oj knows that it's over.
He nodded slowly and averted his gaze back to the floor, still shaking. The tears were slowing down a little bit, probably because he was almost overheating due to sheer humiliation.
"Yeah, Paper and I sorted out a lot that time when he found out you were here, too. We've done some talking, and we're alright, now. I might even have a chance, aha.." Oj shifted a glance toward Mephone, looking for any sign of a laugh, or a smile.
Mephone shakily sighed, and replied, "... Yeah."
Oj's head shot around, probably satisfied he got a response.
"I know, right? And, I'm just saying Mephone, you can tell me why you're upset. I'm here to listen because I want to."
Mephone couldn't believe him no matter how hard he tried. All he thought of was pity, pity.
But he couldn't hold it in anymore. He felt like he was about to explode.
He soon started sobbing again, and made himself smaller once more.
He started talking about Cobs, and what he did, and how he ran away. Not about the memories, though. That's too much information.
And he cried about what Taco did.
Oj put an arm around Mephone.
Mephone wanted to hit it away, but he couldn't. He didn't have the energy. Why did Oj do that? Why did Oj pity him so much? Why did he have to bring up the gems again? He didn't know about them, but still.
The arm turned into two arms and suddenly Oj was giving him a hug.
It was very strange.
Mephone had never had a hug before.
He hated Oj for pitying him so much, but he couldn't help holding onto Oj like a lifeline.
The tears only came slowly now.
Why. Why. Why. He tried so hard.
Why did Oj want to give him a hug? Why did he care?
"I won't tell anyone Mephone, promise."
—————
Paper stood peekinh around the wall silently. Mephone looked .. really messed up. Oj was making him feel better. Paper couldn't exactly hear anything due to Oj's whispering and Mephone's sobbing.
They both looked as though they were standing up now, so Paper quickly scrambled away up the stairs close by.
He quickly ran to his room and thought it'd be a great time to whip out his good old diary.
This was surely a .. moment to remember.
But Paper did hear one thing clearly, "Maybe I even have a chance."
Oj really liked Paper.
Paper felt..
Paper felt like maybe he might like Oj, too.
It most likely isn't fake if Oj used it to comfort someone.
Paper grabbed the pen from his nightstand and pulled open the door to his drawer quickly, revealing the white-grey book with paper glued on letters saying, 'Paper's Diary.'
He flipped open a new page and pressed down on the button to open up the pen's tip.
He started scribbling down lots of thoughts and .. even made a little doodle, at the side of the page.
Lots of doodles. Of mostly Oj.
He liked Oj.
————
Mephone sat up in his under-the-stairs bed most people now knew about. Oj was kind enough to tell them he'd be here for a while to, 'work on something.'
He sat up, just thinking about how tired he felt, and because of some slightly muffled voices nearby.
He wil admit, even though he still felt terrible, it was in his.. not really blood to always watch drama.
"But Test tube, do you think the shimmers are still.. out there somewhere? Do you think they found their other child, yet?" It was Fan's voice.
"Yeah, they're out there alright. I know they have to be .. but I don't know about the other egg. What if... Cobs ...?"
Mephone furrowed his eyebrows and held back jumping in on the conversation.
Mephone just watched from the dark.
"No.. no way, Cobs couldn't have! He said he'd never seen an egg like that before, remember?"
Test tube crossed her arms and sighed, "Fan, he's a liar, you know. He probably has it as we speak."
Fan's eyes widened as she looked down, "What if that's true? And the poor baby gets hurt?? Oh, Test tube, what if the baby's ALREADY-", Test tube grabbed Fan's arm and pinched it. "FAN!! Shhhh, calm down. It's just a theory. Don't worry."
Fan breathed deeply before frowning, and then patting Test tube's back, probably motioning for her to go up to her room.
Mephone's jaw dropped. Okay, point denied, this day could get worse.
Not only was Cobs a complete bastard, he also.. kidnapped babies..??
He generated a book and a pencil, and started writing some stuff down.
Things felt weird. Not just because be was upset, but because he had a gut feeling something was happening.
He started writing, even if it was a bit difficult to.
———
Oj went by Paper's room, he was originally going to ask for some folders, but he knocked and got no reply. Was Paper asleep already? It was only just about Sundown.
Oj invited himself in, and his theory proved correct. Paper was sound asleep in the covers already.
Oj noticed a book at the end of Paper's bed.
Curiosity killed the cat.
But knowledge brought it back, he thought.
He quickly grabbed the book in one swift motion and silently flipped through pages.
The most recent page was a bunch of drawings... of Paper and himself. With hearts.
Oj did have a chance.