———
Immortality, The ability to live forever.
True immortality how ever... Makes the term forever look like a speck.
———
The wind...
The wind should have been cold. But... She didn't feel a thing. The grass beneath her, she could no longer touch. She sat up and felt the white smoke that came from her body, it was comforting in a way... She didn't feel any pain.
Was she dead...?
She stood up and felt her face, no feeling in her hands, nor her face as she touched her cheeks. She could see the world... but it was different this time. Flows of colours that pulsed throughout the everything... The sky, The ground, the water...! Rifts, and swirls... It was beautiful.
She began to have some sort of feeling in her feet again. She looked down to see the bone, flesh, and muscle begin to reform at the soles of her feet. She could feel the grass beneath her again. The crinkle of the leaves too. She picked up one of the dead leaves and noticed nothing was there, no flowing colours... She frowned, why was the leaf something that lacked the colours...?
Unless, she was seeing something to do with life? But how...?
She walked through the forest, dodging the bits of glass that littered the ground. She continued through the forest sticking out her hand, and letting the dancing river of colours flow through her fingers. He wispy eyes shimmered in amazement, the wings on her back fluttered slightly.
The skin and flesh on her shins now beginning to form. She smiled now being able to feel the cool midnight air on her legs.
She continued and noticed that it seems the these lights were all flowing and seeming to regroup in the same direction, like a river flowing out to sea.
She wondered where it went...
But then again, it was late.
And Lightbulb needed to get home.
———
Test Tube was helping Paintbrush into bed. Things weren't looking good... The purple marks that spread throughout their body was only getting worse, and Paintbrush barely seemed... Out of it. Like part of them wasn't there.
Like their soul itself was slipping through their fingers.
Test Tube had tried everything she could think of... Any medicine she could give them, without causing a dangerous chemical reaction... Or an overdose. Nothing helped! It didn't even effect them.
Test Tube also had to use a device to contain Paintbrush's fire. Which was flickering a dim grey... Test Tube backed up agains the wall and wiped the sweat from her head, and then covered her eyes...
Everything was going wrong...
It was all wrong...!
What could be done?! Nothing is adding up...! Paintbrush seemed only to be getting sicker...
Test Tube rubbed her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Not here... Not in public. She had to think... Just think! What happened... and how to fix it...?!
She had been told, Nickel was thrown at Paintbrush, which seemed to have caused it. Maybe because Paintbrush had powers, or— whatever effect the card had... Meant that Paintbrush wouldn't die immediately, but instead their incredibly ill. But what could reverse this power induced sickness...?!
Wait... Oh no...
What if the solution, was an unreachable one...?!
Fan could heal right? Just by touching himself? Well, if he had the intent to heal another... then, maybe the same effect could heal Paintbrush.
One problem though.
There's no way Fan would actually do it.
Test Tube hit the wall and grabbed her head again... There must be some other way! What about Balloon—?! He could heal! But, he doesn't do it with his powers. "FUCK!!!" Test Tube yelled, and then covered her mouth. She didn't like swearing, she let that slip...
Test Tube stepped away from the wall and glanced at Paintbrush. She'd check on them later. She would have to try and bribe Fan tomorrow....
Test Tube exited Paintbrush's room and walked down the hall to her and Microphone's room. She opened the door, to find Microphone lying on the floor.
"Microphone... How long are you going to just... Lay in the floor...? Just go get a new bed, or mattress!" Test Tube huffed.
Microphone sat up. "You want me to go get another massive bed? At midnight...?! Like hell I'm doing that!" Microphone hissed.
Test Tube sighed and punched where the bridge of her nose would be. Before peeking up a bit. "Actually, I have an Idea..."
Microphone formed a puzzled look on her face as Test Tube exited the room out into the hall. She waited listening to Taco's small snores until Test Tube returned five minutes later, dragging a large bean bag behind her.
"Taco is a relatively small object, yes? Just put here on this." Test Tube smiled as she placed her hands on her hips.
Microphone nodded, "Oh, alright..." She stood up and place Taco on the bean bag gently, as to not wake her.
Test Tube then walked over to the closet and took out a spare blanket, and placed it over the small girl. And dusting off her hands. "That outta do it!" Test Tube gave a triumphant smile.
Microphone yawned and looked over at her bed. "Yeah...—" Microphone climbed into her bed. "I'm going to sleep now, alright...?"
"Alright Microphone." Test Tube made sure the cork in her head was on properly, before she slipped into bed and pulled the blanket over herself. She then drifted off to sleep quickly.
It had been a long day.
———
Balloon was lying in his bed, Paper was bandaging any wound that was still bleeding. His whole body felt sickeningly horrible, he did t have the strength to speak. He let tears fall down his face, his pained expression and dull tired eyes were enough to tell that he couldn't take much more of all of theses stressful things that have been happening lately...
"Are you okay...?" Paper asked softly, as he pat the young boy's head comfortingly. He already knew the answer.... But he was just trying to help.
Balloon couldn't help but cry... He looked over at Nickel weakly and saw him unconscious in his bed. He still seemed pretty wounded.
Paper's heart broke in that moment. He sat down next to Balloon, and pulled him close in a fatherly way. He carefully wiped his tears and pat his head. "It'll be okay..." He comforted, knowing he couldn't promise that.
Balloon didn't have anything else, so he hugged Paper, and cried into him.
Paper just sat there with him. And let him cry. It walks unhealthy to bottle up tears anyway... He gave Balloon comforting words to help him. He knew that's all he could do in this moment anyway.
Balloon couldn't even find the strength to vent... All that escaped were incoherent sobs of fear and despair. He was scared for him, for Nickel, for Paper, for everyone. Which was entirely reasonable... His hands cling onto Paper he was scared Paper would leave him alone. He didn't want that... Not now...
Paper under stood this, and fully hugged the boy, feeling Balloon's wings weakly wrap around him. "It'll be okay...!" Paper reassured again. Trying his best to soothe Balloon.
"I—ts... N-no-not...!" He cried through his tears. Balloon shakily shook his head.
"Y—..." Paper paused, he knew whatever promise he was about to make, he had the chance of failing to keep it. But... He took a deep breath and continued anyway. "It is okay... Because we're all still here. And we're gonna stay here, and help each other okay?" Paper gave a kind smile.
"Y-y...Yo-u wi—ll...?" Balloon sniffled. His words were weak, and choppy.
Paper nodded with a nervous smile.
This seemed to help Balloon a little. He stopped crying as loud, and just, curled up in Paper's arms.
Paper felt so horrible... Balloon was shaking in his arms. He was terrified, and frankly, he was too. But he couldn't let Balloon know that, Balloon would panic! So he just held the boy.
He held Balloon until he felt that Balloon had gone to sleep. Once Balloon had fallen asleep, Paper slipped away carefully. And shut the door quietly. "Poor thing..." he muttered with his head rested on the door. He took a step back, and then walked towards the stairs. The hotel was mostly quiet, the whole hotel was sleeping.
Paper walked down the stairs and through the lobby, his pace was swiftly as he briskly entered the kitchen. He then grabbed one of his special puddings and sat down at the bar. He shovelled the dessert in his mouth, his head was filled to the brim with anxiety, and he was exhausted.
He then saw knife enter the kitchen with a neon coloured prescription pill bottle in his hands.
Paper perked up. "Uh— Knife?!" Paper half whispered.
Knife jumped at the sight of Paper, before sighing. "Oh... Hey." He muttered as he walked and grabbed a glass from the cupboard.
"Why are you up so late?—" Paper caught sight of the pills. "—are those meds...?" He asked, slightly concerned.
"What—? Oh. Yeah. They're antidepressants..." Knife explained as he filled a the cup with water.
"You take depression medication...?" Paper seemed shocked, even though it shouldn't have been shocking.
"Yeah...? OJ gets it for me, I got prescribed it by a psychiatrist four months ago... Pickle insisted I went to one." He grumbled as he dropped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with the water.
"Oh..." Paper ate another spoonful of his pudding. "I didn't know... heh, I don't think I saw a prescription with your name on it in the medicine cabinet in the medical room...?"
"No, because I don't want some people to know I need them. Another thing people will see as a weakness... It'll also bring up a whole conversation I don't want to dive into with all of the idiots in this hotel..." Knife spat as he rinsed out his cup. "Hence why I take it at midnight."
"Ah, I see..." Paper frowned, he knew Knife had always been closed off. He also knew why... Knife's dad was... Not a good man. It took a huge toll on Knife's mental health.
"I'm going to bed..." Knife waved goodbye, and left.
Paper was so worried about everyone... He just wanted all of them to be okay. He wanted OJ to be okay... He wanted Balloon to be okay... He wanted Fan to snap out of his nonsense...! Paper leaned onto his hands and cried into them for a moment.
"I didn't know a bunch of kids could get you so worked up..." Called a familiar voice from behind Paper.
Paper gasped and quickly wiped his tears away. "Wh—?! What do you want...?!" Paper growled at the figure behind him.
"Isn't it obvious...? I hate being trapped in this black void you call your mind." He hissed.
"I'm not giving you control!" Paper spat as he turned to face him directly.
"Why not? I won't use your body long... Cmon Paper. I've been dead for six hundred fucking years... And I have no interest in killing your useless husband." The figure stated as he hovered off the ground and crossed his legs with a bored expression.
"I don't want your sob story,—" Paper huffed as he crossed his arms. "It's not going to work again..."
The figure scoffed and gained a face of annoyance. "You're no fun..." He sneered. "I was only going to offer you a deal... One that be in your best interest." The figure gave a wicked smile.
Paper cringed, 'oh god... Whatever he says... Don't let him tempt you' Paper thought as he squinted his eyes shut.
"I can help protect your friends. If you give me control when, and only when, there's danger." He offered.
"How do I know you aren't a liar?!" Paper snarled.
"Well, Hm... How about this. I'll stay in my corner of the mindscape the whole time. Since I'm not the main host, you can take control back whenever you please." He floated on nothing and leaned on his hand.
Paper was tempted. The figure was very strong... And he knew that first hand... He could help them. He was very tempted... DAMN IT! That's what he wasn't supposed to do...
"Come on Paper..." He all of the sudden seemed to be more in a rush. He held his hand for Paper to shake it.
Paper tapped his foot on the ground, pondering his options... "You PROMISE nobody I love gets hurt...?" Paper asked shakily.
"Of course, I get to kill someone, and you get to have your family safe. It'll ease your anxiety. And cure my boredom. What more could ya ask for?" He smiled more than he was already, his eyes glowing a bright red.
Paper took a deep breath. And shook his hand. "Alright Evil P—"
"Looseleaf. The names Looseleaf." He corrected instantly. His smile faded slightly, still plastered on his face though. It was more of a smug grin now. "We're partners now, so you should at least know my real name."
"Oh..." Paper muttered. "Well then... It's a deal, Looseleaf." Paper said nervously as he took his hand away.
Looseleaf landed on both his feet. "Good choice..." He said in a voice that had a trace of excitement. He then paused for a moment. "You're gonna want to look behind you..." He tapped the side of his face.
Paper looked puzzled and he turned around, on the bar above his empty pudding container, a floating and glowing card was there. Calling to him. Paper gasped in shock.
"You should really pick it up. It'll make my— or I suppose our job a whole lot easier." Looseleaf gave a sly grin.
"You— You know about these?" Paper had a dumbfounded look on his face.
"You could say that..."
"How— why?! No- no... WHAT are they?!" Paper asked in utter confusion.
"It's obviously a card, are you blind?" Looseleaf sassed with a bored look now.
"Don't play stupid..." Paper hissed as he glanced back at the card, then at Looseleaf.
"It's important. Very important. So pick it the fuck up..." he growled and crossed his arms.
"It's gonna hurt!" Paper fumed as he placed his hands on his knees and gripped them tightly.
"Maybe so, but, you'll be able to do more good than harm with yours." Looseleaf informed as he moved his hand in a circular motion as he talked.
Paper removed his hands from his knees and rubbed his eyes. "OJ will be upset!!!" Paper squealed.
"Oh please, that waist of a man is drunk and injured. And because you couldn't help. You were stuck playing cheerleader. Now are you going to actually join the game?! Or keep living in your naive little world thinking that in a month or two your normal life will continue?" Looseleaf had walked up to Paper and jabbed a finger in his face aggressively.
Paper flinched back and turned his eyes, but not his face at the card. "I'm scared..." Paper admitted as he hit his lip.
Looseleaf backed off, his face flashed with pity for only a moment, he then laughed it off. "I guess all the kids in this hotel are gonna fucking die then! Because I assure you... Fan is nothing compared to what lies ahead." Looseleaf gritted through his ghostly teeth.
Paper made a unsure sound for a a moment. "I-I just— HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS...?" Paper asked his voice dripping with anxiety.
"Perks of existing outside time and space for six hundred years... You see some shit." Looseleaf chuckled. "Now pick up. The. Damn. Card."
Paper sighed and turned towards it on the chair. The card was now just in front of his face. Hie reached out towards it.
Looseleaf had a face of amusement from the background.
Paper finally picked up the card. He absorbed it in an instant, and his whole body began to burn. He made a slight sound of pain, and shut his eyes tightly. He was trying not to scream, as people were sleeping. And he didn't want to wake anyone up.
Looseleaf giggled at how stupid Paper looked. Snickering evilly with a hand over his mouth.
Paper's pain lasted a few more seconds, and cloak materialized around him, and the backs of his hands began to sizzle, and markings of a clock began to appear. It was a dim white as of now. Paper's eyes then sparked a pearly white, the entirety of his eyes that is. They quickly stopped glowing.
Shortly after the pain stopped.
Paper breathed heavily and realized he had been biting his tongue. He tasted a bit of blood, and frowned as he grabbed a napkin and stuck it in his mouth to stop the bleeding.
Looseleaf was still snickering behind Paper and wiping his tears of amusement away.
Paper whipped his head around at Looseleaf and gave him a disappointed scowl.
Looseleaf looked away and stopped laughing, instead he had a malicious smile. He then opened his mouth to speak. "Might as well get some sleep...! An eventful future lies ahead. Oh, and Don't forget to greet Lightbulb at the front door in three minutes." Looseleaf smirked.
Paper's eyes widened.
"Well? Go!" Looseleaf barked.
Paper jumped and quickly ran to the Lobby.
—𝓐ℛ𝓚 𝓞𝓝𝓔, 𝓔𝓝𝓓—
———
HEHEHE LOOSELEAF (Evil Paper) HEAD CANNONS YAYAY!!!
I hope you like them :]
———