Poob eagerly awaited the arrival of infected as they jittered and jumped excitedly next to pest, who crossed his arms annoyingly and huffed out, lampert, who'd been in the restaurant 3 hours earlier, was standing eerily still as always, checking to see if it needed to clean himself under any circumstances, pest groaned
"いやあ..when is that guy going to arrive?"
"Soon! JUzt wait :3"
Pest gave a sneer full look before hearing the tumble of footsteps, infected, who'd looked like he's been running through a hurricane, stumbled onto the foot of poob, panting
"g33z! Sry I w4z l4t3 br4h Xd" he apologetically expressed as he let out a small sneeze, prompting the lamp to twitch a little. Infected propped himself up and gave a loud exhale while pest chittered
"About darn time. 愚かな. Can we enter now?" He turned to poob sternly who'd already started to push through the doors, expressing their approval, as the four went to their designated seats (with lampert making sure to disinfect the area with wipes of course) they cozily settled and waited for their food
"YAYY! 4 of my best buds r here for my PARTI!"
"1 th0Ught 1t w4z a h4ng0ut?"
"It is. Stupid critter" the beetle scoffed, prompting poob to pout their lips
"Aw c'mon now pezt! Dont b a parti pooper!!"
"-If It really matters, I think he time we spent together is more important than anything. Isn't that right kaspe- I MEAN infected?" The little lamp butted in, turning to infected for his input
"Uh-? 0h y34h t0t4ally!!1!"
"See?"
Pest rolled his eyes "whatever"
Poob soon noticed the silence setting in, they were NOT letting that Helen's though "so how is everyone? Anything special to say? :3"
"いいえ nothing much other than having to deal with you."
"Pezt!!!! >:^"
"Eh I've been residing in IKEA for a while. You know, my job. It's fun being the janitor, I can finally have an excuse to constantly tranquilize the grimy filth"
"4r3nt yu0 th3 0k y gUy 4t 1k34?"
"I mean....yes you're right, but hey, free meatballs!"
"Wat abt u infected!!"
Infected scratched the back of his head "3rm....1z b33n c00l m0ztly, 1v3 b33n gr1nd1ng my st4ts !n rUn3sc4p3 ^_^"
"No one wants to hear that." Pest muttered as poob gave them a light punch by the shoulder. Infected's smile flattened and he looked slightly hurt before the lamp chimed in
"RuneScape? Perhaps you can tell us more about it?"
"N4h 1tz c00l, 1 th1nk w3 g0tt4 0rd3r 4nyw4yz-"
As the gang ordered their meals, they chittered about miscellaneous things, all while infected chimed in, the comment pest made out of spite really did hurt him a little more than infected would like to admit, but he didn't want to cause some petty drama and probably a broken nose, so he kept his mouth shut. All until a particular topic struck him back.
"So did any of u guyz hear abt the elevator thing!?"
"The..what?"
"You know!! When mark opened it, and zaw like huge scratches and the roof was bursted out of!!"
"Oh...that"
"Yeah, mark told me all about it, he told me that whatever did that was...beyond an animal probably."
"Mmh..p1lbz t0ld m3 abt it....1z pr0b4bly n0th1ng..." he snorted as the waiter came to place their food, with infected being the first one to wolf down on his, lampert, sitting next to him, furrows his drawn on eyebrows and scotches away, feelings tinge of confusion as infected was usually never a messy eater...
"はぁ? 真剣だね? "It's nothing" you say, but that wasn't the first time something like that happened..it's becoming concerning."
"Yeah!! Leik remember the other time when dr.Retro said that a big monzter dragged one of her patientz and they're stilll mizsing!?"
"Yeah...she went on a 'vacation' for three months straight after that."
Infected finished his plate, and as he licked the crumbs off, he furrowed his eyebrows "1 th0Ught t3h p4t13nt 3sc4p3d-?"
"Yeah no that didn't happen...wait are you already finished-?"
"Y34h...st1ll k1nd4 hUngry.." he peeped over lampert food "yu0 g0nn4 f1n1sh th4t?"
"...you can have it.." he slid it over to the boy as he quickly made work of what was once lamberts cold food. Pest watched with a tinge of disgust before perking up, remembering something.
"Wait- does anyone remember when that thing attacked spud in the woods?"
"OH MY GOD NOT THAT!!"
"Yeah..geez spud really looked out of line back there.."
"U think all these attackz are liek connected??"
"Seems like it." Lampert shrugged his shoulders. "What do you think infected?"
Infected, who'd been intently listening to everything, but pretending to be busy with his food, just raised his head up and gave an unsure look "3h 1dk gUyz s0Undz l1k3 a bUnch4 n00b stUff 2 m3.."
"Oh c'mon don't say that, usually you'd be really excited if something is happening-"
"W3ll n0t 4nym0r3.."
Lampert's eyes squinted slightly in corncern. He glared at infected for a moment before speaking up against his concerns "infected."
"Wh4t n0w-?" He snapped
Lampert twitched again. "Are you sure you're doing ok?"
"..y34h y34h, 1m f1n3..."
"Infected."
"I s4!d 1m F1N3." He banged his fists against the table, causing it to shake a little, poob jolted back and pest found himself instinctively holding a hand against poob, almost protecting them.
Infected stared at the two, then turned to lampert, who was wide eyed and a little shocked, he'd...never seen infected snap like that. Much less so get angry over someone's concern. Infected just let out a gruff and ran off to the bathroom.
No one said a thing on the table, lampert looked at poob, who was frowning, their eyes big and sad "waz it smth I said..?" Pest was quick to let out a little huff and shook his head "no. Don't beat yourself like that. 大丈夫です."
Lampert just blinked through his shock "I'll uh....check after infected.." he quickly got up and zoomed to the bathroom, making sure to avoid people and potential grime of course.
—
Meanwhile infected locked himself in a bathroom stall. Using the walls to support himself, he felt sick. His head was ringing..god he really couldn't do this anymore..he let out a little gruff as he bent his back a little, letting his spine poke out of the fabric of his clothes, that was, until a knock pulled him back to his senses and he quickly straightened up, yelping.
"Wh0-!?"
"It's me kas- fuck- I mean infected.."
"G0 4w4y.." he huffed out, beads of sweat raced down his forehead
"But we're worried- like, really worried.." Lampert voice echoed from beyond the thin door to infecteds skull, he just let out an exhale and rubbed his head
"1m jUst...n0t f33l1ng g00d 0k?"
"Huh? Really?"
"Y34h 1 f33l s1ck...m0r3 th4t 1 4m UsU4ally.." he gulped as he lied through his teeth
"Aw man...you should have told us you know? Is that why you've been cranky?"
"Mhm.." infected nodded
"Hm..I can just call unpleasant to pick you up, and I'll inform the others, how does that sound?"
Ugh. Unpleasant. But infected just sighed "s-s0Unds g00d.."
Lampert lightened his tone "good...now get yourself out of that bathroom, it's unsanitary.."
Infected chuckled a little as he unlocked the stall and stepped out, giving a small smile to lampert, before coughing. Lampert jolted and stepped away from infected, keeping in mind to immediately clean himself once he gets his hands on the wipes on the table.
—
As infected leaned against the car window, seeing the bright light of the station as unpleasant decided to stop for some gas. He notified how unpleasant had gotten out, taking a call behind the building of the nearby small convenience stores. Like he always does. Probably for an interview or something, infected sighed as he looked out to see the infinite area of forest right next the station, and slowly, infected started to sweat again, he pulled his hand over his mouth, feeling nauseous, he tried getting out, but of course, unpleasant made sure the doors locked. Infected grunted loudly and banged on the window, until he suddenly had an idea...
—
As unpleasant came back to the car, having to deal with the apportionment schedules and what not, he whistled a tune and spun the keys on his fingers as he went over, expecting to greet infected once again, only to drop his keys in shock as he noticed the windows shattered, with a trail of blood leading to the forest, and infected missing from his seat.