Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The truck jostles a little as it bumps as it heads on its way through the rough highway road. Inside, two rows of crates filled with bitties shake against the walls. Ties hold the crates in place, but that doesn't stop them from jostling against the walls. Any standing bitties end up slipping and stumbling whenever the truck goes over a particularly large bump. A few of them cry, but most are determined to stay calm as the truck makes its way to the destination. It’s their first time being shipped to an adoption store. They want to look tough on their first truck drive outside.

Well… it’s the first time for all the bitties… except two.

“How far are we!?” A low voice shouts across the truck.

“I keep telli’n ya Sansy… we ain’t fuckin’ there yet.” Edgy shouts back, glaring across the empty space between the two rows of crates.

“LANGUAGE.” A Baby Blue yells from the crate next to him. Several others repeat the phrase as his curse travels through the truck.

Edgy rolls his red eyelights. It’s just his luck they ended up on a truck filled with idiotic baby blue bitties. They're fresh outta the factory too. Eyelights shiny with stars and skulls completely empty. They know nothing of the world’a shit they’re about to get into.

Like all the bitty’s on the truck, Edgy’s dressed in a fresh white t-shirt, and matching white shorts. Courtesy of the factory of course. Owners usually get the privilege of picking out their bitty’s first outfit. While Edgy hated the stupid sterile unblemished clothes, they were far better than some of the other shit he’s been forced to wear.

He turns his skull back towards the window, watching the outside scenery for any sign of the upcoming city. He's lucky he got placed next to it, otherwise him and Sansy would have a hard time executing their plan.

The truck hits another bump, and Edgy has to hold on to the crate bars to keep from falling over.

“AW... GEEZE.” The Blue next to him complains. He'd been thrown roughly onto his butt.

Tch… stupid Baby Blues. Edgy's always hated them. They get adopted like crazy at every place he's been too. Their sweet, yet bossy personalities were perfect for people who needed a companion bitty in their lonely lives. They were good at taking care of themselves, and their potential owners, and they actually helped clean the house rather than wreck it. They were smaller and cuter than Papy’s, with enormous adorable blue starred eyes. Basically, people loved them.

They were the complete opposite of his type.

Edgy turns his eyelights back to window watching bordly as the outside world flashes by. The Blue from before gets up slowly. Walking over to his cage bars, he looks Edgy up and down.

“SO… WHERE'D YOU COME FROM?” The Blue asks, tiny bone hands holding the crate bars.

Damn Edgy hates their voices too. Do they always gotta talk so loud?

“Nunn'a.” Edgy replies, leaning against the bars.

“WHATS NUNN'A?” The Blue asks, cocking his head.

“Nunn’ya damn business, so fuck off...” Edgy growls, showing off his mini golden fang as he poses his grin into a snarl.

“LANGUAGE!” The Blue calls back, scowling.

Damn Edgy hates them.

He walks to the opposite end of the crate, as far away from the baby blue bitty as possible, and sits down. Why can’t they just leave him alone. It’s like, they see him off by himself and don’t realize he likes it that way. He closes his sockets trying to rest a little before he has to get to work.

“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OUT THAT WINDOW?” The Blue asks.

Edgy sighs. “Freedom...”

“FREEDOM FROM WHAT?”

Edgy opens one of his sockets looking the blue over. They’re so stupid. Does he not realize he's in a cage right now?

“From this… all of this.” Edgy waves his hand around in the air.

“BUT THIS IS HOW WE GET TO OUR NEW HOMES. IT’S IMPORTANT TO STAY PUT SO WE CAN MEET ALL OUR NEW LOVING FRIENDS!”

“Tch… if yer fine with it, then sit here’n have fun inna cage. Me… I ain’t gonna let people tell me what ta do anymore. S’a fuckin’ waste'a time.”

“LANGUAGE RED EYED BITTY! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! YOU MUST LEARN TO BE POLITE IF YOU WANT TO GET HUNDREDS OF ADMIRERS AND MANY POTENTIAL ADOPTEES.”

Edgy gets as comfortable as possible laying on the meshy underbelly of his crate. His hands curl behind his skull, trying to offer it support against the harsh metal. The dim lighting in the truck is actually quite nice. Even the rocking of the truck is kinda pleasant once you're laying down. Now, if only he could do something about that annoying sound.

“Ain’t interested. Gonna live it on my own. Cages jus’ hold ya back.”

“MWEH HEH HEH! SILLY BITTY! THESE ARE NOT CAGES! THESE ARE CRATES! AND THEY ARE FOR OUR SAFE TRANSPORT! WITHOUT THEM, THERE WOULD BE CHAOS.”

“Chaos is good. I happen ta like chaos.” Edgy says smiling. There's nothing better than breaking everything in a new adoptee's house and causing mass chaos. That feeling was the best.

“FRIEND, YOU SEEM TO HAVE A VERY MISGUIDED OUTLOOK ON LIFE. WE ARE BITTIES AREN’T WE? WE MUST BOND WITH A HUMAN ADOPTEE. WE CAN NOT SURVIVE ON OUR OWN. THE WORLD IS TOO BIG.”

“N’ why do’ya think they made us so small. S’jus’ so those asshole humans can control us. They can make me small all they want. Ain’t gonna stop me none.”

“LANGUAGE BITTY! YOU NEED TO WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!”

“Says who? I can say whatever I want.”

The truck hits another bump, and Edgy’s skull slams uncomfortably against the bottom of his crate. The Baby Blue barely keeps his balance as he holds to his bars tightly.

“IT’S NOT APPROPRIATE.”

Edgy rolls his eyelights, rubbing at the back of his skull. There isn’t any point in arguing with a Baby Blue. They always think their right. They always think they're perfect.

“I’m gonna get some shuteye. It would be 'appropriate' if ya’d shut yer trap’n leave me alone so I can get some sleep.”

The Baby Blue puffs out his cheeks. “MMMM FINE, BUT I INSIST YOU WORK ON YOUR SWEARS RED EYED BITTY!"

"Heh heh... I swear I'll try..." Edgy reply's, grinning.

The blue turns up his skull, walking away from the bars of his crate. On the other side, he begins avidly talking with another blue.

“Edgy!” Edgy shouts watching him speaking excitedly.

“PARDON?” The baby blue turns.

“My type’r called... Edgy.”

The truck takes a hard turn, and Edgy's literally thrown awake as he slams face first into the side of his crate. He rubs at the sore spot, slightly confused at what’s going-

“Shit!”

He jumps up as quickly as possible, running over to the window to check the scenery.

“LANGUAGE!” Several blues call as his loud cursing floats past their crates.

He peers out the window, and his soul panics. They’re already in the city.

“Sansy we’re here!” He calls across the truck.

He runs to the front end of his crate, placing his face between the bars.

“Sansy wake yer lazy ass up!”

“LANGUAGE!” Nearly every baby blue on the truck say in unison. Their small skeletal faces turning towards his shouts, starry blue eyes glowing in the darkness.

He ignores them and looks for any sign of his friend in his crate. Dammit he’s still sleeping. The guy sleeps like death. Heh… death…

“Sansy we’re already late!” Edgy shouts again.

He waits, but there’s still no answer. Getting desperate, he cups his hands near his sharp toothed grin and yells as loud as he can.

“What did the ranch say when you opened the fridge!?”

A sleepy baritone voice echos back immediately. “Close the door I’m dressin’.”

“NOOOOOO.”

“MWEH HEH THAT'S TERRIBLE.”

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING SO AWFUL?”

baby blues all across the truck complain from the terribly told pun, but it did it’s job. A moment later, Sansy's lazy white eyelights are blinking sleepily back at him from across the truck.

“Where we at?” He calls.

“We’re late! We’re already in the city!” Edgy replies.

“Ya fell asleep didn’cha!” He laughs.

“You fell asleep too!” Edgy yells back.

“Heheheh, I’ll never get tired of that happen’n!”

Edgy’s smile widens. “I tire of this truck!”

“Heheheh, it’s been giving me the freight of my life, we should get outta here soon.”

“Ya could say it’s been a moving experience.”

“NOOOOOOO.” One blue shouts, and more soon join him.

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING.”

“HORRIBLE, JUST HORRIBLE.”

“I’VE HEARD ENOUGH, MAKE IT STOP.”

“MWEHHHH, IS THERE NO END!”

baby blues all across the truck moan in their crates begging in agony for the two bitty’s to stop.

Sansy continues to laugh through all the noise. “Heh heh heh, Guess we’re the torque of the town.”

Edgy snickers back “Eh… they need to mind their own bus-ness.”

“STOP IT, JUST STOP!” The blue next to him demands.

Edgy only snickers louder as he watches the blue with his hands at his hips. At least baby blues were fun sometimes.

He turns back to the front of his crate and shouts. “Ya get it open yet?”

Sansy is suddenly flying through the open space between the two rows of crates. A moment later he disappears, and reappears in front of Edgy’s crate. Standing precariously on the small inch of space left between the crate, and the edge of the shelf.

“Didn’t take a lock’a time at all.” He summons two sharp white bones and gets to work on Edgy’s crate.

“YOU AREN’T SUPPOSE TO BE OUT OF YOUR CRATE! IT’S DANGEROUS.” The blue lectures from the side.

Sansy looks over at him through hooded sockets, working at the latch as if the haze building throughout his soul isn't affecting him at all. “Heh… I’d say it’s more dangerous if we stayed, kid. Yer not gonna bar me from escaping now are ya?”

The baby blue puffs out his cheeks in exasperation.

“MMMMM THOSE JOKES ARE HORRIBLE, AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DESIST IMMEDIATELY AND GET BACK INTO YOUR CRATE WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSE TO WAIT!”

The lock clicks and Sansy swings open the door. “Don’t mean to be adoorable, but we gotta get going.”

Edgy waltzes out, snickering at the disgruntled blue. “Try ta be a bit more open minded next time, eh?”

“YOU... YOU CAN’T LEAVE." The blue says, now looking positively annoyed. "THE ADOPTION PEOPLE WILL MISS YOU. BESIDES, I’M IN CHARGE OF THIS GROUP, AND I SAY YOU CAN’T.”

“Heh heh heh, Oh! yer in charge eh?” Edgy asks, walking up to the Baby Blue cage bars and looking darkly into his crate.

“YES I AM. THE OTHER BLUES VOTED ME MOST RESPONSIBLE WHILST ON THIS TRIP.” The Blue says putting his hands on his hips.

“Oh my mistake. I’ll jus’ go back in my cage then.” Edgy says snickering.

He reaches forward and pokes the blue eyed bitty right between the sockets, pushing him back and onto his butt.

“Ya think I give a shit what a little baby blue trash has to say?”

“LANGUAGE EDGY BITTY!” The blue barks back, slowly standing back up and fixing his shirt. “AND YOU SHOULD. I HAVE BEEN KEEPING DILIGENT WATCH THIS WHOLE TRIP. I WILL KNOW THE MOMENT ANYTHING BAD SHOULD HAPPEN.”

“Heheheheh… what is he…heh!... what is he talking about Sansy.” Edgy wheezes, starting to laugh right in the other bittie's face.

“Heheheheh Kid…" The Sansy chuckles. "Ya gotta good soul on’ya, but I don't think ya get how things work ‘round here. Even if ya follow all the rules, play nice with all the humans, that doesn’t mean yer gonna get your happy ending. You can try your best, but, leaving it up to a gamble on which human ya get each time around hasn’t done us any favors. We’re gonna take our chances out on our own this time... Ya get it?” He turns his back shuffling across the ledge in front of the cages. "Later then." He calls waving as he takes a step off the shelf, falls, and disappears.

“Later ya baby.” Edgy says, and he too steps off the racks, disappearing as well.

A moment later, tiny feet patter across the metal floor of the truck, the two bitties racing along the floor towards the back.

The latch on the loading door is broken. The driver wrapped chains around the handles to hold them in place, but it wasn’t done very well. With every bump and jostle, the doors jiggle apart slightly, letting the outside light peek through the dark truck interior.

Wind whips at the two bitties as they approach, threatening to force them on their backs every time the doors separate a little wider than usual. They're gonna have to wait till the truck slowed down. There was no way they could jump with it moving at this speed.

The bitties grasp at each other, hoping their added weight will help hold them in place.

“Shouldn’t we'ave hit a light by now?” Sansy asks, almost having to shout through the roaring wind.

“I think we’re still onna main road! Keep waiting, they gotta stop at least once before they get to an adoption center!” Edgy answers back.

The truck hits another bump, and the little skeletons are thrown from their feet by the impact. Sansy starts rolling dangerously towards the chained doors.

“Watch out!” Edgy yells.

He crawls forward, finger bones reaching for his rolling friend. The wind buffets his fragile body side to side, his sockets watering against the raging air.

Shit, he can’t lose him here. Not after everything they’ve been through.

He can’t see very well in the blasting torrent, but his phalanges eventually tap against material, and his claws curl into it as deep as they’ll go.

“Hold on!”

He holds his friend inches away from the swinging doors, keeping his body low to the floor of the truck, hoping they won’t both blow away.

“I-I’m alright, see if ya can pull us back.” Sansy responds.

“I can’t stand! The wind’ll pull us out if I stand!” Edgy yells.

“Stay there’n wait for a stop!”

The doors shake and rattle as they snap open and shut against the chains. With each opening, a torrent of air bursts through and threatens to pick the two bitties off the floor of the vehicle.

Edgy feels his friend’s body leave the ground on several occasions, but he holds tight, refusing to let him go. His fingers begin to slip as they numb from the sensation of holding his friend against the raging wind. Vision blurred, he tries to hold on. He can’t be alone again. There’s nothing worse than being alone.

Suddenly he feels something pull his shirt from behind. He whips his tiny skull around, trying to see what's going on.

“I TOLD YOU I WAS KEEPING WATCH SHOULD ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN! I’M NOT A MAGNIFICENT BABY BLUE FOR NOTHING MWEH HEH HEH!!!”

Never in his life has Edgy ever felt more thankful to a dumb baby blue.

“LET’S PULL YOU OUT OF HERE, SHALL WE?” The blue says proudly.

“Hurry the fuck up will ya!”

“LANGUAGE!”

The combined weight of the Baby Blue holding onto Edgy is enough to allow him to stand. He starts pulling at his friend in return, and they begin taking steps away from the wind raging doors. One at a time, slowly, dragging Sansy with them. Making it to safety.

The truck hits another bump, and the bitties go flying.

All Edgy remembers before his vision is blinded, is holding onto Sansy. He refuses to let him go.

Chapter Text

Edgy slams into the hot paved road. His claws still embedded in Sansy’s shirt. They bounce and roll a few feet over and under each other, scraping their bones and tearing their clothes. Finally they come to a complete stop after what seems like forever.

Edgy feels numb from the fall as he lays face first on the hot bright road, the air knocked from wherever he breathes from. His arm throbs in terrible pain from all the pulling and pushing it’s been doing. Fuck! Everything fuckin' hurts! Shit! As he lays across the road with his sockets closed, his soul begins to hum in panic.

You need to get up! 

His body fights him as he attempts to push up. It doesn’t wanna move. He’s gasping for air his body won’t take in, but he pushes through it.

Get up!

Finally he makes it shakily to his knees. Still unable to breathe he fights through it. He keeps hold of Sansy's shirt, arm pounding in protest, and attempts to bring his feet under him.

Move!!!

“Gahhhhhh.” Edgy yells, his body finally breathing once more.

He makes it to his feet, dragging Sansy up a with him. He lets his eyelights look around, taking in where they landed.

A car is speeding directly at them.

“FUCKING SHIT!”

He gathers his magic and attempts a shortcut. He ports out, landing face first in the grass running along the strip of road, bringing Sansy with him.

“Shitty fucking shit fuck shit!” He gasps over and over into the cool strands of grass, trying to catch his breath with his face mashed into the earth. The car passes by at high speed, wind whipping in its wake. He decides to stay laying there, letting his body recover.

“Heheheh, I was a-freight we were goners.” The low voice of the Sansy laughs from the grass next to him.

“Ya already used that one.” Edgy pants.

“Jumping from that truck turned out to be a long haul down.”

“Better.” Edgy gasps, trying to force his shaky body to calm down.

After a few more seconds, he hears Sansy lean upward out of the grass.

“I know were’re in a buddy-ing relationship, but would ya mind lettin’ go’a my shirt?” He asks.

“Y-yeah.” Edgy gasps, attempting to dislodge his clawed phalanges from it. He struggles to remove them, his arm pounding in pain with every twist and tug. After a moment, Sansy eventually takes over, gently pulling each phalange out.

“Yeesh buddy, have ya looked at'cher arm?” Sansy asks once he’s done.

Edgy brings his now free arm into view.

“Why...? what’s wrong with…. FUCK!”

A hairline fracture runs down half the entire length of his ulna. Well… that explains the pain. Dammit… he does not need something like this right now.

“Didn’t we have another guy with us?” Sansy asks.

“Huh?” Edgy’s soul is still racing. He just fell from a truck at high speed, almost got hit by a car, and fractured his arm. He is not in the mood for thinking. “Shit, the Baby Blue!”

Edgy may not like Baby Blues, but that didn’t mean he was completely soulless. Besides… the guy did come to save him. Even if it didn’t matter anyway.

He wobbly gets to his feet trying to look around. It’s hard to see much in the distance when you’re so small.

“M-maybe the wind didn’t catch’em.” Edgy says, hoping that’s the case.

Sansy looks as well. If he fell, he should be close by. Maybe he rolled into the grass when he fell. He holds his hands up, shielding his sockets from the sunlight. All he sees is a long stretch of road, blanketed by grass on either side. There’s no sign of any other bitties.

Another car comes speeding by, wind whipping as it passes.

“Well, I don’t see’m, so he’s probably still on that truck.” Edgy states.

Sansy keeps looking, he swears he saw another bitty fall with them.

“Oh no...” He says lowly. “Oh no… oh no…”

He starts running towards the road.

“What! Where is’e?” Edgy asks as he watches him run. He scans the road looking in the direction Sansy’s running. In the distance, he finally spots it. The sun so bright, he can hardly make it out against the reflective blacktop. Sitting in the middle of the road on the other side is a small white lump.

“Shit!”

Ahead of him, Sansy reaches the divide where the road meets the grass and keeps running. Edgy feels his soul hum faster as he spots a car driving in the far lane this time. The lane the little white lump is sitting in.

“There’s a car-” He starts to warn.

“I’ll make it.” Sansy yells back.

“We should ladder our shortcuts!” He tries to argue.

“No time!”

Shit… Sansy shouldn’t be trying this… Sure, the guy has one of the longest shortcut ranges of any bitty he’s ever met, but the distance to the baby blue is farther than twelve feet. They need to ladder off each other to get two shortcuts.

Edgy follows Sansy to the edge of the blacktop, arm pounding with every step. Already far behind his friend. There’s no way he can catch up in time. His shortcut's barely over half the span of Sansy’s.

Shortcuts for bitties can be tricky business. Each bitty has a personal range, usually somewhere between five and ten feet. Edgy’s is around seven, but this Sansy has a whopping twelve. It’s always amazed Edgy how far the guy can actually go.

Shortcuts were designed to help bitties get around better, specifically allowing them to climb onto their humans, without giving them complete and total freedom to roam. There are rules to what they can and can't do.

First of all, they have to land on something. No teleporting several feet into the air without something to land on. They also need to go in a straight trajectory. If there's something solid in the way, they won’t be able to pass through it. That includes cages, leashes, and glass windows.

Edgy really hates that last part.

Bitties can carry somewhere around two to four other bitties. After using a shortcut, the bitty using it has a cool down period. Usually around ten seconds. The timer gets exponentially longer the more bitties or items being carried through a shortcut. The magic cost also gets higher. Like any casting of magic, the shortcut requires they have the right amount of magic available, a proper cooldown on their shortcut, and balanced and calm soul. A scared bitty is a bitty without magic.

“Shit.”

Edgy hates standing there. Hates watching as the other bitty throws himself wildly into danger. But there’s nothing he can do. He waits patiently as he watches his friend run across the first lane of traffic...

The little white lump still hasn’t moved at all. Is the guy dusting? Maybe he fell wrong and busted his skull. Sansy makes it halfway through the second lane, and disappears. He reappears next to the white lump and Edgy just makes out the Baby Blue’s form being dragged up and off the blacktop by his his friend.

The car keeps coming and Edgy feels his soul panic. Stay calm… Stay calm. He’s gonna make it. He's gonna be fine and… Is the car accelerating! Why does it look like it’s going faster?

Sansy moves as fast as his tiny legs will allow. Which isn't very fast at all. Sansy’s aren’t made for physical labor. They just aren’t that type of bitty. He keeps pulling regardless, trying to get the blue to safety. He can’t let a bitty go out like this, he’s sick of seeing it. He keeps a firm hold abound the bitty's rib cage as he slowly drags the bitty out of the lane. Waiting for his soul to ping his shortcut’s ready.

The car keeps coming. Closer and closer. Please soul… please be ready. He keeps dragging the bitty, not trusting his cooldown to make it in time. Please, just a little farther.

The tire of the car seems to be lined up with his body. Please no… He's so close… Please let him make it.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaahh!” Sansy screams as the car drives by.

It speeds past, tires inches from the two bittes. Sansy tumbles over from the force of wind as it passes. Letting his body rest on the hot blacktop as he breathes. That was way too close.

His soul pings him it's ready for a shortcut a moment later.

Sansy ports into the center of the first lane with the baby blue. Already there to meet him, Edgy grabs the two bitties and they take another shortcut back to the cool grass along the side of the road.

“Fuckin’ crazy shit as always.” Edgy complains. His arm still pounding, but it's nothing compared to his soul.

“Ah come’on don’t tell me you’re tired of this already.” Sansy jokes.

Edgy cracks a grin, ready with another one. “Heheh, I still gotta hear the run down of how ya made it out.”

“We really road that one close. But where there’s a wheel there’s a way.”

“NO MORE… PLEASE...” A small voice pleads from The Blue. So the guy is alive.

Sansy walks over to The Blue, bending down. “Driving ya crazy already?”

Edgy snickers, wallowing in The Blue’s despair. “Don’t tell me our jokes’r fallin’ flat?”

“NOOOOOOO…!” The Blue cries weakly.

Sansy pulls the blue into a sitting position. Checking for any breaks in his bones. Besides an array of scrapes and chips, the bitty seems completely fine.

“Nothin’ hurtin ya right?” Sansy asks, making sure he didn’t miss anything.

“MY HEAD IS POUNDING A LITTLE, BUT IT’S NOTHING A MAGNIFICENT BLUE CAN’T HANDLE, MWEH HEH HEH.”

A large scrape runs along the side of his skull. He must have hit it during his fall.

“Heh, that’s pretty cool ya can handle it kid.” Sansy says, offering his hand to help him up.

The Blue beams at the comment as he takes it and stands. “OF COURSE, BABY BLUES ARE ALWAYS VERY COOL.”

Edgy rolls his eyelights as he listens to the two talk. Sansys always have soft spot for those Blues and Papys… “If ya two are done running yer mouths… We should probably get the fuck outta here’n-”

“LANGUAGE!”

“-look for someplace that ain’t so out’n the open n’near death traffic.”

Even though the bittys landed in the city, they managed to topple out of the truck while it drove along a freeway. For a bitty, it’s still quite far from any buildings or establishments. They're going to have to walk a good distance before they can even get close to humans.

“WE SHOULD CONTACT THE HUMANS IMMEDIATELY. ASK THEM FOR HELP IN RETURNING US TO OUR RIGHTFUL DESTINATION!” The Blue states.

Sansy grimaces at his words. “Now… h-hold on there kiddo… Sure our jump to freedom was a bit premature, but we aren’t in any rush to go running back under human control.”

“BUT… WE ARE BITTIES. WE ARE DESTINED TO BE PAIRED WITH HUMANS… WHERE WOULD WE GO OTHER THAN THE ADOPTION PLACE TO FIND HUMANS READY TO LOVE AND CARE FOR US?”

“Listen kid…" Sansy says, rubbing his face. "If ya wanna go back, that’s fine with us. We aren’t gonna force ya ta come with us or anything. But the two of us definitely aren’t going back.”

The Blue cocks his head. “I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. YOU… DO NOT WISH TO BE ADOPTED... EVER?”

“Heh… now you’re getting it kid.” Sansy gives the Blue a good pat.

“THEN WHERE WILL YOU GO… HOW WILL YOU LIVE? WITHOUT THE LOVE OF A HUMAN, BITTIES-”

“We don't need humans shitty love!” Edgy cuts in.

“LANGUAGE, EDGY BITTY!”

"Tch… S’bullshit anyway. They make us need ta be loved, but humans ain’t even got the ability ta love’r care about us. They jus’ wanna pet they can control’n tell what ta do. N’when they find out their little pets ain’t perfect, n’they gotta mind of their own, or they get bored’a ya, they’ll throw ya away. S’what they always do.

“...I’M SURE THOSE HUMANS.. HAD THEIR REASONS…”

“Yeah… s’cause their assholes who-”

“LANGUAGE!”

“-only care about themselves. Give’um a year’n they’ll get tired’a ya’n move onto the next big thing. S’how they all are.”

Edgy starts walking away, Sansy shuffling after him.

“If ya want…” Sansy says looking back slowly. “we can drop ya off somewhere along the way, but leave us outta yer human stuff, alright kid?”

The blue runs to catch up, puffing up his cheeks in annoyance.

“MMMMM FINE… I WILL ASSIST IN TRAVELLING WITH THE BOTH OF YOU. BUT YOU SHAN'T EXPECT ME TO FOLLOW IN YOUR POOR EXAMPLE OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR.”

Edgy groans. “Really Sansy…” He whispers to his friend. “Yer gonna let this idiot come with us.”

“Come’on… he’s factory fresh.” Sansy whispers back. “We can’t leave’um ta fend for himself out here. You know that.”

“Tch… fucken stupid Baby Blues, ruining everything.” Edgy mumbles to himself as he walks, arm throbbing with each step.

“WORRY NOT FRIENDS! I AM AN EXCELLENT NAVIGATOR." The Blue says proudly. "WITH MY TRAVELING SKILLS WE WILL BE SURE TO REACH OUR DESTINATION IN NO TIME.”  He smiles up a storm as he skips along with the other bitties. Edgy rolling his eyelights in annoyance.

“Heheh, I’m sure we will kid.” Sansy replies, looking anything but annoyed with the situation. "I bet you'll get us there in half the time."

"MWEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE FELLOW BITTY! I WILL LEAD THE WAY VALIANTLY!" The Blue stops skipping as he starts to think. “UMM... BY THE WAY... WHERE DID YOU SAY WE WERE GOING?”

Edgy palms his face as he walks, listening to the annoying bitty talk. His soul telling him the pounding pain in his arm is gonna be the least of his problems.

Chapter Text

“UMM… BY THE WAY… WHERE DID YOU SAY WE WERE GOING?” The Blue asks as he walks backwards in front of the two.

Edgy palms his face in annoyance. “We didn’t fuckin’ say.” He growls.

The Blue puts his hands to his hips, “LANGUAGE!” and puffs out his cheeks as he watches Edgy roll his eyelights. Geese, this guy really needs to learn some manners. He’s so lucky he’s got a magnificent blue here to help him.

“We’re going to a park kid.” Sansy answers instead.

“A PARK, WHAT'S A PARK?” The Blue cocks his head, feeling his soul thrum with excitement.

“It's a place where humans go ta relax outdoors. There’s lots of trees’n bushes’n grass.” Sansy answers.

“THAT SOUNDS REALLY NICE! I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT A PARK!” The Blue shouts gleefully, very much excited. He smiles to himself. He was initially afraid after falling out of that truck. Walking around the outside world without a human chaperone is scary. But now there’s something to look forward too. He’s gonna see a park! And the best part is, there are humans at the park!

Sansy’s face drops a bit. “D-Didn'cha wanna find a human’n get back to the adoption center?”

The blue smiles wryly as he responds. “MWEH HEH HEH, YOU SAID THERE ARE HUMANS RELAXING AT THE PARK. ALL I MUST DO IS GO THERE WITH YOU, AND ASK A HUMAN TO TAKE ME BACK. IT IS A PERFECT PLAN IS IT NOT!”

“Heh… well, that might work, but we’ll probably run into some humans before that. Are’ya sure ya really wanna wait that long?”

“BUT… WHAT IF I NEVER GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO VISIT A PARK?”  The Blue says sadly.

“Ya ain’t coming.” Edgy growls. “First human we see, yer outta here! If ya wanna visit a boring ass park so badly-”

“LANGUAGE!”

“Ya can ask the first dumb shit human who’s stupid enough ta adopt ya ta take ya!”

The Blue feels his magic hum in a way he’s never felt before. The feeling made him uncomfortable. Why is this bitty so rude?

“MMMMM EDGY! YOU ARE SAYING SOME VERY RUDE THINGS! AND I DEMAND YOU STOP IMMEDIATELY!”

Edgy smirks back, letting that tiny gold tooth shine in the overbearing sun. “N’whos gonna make me?”

“IT IS NOT ABOUT MAKING YOU, I SIMPLY DO NOT APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT MY FUTURE HUMAN. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO STOP, PLEASE!”

Sansy leans closer to Edgy, trying his best to whisper in his skull. “Come’on buddy… cut the kid some slack. He doesn’t know any better.”

Edgy leans in too, whispering in response. “I ain’t gonna apologize ta some dimwitted idiot who thinks they can tell me what ta do.”

“Can ya at least tone it down a bit. He doesn’t mean any harm.” Sansy pleads.

Edgy growls quietly to himself as he keeps walking. His arm progressively getting worse. Everything about this little adventure was going wrong, and he didn’t want to deal with this shitty blue on top of it.

“Fine… but he needs to shut his trap, I don’t wanna hear him runnin’ his mouth like he knows everythin’.”

The pounding in Edgy’s arm starts to reach unbearable levels. He grabs it now, trying to hold it steady as he walks. It hurts too much letting it jostle with each step.

The Blue takes notice immediately. His soul filling with worry when he spots the hairline crack running down it.

“EDGY BITTY! YOUR ARM-”

“I Fuckin know already! The hell do ya think I’m holding it for! Stop being a fuckin’ ass’n pointing out the obvious!” Edgy snarls, the pain adding to his seething hatred and annoyance with The Blue.

“L-LANGUAGE…” The Blue flinches away from his words. Worry still written across his face.

“Is it hurtin’ ya that badly?” Sansy asks, also worried.

“I’m fine!" Edgy growls, trying to move his arm out of view. "It ain't that bad.” He does not want Sansy getting all worried over this. “Jus’ need some food’n it’ll fix itself.”

Sansy narrows his sockets at him. Eyelights displayed in clear worry.

“You know it’s probably gonna need more-”

“It’ll be fine! The food’ll be enough!” Edgy growls. Deep down his soul hums with worry. It probably needs more than food… but he doesn’t want to think about that. They just got out of a place with humans. He should be good to go for at least another two weeks without contact.

There’s a sound of fabric tearing, and Edgy looks up to find The Baby Blue ripping off the bottom section of his now dirty and torn white shirt. His spine becoming ever so visible now that he’s shortened it.

“HERE YOU ARE!” The Blue says, stopping in front of him and holding out the torn strip of fabric.

“The Fuck do I need that for!” Edgy growls, also coming to a stop.

“MWEH HEH HEH! I WASN’T VOTED MOST RESPONSIBLE BLUE FOR NOTHING.” The Blue takes a proud step forward, and Edgy backs up.

“I don’t fuckin'… don’t touch me!” He warns.

“WORRY NOT EDGY BITTY. I WILL HAVE THAT ARM RELIEVED OF STRESS IN NO TIME.”

“I don’t need yer help!” Edgy growls, backing up some more.

“You… could at least let him try?” Sansy urges.

“Shuttup I don’t wanna hear someone like you sayin’ I should let people touch me!” Edgy snarls, the pounding in his arm intensifying.

Sansy's eyelights drop. Hurt written across his face.

Edgy regrets it immediately. He stops backing up and scratches the back of his skull with his only good arm. “S-Sorry… Didn’t mean that.” He whispers under his breath.

“APOLOGY ACCEPTED EDGY BITTY!” The Baby Blue smiles as he bounds forward.

“I didn’t mean you!” Edgy growls at the approaching bitty.

“THAT IS ALRIGHT! FOR I FORGIVE YOU ANYWAY!” The Blue beams. “NOW PRESENT YOUR ARM THIS WAY, AND WATCH.”

Edgy sighs before holding out his arm. The Blue takes it gently, bending it horizontally in front of Edgy’s chest.

“Be careful! It still hurts!” Edgy growls in warning.

"NOT TO WORRY. YOU WILL SOON BE FEELING MUCH BETTER!” The Blue pulls the material around Edgy’s arm, and hooks it over his shoulder. He ties a neat knot halfway down the front, creating a sound splint. “MWEH HEH HEH! NOW YOUR ARM IS HELD FIRMLY IN PLACE AS YOU WALK. BE AMAZED FELLOW BITTY, FOR I HAVE SOLVED THE PUZZLE OF YOUR PAIN!”

“Ya haven't fixed anything. It still fuckin’ hurts!” Edgy growls.

“LANGUAGE EDGY BITTY! SIMPLY TRY WALKING AND SEE IF IT FEELS BETTER.” The blue says, folding his arms proudly.

“Tch… whatever." Edgy growls. They continue walking, the sun bearing down on the little band of skeletons. Edgy goes quiet when he realizes his arm is pounding less and less. In fact, the feeling is nothing more than a dull pain now. Edgy looks at the splint on his arm in wonder. He's had plenty of cracks and breaks in his bones before, but he's never worn anything like this while he's waited for it to heal. He's never even thought of doing something like this... Tch... Stupid baby blues... The hell do they always gotta be right for...

“Heh… that was pretty smart kid. How’d’ja know ta do something like that?” Sansy asks in the resulting silence. Edgy muttering angrily next to him under his breath.

“MWEH HEH HEH. THERE IS NO PUZZLE THIS MAGNIFICENT BLUE CAN’T SOLVE!” The blue poses triumphantly as they walk, proud of his abilities. “I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE THINGS OUT QUICKLY. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LOCK ON MY CAGE. I NEEDED ONLY SEE THE SOLUTION ONCE BEFORE I UNDERSTOOD HOW TO COMPLETE THE PUZZLE MYSELF.”

“Wait! Ya picked the lock on yer cage?” Edgy says in surprise. “O-On yer first try?”

“OF COURSE! HOW ELSE WOULD I BE ABLE TO MAKE MY GRAND RESCUE ATTEMPT WHEN MY TWO BITTY FRIENDS NEEDED ME MOST!”

Edgy wanted to tell the stupid blue they weren’t friends, but the shame was getting to him. This meant he was the only one of the three who couldn’t pick locks. Sansy tried to teach him at one point, but he was never able to get the hang of it.

It’s a rare skill for a bitty to be able to pick locks. The factory didn’t want bitties who could escape their cages, so they selected that ability out. Bitties were made to be pets, not people. And pets aren’t supposed to escape cages.

"Heh... ya really are pretty cool kid." Sansy smiles.

The Blue beams at the compliment, enjoying the praise of the lazy bitty. “BY THE WAY WHITE EYED BITTY. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED YOUR TYPE’S NAME?” He questions.

“Heh… called a Sansy kid.” Sansy responds.

“A SANSY?”

“Yep. Built ta be lazy’n funny’n love ta nap. Gotta pretty good appetite as well. S’what Sansy’s are supposed ta be.”

“YOU’RE FUNNY?” The blue says in surprise.

Sansy almost stops walking, before settling back into a lazy grin. “What...? ya tellin’ me I haven’t told’ja a good rib tickler yet?”

The blue puffs out his cheeks in annoyance. “THAT IS NOT FUNNY AT ALL.”

“Heheh, looks like someone’s missin’is funny bone.” Edgy joins in.

“MMMM, WHY MUST YOU BOTH DESTROY THE SANCTITY OF CONVERSATION WITH YOUR HORRID UNFUNNY JOKES.”

“Heh… come’on kid. I just told’ja. I was bone this way.” Sansy chuckles.

“STOP THIS AT ONCE!”

“Yeah Sansy. We really need to stop.” Edgy says, snickering behind his hand.

“But… our jokes… don’t tell me… we’re not… they’re not!” Sansy says horrified.

“They’re not humurious at all.” They finish in tandem. Both laughing hysterically at The Blues disgusted face.

“Nice one buddy.”

“Nice.”

They shoot finger guns at each other. Celebrating their teamwork as the disgusted Blue watches. He actually begins to consider asking the first human he comes across for a lift back to the adoption center. He does not want to listen to this garbage any longer than he has to.

They continue walking along the road in the grass. Bones heating in the sweltering midday sun. Telling terrible puns and bad jokes the entire way. It takes them a few hours, but they eventually make it to an off ramp pointing to what looks like a cluster of buildings ahead.

Sansy cups his hands over his forehead, trying to get a better look at where they’re headed. “I think those are shops.” He comments, straining his eyelights.

“There aren’t any houses?” Edgy asks. Looking as well.

“Nah… just a bunch’a parking lots with buildings. They’re shops.” Sansy answers.

The Blue also tries to look, but he has no idea what he's suppose to be looking for, this being his first venture in the outside world. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A PARK?”

“We are. Parks’r usually next ta human houses.” Sansy explains.

“OH!”

“We can walk ta the next exit…” Edgy suggests.

“How long do ya think it’ll take us?” Sansy asks.

“Couple’a hours maybe.” Edgy responds.

Sansy eyes his friend's arm with worry.

“Relax. I’ll be fine.” Edgy says

“Ya need ta get some food in ya, buddy. And… m-maybe-”

“Food’ll be enough.” Edgy cuts him off. “I ain’t needin’ that.”

“NEEDING WHAT?” The Blue asks.

“Nothin’... Stop fuckin' worryin’.” Edgy responds.

“LANGUAGE!”

Sansy turns towards the exit, keeping his sockets shaded from the sun. Heh…" He says, rubbing his nonexistent stomach. "Well I’m pretty hungry, buddy. Bein’ a Sansy’n all. So I think we should take’a pit stop’n get us some food.” He starts walking down the exit.

“Tch… fine.” Edgy complies, following his friend.

“REALLY! WHAT TYPE OF FOOD ARE WE GONNA EAT?" The Blue asks, jumping in line with them and vibrating in excitement. "IS IT AS GOOD AS THE WHITE SMUSH AT THE FACTORY?” 

“Anythin’s better than that shit!” Edgy growls.

“MMMMMM, LANGUAGE!... EDGY BITTY, REALLY… YOU MUST WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!”

Edgy sneers at The Blue as they walk towards the buildings in the distance. “Heh… sorry little baby… jus’ ain’t gonna fuckin’ happen.”

“MMMMM EDGY!”

They keep walking down the exit, when Sansy spots a series of tall trees ahead. They grow along the side of the road, their branches reaching several feet in the air.

“Heh… think we should getta higher opinion of our surroundings?” Sansy says grinning.

Edgy catches his gaze and smirks. “S’kinda a tall order, but I’m up for it.”

The Blue narrows his eyes, suspecting the puns, but not knowing what they’re on about.

Sansy notices and leans his skull towards Edgy, whispering. “I beleaf the kid hasn’t seen much of our shortcuts?”

Edgy’s smirk grows wider, immediately catching on to what his friend’s implying. “Heheheh…” He cackles. “Guess it wood be our responsibility ta teach him.”

They continue walking, skulls snickering together as they approach the tree.

“MMMMM! I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU TWO ARE FINDING SO FUNNY, BUT I AM SURE IT IS QUITE AWFUL.” The Blue comments as they snicker.

The two stop at the base of the tree and Edgy turns to face The Blue. “Heheh” He snickers lowly. “Here baby. Take my hand and I’ll show ya the root’a it.”

He holds his hand out, and The Blue eyes it, suspicious at his lack of hostility.

“Come’on ya baby. Don’t leaf me hanging.” He says, waggling it.

“I AM NOT A BABY. I’M A BABY BLUE!” The Blue huffs, reaching for his hand.

No sooner does he take it, than Sansy slaps his hand onto Edgy's shoulder and The Blue finds himself several feet in the air, dangling from Edgy’s hand in the tree.

“WHAT! W-WHAT IS THIS! MWEHHHHHH! P-PUT… PUT ME DOWN.” He shouts in horror.

“What’s that! Ya wanna go higher?” Edgy cackles.

“I think the kid want’s ta go higher.” Sansy laughs back.

A moment later they find themselves near the top of the tree. Full view of the buildings below them.

Edgy pulls The Blue on the branch this time, cackling as he catches the fear in his sockets. This’ll show him ta think he knows anything.

As soon as The Blue’s feet touch the branch, he rushes forward and grabs Edgy full around the middle. Crushing Edgy's cracked arm in the process.

“W-What the Fuck! Ya stupid baby! Leggo! Yer smashin’ my arm.” Edgy yells, trying to keep his balance on the branch as The Blue barrels into him.

“LET ME DOWN! LET ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!” The Blue cries into his ribs.

“We’re gonna go back down inna moment. Relax ya idiot!”

“LET ME DOWN NOW! IT’S TOO HIGH! MWEH HEH, PLEASE!” He cries as he grips harder

“Shuttup! We gotta look around first!” Edgy Snarls. “N’yer hurtin’ my arm.”

The Blue quiets down, but he keeps his hold around Edgy’s ribs. Digging his face deeper and deeper into his shirt. Edgy rolls his eyelights in annoyance before sighing. It’s not like he can push the kid off when they're in a tree. He decides to let him stay and looks towards Sansy. He’s been watching the entire display with a grin on his face.

“Tch… sh-shuttup" Edgy yells, feeling his face heat in embarrassment. "H-he’d be doin' the same shit ta ya if you’d brought’im up. Yer welcome!”

“L-LANGUAGE.” The Blue’s muffled voice squeaks through Edgy’s shirt in fear.

Sansy only gives him a lazy grin back as he shrugs and begins scouting the buildings around them. “There’s a few restaurants nearby…” He comments.

“What about that gas station?” Edgy asks, pointing with his only free arm. It's difficult to keep balance with the blue hanging off him. “They got food in’um, and there ain’t as many people ‘round.”

Sansy takes a long look at it.

“Probably a better choice actually. I’ve been in them a few times. There’s plenty of places to hide.”

“Gas station it is.” Edgy confirms.

“Your shortcut ready yet?” Sansy asks.

“Almost…" Edgy responds waiting. "Yeah, there it is.”

They slap their hands together teleporting most of the way down first, before taking another shortcut and making it all the way down.

Once safely on the ground, Edgy attempts to unlock The Blue’s hands from his ribs.

“We’re down now. Ya can leggo already.”

The Blue keeps his arms firmly locked around him.

“I said leggo!” Edgy snarls, pushing at him this time.

The Blue peeks his head out. Seeing they’re on the ground again, he bounces back from Edgy. There’s a small wet spot on his shirt, and tiny tear tracks in his sockets. For some reason this really bothers Edgy, and he feels his soul hum in anger.

“Why were ya fuckin' cryin'. We were jus’ inna tree!” Edgy yells.

“T-THAT WAS VERY MEAN OF YOU. AND I WAS NOT CRYING!” The Blue sputters.

“What the fuck is this then.” Edgy holds the wet part of his shirt out. “Ya got yer shit all over me!”

“THAT WAS… SWEAT! IT IS VERY HOT OUT TODAY!”

“We’re fuckin’ skeletons, we don’t get hot!”

“L-LANGUAGE! YOU… YOU MEAN BITTY! AND I AM NOT HAPPY WITH YOU RIGHT NOW! HRUMPH!” The Blue huffs and turns his back on Edgy. Walking over to stand by Sansy, he refuses to make eye contact with Edgy any longer.

“Tch… like I give a fuck…” Edgy growls.

“LANGUAGE. AND DO NOT SPEAK TO ME EDGY BITTY! I DO NOT WANT TO TALK TO YOU!”

“Wha… S’not like I ever wanted ya ta talk to me inna first place!” Edgy yells back.

“C-Come’on guys…” Sansy pleads. Watching the fight, but unsure how to stop it.

“If he doesn’t wanna talk to me, then that’s fuckin’ fine! I'm gonna go get some food, 'n it'll be nice eatin' without this asshole talkin' off my ear.”

Edgy moves in the direction of the gas station. His soul seething with anger. The stupid Blue was messing everything up. This was supposed to be a trip with him and Sansy. Not some stupid babysitting walk with a factory fresh baby blue. It was just a little prank, why did the asshole have to get so angry? N'why was the blue acting like he was the only one who did it? Sansy was there too. It was his idea. They had to ladder their shortcuts to get that high, so why was the blue acting like it was only him? Why does he always gotta be the bad guy?

Tch... even bittys blame him for everything.

Edgy stomps ahead of the party. Leading them towards the gas station. Maybe, once he gets some food in his stomach... he'll feel better...

Chapter Text

Three bitties make their way to the gas station built alongside the end of the freeway exit. The sun beginning to set as the day draws to a close. As they near the building, Sansy and Edgy scope out the place through a thicket of bushes nearby. Keeping watch for any humans who may be around.

“So… besides the car fueling… there’s only one person parked outside.” Sansy says.

“Yea… I don’t see anything else.” Edgy confirms

“Lets wait for the car to leave, then try and get inside.” Sansy suggests.

“WHY DON’T WE ASK ONE OF THE HUMANS AT THE PUMP TO GIVE US SOME FOOD? I AM SURE THEY ARE WILLING TO HELP A BITTY IN NEED.” The Blue states.

Sansy and Edgy both look at the Blue at the same time.

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare!” Edgy growls in warning.

“LANGUAGE! AND I WAS NOT TALKING TO YOU EDGY BITTY! I WAS TALKING TO SANSY.”

“Tch…” Edgy clicks, folding his arms. His eyelights look away in annoyance as he huffs.

Sansy sweats as he senses the anger in the air. The two kept quiet the entire walk down. Either one refusing to talk in the presence of the other. It made him uncomfortable. He did not like being the one in the middle. He knew… Edgy’s don’t tend to get along well with Baby Blues. But he was hoping this time would be different. Technically, Edgy’s didn’t get along with any of the other bitties at all, including their own kind.

“U-Um… listen kid” Sansy says, giving Edgy a shrug. “If you wanna go’n talk ta them… we aren't gonna stop ya. But leave us out okay. We’re trying our best to avoid dealing with humans as much as possible right now.”

“BUT… A SIMPLE REQUEST FOR AID SHOULD POSE NO THREAT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. WHY GO TO SUCH LENGTHS TO AVOID HUMANS?” The Blue asks.

Sansy sweets a little more. Unsure how to answer him without completely going into specifics. “We… uh… We’d really prefer to avoid any involvement with humans. Had’a bad time with’um if ya get my drift.”

“BUT WE ARE BITTIES… WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH HUMANS. WHY SHOULD YOU EVER WISH TO AVOID THEM?” The Blue asks.

“Umm… c-come’on kid… sometimes… people aren’t the best.” Sansy says, eyelights scanning towards Edgy for help.

“I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE FAITH IN PEOPLE, SANSY BITTY. ANYONE CAN BE A GOOD PERSON IF THEY TRY!” The Blue smiles.

Sansy doesn’t seem to have anything to say to that.

“MWEH HEH HEH! WORRY NOT, IF YOU ARE SCARED, I WILL MAKE FIRST CONTACT AND SHOW YOU. HUMANS CAN BE QUITE FRIENDLY IF YOU ONLY GIVE THEM A CHANCE.”

The Blue takes a step through the thicket, moving towards the vehicle at the pump. In a flash, Edgy stands before him, blocking his way. Unable to hold in his anger, he leers over the Blue. His sockets burning in a deep glare.

“Ya wanna go up there’n talk to a bunch’a humans ya don’t know!” He snarls. “FINE! Maybe they’ll be all nice like ya said’n feed’ja. Bring’ya a nice big meal they gotta pay for with their own hard earned cash. Cause people jus’ love wastin’ their time’n money helpin' others.” Edgy leans over the Blue, eyelights glowing in the shadows of the evening sun. “Or maybe… maybe, they’ll do something else… something worse!”

“EDGY BITTY I SAID I DO NOT WISH TO TALK-” The Blue starts, but is immediately cut off as Edgy moves closer to him.

“Maybe! they’ll think it’s fun ta play wit’cha. See how much yer body can take till it breaks. Or have ya fight something. S’great ta see a bitty fight. Ya ever fight another bitty before? It’s so much fun! Watching their bones break’n snap as they squeal in agony. Or how ‘bout’cha fight off an animal. Ya ever done that?”

“E-EDGY BITTY! YOU ARE B-BEING VERY-”

“Oh I get it…” He smirks, cutting the Blue off again as he leans in. “Yer one'a those freaky types. Ya want them ta try somethin’ new wit’cha. Somethin’ different. Ya want them ta take off all yer clothes’n touch’ya.” He shoves the Blue making him stumble back. “Betcha’d like that now, wouldn’t’cha? Gettin’ played with where they ain’t supposed ta. Cause it’s so fun being small’n relying on other’s ta take care’a ya. Ta do whatever they wan’t wit’cha! It’s so great, bein’ made small’n useless! Good thing they made us fer humans! Cause they always love ya! Isn’t it great! Life’s so fuckin’ great! Why don’cha go over there’n let them touch-”

“S-Stop!” Sansy yells. He’s shivering as he glares at his friend. “Stop it…” He says grabbing at his now dirtied and ripped white clothes, pulling them tighter around him.

“Tch… I-I was jus’ tryin’ ta tell him… He’s gotta know…” Edgy says, as he watches his friend shiver.

The Blue puts his hands to his hips. “WHY ARE YOU SO… SO INTOLERABLE, EDGY BITTY! WHY MUST YOU BE SO MEAN?” He demands, glaring back. “EVEN SANSY DOES NOT LIKE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!”

“It ain’t bein’ mean! I’m tryin’ ta get’cher thick stupid skull ta understand so ya don’t do somethin’ stupid.” Edgy growls. “N’Sansy here doesn’t like ta talk about this shit, so I’m doin it for’im!”

Sansy stopps shaking, but he’s still sweating as he lowers his eyelights.

“Ya wanna make me out ta be the bad guy. FINE. I’ll be the fuckin’ bad guy. But at least I’m tellin’ ya the truth’n tryin’ ta keep ya from makin’ a stupid mistake. Ya think ya know everything about the world, but’cher jus’ a dumb ass factory fresh Baby Blue. All ya know is the trashy propaganda they feed ta ya before they ship ya off ta make money. N’they tell ya whatever bull shit they want ta get ya ta be the perfect pet. Ta sell smiles’n happiness’n bondin’ with a human. Tch... It’s all just a bunch of fuckin’ LIES!”

“BUT… BUT NOT ALL HUMANS CAN BE THAT BAD.” The Blue tries to reason.

“Why don’tcha find out then! Be my guest. I’ve done my job. I’ve warned ya plenty’a times now. If ya ain’t gonna listen ta me, that’s yer fuckin’ choice! Go over there’n let those humans do whatever the fuck they want wit’cha! Maybe then you’ll see I ain’t bein’ mean!”

The Blue looks at the humans at the pump. Tiny starred blue eyelights watching them start to pack up. They’re leaving. He needs to go now if he wants to talk to them. Hurry… before they leave.

But his soul refused. Even if Edgy was a horrible rude bitty… What if he was right? All he’s ever known he was told from the factory… What if… what if they were lying to him?

Besides… Sansy was shaking.

The car’s engine starts and it pulls out of the gas station parking lot. The Blue lets out a breathe with the other two bitties as they all watch it drive away.

“Tch… ‘least ya ain’t completely stupid.” Edgy mutters as he walks along the bushes, heading for the building in front of them.

The other two bitties follow behind in silence. The Blue wondering at his decision. Feeling that somehow, he regrets something. But he doesn’t know what it is.

The bitties approach the automatic sliding glass doors quietly. Stars starting to sparkle in the sky as night approaches. They hide under cover of darkness, their eyelights beginning to glow heavily against the darkening world. They keep them downturned unless anyone should spot the shining dots from far away.

“Same plan as usual?” Edgy asks. Sansy nods his head, confirming with him “You… wait out here.” Edgy commands the Blue.

“I WILL NOT! I CAN HELP TOO EDGY!”

“Gahhhh! The hell do’ya gotta be so difficult for!” Edgy spits.

“YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS DIFFICULT. ALWAYS USING SUCH TERRIBLE LANGUAGE WHEN YOU TALK TO OTHERS AND-”

“He can come with me Edgy.” Sansy cuts in “Sides, it ain’t safe for him out here all alone.”

“It ain’t safe for him ta come inside!” Edgy argues back.

“It might be nice ta have some help this time anyway, you can come with me kiddo.” Sansy smiles at the Baby Blue as he pats his back.

“OF COURSE. I AM ALWAYS VERY HELPFULL! MWEH HEH HEH!” The Blue says proudly.

“Fuckin’ great! Whatever! I ain’t coverin’ for his ass when he does somethin’ stupid!”

“LANGUAGE!”

“Gahhh!” Edgy growls. Throwing back his hands and clawing at the air.

“Alright kiddo.” Sansy says as Edgy marches off towards the door. “Your comin’ with me. N’that means ya gotta do what I do, alright?”

“YES SIR.” The Blue salutes.

There’s a small thud, and the sliding glass opens as Edgy finishes using a blue attack to drop a rock down on the sensor.

“Keep close kid!” Sansy says, grabbing the blue eyed bitty by the arm and teleporting them both inside.

Chapter Text

The Blue’s eyelights dilate once they’re inside. He looks in awe at the rows of towering colorful product sitting along the shelves. What are all these things? Did humans make them? Are they food? Do they taste good? Are they fun? This place is amazing! He wants to climb up the shelves and look at everything!

“Kiddo, come’on.” Sansy whispers, grabbing the Blue by his sleeve and tugging him back on track. ”No standing out in the open.”

“RIGHT, SANSY BITTY!” The Blue says, a little too loudly.

“This is a sneaky mission kid, ya gotta use your sneaky voice.” Sansy says, a finger now pressed to his teeth.

“ RIGHT ” The Blue says again, this time much quieter. “ WHERE DID EDGY BITTY GO ?” He asks, once he realizes the mean, red eyed bitty is no longer with them.

“Don’t worry ‘bout him, he’s got his own job ta do. You’re with me remember?”

“ R-RIGHT .” The Blue whispers again.

Sansy leads them down the aisle, keeping his head turned up, watching for any humans along the way. There’s one at the register, but besides him, there shouldn’t be anyone else in here. They’d staked out the gas station long enough to know, nobody else had entered in a while.

They round the isle into the back and Sansy stops, sniffing at the air. “Alright kiddo.” He says, eyelights locked onto a counter above. “Should be right above us.” He says, holding out his hand to The Blue bitty. The Blue takes it and moments later they’re standing atop a countertop with an assortment of large glass machines and condiments.

The Blue looks around wide socketed, taking in everything at his newfound perspective. There are so many things up here. What are all these packets? What are in these machines! They smell… good!

“Don’t stay out in the open!” Sansy whispers, grabbing The Blue by his sleeve and dragging him between the large glass machines. The air thickens with heat as they approach. The Blue stares into the nearest one, watching several long red sticks roll on spinning metal bars. Something wet collects from one, and drips slowly into a puddle below.

“WHAT ARE THESE?! THEY SMELL GOOD!” The Blue asks, staring into the machine and watching the long sticks spin.

“Heh… ya like it kid?” Sansy replies, leaning up against a machine, and looking like he’s in heaven. “This is what we’re gonna be eatin’ today. S’called hot dogs, n’ they keep’um in these here warmers ta stay warm.”

“WOAH HOT DOGS!”

“Yup… See’um rollin in there?” Sansy presses himself harder against the glass, his little white eyelights transforming into hearts as he watches another droplet fall from the rolling hotdogs.

“ARE THEY AS GOOD AS THEY SMELL!?”

“Even better!” Sansy answers, practically melting against the side of the glass as the warm savery scent surrounds the two hungry bitties.

“HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET ONE?”

“S’easy. When I tell ya, we jus’ gotta pull on the doors, n’ lift one out. They aren’t locked.”

Sansy continues to lean against the glass, eagerly watching the spinning hotdogs above.

“BUT… BUT…  DON’T WE GOTTA ASK FIRST?”

“Huh… ask who?” Sansy responds, his mouth starting to water.

“THE HUMAN WHO’S RUNNING THIS ESTABLISHMENT! WE CAN’T JUST TAKE ONE! THEY DO NOT BELONG TO US!”

With great difficulty, Sansy turns his head away from the spinning hotdogs to face the Blue. “Eh… heh…” He scratches behind his head awkwardly. “Come’on kiddo, s’jus’ one… Besides they throw all these out every night anyway if nobody eats’um.” He says, tapping the glass.

The Blue puts his hands to his hips, his ripped shirt swaying as he looks over Sansy. “EVEN IF IT WILL NOT BE MISSED, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK BEFORE TAKING SOMETHING THAT ISN’T YOURS!”

“K-Kid… listen… We’re bitties. We’re made small. We can’t work or get paid so...”

“SO THEN WE ASK!” The Blue says sternly. “SANSY BITTY! WE CAN NOT STEAL!”

“C-Come’on kiddo..” Sansy says, starting to sweat. “Thought’cha said you were gonna help?”

“I AM NOT A KID, AND I WILL HELP BY MAKING SURE THERE IS NO STEALING! THAT IS A ROAD YOU CAN NEVER RETURN FROM ONCE YOU’VE GONE DOWN IT!”

The two bitties are startled from their conversation by a crash coming from the front of the store. One of the large display stands has fallen over, scattering candy bars and trinkets across the floor. The human behind the counter curses, before walking around and looking at the mess.

“That’s the signal…” Sansy whispers, walking up to the machine and opening the door. Heat billows across his face, the air thick with warmed grease.

Holding out his arm and pumping it with magic, Sansy lifts it into the air. A nearby hotdog responds, glowing blue and lifting as well.

“SANSY NO! WE CAN NOT STEAL THESE!” The Blue shouts.

“S’just one kid, it’ll be fine.”

“WE WILL NOT STEAL!” The Blue shouts again, grabbing his arm.

“W-Wait! STOP!”

The hotdog falls, splashing into the grease trap below. Warm grease sprays in all directions, splashing across the two bitties, and along the counter.

“Hello?!” A deep voice calls from the front of the shop.

Sansy’s sockets widen when he hears it, his body freezing as all his attention is instantly pulled to the front of the store.

“Who’s back there!”

Footsteps sound down the aisle as someone large begins to walk towards them.

“Hide!” Grabbing the Blue by his collar, Sansy drags him back between the machines, leaving a trail of tiny greasy footprints in their wake.

The human continues down the aisle, spotting the opened hot dog warmer at the end. Another loud crash sounds from the front of the shop, and he stops.

“What the…?” The human turns his head, looking back down the aisle. “Is someone over there…?”

“Kid, yer really messin’ up our mission.” Sansy whispers, starting to glare at the Blue.

“IT IS NOT A MISSION, IT IS STEALING!!” The Blue snaps back.

“We need these!”

“THEN WE WILL ASK!”

Another crash sounds from the front of the shop.

“Who’s doing that!” The man calls, turning around and briskly walking down the aisle.

As soon as he sees it, Sansy breaks from his hiding place. He walks back in front of the opened warming machine, already pumping his magic into his arm.

“SANSY NO!” The Blue shouts, following behind him.

“Kid! I gotta!”

The Blue dashes in front of him, forcing him to stop. “WE CAN NOT STEAL!”

“Edgy needs this!”

Sansy lifts his eyelights, looking past the bitty blocking him, he flicks his arm, floating the hotdog from the puddle of hot grease.

“WE CAN’T TAKE THAT!” The Blue tries again.

“It’s too late, they can’t eat it now anyway!” Sansy growls back, sidestepping the Blue and continuing his magical pull on the hotdog.

“SANSY NO!”

“Kid!!!”

“The fuck’s going on back here!” Growls another familiar voice. “The hell r’ya bein’ so damn loud, I can fuckin’ hear ya talkin’ from the front’a the shop!!!”

Edgy appears on the counter, panting and out of breath.

“SANSY IS TRYING TO STEAL!” The Blue responds, pointing to the other bitty.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me!” Edgy yells, his red eyelights already beginning to burn.

“LANGUAGE! AND I KNOW IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT NOT TO WORRY, I WILL GIVE HIM A THOROUGH LECTURE LATER!” The Blue says proudly.

Edgy marches up to The Blue, getting in his face. “You fuckin’ dipshit!” He shouts, pushing him back. “That’s what we were plannin’ ta do the whole fuckin’ time! Are you fuckin’ serious right now?! Yer gonna get us all caught!”

“IF WE HAD ASKED, THEN WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING CAUGHT!” The Blue shouts back.

“We ain’t gonna ask, cause humans don’t fuckin’ care. I jus’ fuckin’ ‘splained this shit to ya! Ya want them ta grab ya n’ do whatever they want!”

“E-Edgy…” Sansy starts warn.

“WE CAN NOT STEAL, EDGY BITTY!” The Blue shouts back.

“This is why I wanted ya ta wait outside! How the hell can ya be this damn stupid!”

“I AM NOT STUPID!”

“If ya wanna fuck everything up with your dumb shit, then go ahead! Fuckin’ do it! Just don’t bring me into it! And don’t you dare bring Sansy! He’s too fuckin’ nice ta say no to an idiotic fuck wit like you!”

“E-Edgy!” Sansy calls again.

“What!? You know it’s true.” Edgy growls back.

“No… Th-That!” Sansy points his small bony hand up, the other two bitties turning their heads. The human from before is standing at the base of the isle, watching the three bitties argue.

“Um…” The large human flinches. “I-I think the little blue dude’s actually got a good point-”

“RUN FOR IT!” Edgy screams. He grabs the Blue by his collar and dashes over to Sansy. Digging his claws into the hotdog, the entire party vanishes.

They reappear on the ground below, now several feet behind the human.

“Move asshole!” Edgy hisses, dragging the blue eyed bitty along with him as both he and Sansy run with the hot dog down the aisle.

“BUT, WHAT ARE WE… WE CAN’T… L-LANGUAGE EDGY BITTY!” The Blue mutters out, stumbling over his own feet as he’s dragged across the floor.

“What about the door!” Sansy yells.

“We’ll figure that out when we get there!” Edgy growls back.

“H-Hey!” The human shouts, finally spotting them, and turning to walk after them.

“Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck!” Edgy’s eyelights search the aisles above in panic. They need something, anything to use as a weight.

They reach the end of the aisle, and pass into the front of the shop. Rounding onto the carpet at the front of the sliding glass doors, they stop.

“W-WHY WON’T THEY OPEN!” The Blue says nervously. For some reason he’s lost a lot of his confidence, and now he watches worriedly as the human looms ever closer.

“Shut the fuck up idiot! I’m lookin’!” Edgy growls back. Sansy’s being quiet next to him. That’s never a good sign.

The human catches up, stopping just short of the doors.

“Stay the fuck back asshole!” Edgy snarls, bearing his sharp teeth up at the human. “Er I’ll fuckin’ kill ya!”

“H-Hey there little guy….” The human says, putting up his hands. “L-Listen… I’m not gonna do anything. If you want I can-”

“Then fuck off!!” Edgy spitts, stepping back a little as he continues to search the aisles above.

“E-EDGY BITTY! THAT IS VERY RUDE!” The Blue says, watching the human above him as he sweats nervously. “I’M SURE IF WE A-APOLOGISE AND ADMIT OUR FAULTS… TH-THEN WE WILL ONLY SUFFER MINOR PUNISHMENT FOR OUR-”

“Shut the fuck up! I ain’t apologisin’ fer nothin’!” Edgy snarls back.

The human takes a step forward, and Edgy growls louder. “Hey… uh…” The man says awkwardly. “You’re hungry right? We’re about to close anyway, so you can-”

“Fuck off shit face!” Edgy growls as loudly as possible. “Go back behind yer shitty counter’n leave us the fuck alone!”

“Really, I don’t-”

Right then the sliding doors open. A human stands on the other side, looking at the display in front of them.

Edgy takes one look behind himself, before smiling in triumph.

“See ya fucker!” He smirks, before gathering his magic, and disappearing.

Chapter Text

The stars sparkle in the night sky as three small bitties dash down the pavement towards the bushes. Edgy and Sansy still carry the hotdog between them, the Blue matching their steps as he looks worriedly over his shoulder. Once under the safety of the leaves, the group finally stops.

Edgy waits a few seconds, trying to catch his breath. Once he feels like he can move, he turns and peaks through the leaves to check for any humans that may have followed them. As soon as he’s made sure everything is clear, the bitty rounds on the Blue, his eyelights burning angrily in the darkened night.

“YOU!” Edgy snarls, bearing down at the blue. “You fuckin’... gahhhh! Do you even know the world’a shit ya caused or are ya jus’ that fuckin’ stupid!?”

“I AM NOT STUPID!!! AND IT IS I WHO SHOULD BE YELLING, NOT YOU!” the Blue responds, his hands at his hips. “I’VE ONLY SPENT ONE DAY AWAY FROM THE ADOPTION PLACE AND YOU’VE ALREADY MADE ME INTO A CRIMINAL!”

“Oh! A Criminal huh?!” Edgy snaps back. His bad arm starting to throb as he wiggles it frustratingly in it’s sling. “For stealing a fuckin’ hot dog! How ‘bout almost gettin’ Sansy caught by some random ass human!”

“YOU CAN NOT GET CAUGHT IF YOU DO NOT COMMIT CRIMES!”

“This ain’t about commiting crimes, we’re worth money ya fuck tard! Humans’r jus’ fine stealin’ us ta make a bit of cash! And I already told’ja ‘bout what else they do! R’ya so fucked up idiotic ya already forgot?!”

“I AM NOT AN IDIOT!”

“YES YA ARE! All ya fuckin’ Baby Blue shits are! Yer fuckin’ made that way! Why the hell do ya think they sell so much’a ya in the first place?! S’cause yer so fuckin’ dumb ya make’n easy pet! Always doin’ what’cher told n’ fuckin’ smilin’ about everythin’. Even when shit’s the worst ya fuckin’ smile like some dumb ass! They probably put’cha together with half a damn soul jus’ so ya won’t notice how fucked ya are!”

“THAT IS NOT TRUE!”

“YES IT IS!

“NO IT’S NOT!”

“Why do ya think ya can’t take a shortcut then!? S’cause they wanted ta make ya nice’n useless ta make the ultimate dumb ass slave! They didn’t like the freedom it gave the rest of us, so they took it away from ya Babey Blues ta make ya extra dependant. All ya are is a weak stupid dumbass bitty that does whatever humans tell’um!”

“THAT’S… THAT’S NOT TRUE… RIGHT…?” The Blue says, turning his head towards Sansy. His shaking eyelights beg him for an explanation.

Sansy flinches, realizing he's been dragged into the argument. “U-Uh…” He continues to hold the hotdog in one hand as he scratches behind his head with the other. “It’s… It’s okay… ya aren’t the only type that uh… that can’t…”

“Yeah, but every other fuckin’ Sans type can! N’ ya know why?!” Edgy takes a step forward, pointing right into the Blue’s chest. “Cause yer made stupid... as... shit!”

“C-Come on Edgy…” Sansy mutters quietly.

“No! I ain’t puttin’ up with this fuck wit! Fuckin’ ass’s goin’ ‘round sayin’ I’m mean n’ shit. He’s the one who’s been so fucked up he can’t see the mean ass guy’s who’ve been manipulatin’ him!”

The Blue looks into the red bitty’s eyelights, his soul scrambling all over the place as he tries to keep up with the other. His tiny fingers start to shake, and he balls them up into fists trying to keep them under control.

“I… I’M NOT… NONE OF THAT IS TRUE-”

“YES IT IS!” Edgy yells again.

“YOU ARE JUST… THE WORST, MOST INTOLERABLE... HORRID…” The Blue takes a deep breath. “I HATE YOU!!!”

“Oh hoh hoh… Ya hate me now huh?” Edgy smirks, laughing in the Blue’s face. “S’funny, I didn’t even know Blue’s were smart enough ta feel that way!”

The Blue’s browbones furrow, forming into the deepest scowl he can possibly muster. His voice dips lower as he squeezes his fists. “YOU!.... THIS IS WHY YOU WERE ADOPTED BY BAD HUMANS!”

Edgy drops his end of the hot dog, Sansy scrambling to prevent it from scraping along in the dirt.

“Say that again asshole!” Edgy warns, his eyelights going dark as he steps towards the Blue.

The Blue holds his ground. “YOU ARE A BAD BITTY, AND THUS, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT YOU WOULD BE ADOPTED BY BAD HUMANS!”

“Edgy! Stop!” Sansy calls, but Edgy’s already grabbed the Blue bitty by his collar.

“Ya know... I’ve killed plenty’a little shits like you before. Ya wanna add yerself ta my exp?!”

“Y-YOU’VE KILLED…?”

The tail end of a hot dog slams into Edgy’s face. “Fuck!” He drops the Blue, shielding his sockets with his only good arm.

“Gotta be frank with ya both.” Sansy’s low voice cuts in. “I don’t think there’s gonna be any weiner’s in this conversation. How ‘bout we stop it here?”

The Blue bitty straightens up, fixing his ripped and completely grease stained adoption shirt. He glares at the other two bitties one last time before placing his hands at his hips.

“THAT IS THE LAST STRAW! I DO NOT WISH TO ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH THE TWO OF YOU ANY LONGER!!! CLEARLY THE BOTH OF YOU ARE HOODLUMS, AND I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MYSELF AND AVOIDED SUCH TERRIBLE COMPANY IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

“We never wanted ya around us anyway, asshole!” Edgy spits back, still rubbing at his face.

“FINE! THEN I’LL SEE MYSELF OUT!” The blue yells back.

“Wait! kid!” Sansy says, trying to maneuver the hotdog as he steps after the Blue.

“I AM NOT A KID! AND I DO NOT APPRECIATE THE CRIMINAL ACTS YOU HAVE FORCED ME INTO EITHER, SANSY BITTY. GOODBYE AND GOODNIGHT!” The Blue huffs, before turning around and storming out of the bushes.

“W-Wait!” Sansy calls, watching the bitty’s retreating form. He takes a step after the Blue, trying to balance the large hot dog around the leaves and branches. It ends up getting caught on the bush, and he curses under his breath as he struggles to get it free.

“Jus’ fuckin’ leav’im!” Edgy growls, walking up and grabbing the other side of the hot dog.

“You know we can’t leave him! Edgy! Come’on!”

“Tch… ya heard him! He doesn’t wanna be around us!”

“He’s factory fresh! He doesn’t know what he wants to be around!”

“He wanted ta find humans anyway. Jus’ let’im go off’n do it!”

“What if he goes up to the wrong kind?!”

“They’re all the wrong kind!”

Sansy sighs as he tries to maneuver the hotdog out of the branch, it’s stuck tight. “I know ya don’t like Baby Blues, but that doesn’t mean we can let the guy go off on his own. Do ya wanna kill him?”

Edgy mumbles something incomprehensible under his breath, his red eyelights cooling off as he looks down.

“What was that…? I couldn’t hear ya.”

“Ya know I don’t… I don’t want that…”

“Then you know we can’t let him go off on his own!”

“S’fuckin stupid! The hell do we gotta take care of that useless dumbass idiot for!? He’s fuckin’ ruin’n everything!”

“We can’t afford not to care!” Sansy says in exasperation. He gives the hotdog one more tug before giving up. “Welp… it’s not coming free…” He sighs yet again. Looking in the direction the Blue bitty stomped off, he wipes his hands on his shirt. “Ya know I gotta go bring him back… right?”

“Tch…” Edgy mutters.

“Can you at least stop it with the murder threats?”

Edgy looks away again. “I… I was jus’ sayin’... cause he was bein’ an ass…”

“And stop pushing him around and calling him an idiot. I’ve met plenty of Blue’s before and they’re actually quite smart.”

“Ya actually agreed with me when we talked about why it was they can’t-”

“That was just a hypothesis!”

Edgy huffs, before grabbing the hotdog and giving it a rough tug. It tumbles off the branch and smears across the dirt.

“Great! Now it’s fuckin’ dirty!”

Sansy sighs again, looking at the filthy ripped up hot dog. “Hopefully some of it’s still good… Ya really need ta fix that arm.”

“Yeah yeah.” Edgy says passively, picking it up and using his shirt to wipe off some of the dirt. “Jus’ hurry up’n go find that asshole… Don’t want’cha ta spend half a night lookin’ for him.”

“Yeah… just, try ta fix yer beef with him when I get back.”

Edgy smiles back.

“ Frankly my dear, I don’t really give a damn!”

Crickets chirp around him, as the Blue walks along the side of the road. Besides his small starred eyelights, it is completely dark outside. He stays clear of the street, watching as every couple minutes the light of another car passes by.

He doesn’t know where he’s going, but what he does know is that he’s not going back. He keeps his fists balled up, growling every so often as he thinks of another response he wished he’d said had he only had more time to think about it.

H-He’s not stupid! He’s not! Edgy couldn’t unlock his own crate! Sansy did it for him. And besides, if he was so dumb, and Edgy was so smart, then why couldn’t Edgy figure out how to hold up his arm when it broke! He figured it out right away! Bet Edgy’s never figured anything out like that before! Just because he’s older doesn’t mean he's that much smarter!

“Yer so fuckin’ dumb ya make’n easy pet! Always doin’ what’cher told n’ fuckin’ smilin’ about everythin’.”

That’s… that’s not true! He thinks for himself all the time. The humans told him to stay in his crate, but he left it to help someone in need! He doesn’t just blindly follow them.

Besides, he was always top of his bitty group! He learned all of his vocabulary the fastest, and he even scored the highest on his aptitude tests. What place did Edgy get when he was learning at the factory? Probably the lowest of all the Edgy’s! That’s why he talks so poorly!

The blue passes a building, its neon sign lighting up the grass along the road. He sniffs the air, smelling something good wafting from it. His soul twists with a grumble, requesting a meal he’s failed to eat. He’s never missed a meal before… the humans always made sure they ate on a timed schedule.

The Blue walks up to the building, peering into the lit windows as he gets closer.

“TWIN DRAGON MON-GOH-LIAN BAR-BE-QUIE.” The Blue reads quietly.

Whats a mon goh lian?

He hears footsteps behind him, and he dashes for the decorative plants surrounding the entrance. As the footsteps get closer he readies himself.

Edgy’s wrong about them. Just ask the humans for assistance. He’ll be back at the adoption center in no time! Soon he’ll be eating a delicious meal, and falling asleep with the other bitties in a nice warm pile. All he’s got to do is ask!

“Maybe! they’ll think it’s fun ta play wit’cha. See how much yer body can take till it breaks!”

The Blue shakes his head. No! They wouldn’t do that!

“Ya want them ta take off all yer clothes’n touch’ya. Betcha’d like that now, wouldn’t’cha? Gettin’ played with where they ain’t supposed ta.”

The Blue looks down at his torn shirt, an involuntary shiver crawling up his spine. That does sound very bad.

The humans stop in front of the door, one pulling it open for the other. The scent of cooked food hits the Blue’s face and he starts to drool.

Go now! Go!

But the Blue stays putt, listening to the door swing shut after the couple walk inside.

Tears fill his sockets as he watches the door shut. Slowly they drip down his chin, landing on his dirtied shirt.

Why is everything so scary now!? Why does everything have to be so bad? He just wants to go back to the adoption place! He doesn’t want to be out here all by himself. Bitties aren’t supposed to be by themselves. They are supposed to have humans. Humans they aren’t afraid of! Warm humans he can sleep on every night. Warm humans who feed him delicious meals!

He curls into his knees, feeling the damp cool earth below his feet. His soul aches as he leans against the plant.

He’s not an idiot! He’s not! And humans aren’t mean! Why did this have to happen to him? Now he’s going to sleep all alone in the cold all by himself. He’s stinky, and filthy, and his clothes are a mess. If any humans saw him at the adoption center, they’d immediately turn him away!”

More tears drip down his face, starting to soak past his collar. The door to the restaurant opens and closes, but the little bitty doesn’t even look. His hands dig deeper and deeper into his clothes as he continues to cry.

Edgy is so mean! He was just trying to help. He just wanted to do the right thing! Why was everyone so mean? He should have stayed inside his crate! The humans told him it would be dangerous.

The little Blue bitty curls into a tighter ball. His body beginning to heave with every breath. He lays down in the dirt, feeling very cold even with his lack of skin. He shivers, clinging around his middle for warmth as the tears continue to flow.

And as he continues to cry and shiver into the night, the little bitty wishes he had someplace to call home.

Chapter Text

The Blue’s soul grumbles, urgently demanding food. He’s been laying in the dirt under the decorative plants for a while now, his tears long subsided. His body feels weak and lethargic, tired from everything that’s happened during the day. He lays still, listening to his breath as it comes and goes, mingling with the smell of earth once it rushes past his teeth.

His soul grumbles again and he curls up tighter, trying to force his body to forget the hungry feeling. Humans have started to leave the building now rather than enter. Everytime, they bring with them the scent of the food within. And everytime, the Blue regrets more and more leaving that hotdog behind.

Another group of humans leave the building, laughing joviously as they walk by the decorative plant. The little bitty curls up tighter, feeling lonely as he listens to them. Fresh tears prick at his sockets, and he tries to hold them back. He doesn’t want to cry again. He’s tired of crying. His sockets sting at the corners as he presses them harder together, trying to keep them dry.

His fear, brought on by the information Edgy had presented about the factory and the humans had subdued in the time he’d spent under the plants. But it still wasn’t enough to make him feel comfortable approaching the humans. While he laid under the plants, a new fear was growing.

Was he really going to sleep out here…? All alone…? Bitties aren’t supposed to sleep alone. Their small fragile souls were made to bond with a human. Any form of prolonged contact with a human would be enough to leave them feeling rejuvenated and energetic… Well… As energetic as some bitties can get.

It is the reason they naturally form a bitty pile when there are no human options at night. Their souls crave the energy of a human. When humans are absent, the next best thing is another bitty. While Blue never had the opportunity to sleep with a human, he’s also never slept completely alone. To him, the prospect of having to sleep alone is worse than sleeping on an empty soul. His body begins to shiver just thinking about it.

What about tomorrow? What is he going to do when the sun rises? He needs to get back to the adoption place, but he doesn’t know the way. How can he get back without asking for help? Without asking a human? What is he supposed to do, walk around until he sees it? How will he know what it is when he doesn’t know what it looks like?

Tears start to prick at his sockets again, and the Blue pushes them back. He will not cry any longer! He’s a magnificent Baby Blue! Not a wimpy crybaby like Edgy said. He will sleep alone tonight, and he will be just fine doing it!

A loud slam sounds around the side of the building. The Blue is jolted from his thoughts as he focuses in on the noise. That’s strange, the building’s been dark and quiet for a while now. Are there really still humans inside?

The smell hits him like a truck at full speed. It’s thicker than anything he’s smelled from the building yet. Something hot, warm, and delicious is sitting just around the corner!

The Blue’s soul grumbles again, begging for food he doesn’t have. He’s sooooo hungry. He stands, wiping his hands across his tear streaked face, then off on his dirty shirt. Sluggishly, he takes a step forward. He just wants to look, just wants to see what smells so good… And before he knows it, his tired tiny feet are leading him behind the building, following that delicious savoury scent.

As soon as he turns the corner, the smell seems to almost be on top of him. He sniffs the air, eyelights searching for it. Where is it? Where’s the food? All that stands before him is one towering metal box pushed a few inches away from the building’s concrete wall.

Surely this can’t be it?

Where is it!? Where is that smell!?

His soul grumbles again, and he continues to scent the air. Wherever it is, it’s close. His eyelights work their way up the large metal box, and he’s forced to take a step back just to get the whole thing in his view. Is that a lid on top? Is it under the lid?!?

The Blue nervously shifts his feet as he stares at the box.

If that’s where it is… then… Does that mean nobody owns it…? Or perhaps… they are storing it outside for later use?

His soul rumbles again, and the Blue grabs at his filthy ripped shirt wishing for it to stop.

It’s… It’s stealing… It isn’t his! He will not become a hoodlum!

His soul twists again, demanding the smell from the large towering box.

No soul! You mustn't demand that!

But his eyelights stay trained to the box…

What if… what if it really has been thrown away? If it has then... there really is no reason why he shouldn’t be able to have just a little. Maybe if he looked, he could tell if it’s been thrown out or not. Yes! All he’s going to do for now is look! There’s nothing wrong with looking is there?

The Blue’s tiny starred eyelights stare at the metal box as he thinks.

There has to be some way up there. Perhaps he can climb up the sides?

He walks over to the side of the box, and runs his clawed phalanges along the bottom. The cool metallic surface is worn and rusted, but it still slides through his grasp. Even if he used his claws, he would end up slipping if he tried to climb up.

Maybe if he uses the wall? His eyelights travel up the heavy concrete wall of the building. The large box is pushed a good distance away from it. Even if he could climb up it, how would he reach the top of the box after? The distance is much too far for a jump, and besides… He doesn’t really care for climbing tall things. Going up high in general is… well he doesn’t really like it...

The Blue shivers a little as he remembers holding on to Edgy in that tree… His grin turns downward just thinking about it. That had to be the most degrading moment of his life. Edgy could have at least told him what they were doing before taking a shortcut into that tree. It wasn’t his fault he got so scared that he...

Wait a minute! The Blue bitty places his hands on his hips in triumph. Shortcuts! That’s what Edgy and Sansy call that strange lazy movement thing, right?

“Why do ya think ya can’t take a shortcut!?” Edgy’s low growly voice cuts through his soul.

It’s true… they didn’t teach him about shortcuts at the factory. But that doesn’t mean he can’t learn... right? He’s sure he can! There is nothing this magnificent Blue can not accomplish!

“MWEH HEH HEH!” He whispers quietly under his breath, looking up at the tall metal box in front of him. “THIS IS BUT A SIMPLE TASK FOR THIS MAGNIFICENT BABY BLUE!” He places his arms back at his hips, before pointing at the box. “I WILL BE ATOP YOU IN NO TIME!”

So… how would he… how would he do that…?

The Blue pauses for a moment, trying to come up with a solution.

It seems quite lazy. Instead of moving oneself physically, Edgy and Sansy seem to simply… disappear and reappear.

An image of Edgy’s face forms into his soul, laughing at him. Humph! He’ll show him!

The Blue stares at the large metal box for a moment more. Welp!... The best thing to do now is try. He brings his arm forward, pumping it with magic. Blue light surrounds the bitty, bouncing off his face in the darkness as he readies himself.

“MWEH HEH HEH!” He shouts this time, holding his arm high and focusing his mind on… well he’s not really sure… “I’LL SHOW HIM! THIS MAGNIFICENT BABY BLUE WILL NOW TAKE A LAZY SHORTCUT!” He yells, forcing more magic through his arm as he waves it around.

Nothing happens.

Never give up! When things are hard, all he needs is a little more practice!

The Blue pumps more magic into his arm, holding it as high above his head as possible.

“MWEEEEEEAAAAAAAH! SHORTCUT!” He shouts again!

Still nothing.

“I WILL NOW SHORTCUT!” He yells, this time coating both arms with magic, and doing a light jig while flailing them about.

He’s still at the bottom of the metal box.

“MWEH HEH HEH! SHORTCUT!!!”

But nothing happens.

“SHORTCUT!”

Nothing.

“SHORTCUT!!!”

--

“Kid!... Kid!... Baby Blue Kid!... Please, answer me!” Sansy shouts to the dark air, shuffling along the grass beside the road. He’s been walking for hours now, his tired feet dragging sluggishly against the cool earth. He’d initially followed the direction he thought the Blue ran off in, but he’s starting to suspect the Blue took a different turn. His glowing white eyelights flick back and forth as he searches, hoping to catch sight of the other bitty’s small starred eyelights glowing in the darkness.

Where is he? He can’t have gone far. Sansy left right after him. Why hasn’t he found him yet? Baby Blues are much faster than most Sans types, so he could have outpaced him, but Sansy didn’t expect him to get this far.

Sansy curses at the ground as his walking slows. He should have stopped him. Shouldn’t have let him walk off on his own. The hotdog ended up on the ground anyway, why didn’t he just drop it in the first place? Why didn’t he say more to stop Edgy? Why does he always let these things happen? He needs to take action more, not just stand by and watch!

Sansy comes to the edge of the road, halting as he looks ahead. An enormous parking lot spans in front of him. It’s filled with cars of different colors, all decorated with balloons. A car dealership…

Great…

Sansy runs a hand across his face.

He’s walked too far… There’s no way the kid’s still going at this point… Baby Blues get tired earlier in the day… The Blue had to have stopped walking by now…

Sansy glances one last time at the lot, his eyelights hoping to catch a spot of blue. Then he turns around.

If for some reason the kid’s still walking, there’s no way he’s ever gonna catch him… Once again he’s giving up… He should have acted sooner… Edgy was out of control! But instead he just… stood by and watched… like always...

Sansy shuffles slowly back the way he came, his head hanging as his soul fills with guilt. His bones feel lethargic from exercising more than a Sansy ever should in one day, and his soul rumbles loudly, calling out for food.

He should’a nabbed a bit of hotdog before he left. He’s absolutely starving now. How’s the kid gonna handle food? If the Blue gets that upset over swiping a little food, there’s no way he’s gonna survive on his own.

Sansy’s almost arrived back at the gas station by now. He wonders what he should tell his friend. Edgy may not like Blues, but there’s something he hates even more… A factory fresh Blue could never survive on his own. When Edgy realizes Sansy failed to bring the Blue back, he’ll blame himself. He’s always been hard on himself like that.

Sansy walks past another building. Its windows had been lit when he walked past earlier, but now they were dark. The sign spinning outside displays its status; closed. The red light of the sign pours across the grass as he walks by.

Suddenly Sansy catches a flash of light by the building, blue light. It’s tiny, and only flashes for a moment, but Sansy knows that color.

“Kid…” He whispers, his eyelights straining against the night.

The blue light flashes again, and Sansy immediately heads for it. His soul already feeling much lighter the closer he gets.

--

“I Will… SH-SHORTCUT…” The Blue mumbles, now sitting tiredly in front of the metal box on the ground. He’s covered his arm with magic, but it stays limply at his side as he continues to mutter wearily to himself.

“SH-SHORTCUT…” He mumbles again, the glowing blue magic intensifying across his arm for a moment, before growing dim again.

“H-Hey kiddo.” Sansy’s low voice calls out from the darkness behind. “Lookin’ a bitty blue there, don’t’cha think…?”

The Blue flinches, but he doesn’t move. His darkened eyelights stare blankly ahead from his position on the ground, focused on the large metal box ahead. “THAT WASN’T FUNNY…” He mumbles darkly.

“Aw, come’on kiddo… I kin cyan tifically prove how funny that was.” Sansy chuckles from behind.

The magic fizzles out on the Blue’s arm, and he tucks it under his knees. Slowly, he curls into himself, letting his eyelights fall away from the box to the ground. “GO AWAY, PLEASE…” He says quietly, pulling his knees up higher. At that moment, his soul gives an extra loud groan, and he squeezes in on himself trying to cover it up.

“Heh… guess you couldn’t stomach that one either.” Sansy says awkwardly.

“I’M A SKELETON, I DO NOT HAVE A STOMACH…” The Blue responds, hunching over more.

Sansy scratches behind his head, feeling uncomfortable with the mood of the conversation. He takes a deep breath, passing on the puns for now as he focuses on convincing the kid in front of him. “Listen… I know yer mad cause’a what I did… n’ what Edgy said, but… we’re both real worried about’cha and we’d like ya ta come back.”

“EVEN EDGY…?” The Blue questions quietly.

“Uh… yeah… Even Edgy…” Sansy says, scratching awkwardly at the back of his head.

“HE’S NOT WORRIED!” The Blue responds, scrunching back into his knees.

“He is... He’s just... really bad at saying it.”

“HE SAID HE DIDN’T WANT ME THERE. HE SAID I’M… I’M…”

Suddenly the Blue Bitty throws himself across Sansy, his arms curling around his shoulders.

“I CAN’T DO IT! I CAN’T!” The Blue sobs into the other bitty’s dirty factory shirt. “EDGY’S RIGHT, I CAN’T TAKE A SHORTCUT!”

Sansy’s body freezes, sweat forming across his skull as the other bitty cries loudly into his shoulder. “H-Hey kid… i-it’s alright… h-how bout’cha let go’a me n’ we can talk it out instead.”

The Blue responds by hugging him tighter. “WHY IS EDGY SO MEAAAAAN!!! IT’S NOT MY FAULT I CAN’T DO IT! THEY MADE ME LIKE THIS! I-I’M… I-I’M USELESS! THEY MADE ME USELESS, JUST LIKE HE SAID!!!”

“K-Kid…?” Sansy stutters, his body getting stiffer by the second. More sweat forms across his skull, and he has to do everything in his power not to throw the other bitty from him.

“I’M USELESS! TH-THEY MADE ME USELESS! WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?! WHY IS EVERYTHING SO BAD! I JUST WANTED TO GET ADOPTED, BUT EVERYTHING’S SO BAD NOW!”

“Kid PLEASE!” Sansy says, much more sternly now. “I need’ja ta let go!”

“WHY AM I LIKE THIS?! WHY IS EVERYTHING LIKE THIS! I SHOULDN’T HAVE LEFT MY CRATE! THEY TOLD ME NOT TO LEAVE MY CRATE!”

“LET GO!!!” Sansy finally shouts.

The Blue immediately lets go of him, stepping back as though he was burned. More tears form in his sockets as he becomes increasingly upset.

“I-I’M SORRY… S-SANSY BITTY I-I’M-”

“Don’t worry about it kiddo.” Sansy says quickly, breathing heavily as he tries to calm the other bitty down. “I-If ya need, ya can hold my arm or something.” He says, holding his elbow out. “But hugging’s just… s’not really my thing okay.”

The Blue sniffs, wiping his sockets with one arm, before extending his hand to Sansy’s tibia and curling his philangees around it. “O-OKAY…” He says softly, before taking a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “BUT WHY? SKELETONS ARE VERY CUDDLY, AND HUGS FEEL SO NICE!”

“It feels nice for most people… but uh… not so much for me. Don’t really like touchin’ other people much I guess.” Sansy shrugs.

“BUT THEN…” The Blue cocks his head. “HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT…? A BITTY SHOULD NEVER SLEEP ALONE.”

“I manage... I guess…” Sansy says, shrugging. “Now… ya feelin’ better yet?” He asks.

The Blue looks down. “A LITTLE…”

“What were ya even tryin’ ta do out here anyway?”

The Blue shuffles his feet for a moment, his little bone toes digging across some of the rotting napkins on the ground. “I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF I COULD… CAUSE EDGY BITTY SAID I COULDN’T… BUT I THOUGHT I COULD ANYWAY… BUT THEN HE WAS RIGHT, AND…” Finally the Blue looks into Sansy’s eyelights, hope shining in his bright blue stars. “SANSY BITTY… CAN I REALLY NOT SHORTCUT… NOT AT ALL?”

“Well… uh…” Sansy shifts nervously. “I’ve seen a Boss who could, n’ they aren’t supposed ta… but…” Sansy looks away. “Sorry kiddo.” The Blue’s face drops. “I don’t think ya…” The Blue’s shoulders slunch looking completely hopeless. “...I don’t think ya should give up yet!” Sansy says, brightening his tone. “I saw ya practicing, and ya weren’t doing it right at all.” Sansy chuckles, watching as the Blue’s mouth turns up into a smile. “Heh… ya really blue all that time practicin’ the wrong way. Ya actually think yer supposed ta take a shortcut by coverin’ yer arm like that?”

“THEN…! I WAS UNABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW THE SUPER SPECIAL SECRET TECHNIQUE?!” The Blue asks, his starred eyes shining.

“Uh… y-yeah… of course…” Sansy shrugs nervously. “Ya know, I’m Sans ational at this sort of stuff. Just do what I say n’ I’m sure you’ll get it with a bitty of practice.”

The Blue’s face drops a little at the repeated puns, but his starred eyelights continue to shine. He’s much too excited to be annoyed by the bad jokes.

The Blue brings his hand to his forehead, heels clicking together in a salute. “THE MAGNIFICENT BABY BLUE REPORTING FOR DUTY SANSY BITTY! READY AND WILLING TO LEARN YOUR SECRETS SIR!”

“Wait… right now?” Sansy says, looking around. It’s still very dark outside.

The Blue’s smile widens. Even as small bags begin to from beneath his sockets, the Blue looks determined. He’ll show that Edgy bitty he’s not useless! He is a magnificent Baby Blue!

“MWEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE SANSY BITTY! RIGHT NOW!!!”

Chapter Text

“Alright, now take a deep breath, focus on the spot ya wanna be at, and let your magic flow.”

“LET IT FLOW WHERE, SANSY BITTY!?!” The Blue interrupts.

“Anywhere. Just let it flow.” Sansy says, his hands attempting to find pockets he doesn’t have. When they find nothing but his dirty white adoption clothes, he instead relaxes in place and closes his sockets. “Then, just imagine yer wherever ya wanna be at. Ya know how magic is, it’ll figure out what’cha want ’n put ya over there.”

“THAT’S NOT HOW MAGIC WORKS!”

“It’s not?” Sansy says, cracking open a socket to peek at the Blue.

“YOU HAVE TO FOCUS! YOU HAVE TO BE PRECISE AND THINK ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT, OR IT WON’T KNOW! MAGIC IS ALL ABOUT HARD WORK, KNOWLEDGE, AND DEDICATION! YOU CAN’T BE LAZY WITH IT!”

“Huh… think I see yer problem there, kiddo.” Sansy smiles. “Yer overcomplicating things. I can’t say much on how you’ve been using magic thus far but, I know for a fact taking a shortcut’s all about being relaxed. Don’t think about it too hard. Ya can’t take a shortcut if ya let somethin’ like stress get under yer skin.”

“MMMGH…” The Blue huffs. “I SUPPOSE… IF I AM GOING TO BE USING LAZY MAGIC… THEN I SHOULD GO ABOUT IT LAZILY.”

“Heh heh heh… Sans- ational spirit kid! You’ll become a real lazybones in no time!”

The Blue sighs before turning around and looking at a spot in front of him. Let it flow… Focus on the spot and let it flow.

His magic heats from that invisible place where his soul resides, and travels to the rest of his body. Instead of forcing it to focus in one place like he’s used to, the Blue allows it to continue throughout himself. The excess magic pools and gathers wherever it wants, flowing this way and that, wildy out of control.

This is so weird...

The Blue stretches out his arm.

“Atch… nope…!” Sansy calls, “Gettin’ really outta hand there, kiddo! Thought I told’ja to relax ‘n just let it flow.”

“MMMGH…” The Blue huffs again, forcing his arm back down in frustration. It just doesn’t feel right! “I AM RELAXING!” He shouts back.

“Funny… I thought you were Blue…”

“MMMMMMMMGH!”

The Blue pumps more magic through his body, fighting to ignore the snickering skeleton behind him as his bones heat with magic.

“NOW! SHORTCUT!” He yells, clenching his fists as hard as he can.

He waits, but nothing happens.

“Heh heh heh heh heh...” Sansy’s deep baritone laugh sounds from behind. “Ya know… heh heh… ya know ya really don’t gotta say anything when you do it…”

Cyan creeps up the Blue’s face, and the excess magic flowing through him evaporates. “I KNOW…!” He shouts. “BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF… I-IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE YOUR INTENT CLEARLY KNOWN WHEN USING MAGIC… THAT WAY YOU DO NOT USE IT IN THE WRONG FASHION… I… I SIMPLY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER IF I-”

“Relax…” Sansy says, waking up beside him… “M’serious about this… I know ya got a tendon -cy to focus too hard but ya can’t take a shortcut if ya don’t relax. Try it again, kiddo.”

“ALL...ALRIGHT…!” The Blue sighs once more, clenching his fists in frustration.

Something pokes him hard between the shoulders.

“Yer still too tense…” Sansy snickers, watching the Blue flinch from his sudden contact. “Calm down, and stop worrying. If ya don’t get it this time, it’s going tibia okay.”

The Blue takes another deep breath, trying to let his body relax. Sansy isn’t helping at all...

He lets his magic flow again, feeling it swell wildy through his body.

Relax…

Let everything go and…

Don’t think too hard on it!

“Sh… shortcut…” He mutters quietly to himself, hoping Sansy can’t hear him this time. Sure he doesn’t need to say it, but it just feels wrong not to.

Still nothing happens.

“Welp… yer starting to get it… mostly.” Sansy says, shrugging as he watches the Blue try to relax, and fail miserably. Realizing there isn’t much else he can say to him at this point, Sansy shuffles over to the large metal dumpster resting behind the building.

“I AM SIMPLY UNACCUSTOMED TO BEING SO… SO LAZY.” The Blue answers, keeping his sockets firmly closed as he attempts to relax and shortcut again.

“Heh heh… Lazy’s a strong word. I prefer the term… selective participation. N’ right now, you need ta participate less, ‘n let yer magic do all the work.” Sansy stops at the base of the dumpster, smelling the strong scent of warm food wafting from it. “Were ya tryin’ ta get up here or somethin’...?” He asks, finally realizing why the Blue may have been attempting to take a shortcut in the first place.

“YOU ARE MOST CORRECT SANSY BITTY!”

“Hmm…?” Sansy smirks. “Thought’cha said we’re the wurst for stealin’ food?”

“I…” The Blue turns his face away, shrugging. “I WAS SIMPLY GOING TO CHECK AND CONFIRM FIRST IF THIS WAS A RECEPTACLE FOR HUMANS TO STORE FOOD. THEN I WOULD PROPERLY CONSIDER MY OPTIONS… A-AND-”

“Oh… it’s for storin’ food alright! Food they’re throwin’ out.”

The Blue’s soul growls loudly and a moment later Sansy’s answers in agreement.

“Heh… uh… kiddo.”  Sansy gestures for the Blue to come over. “How ‘bout I show ya a practical demonstration… Might help ya figure things out… Th-that is…” He looks away, scratching at the back of his head. “If yer okay with uh… borrowing food that nobody wants in the first place.”

The Blue eyes the large metal box suspiciously as he mulls over his answer.

“‘Sides…” Sansy shrugs. “Everyone knows magic doesn’t work well on an empty stomach.”

The Blue sighs. “HAVE THE HUMANS… REALLY THROWN IT AWAY? JUST BECAUSE IT WON’T BE MISSED, DOES NOT MEAN IT HAS BEEN THROWN AWAY.”

“Yep…” Sansy raps on the box with his knuckles, his eyelights travel up the enormous metal dumpster as he continues to scent the air. “They put it in here ta get picked up by a truck ‘n sent to the dump. All this food’s gonna do from now on is rot in a pile.”

The Blue’s soul growls again. He looks down, trying to figure out if he should take Sansy up on his offer.

“I know ya don’t wanna steal kiddo.” Sansy’s grin stretches. “But now’s probably not the best time ta go on a hunger strike. Specially with all the work ya’ve been doin’.”

“MMMGH… I SUPPOSE… IT WOULD BE OKAY TO… JUST A LITTLE… AND I DO NEED A DEMONSTRATION.” The Blue marches slowly over to Sansy. “BUT IF YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO TRICK ME INTO COMMITTING CRIMES AGAIN, I SHALL BE VERY… VERY... DISAPPOINTED IN YOU SANSY BITTY.”

“Heh heh… Well then… I wouldn’t wanna disappoint ya again now would I?” Sansy holds out his hand. “Now say it with me kiddo, when takin’ shortcuts, it’s garbage can, not garbage can not!”

“I REFUSE TO SAY ANY SUCH THINGS!”

“Come on, we can’t go till ya say it” Sansy says, wiggling his phalanges and raising his brow bones.

“SANSY BITTY!” The Blue places his hands at his hips. “WHILE I’M SURE YOU FIND YOUR OVERUSED AND POORLY DESIGNED JOKES HILARIOUS, THEY HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT A DISTASTEFUL DISTRACTION THUS FAR.”

“Pretty sure my jokes are about ta be full’a taste if ya ask me…”

“MMMMGH!!!” The Blue huffs, before grabbing Sansy’s outstretched hand. “NOW, I AM VERY HUNGRY SANSY BITTY, SO I WOULD PREFER IT IF YOU WOULD STOP WITH THESE PUNS SO THAT WE MAY HAVE PROPER ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS LIKE NORMAL BITTIES!!!”

Sansy locks eyelights with the Blue in front of him. His already large grin stretches the last few millimeters it can, before he mutters.

“Hi very hungry… I’m Sansy.”

In a flash they are both standing atop the metal dumpster. Not expecting to teleport so quickly, nor the large plastic lids to be so heavily angled, the Blue begins to slide backwards off the dumpster. Sansy keeps his hold on his hand, preventing him from falling over.

“YOU… YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME…” The Blue stutters out as he tries to keep his footing. “I WAS… I WASN’T READY… HOW? HOW DID YOU…? YOU DID THAT SO QUICKLY, SANSY BITTY… I-I’M FALLING!!!”

Sansy keeps his grip on the Blue’s hand, waiting for him to calm down. After a moment of struggle, the Blue eventually gains his footing. He stands for a moment panting, before moving his starred blue eyelights as far away from the edge of the dumpster as possible.

“Ya okay there…?” Sansy asks, raising a brow bone.

“Y-YES…” The Blue Pants out, still looking away from the edge.

“Did’ja learn anything?” Sansy asks, walking to the middle of the dumpster where the two lids meet.

“I… I’M NOT… SURE…”

“Welp… don’t be too down in the dumps about it.” Sansy snickers. He holds out his arm, covering it with glowing blue magic. The lid on the other side responds, glowing lightly around the edges. “Cause we’re about ta be right down in the dump. Mind helpin’ me out with this?” He calls to the Blue.

A moment later, the glow intensifies as the two bitties raise their arms in tandem. Using blue magic, they force the lid to slowly swing open and flip over the back side of the dumpster. Sansy peers inside once it’s opened, trying to get a good look at where the smell is coming from.

“Welp… Ya ready for another demonstration?” Sansy says, holding out his hand again.

“OF… OF COURSE!”

The Blue clasps Sansy’s hand again, and in another moment, they are plunged into darkness. They find themselves only a few feet inside the dumpster atop one of the bags. Sansy’s feet crunch loudly against the plastic as something on the other side cracks beneath his sudden weight.

“S’probably in one of these bags.” Sansy mutters, taking a step, and feeling more items crunch under his feet.

The Blue looks around as well, the double sets of the bittie’s small eyelights providing the only light inside the dumpster. The Blue takes a tentative step forward as he scents the air. Whatever he’s been smelling is suddenly all around him, and he’s having a hard time pinpointing where it’s coming from.

Sansy walks up to another bag, crunching the entire way. He pokes at it with one of his claws, feeling the plastic give at first, before the claw pops through. Something wet leaks out of the bag, and he pulls away instinctively. Lighting up his finger with his eyelights, he examines the gold sticky substance left on it.

“Welp… this is it… I think” Sansy says slowly. He’s a little afraid to put the unknown substance in his mouth but… It does smell really, really good….

“WHAT IS IT…?” The Blue asks, stumbling over a bag to get to him.

“Dunno… but it smells pretty good… It’s still warm too.”

Sweat breaks out across the Blue’s forehead as he watches the bag, still slowly leaking mystery fluid.

“Guess we’re in a bit of a sticky situation…” Sansy says slowly. He eyes the viscous liquid one last time, and his soul gives another loud growl. Then he thrusts his finger behind his teeth.

“S-SANSY!!!”

“Mmmmmmmmm.” Sansy moans, his eyelights lifting up in his sockets.

“YOU SHOULDN’T PUT UNKNOWN SUBSTANCES INTO YOUR MOUTH!!!”

“But it’s so gooooood…” Sansy loudly moans again.

“MWEH…” The Blue watches Sansy dip his finger into the leaking bag and lift it to his teeth. “LET…” He gulps. “LET ME TRY SOME TOO!”

The two bitties continue to dip their claws into the squishy dripping bag. Letting the sticky clear liquid build on their fingers before drawing it past their teeth where it quickly disappears. After a few fingers prodd at the small rip a little harder than expected, the small hole becomes a large one. Something chunky and golden gushes from the bag along with strings of something white and long.

Once again, Sansy is the first one to put it in his mouth. His grin stretches wider as he slurps on the noodle. It’s entire length longer than himself.

“WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?” The Blue asks.

“S’Chinese food I think… or somethin’ like it. I’ve had it before, so…”

“MWEH HEH HEH…. THESE LONG NOODLES ARE DELICIOUS.” The Blue says, watching proudly as he slurps an entire one without stopping.

“Eh… the chicken’s more my thing…”

“THIS IS CHICKEN!?!”

“I think so.”

“BUT… IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE IT!” The Blue shines his eyelights across a golden chunk, trying to see it properly in the darkness. “I THOUGHT CHICKEN WERE BIRDS!”

“Heh… w-well…” Sansy looks away guiltily. Should he tell him…? “I-It’s a different kind of chicken…” Nope… not today.

As the bitties begin to get full, they slow down. Instead of ravenously throwing their hands into the bag of food, they slowly pick at it.

After stuffing a rather large chunk of of fried chicken past his teeth, Sansy looks down at himself guiltily. He can tell he’s well past full. His stomach area is bulging a little further than usual. It’s now stained with dirt, grass, hotdog grease, and sticky mongolian sauce.

“Hey… uh… kid…?”

“HRMMM.” The Blue answers, another long noodle slipping past his teeth.

“Ya sure ya still don’t wanna go back with me?”

The Blue lowers his eyelights, finishing the long noodle, and wiping his hands along his mouth.

“I… I DO NOT MIND YOU SANSY BITTY… BUT EDGY…”

“Heh…” Sansy chuckles awkwardly. “He can be a bitty hard around the edges , but he’s actually pretty nice once ya get ta know him.”

“HE IS VERY RUDE! REFUSES TO APOLOGISE, AND PLAYS HORRIBLE MEAN PRANKS!!!”

Sansy looks away guiltily for a moment, before sighing. “Ya know… it wasn’t Edgy who came up with that idea…”

The Blue looks at Sansy for a moment. “THAT WAS YOU!?!”

“Heh heh… yeah… well…” Sansy starts to scratch at his skull.

The Blue goes quiet for a moment. “IT… IT WASN’T THAT MEAN I GUESS…”

Sansy’s eyelights perk up. “Now hold on just a second there kiddo… Yer gonna give me a pass but not Edgy?”

“I… WELL…” The Blue folds his arms across his dirty shirt. “I GAVE HIM MANY CHANCES TO PROVE OTHERWISE BUT... THE INTENT BEHIND A JAPE, SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN HIS IDEA… I-IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT… WOULD IT NOT?

Sansy sighs, shuffling his clawed toes across the plastic bag beneath his feet.

“I JUST… I DON’T GET IT...” The Blue continues. “HOW YOU CAN BE FRIENDS WITH SUCH A MEAN, HORRIBLE BITTY?”

“Eh… heh…” Sansy chuckles softly. “Ya’know kiddo… we weren’t always friends.”

“YOU WEREN’T?”

“Nope… not at all… Pretty sure he wanted ta kill me at first…”

“WOWIE! SO EDGY BITTY REALLY IS BOTH COMPLETELY RUDE AND MURDERY.”

“Heh… yeah, well… I wasn’t exactly bein’ the nicest guy myself.”

“BUT YOU ARE VERY NICE MOST OF THE TIME, EVEN IF YOU AREN’T FUNNY...”

Sansy looks into the other bitties’ sockets in offense, before settling his teeth into a deeper grin.

“Well now… aren’t you good at trash talk?”

The Blue sighs.

“Heh…” Sansy shrugs. “Kiddo… if ya haven’t figured it out yet… Me’n edgy’ve already been previously adopted. Him… uh… several times... It’s actually a long story, so...”

“OH!!! I LOVE LONG STORIES!!!” The Blue says excited, already completely enraptured.

“Oh… uh…” Sansy scratches at his head, looking around at the dark dumpster walls. He’s getting worried about how long he’s been gone. Edgy might actually start looking for him at this point.

The Blue continues to look eagerly into his sockets, waiting for him to continue.

Sansy shrugs. He’s gotta convince the Blue to come back somehow.

“I… uh… first saw this particular Edgy being returned a few weeks after I arrived. His family was loud and rude. I think they were blaming the staff about something. The biggest thing I remember about him was that… even though his family was being so loud… Edgy was being completely silent.

And that’s unusual for Edgy’s.”

Chapter Text

Lakeview’s bitty adoption center wasn't the largest in the nation, but it did have all the facilities any of the other large scale centers had, granted, at a much smaller size.

It's late, and the center was about to close for the night. The bitties bustled about cleaning their pen, a large circular platform that sat on the right side of the adoption center entrance. It was surrounded by thin fiberglass on all sides, but open on the top, allowing passerby to be able to reach inside, but high enough to prevent curious children from doing so without an adult’s help.

The bitties usually stayed in the pen, as the glass prevented them from shortcutting away. When the day was over, a lid could be lifted into place, and locked onto the platform while the bitties slept, preventing any of the more adventurous ones from stacking furniture and sneaking away.

At the moment, Sansys and Little Bro’s were lazily pushing objects around with their magic, moving them out of the way for cleaning, while the Blues and Papys cheered in tandem as they rushed across the floor with wet soapy rags. Even the single solitary Boss was busily working, his deft hands scrubbing every inch of furniture and other playpen objects to perfection. He yelled out orders loudly as the Blue next to him worked, making sure nothing was missed during the evening clean.

Pen cleaning was a chore encouraged at the end of the day at every adoption center. It kept the bitties busy, taught them good behavior, and allowed them to get out any excess energy before it was time to sleep. Soon, they would change out of their starched white adoption uniforms, take a communal bath, and put on some equally cleaned starched pajamas. The center would launder a fresh set of clothes each day, allowing them to use a freshly cleaned pair in the morning.

The bitties weren’t the only ones preparing for the afternoon. One of the store workers was busily organizing stock on the opposite side of the pen. It was the area where everything needed for bitty ownership was sold, and she was currently going through the clothing, making sure they were lined up by size and style. Afterwards, she removed a box from the back room, opening it, and pulling out a new line of clothing.

She attempts to control her squeals just looking at it. This one is space themed, and it was just too adorable. The little sweatshirts and shoes came covered in glittery stars, and even as she was hanging up the new stock, she spotted several the Sansys lining up and looking longingly at them through the glass. Even a few Blues had crept up next to them, pointing excitedly at the new collectible line of bitty clothes.

The store is rudely interrupted from closing by the bell ringing at the door. The worker out front turns, calling a swift welcome, before feeling her heart sink… The couple walking in look angry. She can already tell… these aren’t going to be happy customers.

What looks like the mother walks over to the front desk first, and slams her hand across the bell. She waits impatiently, watching as the girl up front puts down the box she’s working on and hustles behind the counter.

“What can I help you-”

“I’m returning this bitty!” The woman yells, slamming a taped up amazon shipping box across the counter.

The worker’s eyes go wide. “I-Is he inside there!?!” She asks, horrified.

“Of course he is! He’s become violent and out of control! I’m returning him anyway, so it doesn’t matter what I bring him in.”

The worker quickly opens a drawer, searching for a box cutter. She brings it out and is about to start slicing through the tape when the woman stops her.

“Don’t open that here! Didn’t you hear me?! He’s violent!”

“Yes, but I have to see him to-”

“Where’s the manager! I need to speak with the manager!” The woman demands, slapping the counter again with her hand.

“O-One moment…” The girl says, putting down the box cutter. “I’ll get her right-”

“That would be me.” Says a soft voice. Another woman appears to the right, shorter, with dark hair and clipboard in hand. Her spectacled glasses shine in the light, as she eyes the angry couple in front of her. The tag across her chest reads Tiana, and she steps in front of the other worker, shielding her from view. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“We adopted a bitty a months ago. We were told he was rehabilitated, but he wasn’t. Today he completely freaked out and attacked my son!”

The manager looks over at the girl behind the counter, giving her a look before sighing. “How bout you take him around back and get him ready for me, okay?” She says softly.

“Okay...” The other worker agrees, turning and hurrying away with the box.

The manager looks back at the couple, straightening her glasses. “Now why don’t you tell me what happened.”

Edgy huddles inside the box, curling his body as far as possible into his baggy black jacket. He lays on his side, unresponsive as everything happens around him. His soul hurts, and his body hurts in turn.

The box had been jostling heavily before, his family uncaring about his small frame slamming against the sides and they whipped it around. And why would they be, after what he'd done...

But they deserved it...

Edgy curls tighter into his clothes, appreciating the fact that he at least had a heavily padded jacket to cushion his body as it slams around. His family had been particular about the clothes they bought him, and he had to admit, he didn't completely hate it. The jacket was one of the more expensive items available for bitty purchase, and it was nice to have a family that bought him expensive things... But... the damn collar they forced him to wear! Why the hell! They’d bought the largest, most unnecessary spiked collar they could find and printed that stupid name they’d given him across it in bold metallic font.

The box is moving more gently now. None of the jarring motions that were slamming him around before. Someone else must have taken it... Finally...

It comes to a stop quickly this time. Whoever was holding the box must have set it down again.

Edgy hears someone call on the other side. It’s a soft voice, the type of voice he hasn’t heard in a long time. Even though it should be comforting, it’s not. He huddles further into his jacket, wishing the box would stay shut forever. He doesn’t want it to open. It’s safe inside the box. It’s dark. And he wants to stay in the darkness forever.

Something pierces the box at the top, and a shaft of light forces its way through the darkness. His darkness. It threatens to tear him back reality, so instead he hunches further into his coat, hoping that if he makes himself small enough, he won’t have to deal with the rest of the world.

Instead, that soft voice calls to him again.

Ignore it! He doesn’t care about anything! Leave him the fuck alone! Go away! Can’t ya see he ain’t respondin’! Fuck off and leave him alone forever!!!

The voice calls again, but Edgy can hardly understand what they’re saying. His soul burns, and it’s taking everything he has just to keep it from bursting. Maybe he should just let it. Everything would be better if he let it burst. Everything would go back to darkness… Everything would be nice… like the inside of the box. Quiet… where he wouldn’t have to see anyone… and they wouldn’t be able to see him.

Something soft prods at his side, and before he can control himself, he swings his skull around and sinks his teeth into whatever it was that was touching him. Growling and spitting, he warns the entire world to leave him alone!

“Ahhhhhhh!” The soft voice isn’t so soft anymore. His bite did the job, and whatever was touching him immediately forces itself out of his box and as far away as possible.

Good! Edgy wipes the blood around his mouth on his sleeve, adding to the bloody stains that are already there. Next time, he’ll take the entire thing off! That’ll teach’em. Don’t fuck with him ‘less ya wanna get fucked! He doesn’t wanna talk ta anyone, so fuck off and let him stay in his box.

Alone…

He always ends up alone…

Fuck… it hurts so bad…

Everything should jus’ go away.

When Edgy feels like his box isn’t going to be invaded again, he stops growling, and begins to relax a little.

He finally notices the spikes in his collar are digging into his chin uncomfortably, blocking him from feeling truly empty and non existent. It’s a constant reminder of how uncomfortable the stupid, overly large collar has always been. As he lays against the side of his dark box trying to feel empty, he finds his hands going for it. Ripping the leather belt free, he immediately swings it upwards, violently throwing it outside the box.

Fuck that thing! He belongs to no one! Leave him alone, shitty uncomfortable collar!

Once it’s gone, he scrunches back into his jacket, trying to focus on how much he hates the world.

But… for some reason… He doesn't feel as empty anymore… It's like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest as soon as he unbuckled that collar.

Now he’s just pissed off.

Whoever the hell was shovin’ their damn hand in his box should come over n’ try that again, cause all of the sudden he feels like biting the shit outta some screamy ass humans!

But nobody came.

As the hollow feeling in his soul slowly leaks away, he lets himself uncurl from his position at the bottom of the box. Sitting up slowly, he’s concerned with where he is for the first time.

His family said they were bringing him back to an adoption center, right…?

So… he’s back…?

He tries to peek his sockets above the box flaps, but he isn’t tall enough. All he can tell from the room is that it isn’t very well lit.

Muffled yelling comes from somewhere far away, and he tries to hone in on it.

Tch… sounds like that asshole woman’s still yellin’ up a storm! Heh heh heh... fuck that bitch! That fuckin’ look on'er face when he bit the shit outta her stupid ass kid was fuckin’ worth almost gettin’ slammed ta dust!

Actually… he had almost hoped… at the time… that she would have…

The sound of a door opening fills the room, and suddenly the darkness is flooded with light.

Edgy quickly ducks back into the box, curling into a ball at the bottom, deciding he doesn't want to deal with whoever's about to bother him. He waits for someone to start talking, reprimanding him for the bite he did earlier but, instead, as a shadow falls over him, he’s met with a kind feminine chuckle.

“Well, well, well… you hardly seem like the same bitty Ms. Rackson was talking about.”

He hears some pages shuffling, before something light is set across the counter next to his box.

“According to her, you’re practically a full blown killer.”

Edgy hunches into his furred hood, feeling annoyed at the woman's almost jovial disposition to his predicament.

“Not gonna say anything huh…?” The woman questions. “Well then… I’ll be waiting right here for whenever you’re ready.”

Something metal is scooted across the floor, stopping next to his box. Tch… like he cares. Have fun waitin’ for him forever, cause he ain’t ever gonna be ready. Fuck his family, fuck this adoption center, and fuck this stupid woman.

The room fills with more of that feminine chuckle. “Well... well... What's this... And isn’t this a stylish collar… you didn’t happen to drop this did you..." She pauses, reading the name across the tag before chuckling some more. "Killer…?”

“THAT’S NOT MY FUCKIN’ NAME!” Edgy snarls, quickly springing from the bottom of the box to glare at whoever’s talking to him. “I ain’t a part’a that fuckin’ family anymore, so don’t fuckin’ call me that!”

He’s greeted with two hazel eyes behind shining round glasses, and a wide smirking grin. The tag above her chest reads "Tiana." And when she gets a good look at him, her smile deepens.

Immediately Edgy ducks back down, growling as his head sinks behind the box flaps.

“Does that mean you’re ready to talk then?” Tiana asks.

Edgy lowers his eyelights, his growl subsiding.

“No…” He says quietly. Already knowing this is a process he can’t escape. Maybe he can put it off for a little longer if he tries. He really doesn't want to be bothered about this. “I… I don’t wanna… right now.”

“All right…” She says, checking her watch. “But I’m closing the center in an hour. If you don’t want to sleep alone tonight, you’ll have to go through the debrief before then.”

“S-Sleepin’ alone doesn’t bother me none!” Edgy responds. “Like I fuckin’ care!”

He’s lying. He would rather sleep with the most annoying of Baby Blues than sleep alone. Sleeping alone was the worst.

“Suit yourself then.” Tiana responds. “I’ll be working here till you’re ready, or we close.” She grabs something beside his box, but he can’t see what it is. A moment later, he hears a pen scribbling across sheets of paper.

Edgy tries to get comfortable at the bottom of the box, but now the noise of the moving pen is bothering him. Can’t she do that somewhere else? He ain’t gonna go anywhere! Just put him somewhere quiet so he can get some damn sleep!

Sleep that he’ll have to do alone.

Sleep that he’ll have to do without…

The pen continues to scribble, line after line. He hears a page flip, and the pen moving across more paper.

He can handle it. He's fine sleeping alone. Sure he's a little low right now, but he can last at least a day or two more. He doesn't want to talk when he just got returned. Let him have some damn space! Why wont people leave him the hell alone!?! He doesn't need anyone! Just go away and stop bothering him! He doesn't want to talk about anything! He'll be fine on his own!

... He'll be fine... sleeping alone...

He'll be fine... without her...

Suddenly Edgy slams against the box, pushing it over, and spilling himself out onto the counter.

“I’m… I’m ready ta do the damn debrief…” He mutters, standing up and pocketing his hands.

“That was fast... Changed your mind then…?”

“M’jus’ sick’a havin' ta listen ta ya write. Hurry up so I can get some fuckin’ shuteye…”

Tiana smiles, looking relieved. Walking over to a set of metal cabinets, she yanks one open and pulls out some objects. Across the counter, she sets down a small round cushion, a large square tablet, and a some kind of strange scanner.

“Take a seat, please.” Tania instructs, but Edgy's already marching to the small plush cushion waiting for him atop the counter.

Tiana reaches for the tablet and plugs the strange contraption into it. Hitting some buttons along its side, the screen brightens, and she begins tapping along it. Edgy waits on his cushion in silence, watching her work. When the screen changes color, she seems satisfied.

“I’m going to need you to bring out your soul.” Tiana says, tapping at something atop the screen.

Edgy huffs, before complying. He screws his sockets shut, almost seeming to think for a moment, and then something small and white begins to glow in front of his chest. Light coalesces in the air, swirling as it's pulled towards the center of the small glow. It collects quickly into a small translucent silver heart.  Hanging upside down, it hovers in front of his chest. The room is bathed in a light so bright, all color seems to dissipate from it's very existence.

Edgy blinks at the glowing soul, before averting his eyelights. It might be brighter than anything in the room, but there are streaks of dark clouds of swirling within, muffling its true brilliance considerably.

Tiana grabs the scanner from off the counter, pointing the square end at his soul. Blue lines flicker from it, reflecting outwards towards the bitty. The contraption gives a loud beep, and Tiana puts it down, her eyes glued to the screen in front of her.

“Well, well… this isn’t your first family, now is it…? You have quite a file here.”

Edgy folds his arms, glaring as Tiana continues to read.

“Rehabilitation from a fighting ring huh..? That explains the EXP...”

Edgy continues to glare.

“Looks like you haven’t gained any more EXP since… That’s a good sign...”

Edgy Huffs, rolling his Eyelights. Of course it’s the same. He only had EXP cause’a what those assholes made him do. S’not like he killed anything on purpose! His family sucked ass, but it was still a regular family.

“Your soul’s pretty low though… are you feeling alright?”

“M’fine…” Edgy grumbles. “J-Jus’ haven’t been sleepin with’um much and…” Edgy sighs, glaring up at the woman in annoyance. “They got fuckin’ tired of me okay! The hell do ya think a bitty’s soul’s gonna be at when their family returns’um!?!

“It says you're a few shades darker this time…”

“Of course I’m darker!” Edgy snaps. “I jus’ got fuckin’ returned!”

“Any particular reason why your soul may be darker? You were in pretty horrible conditions before, but it was never this bad.”

“I jus’ said I got fuckin’ returned!” Edgy shouts, feeling himself getting more and more angry. The soul hovering at his chest darkens another shade, a large cloud of grey washing through it. “How the hell would’ja feel if people got sick a ya n’ decided ta throw ya away?! How would’ja feel if the people yer supposed ta rely on stop givin’ a fuck?! How would’ja feel if yer stuck in this shitty world with shitty people, unable ta pick where ya go n’ what ya do? Even my fuckin’ clothes are picked! How the hell would YOU fuckin’ feel!?!”

“I think I’d feel pretty bad…” Tiana answers. “But that’s not really why you’re here… is it…?”

Tears prick at the edges of Edgy’s sockets, growing in size before sliding down his face. He moves his arms to cover them, but he knows she saw everything.

“Why d-do I always get adopted by assholes...?” He cries. “The hell did I do…? Why can’t I get a fuckin’ good family fer once…?”

Suddenly Edgy’s head is enveloped by something warm. Tiana strokes his tiny skull as tears continue to fall down his face. His small eyelights look up at her through wet sockets, his soul lighting the room as they fall down his face.

“Why did she have ta die…”

Chapter Text

It took the rest of Tiana’s shift to calm the crying bitty down. All the while, she made sure to keep constant contact with his skull, a gesture that’s usually very comforting for bitties. He hardly seemed to notice she was doing it, which was strange. A bitty with low soul energy usually relished in any human contact they could get, and the readings on this bitty’s soul were dangerously low.

By the time he’s finished crying, Tiana had already stayed an extra hour past her shift. She looks at the clock on the wall, sighing as she reads the time. She didn’t like staying late, but she couldn’t leave a bitty like this before closing. She’s barely made a dent in that paperwork either. Why do bitties have to have so much paperwork every time they’re returned?

Leaving for a moment, Tiana walks back into the room, placing a small metal bath set across the counter. It’s one of the items sold at the center, and it comes with a basin large enough to fit two to three bitties, a drain, and a hose that can hook to a water source should the bitty want to try taking a shower. It’s already been filled with warm water, and she places it carefully on the counter next to the bitty, making sure to avoid spills.

Edgy glares at the bowl, tear tracks still marking his dark sockets.

“The others are already finished with their bath.” Tiana says softly, testing the water’s temperature with a finger. “When you’re done, I’ll need you to change into these.” She lays down a packaged set of fresh white clothes next to the bowl, and a small clean cloth for toweling off. “Your family said they wanted us to buy back all your things…” She pauses, before sighing and looking away. “That means the clothes you have on as well.”

Edgy nods his head silently. Of course they’d want their money back; his things weren’t cheap, and they’d bought a lot of it.

“If there’s something you want to keep…” She says slowly, not bothering to hide some of the guilt that washes past her eyes. “I can-”

“S’fine…” Edgy mutters, approaching the metal basin. “I don’t wanna keep nothin’ anyway…”

Nothing that he hadn’t already lost...

He hesitates at the edge, slipping his hands in and out of his pockets as his eyelights flick up at the towering human, then away.

Tiana smiles, before reaching for the stack of papers on the desk. Factory fresh bitties didn’t mind taking baths in public. They didn’t even seem to stop and consider what the ramifications of taking their clothes off meant. But for some reason, older bitties, ones who had been adopted previously, often developed a sense of modesty.

“I’ll be over here working on your paperwork, okay?” She says, turning away, and offering him some privacy as she brings the stack of paper over to another counter.

As soon as she’s settled, there’s a splash in the bath, and the entire time she works, she can hear the small bitty fumbling around the tub as he attempts to wash himself. About halfway through the paperwork, there’s a light tap on her arm. Pushing up her glasses, she looks over and spots Edgy in his fresh set of white adopton clothes. His face is shiny and clean, and his bones are still in the process of drying.

“M’done…” He mumbles quietly, the puffiness around his sockets already beginning to go down.

“Alright…” Tiana responds, setting down the pen and looking over the bitty one last time. “I guess you’re ready for the pen now. I know… it can be hard for Edgys… but... it would be nice if you could at least try and get along with them…”

“Yeah… yeah… whatever.” Edgy replies, rolling his eyelights.

“They haven’t been outside a center yet, so you’ll need to be patient.”

“I ain’t gonna do nothin’.” Edgy says again, starting to glare in annoyance.

Tiana gives him a stern look back. “You know… I saw that bite you gave my worker...”

Edgy flinches, his eyelights darting away guiltily. “Th-They shouldn’ta put their hands inna box so suddenly…” He sputters. “I… I was jus’... surprised, alright!... I really ain’t gonna bite anyone!!!”

Tiana sighs. This Edgy just barely passed his debrief. Actually… she probably gave him a better score than he deserved. Hand biting wasn’t usually acceptable under adoption guidelines, but… the other option was recall, and she didn’t like recalling bitties.

Luckily she hadn’t actually been witness to the bite, and the worker hadn’t complained to her personally. The only bites she’d have to write down were the ones he gave his family. Bites to a family that were treating him poorly could be excused. Bites to random strangers, not so much.

“That better be true… little one.” Tiana says, reaching down to poke him between the sockets. “Your profile isn’t looking very good at all. If you can’t behave around people, then I can’t put you up for adoption.

“Then don’t! I don’t wanna be fuckin’ adopted anyway!” He snaps back.

“I’m being serious.” Tiana says, her jovial disposition quickly transforming to one of warning. “You do know what happens to bitties who can’t be adopted…?”

Edgy tenses at the threat, studying the human above him. He’d felt surprisingly comfortable around her so far. He’d been surprised at how accommodating she’d been with him. The last center he’d been at had been a lot more strict, but with this human… He’d almost started to feel like he’d be alright.

“Y-Yeah…” Edgy whispers, averting his eyelights as sweat begins to form across his skull.

“Good…” Tiana says, smiling again. “And I don’t want to have this conversation with you again. Am I clear? No bites… and no fights…”

The room’s suddenly grown uncomfortable, and Edgy feels himself take a step back from the human above him. He may have barely passed his debrief, but that didn’t cancel out the fact that he was an Edgy with EXP. He would always have that EXP… And everyone would always judge him for it.

”And watch your language as well…” Tiana continues. “I will not have bitties swearing at the children who come through here.”

Edgy shuffles in place, keeping his eyelights faced downward. “I ain’t… I ain’t gonna.” He says quietly.

“Good…” Tiana smiles. She pushes her glasses up, and grabs the cushion from before. Holding it out for him, Edgy realizes she wants him to climb on. She must have known she lost trust with him earlier. It isn’t smart to pick up an Edgy with your bare hands when they don’t trust you.

When he’s finished climbing on, she picks up the cushion carefully, making sure not to jostle and shake it, and walks out the door. “Alright then…” She says, watching the little bitty fidget nervously. “Let’s go meet the other boys.”

Tiana brings Edgy from the back room to the pen, letting him ride the cushion the entire way. As she approaches, several of the bitties look up from their work, waving sleepy greeting as they bustle about. They’re unfolding small square blankets for the night, and stacking them atop cushions similar to the one Edgy’s already riding.

“MANAGER HUMAN! YOU ARE STILL HERE!?! BUT IT IS WELL PAST YOUR WORKING HOURS!!!” A tall Papy stops and calls from the pen. He’s busily dragging two cushions together, each of them topped by a slumbering Sansy and Little Bro respectively.

“Hopefully I won’t be here much longer.” Tiana responds.

“GASP, WAS IT BECAUSE OF THAT LOUD, MEAN FAMILY!?!” A Blue working next to the Papy stops and asks next.

Tiana chuckles. “That’s both a yes and no… actually… I have someone new for you to meet.”

“A NEW SHIPMENT!?!” The same Blue responds. “BUT IT IS SO LATE, MANAGER!!!”

Several more Blues stop what they’re doing, their glowing starred eyelights looking up at Tiana in excitement.

“No… Not a new shipment…” She says slowly, a smile gracing her lips. “But I think you’ll find this guy pretty interesting.” She lowers the cushion, placing it gently into an empty spot near the edge of the pen. “Today you’re getting a new friend.”

“OH!!! A NEW FRIEND!”

“WHAT! A FRIEND!?!”

“DID SOMEONE SAY NEW FRIEND!?!”

More eyelights are moving in her direction, Blues and Papys begining to gather near the edge of the pen to see the new bitty being lowered in. Even some of the already sleeping bitties are cracking open a socket to look over at the newest addition to the pen.

“Yep…” Tiana says, smiling over them all. “And I bet none of you’ve ever seen an Edgy before.”

“AN EDGY!?!”

“WOWIE! I THOUGHT THEY DIDN’T MAKE THEM ANYMORE!”

“I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET ONE!”

Tiana chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll find him interesting. Now… I’ve got to get some things done before I can close tonight, so I don’t have much time to make sure he fits in. All of you will be nice to him, won’t you?”

“YES MAM!”

“OF COURSE!”

“UNDERSTOOD MANAGER!” The bitties call in salute.

“He’s had a rough day, and is probably very sleepy. Make sure and find a place for him.”

“IT WILL BE DONE RIGHT AWAY, MANAGER HUMAN!!!”

Edgy rolls his eyelights, already starting to slip from the cushion as more bitties begin to swarm him.

“Good… Then I’ll see you all again during my evening shift tomorrow!”

“I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR HAPPY RETURN, MANAGER!”

“GOODNIGHT, MANAGER HUMAN!!!”

“MAKE SURE TO GET PROPER SLEEP! YOU LOOK MOST TIRED, MISS MANAGER!!!”

The surrounding bitties wave, and Tiana smiles again. Looks like things are going well so far. She waves back, making sure Edgy is standing by them calmly. She’s still a little worried about leaving him unsupervised with the other bitties so soon but...

How much trouble could one tired bitty get in one night anyway…

No sooner had the human left than the excited bitties all turn on Edgy. He looks them over, taking stock. Seven Blues and four Papys surround him, and in the back, he spots three Little Bros and and about five, maybe six Sansys depending on where they’re hidden, already sleeping in various positions. He can sense them watching him, but like usual for their type, they aren’t making much effort to meet an unknown bitty until everything has quieted down.

“WOWIE! YOU ARE THE FIRST EDGY I HAVE EVER SEEN!” Shouts the Blue standing in front of him.

“WHY DID THEY SHIP YOU IN SO LATE AT NIGHT, EDGY BITTY?” Another one asks.

“WERE THOSE RUDE, LOUD HUMANS REALLY YOUR FAMILY?” This time a Papy calls, not bothering to wait for a response to the first two questions.

At this, the rest of the bitties gathered around him all begin to shout questions. They talk over one another, seeming more concerned about making noise and looking at him, than waiting for an answer.

“YOUR TEETH APPEAR EXCEPTIONALLY SHARP, FELLOW BITTY, IS IT TRUE, EDGYS CAN BITE THROUGH CAGE BARS MADE OF STEEL!?!”

“OH!!! OH!!! HOW FAR CAN YOU SHORTCUT, EDGY BITTY! THE SANSY SLEEPING ON THE SLIDE CAN GO OVER NINE FEET!!!”

“I HEARD EDGYS CAN LIFT AN ENTIRE DOG WITH THEIR MAGIC! IS THAT TRUE!?!”

“WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?! I BET IT IS SOMETHING TERRIBLE LIKE-”

“Shut… the fuck… up…!” Edgy interrupts, stretching his grin so that his gold tooth flashes dangerously. He takes a step forward, growling lightly, watching in glee as the bitties in front back up.

He may have promised not to get into any fights, but that doesn’t mean he’s gonna let them walk all over him. Usually, the hierarchy at an adoption center goes to the bitties who’ve been there the longest but, as far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t have to listen to any of them. He’s the only one here who’s been adopted before, thus he’s the only one who knows what it's like on the outside. And right now, he’s gonna make sure this bunch of idiots understands that.

“L-LANGUAGE!” Several of the Blue’s shout in unison. The two smaller ones in back shuffle nervously, their starred eyelights starting to dart around the pen in worry.

“WOWIE… REALISTIC EDGY RUDENESS!!!” A Papy huffs from the side, and the other three Papys nod their heads in agreement.

“Now ya better listen!” Edgy growls again. “I ain’t here ta make friends with any’a ya, n’I ain’t here ta stand ‘round listenin’ ta all yer damn stupid questions.” He settles into a cold grin as he watches the bitties flinch every time he swears. “It’s fuckin’ late, n’ I’m fuckin’ tired… So if any a ya idiots don’t wanna lose ’a limb…” Edgy makes sure to smile wider at this, showing off his sharp serrated teeth. “Ya better back the fuck off now’n leave me the hell alone!”

The bitties before him stand, stunned. Not a single one has ever heard language like this. More of them begin to look around the pen, and the smallest Blue in the back visibly ducks behind one of the Papys and begins to whimper.

Edgy smirks to himself… too easy… fuckin’ factory fresh idiots are too fuckin’ easy!

He lets his glance slip past the surrounding crowd of stunned bitties, watching to see if the Sansys or Little Bros are gonna do anything.

Nothing…

Not a single one gets up or attempts to do anything.

Too fuckin easy!!! Edgy smirks further. He’s gonna have this group of idiots licking his feet at this rate.

He’s about to say something more when a loud voice pierces through the crowd.

“OUT OF THE WAY, MISCREANTS!!! MOVE ASIDE! NOW!!!”

Edgy flinches when he hears the voice, his eyelights dilating… No…. There ain’t no way! Wasn’t the Fell line supposed to be discontinued?! He should be the only one here!

The crowd parts, and beads of sweat form across Edgy’s skull as his eyelights land on the tall bitty pushing through. He feels his breathing pick up, and he has to force it to stay steady as the tall bitty approaches. Deep glaring sockets, sharp disapproving teeth… Shit... it’s a Boss, alright!

The Boss stops in front of Edgy, his blank sockets sizing him up. Then he sneers.

“TCH… THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EDGY…?”

The large bittie’s voice is scratchy and gruff, but higher pitched like all Papy types. He folds his arms as he continues to look down, and Edgy can’t help but stare nervously at the single jagged scar that cuts across his left socket.

Plastering a smile across his own face, Edgy attempts to remain calm. He could get away with bad mouthing a few Blues and Papys, but he’s not so stupid as to cross a Boss. He’s only been around one other before, but it hadn’t ended well for him. If what Tiana had hinted at earlier was correct… he was only a single fight away from being recalled. While no staff member would ever admit what recall meant, Edgy’s pretty certain he ain’t never seen a recalled bitty again.

“What…?” Edgy responds, forcing back a growl that’s threatening to rise at the base of his skull. “Ya tellin me ya don’t like what’cha see?”

“HARDLY…” The taller bitty responds, his glare narrowing as he taps his fingers across his stiffly folded arms. “NEW BITTY… I’M NOT SURE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN SHOUTING ABOUT, BUT YOU’VE MADE ME STOP IN MY MOST IMPORTANT OF TASKS TO COME OVER AND END IT. LET ME MAKE SOMETHING CLEAR TO YOU, TROUBLE BRINGER! I AM THE ONE WHO IS IN CHARGE AROUND HERE, AND I EXPECT PROPER BEHAVIOR FROM EVERY BITTY SO LONG AS I REMAIN UNADOPTED. THIS IS AN ORDERLY ADOPTION CENTER, AND IF YOU CAUSE ANY MORE TROUBLE, YOU WILL ANSWER TO ME! UNDERSTOOD?”

Edgy smirks back, raising a brow bone at the other bitty. The guy practically set up the joke himself, and Edgy wasn't one to let something this good slide by.

Even if he was a Boss...

“So what yer sayin’ is... yer the Boss ‘huh…?”

The Boss’s socket twitchches for a moment. “YES!!! THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT I AM SAYING!!!”

Edgy attempts to relax, but he still can’t seem to bring himself to do so. His eyelights keep flicking to the scar across the other bitties socket, and he has to force them away each time.

“Heh… don’t worry, Boss…” Edgy shrugs, emphasizing the word Boss and closing his sockets so he won’t have to look at the other bitty. “I ain’t here ta pull any funny bone’s on ya.”

The Boss’s sockets twitch some more, and the tallest Blue behind him groans loudly. Edgy catches snickers coming off some of the other bitties in the back, and his grin stretches further when he realizes he has an audience.

“HUMPH… I SEE I WAS MISTAKEN.” The Boss says, sighing. “I THOUGHT EDGYS, BEING A PART OF THE SUPERIOR, FELL LINE WOULD BE EQUALLY SUPERIOR…”

“Heh… don’t be too disappointed, Boss.” Edgy snickers. “We’re skeletons! Nothin’s supposed ta get under our skin.”

The Boss now groans in frustration, but some of the room’s tension seems to have leaked out with it. “CLEARLY YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A WORTHLESS, RED-EYED SANSY! I AM DONE WASTING MY TIME HERE!” The Boss turns his head behind him. “SUPERIOR BLUE!” He calls, and the tall Blue who groaned from before salutes. “THERE ARE NIGHTLY PREPARATIONS STILL LEFT TO BE DONE! LET US FINISH THEM IMMEDIATELY!”

“YES SIR!” The specific Blue answers, and the two of them push from the crowd, walking over to what’s left of a folded pile of blankets several feet away.

Edgy lets out a sigh in relief.

“HE IS VERY RIGHT! WE NEED TO FINISH OUR NIGHTLY DUTIES IF WE WANT TO SLEEP!” One of the Blue says cheerfully, a Papy nodding next to him.

“EXACTLY!” The other Papys says, glancing at Edgy nervously. “BESIDES, MANAGER SAID HE WAS TIRED, SO WE SHOULDN’T BOTHER HIM!”

The crowd quickly disperses, the bitties grouping off in different directions as they get ready to sleep.

There is however, one bitty who stays behind. A small Blue steps forward, standing an entire two inches shorter than Edgy. His starred eyelights look up at him excitedly, almost in awe of the red eyed bitty.

“The hell do you want?” Edgy growls, watching him.

“I… I CAN SHOW YOU THE BEST PLACES FOR SLEEPING... NEW FRIEND!!!”

“I ain’t’cher friend, asshole!” Edgy snarls back. “N’I can find a place on my own!”

The small Blue takes a step back. “I… I AM VERY SORRY! I WAS JUST OFFERING!”

“Hurry up’n beat it pipsqueak!” Edgy snarls again, smirking as the Blue backs up. The small bitty gives him one last glance, before whispering, “I AM VERY SORRY…” and running away.

That’s how Edgy finds himself standing alone at the edge of the enclosure, watching as all the other bitties group up… without him. He scratches his arm awkwardly, looking at the various piles that are already naturally forming around the pen. He needs to pick a place to sleep, but… he doesn’t really want to...

While it’s true that bitties who don’t even like each other will still pile together at night rather than sleep alone, they do have preferences. Tch… why can’t he be fine sleeping alone like humans? The hell does he have ta be all dependant on this shit for!

Not wanting to look out of place just standing around, Edgy begins wandering the pen, looking at his different options. While most of the objects in the pen have been pushed to the side, there are still some things left scattered around for the bitties to sleep on or inside. Several large, movable blocks sit in the center of the pen, with the most prominent pile is built high on top of them.

Edgy’s eyelights travel up the pile, watching the Boss from before squeeze between two Blues, a Papy, and a Little Bro. He seems to be trying to get them all to sleep in an organized line by height, but his efforts are in vain. Bitties always end up a mess when they pile, but that doesn’t stop the Boss from trying.

Edgy Passes another pile, this one sitting out in the open near one of the walls. A Blue is getting positioned across a Sansy, trying to sandwich himself between the small lazy bitty, and the lanky Little Bro whose legs are kicked over them both.

As Edgy approaches, the Little Bro cracks a socket. “Hey buddy…” He says sleepily. “There’s room for one more if you want.”

“YES OF COURSE NEW BITTY! YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO JOIN US!!!” The Blue shouts, sitting up to beam at him. The Sansy says nothing, already passed out and unresponsive to the world.

Edgy pauses, thinking it over. But suddenly, a shiver runs down his back, and he turns his skull, sensing someone watching him. Two dark sockets glare at him from the pile in the center. It’s the Boss from before.

“Nah… I… uh… a-already gotta place ta sleep. Jus’ though I’d walk around fer a bit.” Edgy mutters, before quickly walking away.

Hopefully there was someplace that isn’t so out in the open. Edgy shivers, still feeling those sockets on his back. He does not want that bitty watching him all night. It may have been months since he’s been out of the fighting ring, but he still has a sense of preservation when he’s around other bitties. He won’t be able to sleep at all with those sockets on him.

Edgy walks past more piles, still feeling those sockets on him wherever he goes. There has to be someplace… somewhere he can sleep.

He stops in front of a plastic play tunnel, left stacked on the outside ring of the pen. His eyelights look over it longingly. It would be a great place to sleep… but… he’d have to sleep alone. It probably wouldn’t be able to fit multiple bitties inside, making it a bad spot for a bitty pile.

Edgy sighs, starting to walk past it. He’d still rather sleep with those sockets on him than sleep alone.

Suddenly a hand pops out of the entrance and grabs him by the ankle. Edgy snarls, instinctively, kicking it away.

“MWEH!... I AM VERY SORRY! EDGY BITTY!” A loud voice says, then a head pops out of the tunnel, and glowing starred eyelights look up at him worriedly. It’s the extra small Blue from before. “I WAS TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION BEFORE YOU WALKED AWAY!”

“Yer sleepin’ in there?” Edgy asks, surprised. Is the guy actually sleeping by himself?

“OF COURSE! IT IS LIKE A COOL CLUB FOR COOL DUDES!” The small Blue responds, then his smile grows. “DO YOU WISH TO JOIN US!?! THERE IS ROOM FOR MORE!”

“Us…?” Edgy questions, and another bitty pops his head out of the tunnel, this one a Papy.

“WHO IS IT, BLUE BITTY?” The large bitty asks, and he places a hand onto the Blue protectively as he looks Edgy up and down.

Edgy stares at him. How are they both fitting in there?

“OH… NEW EDGY! ARE YOU PERHAPS, LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SLEEP!?! THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM IF YOU’RE INTERESTED, NYEH HEH HEH!”

Both bitties smile up at him, and Edgy shuffles awkwardly in place. If there actually is room, this is the perfect spot, but he doesn’t want these two idiots to think he likes them’r nothin’.

“Tch… yeah, yeah…” Edgy says, rolling his eyelights. “Ya better not snore or nothin’.” Edgy growls bending down to get a look inside.

“MWEH HEH HEH! MAGNIFICENT BABY BLUES DO NOT SNORE!”

“I’ve heard plenty’a yer type snorin’ while they sleep.” Edgy snaps.

The tunnel is still as small as it looks, but the Papy inside has found a way to curl himself up such that the Blue can fit on top of him. Edgy crawls into the tube, trying to squish himself inside the space that’s available. He ends up crawling across the Papy as well, smashing himself beside the Blue that’s already there. The entire thing ends up being a mass of bent joints and pokey bones. Edgy decides not to complain, bitties don’t usually mind being curled up anyway, and it’s still better than sleeping with those sockets on him.

“I AM SO EXCITED YOU HAVE DECIDED TO CHOOSE US AS SLEEPING COMRADES, EDGY BITTY!” The Blue says happily, still trying to get comfortable as he prepares to sleep.

Edgy rolls his eyelights, leaning away from the loud bitty as he tries to go to get comfortable.

“YES! A NEW FRIEND IS ALWAYS WELCOME!” The Papy below agrees.

“I ain’t here cause I wanna be friend’s wit’cha…” Edgy growls. “So shuttup already so I can get some sleep!”

The two bitties go quiet, and the small Blue curls away from Edgy, moving closer into the Papy’s lap. Edgy feels himself start to sweat. Great… now they’re making him feel like an asshole.

“I JUST… I WANTED TO TELL YOU…” The Blue says quietly. “THAT IT WAS VERY COOL HOW YOU STOOD UP TO THAT BOSS!”

“Tch… I ain’t afraid’a any shitty bitty.” Edgy mutters back, starting to close his sockets. He’s actually a lot more tired than he thought.

“L-LANGUAGE" The small blue mutters. "AND YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL…” the bitty stretches, before curling into an even smaller ball. “THAT BITTY CAN BE VERY MEAN...”

Chapter Text

Edgy is startled awake by a noise. It’s heavy and sudden, like something large slumped over and fell on the floor. He’s forgotten the position he left himself in when he fell asleep, and ends up tangling in the limbs of the other two bitties as he jumps awake.

“Shit…” He mutters, trying to clamber off the large, gangly bitty beneath him.

He’s only managed to free his arms when he hears another loud slam from outside. He flinches and his eyelights immediately dart to the entrance of the tunnel he’s sleeping in, searching for any approaching threats.

Tch… sleeping in here was a bad idea. He can hardly move with this limited space. He needs to be ready. If someone attacks him right now, he won’t be able to get out of the way in time. Why the hell does a Papy think it’s okay to sleep in here? There isn’t enough room.

He’s finally able to untangle himself from the other two bitties when something grabs him heavily by the arm. Edgy turns, snarling at whoevers touching him.

Two starry blue eyelights stare silently back.

“Ya… Ya dumb ass!” Edgy growls, jerking his arm out of the blue’s grasp. “Stop fuckin’ grabin’ me like that! Do ya wanna fuckin’ die?”

“I-I AM MOST SORRY EDGY BITTY!” The small blue whispers. “BUT I NEEDED TO GET YOUR ATTENTION!”

“How ‘bout ya try usin’ yer mouth instead!”

“IT IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE QUIET…”

Edgy sighs, still glaring at the blue curled across the other bitty. Do blue’s even know the meaning of the word quiet?

“The hell do ya want, then?” Edgy growls.

“I-I WAS GOING TO WARN YOU… ABOUT THAT NOISE… YOU HEARD IT… CORRECT?”

Edgy’s eyelights dart back to the tunnel entrance, searching for any signs of motion outside. “Yeah… the hell is that?”

“SOMETIMES… EVERY FEW NIGHTS... ” The blue says, looking scared. “THE CENTER IS HAUNTED BY A GHOST…”

Edgy glares into the blue’s dumb, shaking eyelights. “...A ghost…?” He repeats darkly.

“Y-YES… IT IS VERY SCARY… AND MAKES LOTS OF NOISE AND-”

“There ain’t no such thing as ghosts, moron!” Edgy pokes the blue right between the sockets. “N’ even if there was, there ain’t no ghost that’d be dumb enough ta haunt someplace stupid like a bitty adoption center!”

“TH-THERE IS TOO! EVERYONE’S HEARD IT!” The blue says, a little louder.

“N’ have any a ya idiots seen this damn ghost?”

“W-WELL NO… BUT…”

“Then how do ya know it ain’t n’ animal or some shit?”

“IT’S BECAUSE NOBODY’S EVER SEEN IT! THERE ARE SECURITY CAMERAS ALL OVER THIS ADOPTION CENTER, BUT-”

Another loud thump sounds across the center, this one coming from a different angle. Edgy slides his eyelights back to the tunnel entrance, immediately silent and ready.

“Tch… S’probably jus’ another bitty sneakin’ around at night n’ bein’ a dingus…” He mutters, scooting the rest of the way out of the tunnel. “Sansy’s like that kinda shit… S’probably one’a them.”

“L-LANGUAGE, EDGY BITTY! WHAT IF THE GHOST HEARS YOU?!” The blue calls behind him.

“It ain’t a fuckin’ ghost!” Edgy growls back.

Once outside, he glares around the dark bitty pen, noting multiple pairs of eyelights alert and glowing as they dart around the center. Nobody seems to be moving from their places, instead each pair of eyelights watch from their own respective bitty piles. Edgy instinctively searches for the pile in the center, looking for that boss from earlier. The entire pile is still fast asleep, and Edgy huffs, feeling his soul calm. Nobody was comin’ ta kill him. He’ll be fine. S’nothin’ ta be freakin’ out about.

He climbs on top of the tunnel, sitting down, and waiting for his soul to slow to its regular subtle hum. He’s still a little confused with everything that’s gone on in the past two days. It’s like his life had changed so quickly, and now he’s suddenly back at an adoption center… again...

Edgy sighs, watching the eyelights wink out one by one as the bittieys slowly fall back asleep. As far as he’s concerned, he never wants to be adopted again, not that that’s really his choice... Bitties are built to need humans. How would he be able to live if he wasn’t around them?

“EDGY BITTY…?” A loud voice whispers.

Edgy sighs, glaring down at the small starred eyelights that are poking out of the tunnel.

“M’up here dumb ass…” Edgy responds.

“LANGUAGE! ARE YOU COMING BACK?”

“Yeah…” He yawns, before sliding from the tunnel, and landing heavily on his feet.

He’s about to duck back inside when he hears another heavy slam. The whole room jumps, and he’s immediately on guard, his eyelights darting towards the source of the sound. He can’t see very far into the dark adoption center room, but from what he can tell, the sound is definitely coming from somewhere outside the bitty pen.

“I-I TOLD YOU IT’S A GHOST!” The blue says, scurrying back inside the tunnel.

Edgy continues to look around, squinting past the glass into the merchandise section. The little outfits for bitties sit frozen on their hooks, like small people hanging from poles. There isn’t any motion from the store at all.

“I-It ain’t a ghost...” Edgy growls, taking one last look, before climbing inside. This time, he dumps himself halfway across the heavily sleeping papy, giving himself a better angle for escape should he need to get out of the tunnel faster.

He rolls his body into a ball, fixing his eyelights on the entrance one last time, listening for any sounds. “Now shuttup’n go ta sleep!” He growls, still watching. “I’m fuckin’ tired!”

“LANGUAGE!”

“EDGY BITTY!”

“EDGY BITTY!!!”

“WAKE UP, EDGY BITTY!!!”

Edgy groans, moving his arms to shield his head from the blue bitty’s voice. He’s still tired, and the loud voice only makes him want to sleep in longer. Besides, mornings are shit, and he doesn’t want to deal with whatever it is the stupid adoption center has planned for him today.

He rolls completely off the Papy below him, giving the large bitty enough space to scoot out of the tunnel on his own, then tries his best to get comfortable against the bottom of the hard plastic tube and go back to sleep.

“GROANING IS NOT WAKING UP EDGY BITTY!”

“Get up without me… m’still tired…” Edgy mumbles, somewhat enjoying the cooling sensation of plastic tube against his cheek.

“THERE WILL BE MORE TIME FOR NAPPING ALL NIGHT LATER! RIGHT NOW WE MUST GET UP FOR THE DAY! HURRY, EDGY BITTY!!!”

“One more hour…” Edgy grumbles.

“ONE HOUR IS NOT HURRYING!”

A growl forms at the base of Edgy’s skull, and he starts to feel agitated as the blue’s voice pounds into him. “Leave me the fuck alone…” He says darkly, trying to warn the blue not to push him any further.

The small blue huffs in response. “EDGY BITTY! AT LEAST RESORT TO HORRIBLE SWEARING ONLY AFTER YOU’VE WOKEN UP PROPERLY!”

“Fuck you!” Edgy growls again, curling into a tighter ball.

“NYEH… I DON’T BELIEVE THIS IS WORKING, BLUE BITTY…” Another voice loudly whispers.

“YES, I CAN SEE THAT PAPY BITTY…”

“THEN THAT CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING…”

Suddenly, long arms are grabbing Edgy around the middle. He snarls, but is swiftly pulled from the tube and dangled by the armpits above the ground.

“NYEH HEH HEH! THERE IS NO NEED TO GROWL, EDGY BITTY!” The Papy says, beaming as he holds the raging bitty before him. “WERE YOU NOT TAUGHT TO USE YOUR WORDS WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY? GROWLING IS QUITE UNCIVILIZED!”

“Put me down, right the fuck now!” Edgy hisses, baring his teeth in a threat.

Instead his skull is suddenly mashed between two hard bitty bodies as he’s crushed in a double sided hug.

“THERE, THERE, EDGY BITTY! MORNINGS MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU, BUT IT IS NOTHING THAT A HUG FROM YOUR AMAZING NEW FRIENDS CAN’T CURE! DO NOT FRET, WE ARE BOTH HERE FOR YOU. SOON YOU WILL BE FULL OF FOOD AND ABLE TO FUNCTION LIKE A PROPER BITTY!”

“I’m gonna kill ya both!”

The small blue and his papy friend step into the back of the line that’s formed at the edge of the bitty enclosure. In the papy’s arm, held around the middle, Edgy mutters to himself as he’s dragged behind the other two. These two damn bitties are lucky he ain’t allowed ta cause fights, cause they were this close ta getten’ the shit beat outta ‘um.

He glares at the line before him, noticing he isn’t the only one to be carried this way. Several sansy’s seem to have been dragged from their sleep, and near the front of the line, a little bro is held up by two eager blues, lecturing him as he wobbles between them sleepily.

“SEE, EDGY BITTY! IT IS NOT SO BAD ONCE YOU’VE WOKEN UP!” The papy says, standing on his tiptoes as he attempts to look over the bitties in front.

“Dust off…” Edgy mumbles, laying limply in his hold.

“BESIDES!” The blue chips in. “TODAY IS THE BEST DAY FOR BREAKFAST! IT’S OATMEAL DAY, EDGY BITTY! IF WE HAD NOT MADE SURE YOU WERE AWAKE, YOU WOULD HAVE SURELY MISSED YOUR PORTION.”

“Like I give a fuck!” Edgy growls back.

“LANGUAGE!” The blue and papy shout, before stepping forward as the line begins to shrink.

“AND YOU WOULD HAVE MISSED MORNING HEAD PATS AS WELL!” The blue says, looking as though this would have been the worst thing that could ever happen.

“I’d rather sleep in…” Edgy mutters, yawning as he closes his sockets.

“NYEH!” The papy chuckles happily. “YOU ARE SO VERY MUCH LIKE A SANSY! I THOUGHT THAT EDGY’S WOULD BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT YOU ARE ACTUALLY SO ALIKE.”

“Glad’ja realized it! Now let me fuckin’ sleep!” Edgy growls.

“LIKE A LAZY SANSY WHO SWEARS!” The blue agrees, nodding his head.

“AND HAS BAD MANNERS!”

“AND THREATENS PEOPLE!”

“AND PROBABLY DOESN’T MAKE AS MANY FRIENDS!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“LANGUAGE!”

Several other blues chime in when they hear Edgy swearing, and he ends up muttering in the papy’s hold as they wait. This is why he didn’t want them thinkin’ he likes ‘em. Now these two idiots r’ tryin’ ta be friends with him, and he ain’t here ta make friends. Everyone’s gonna jus’ get adopted anyway. Why even try ta make friends? This whole place’s jus’ a holdin’ cell fer bitties ta be put on display for humans. Like some kinda fruit waitin’ ta be picked. Nothing good comes of makin’ friends here. You’ll only miss them when they’re gone… You’ll only be sad once they’re ripped away…

Because bitties don’t getta make the decisions...

The line begins to shrink, and Edgy glares past the bittes in front of him, watching the human above handing out the food. It’s some dumb looking girl with mousy brown, shoulder length hair. His eyelights travel down her face and rest on her hands as she works. One of them is covered in a bandage, and he feels his mood lighten a little when he sees it.

“H-Hey…” He mutters to the papy still holding him. “Ya can put me down now.”

“ARE YOU FINALLY READY TO BE AWAKE?” The papy asks, not quite trusting the grin forming on Edgy’s face.

“Yeah, yeah… I ain’t tired anymore, so let me down…” Edgy urges.

“ALL RIGHT…” The papy says, before bringing him upwards and waiting for Edgy to stand on his own two feet.

Edgy waits the rest of the way in line in silence, trying to avoid attention. His group arrived last, and they have to wait till everyone else gets their portion before it’s their turn.

“Good morning little blue!” The human cue’s once the blue steps up. He immediately bows his head as she lifts her hand into the pen, eagerly awaiting the pats he’s about to receive.

“GOOD MORNING WORKER SUSAN!” The blue says back, leaning deeply into her hand and smiling as his skull is rubbed.

“Did you sleep well?” She asks.

“MY NIGHTLY NAPPING SESSION WAS ADEQUATE.” He states, looking like he’s in heaven as she keeps rubbing his skull.

“I heard the ghost showed up again last night.”

“REALLY? AGAIN?” The papy asks in surprise as he waits beside the blue. “BUT I DIDN’T GET TO HEAR IT!”

The blue pauses, before peeking around the humans fingers to look her in the eye. “IT WAS VERY LOUD THIS TIME…”

Susan rubs his head a little longer, before bringing her hand away to scoop at a large pot set up on a table next to the pen.

“You were able to get back to sleep this time weren’t you?” She asks.

“E-EVENTUALLY…” The blue says, his voice much softer than usual. “A COOL GUY LIKE ME WOULD NEVER BE SCARED OF SUCH THINGS!”

Susan smiles as she empties a large scoop of hot oatmeal into a bowl, adds a spoon, and hands it down towards the blue waiting on the other side of the glass. Bitties can eat a lot more than their size lets on, and their portions reflect that. The bowls are small, but not as small as you’d expect for a little skeleton. The small blue ends up wobbling a little as he tries to balance the much larger bowl with his much smaller frame.

Once the bowl has been handed over, Susan reaches back for something in a container next to the pot, then holds her hand over the blue’s bowl, letting several small white eggs fall across the steaming food.

“WE GET SIX THIS TIME!” The blue shouts, nearly vibrating in happiness.

“WOWIE!” The papy says as well, already bowing his skull downwards as Susan reaches to stroke him next.

“I had a little more left over than I thought I would.” Susan responds.

Edgy rolls his eyelights, waiting next to them in silence.

“MAYBE THIS TIME I’LL GET THE ELUSIVE TYRANNOSAURUS REX!” The blue says, watching as susan finishes the papy’s head pats, and reaches again towards the pot.

“SIX IS A HIGH CHANCE, BLUE BITTY! THE ODDS ARE WITH US TODAY!”

The blue turns towards Edgy, still holding his bowl. “LAST WEEK, ALL FOUR OF MY EGGS WERE TRICERATOPS…” He says, trying to explain his situation as he waits.

The papy gets his portion next, and he waits patiently for Susan to garnish his bowl with the eggs as well. “THEY ARE STILL FORMIDABLE CREATURES, BLUE BITTY…” He says, taking his bowl and moving away so Edgy can step up next. “NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF CRETACEOUS PERIOD HERBIVORES.”

Susian eyes the final bitty as he steps up, her eyes widening a little as recognition dawns on her.

“Um… hello there little Edgy. How was your first night here?”

“S’fine…” Edgy answers, watching her hesitate, her hands staying firmly on the other side of the glass.

“You… seem to be feeling better today…?” She almost seems to ask.

“M’feelin’ alright…” He answers simply.

She stays still for a moment longer, before gaining confidence, and reaching her hand over the glass.

Edgy does the opposite of what a bitty’s supposed to do, lifting his head and grinning.

Susan hesitates.

“Hehe… what…? scared I’m the type that’ll bite the hand that feeds?” He asks, watching the fear form in the much larger humans eyes.

The hand backs up.

“Don’t worry sweet cheeks” He says, grinning further. “m’jus’ here ta getta bite ta eat.”

Susan glares down at him, but that’s exactly what he wants. Ain’t no way a giant ass human’s gonna pet his head in the morning like he’s some kinda obedient animal. He got plenty of handling yesterday, if his soul gets low, he’ll find his own way to charge it back up. He doesn’t need humans.

“So… just the bowl for you today…” She says, reaching for the pot instead, and scraping out his portion.

She hands it down towards him, and just as he reaches forward to grab it, Edgy opens his jaw and then immediately snaps it shut.

The hand retracts faster than lightning.

“Hehehe!” Edgy snickers, catching the bowl as the human drops it in her haste to get away from his mouth full of serrated teeth. “Don’t’cha know my bark is worse’n my bite…? R’ is it the other way around...”

“EDGY BITTY! YOU ARE BEING VERY RUDE!” The blue says loudly as he marches over to Edgy, balancing his bowl of oatmeal as he looks at him in disappointment. “I’M MOST SORRY, WORKER SUSAN… EDGY WOKE UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED THIS MORNING… I’M SURE THAT IN TIME HIS MOOD WILL IMPROVE AND HE’LL BE MUCH MORE COOPERATIVE.”

“I-It’s okay…” She answers. “If he doesn’t want to be pet-”

“OF COURSE HE WANTS TO BE PET!” The blue says stubbornly.

Susan looks down at Edgy, who promptly looks away.

“I don’t…” He says simply, then turns and starts to march away.

“Wait!” Susan shouts, and Edgy pauses, letting his eyelights slide slowly back up to her face. “You forgot your eggs.”

Edgy turns. “Like I give a fuck…”

“LANGUAGE!”

But Susan’s hand is already hovering over his bowl.

Edgy hesitates, deciding to let her give him the eggs. It’s free food; he may as well take it. Once they’ve all been dropped into his bowl he stalks off, heading towards the tunnel once again.

Small feet follow behind him, and Edgy huffs, hearing a bitty walk up.

“YOU… YOU DIDN’T BITE WORKER SUSAN… DID YOU…?” The blue asks, marching beside him with his own bowl.

Edgy grins, glancing at the blue from the side.

“Might’a…” He answers.

“EDGY BITTY!” The blue says in horror. “BITING HUMANS IS THE WORST THING A BITTY CAN DO!”

“Heh… I can think ‘a plenty ‘a worse things.” Edgy says, smiling.

“BUT HUMANS WILL BE AFRAID TO TOUCH YOU IF YOU BITE THEM!”

“Maybe I fuckin’ like it that way!” Edgy growls back.

“EDGY BITTY!” The blue says in shock.

“N’ ya know what else? I don’t give a shit what’cha think! So leave me the fuck alone!” Edgy growls.

The blue speeds up, walking ahead of Edgy, before coming to a stop in front of him.

“Move outta the way…” Edgy warns, trying to walk past him with his bowl.

The small blue blocks the way. “YOU ARE IN NEED OF A SERIOUS LECTURE, EDGY BITTY. AND LUCKILY… I AM VERY GOOD AT LECTURES.” He says proudly.

“MOVE!” Edgy growls, pushing forward with his own bowl.

The blue stays still, wobbling a little with his large bowl. “WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN ADOPTED AND THUS, MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH... THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I KNOW NOTHING AT ALL. ANYONE CAN BE A GOOD PERSON IF THEY TRY, EDGY BITTY. YOU ONLY NEED TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE AND-”

“I said MOVE!” Edgy snarls, and it catches the blue off guard.

There’s a brief moment as the blue fumbles with his oatmeal, before the entire thing spatters across the floor. “MY OATMEAL…” He says softly, standing over the mess.

“This is why I told’ja ta move!” Edgy yells, seething with anger.

“WHAT IS GOING ON OVER HERE?!” A loud scratchy voice interrupts, and both bitties freeze, turning to watch as a tall bitty speedily marches towards them, holding an empty bowl and looking angry. “WHY IS THERE SO MUCH SHOUTING GOING ON?! AND DID I HEAR SOMEONE SWEARING!?!”

“I-I AM MOST SORRY, BITTY BOSS!” The blue says, breaking out into a sweat as he immediately bends over to pick up his bowl. “I HAD AN ACCIDENT AND I… I’LL CLEAN IT UP RIGHT AWAY! HONEST!”

“YOU DROPPED ANOTHER BOWL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” The Boss snaps, sneering as he watches the much smaller bitty panic below him.

“I WAS HAVING AN ARGUMENT WITH EDGY BITTY, AND I-”

“NO EXCUSES YOU WORTHLESS IDIOT! HURRY UP AND TELL THE HUMAN WHAT YOU DID BEFORE SHE PUTS EVERYTHING AWAY! OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE NO BREAKFAST FOR YOU!!!”

“I’M SORRY!” The blue says again. His sockets begin to turn upwards as tears form at their sides. “REALLY I AM!”

“I SAID HURRY!” The Boss yells.

The blue squeaks, before taking his bowl and scurrying away. As soon as he’s gone, the Boss turns on Edgy.

“What…?” Edgy mutters, trying to erase his glare as he stares blankly back at the other bitty.

“I THOUGHT I INSTRUCTED YOU NOT TO CAUSE ANY TROUBLE.”

“Heh…” Edgy attempts to chuckle. “No bone’s to pick here… boss” He says, looking away.

The boss continues glaring, but edgy knows how to keep silent when he needs to. The shorter bitty plasters a grin across his face, waiting for the other bitty to respond first.

“I’M KEEPING AN EYE ON YOU…” The Boss growls.

“N’ iris-pect yer dedication ta my continued surveillance.” Edgy says back, hefting his bowl, and moving around the Boss, heading for the tube he slept in earlier.

“YOU’D BETTER NOT CAUSE ANY MORE TROUBLE…” The boss says as he passes.

But Edgy continues to walk away in silence.

"ONE MORE ISSUE! I'M SERIOUS!" The boss calls.

Edgy passes a set of bitty blocks, making sure to round them and move out of sight.

“Tch…” He mutters to himself, once he feels those sockets off of him. “Trouble... Heh... Ya call that trouble. Ya ain't seen nothin' close ta what I can do…”

Chapter Text

Edgy perches atop the plastic tube, slowly stuffing his jaw with mushy oatmeal as he glares over the rest of the pen. Like the boss from before, most of the other bitties have already finished their breakfast and are dragging their dirty dishes to be collected and washed. Some of the papy’s are even collecting bowls from the lazier bitties, making sure they all get back to where they can be cleaned and put away.

Edgy feels himself settle into a cold glare as he pushes around a melting chunk of what was once a hardened sugary egg. The bitties are all obediently doing their tasks in front of him, and he finds himself getting annoyed. Tch… Like he’s gonna bring his bowl back when he’s done. If they all like doin’ shit fer humans, then one’a those dumb idiots can do it for him...

He slides his eyelights to the clock above the adoption center entrance, watching the small hand tick closer and closer to opening. This center is run almost identically to all of the others he’s been at. Meaning, as soon as breakfast is over, the front doors will be unlocked, allowing humans in.

Edgy shudders.

They’re gonna wanna hold him… They always wanna hold him!

… If only he was allowed ta bite ’em.

He grins, just imagining their reactions… faces contorting, before a scream comes rushing out of their giant stupid mouths. N’ then he’d have ta be on guard for their retaliation. Would they try to swing him off in a fit’a surprise, ‘r would they be smart enough ta try’n smash him off instead? It’s always a rush, bitin’ humans, and Edgy relishes in it.

“EDGY BITTY! THERE YOU ARE!”

Edgy flinches, hearing the blue’s loud voice calling him. He flicks his eyelights downward, spotting the shorter-than-average blue huffing and puffing as he comes to a stop beside the tube. He has a fresh bowl of oatmeal in his hands, minus the eggs. Susan had given the last ones out, not counting on him dropping his food.

“Yer back again?” Edgy growls, rolling his eyelights and purposely looking away as though just speaking with him is requiring a lot of effort. “The hell else do ya want?”

The blue ducks his head a little, pawing gently at the floor with his clawed toes. “I… I JUST THOUGHT THAT… I’D EAT WITH YOU…” He says slowly.

Edgy sighs, stuffing another spoonful of oatmeal behind his teeth and closing his sockets. “Ain’t’cha friends with that papy? Go eat with him…”

“HE... HAS OTHER FRIENDS HE EATS WITH...” The blue responds. “BESIDES, IF I EAT WITH YOU, THEN WE WILL BE WELL ON OUR WAY TO BEING FRIENDS!”

“Tough luck, dumbass…” Edgy growls. “I don’t want friends.”

“LANGUAGE, AND EVERYONE WANTS FRIENDS!”

Edgy huffs, feeling like this conversation is taking longer than it needs to. “Well I don’t… so fuck off.”

“WHY NOT!?!”

Edgy almost chokes on his oatmeal. Dammit he hates blues!

“C-Cause I don’t, alright!”

“BUT…” The blue’s beautiful starred eyelights expand, and he stares up at Edgy full of hope.

Edgy rolls his eyelights again. “Go beg at someone who gives a damn…”

“MNGH! FINE… MAYBE I WILL...” The blue says, and Edgy’s brow bones rise as the bitty shifts his bowl in one arm, points the peak of his nose hole up, and marches pointedly away.

Edgy sighs, dipping his spoon back into his own bowl. Finally, some peace and quiet. Fuckin’ blues always gotta ruin everything. He’s only got a little time before this place is full of humans n’ their fuckin’ hands. He just wants to eat breakfast in peace. 

He scrapes again at one of the melting eggs, the color just starting to show through as the dinosaur within appears. He never cared about these stupid sugary kid things before, but for some reason he finds himself lightly scraping away the dissolving egg, studying it, trying to figure out if-

“OH! DID YOU GET THE TYRANNOSAURUS!?!”

Edgy nearly dives off the tube, barely keeping a grip on his bowl as he’s forced to rebalance on his pelvis.

“The hell! I thought I told’ja ta fuck off!”

“MWEH HEH HEH! LANGUAGE EDGY BITTY!” The blue chuckles smartly. He’s somehow climbed onto the opposite end of the tube with his own bowl, and now he looks at Edgy with glee. “YOU DO NOT OWN THIS TUBE, AND SO... I CAN EAT WHEREVER I PLEASE!”

“Oh yeah…?” Edgy growls, his sockets growing dark.

Sweat breaks out across the other bitty’s face, but he holds his cheerful grin. “Y-YEAH…”

Edgy lashes out with his leg, knocking the blue off balance and sending him tumbling off the tube.

“N-NOT AGAIN!” The blue shouts, quickly gathering himself and looking worriedly for another spill. He stops when he sees Edgy smirking down at him, juggling both large bowls.

“Ya almost dropped yer breakfast again, dumbass.” Edgy says, scooting the second bowl closer to himself as he attempts to balance them both. A grin slides across his face, and he holds the other bowl up, making sure the bitty can see it. “But... I suppose I should thank ya fer handing it over…”

“BUT THAT ONE IS…” The blue trails off as he watches Edgy smirk. He looks away, searching past the bitties in the pen worriedly. He’s about to respond when he pauses. Then he folds his arms, grinning back. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE EXTRA HUNGRY EDGY BITTY! I AM ALWAYS MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE WITH MY NEWEST FRIEND!”

“I wha…?” Edgy stutters, the grin sliding off his face.

The blue places his thumb and finger across his chin. He closes his sockets, thinking into his hand and striking a pose. “HMM… AND YOU DID JUST GET RETURNED ONLY YESTERDAY! I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS SOONER… WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH YOU WERE FED BEFOREHAND... IF YOU NEEDED EXTRA FOOD THAT BADLY, ALL YOU’D HAVE TO DO IS ASK… WE ARE FRIENDS AFTER ALL, MWEH HEH HEH...”

“I’m stealing yer food, dumbass!” Edgy growls back, setting both bowls down and visibly getting comfortable. “There ain’t no sharin’ goin on.”

“I’M REALLY OKAY SHARING, EDGY BITTY. GO AHEAD!”

“N’I said I ain’t sharin’, I’m stealing it!” Edgy growls again. “Cause yer pissin’ me off!”

“LANGUAGE! AND SHARING IS WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR!” The blue states, but one of his sockets is open, the eyelight focused on the bowl in Edgy’s grasp. “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME. AS A GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP... I-I INSIST.”

“I really will eat them both!” Edgy snaps back.

“AND I’LL BE GLAD TO BE SHARING WITH YOU!”

“Ya ain’t sharing shit! I’m takin’ it!” 

“EATING IT IS A SYMBOL OF OUR FRIENDSHIP! GO AHEAD!”

“No it ain’t! I’m eatin’ ‘em both cause yer a fuckin’ dumbass. Hurry up’n have fun starvin!”

“I WILL HAVE LOTS OF FUN, AS I WILL HAVE MADE A BRAND NEW FRIEND!”

Edgy huffs… “Jus’ say ya want yer bowl back, dumbass…”

“NO, NO…” The blue says, holding up his hands. “IF THIS IS THE COST OF FRIENDSHIP, THEN I AM HAPPY TO PAY IT.”

“It ain’t! I’m tryin’ ta teach ya a lesson about bein’ annoyin’!”

“AND I AM TRYING TO TEACH YOU A LESSON ON FRIENDSHIP!”

“Well I ain’t learnin’ shit!” Edgy shakes the bowl. “Last chance... Ya want yer food’r not?”

“BUT IF I TAKE IT BACK… GASP! ARE YOU PERHAPS... WORRIED ABOUT ME AFTER ALL?!”

Edgy stands, balancing the two bowls as best he can. He glares at the other bitty, giving him one final look, before holding both bowls over the edge.

“Maybe I’ll jus’ dump ’em both out… Ya think I’m dumb enough ta fall fer yer reverse psychology bullshit?”

“NO! EDGY BITTY, NOT THAT!” The blue squeaks, running up to the tube and holding out his hands. He looks frantically behind himself, before looking back upwards, and edgy pauses, noting the quick change in the other bitty. “YOU WIN, YOU WIN! WE DON’T HAVE TO BE FRIENDS RIGHT NOW! JUST DON’T MAKE A MESS!” The blue begs.

Edgy huffs, sitting down again and glaring at the bowls. He’s hungry, but it’s not like he needs two bowls of oatmeal. It’s just soggy mush anyway… If it were some kinda greasy food, that would be different. Edgy sighs just thinking about it… They don’t serve any sort of fast food at adoption centers, and It’s not fair…

He levels his spoon with his bowl, and pauses when he sees something brightly colored hidden within the mush. Oh…? Are they finally done…?

“I… I WASN’T TRYING TO GET YOU TO GIVE IT BACK ANYWAY…” The blue says from below. Edgy ignores him, continuing to scoop through the oatmeal, searching. “...I JUST REALLY WANTED US TO BE FRIENDS!” Edgy counts five… but where’s the last one… “I GOT IT! I-INSTEAD OF FRIENDS… HOW ABOUT GOOD ACQUAINTANCES…?”

“That’s it...!” Edgy blurts out before he can stop himself.

“R… REALLY!?!” The blue says excitedly, looking up.

Edgy stares at his bowl, ignoring the other bitty as he studies the contents with narrowed sockets. “...This is what you were all excited about…?” He says simply, studying the sad red sugar lump that’s supposed to be a tyrannosaurus rex.

“W-WAIT! DID YOU GET IT? THE-”

“Yeah! I got it…!” Edgy cuts him off.

“MWEH HEH HEH! YOU ARE SO LUCKY!”

Edgy glares at the lump, annoyed at its very existence. He scoops it out, trying to get a closer look.

“CAN… CAN I SEE IT BEFORE YOU EAT IT…” The blue asks, his voice quivering pitifully from below.

Edgy smirks again, holding up his  spoon. He angles the handle away from himself, placing his index phalanx on the edge and applying a light pressure. He makes sure the bitty can see him below, before laughing. “Sure... Keh heh heh… Why not…”

The blue jumps, slamming his hands hard on the tube. “EDGY BITTY NO! FLYING IS FOR TERRORDACTYLS!”

“Eh…? Ya never know with these guys, power’a friendship’n all that… Big ass armless rex could fly if he believed hard enough…” Edgy’s grin widens and he pushes harder on the edge of the spoon.

“PLEASE! EDGY...” The blue looks around the pen wildly. “I’LL… I’LL LEAVE YOU ALONE! DON’T MAKE ANOTHER MESS, PLEASE!”

Edgy realizes who the blue’s been looking for, and he drops his grin, scanning around the pen, looking for that scarred socket. He suddenly feels like someone has been watching his back.

 “Tch… asshole’s ruinin’ everything...” He mutters, before dropping the spoon back into the bowl and leaning back. He can’t seem to spot the boss, but he knows he’s there… watching...

“Hey… The hell’r ya even afraid’a that boss fer anyhow…” Edgy mutters, taking another bite of his oatmeal. Usually baby blue’s get along with bitty bosses just fine. Or at least as well as a boss can get along with any other bitty. It’s strange for this one to be getting yelled at.

The blue kicks his feet shyly against the rubber floor. “I’VE ALREADY MESSED UP ONCE TODAY… A-AND TWICE THIS WEEK…”

“Tch… so? Tell that asshole ta fuck off.” Edgy mutters, pushing a spoonful of oatmeal behind his teeth.

“I WOULD NEVER USE SUCH LANGUAGE ON ANYONE, EDGY BITTY!”

“Well ya should… Asshole’s annoyin’... Gettin’ in everyone’s face’n actin’ like he owns the place…”

“HE HAS BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME… LONGER THAN I’VE BEEN HERE…” The blue responds.

“So what! Just cause ya’ve been here fer a couple weeks doesn’t mean ya getta own everything.”

“... IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A COUPLE WEEKS…” The blue answers immediately.

Edgy pauses, his spoon held at his teeth, then he looks down at the small blue, realization hitting him. “Wait… Then how long ‘ave ya been here?”

The blue’s face changes color, and he threads his fingers together before looking down. “T… TWO-” The blue answers.

“Two weeks ain’t that bad…”

“M-MONTHS…” The bitty squeaks out.

Edgy stops shoveling his food. That’s a really long time for a blue… Most blues are usually gone within three weeks at most… Wait… If the blue’s been here for two months… then how long has the boss…? Wasn’t the fell line discontinued almost half a year ago? Has he really been here…? This whole time?

Edgy sighs, staring at the two bowls in front of him. Usually, bitties get adopted pretty quickly. The center wouldn’t get another shipment of them until most of them were gone, or they adopted out a lot of a specific type. Why are these two…?

Edgy glances down at the bitty standing below. Nothing is more nerve wracking than being passed up by potential humans… Especially when they seem to be leaning towards selecting you. Even he’d felt that pressure, and he could care less about getting adopted. They’ll sit there, smilin’ n’ talkin’ wit’im… Making it seem like he’s the one… N’ then they go off n’ get a Sansy cause he slipped up n’ said a cuss’r some shit...

Edgy sighs “...Here…” He thrusts the blue’s bowl downward, holding it out towards the other bitty.

“DOES THIS MEAN THAT-!”

“IT DOESN’T! S’ jus’ payment fer information!” Edgy snaps, gently shaking the bowl as he holds it out. “Hurry up’n take yer damn bowl back!”

“MWEH HEH HEH! THANK YOU EDGY BITTY! YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD FRI-” Edgy slams his foot against the tube, threateningly. “TRADING PARTNER!!!”

Edgy glances at the clock above the door, then scoops out the last of his oatmeal, forcing it past his teeth as fast as he can. They’re going to be here soon...

“EDGY BITTY!”

“What!?!” He snaps, annoyed at the constant disturbance by this loud bitty.

“YOU GAVE ME YOUR DINOSAURS!”

Edgy sighs, hopping off the tube. “I don’t give a shit about eating yer damn sugary baby food. Izat why ya like it, BABY blue?” He says, smirking, then he drops his empty bowl beside the blue.

“WE ARE CALLED THAT IN REFERENCE TO THE COLOR! NOT ACTUAL BABIES!” The blue huffs.

“Yeah Yeah…Whatever… Jus’ make sure’n take my bowl back wit’cha when yer done… BABY...” Edgy says, ducking his head, and looking inside the tunnel. He bends over crawling his way to the middle before getting comfortable.

“I SAID I AM NOT A BABY!”

“EDGY…!”

Edgy flinches, cracking open a socket, before covering his skull.

“EDGY!”

“Nnngh… WHAT!” Edgy grows, rolling over as the bitty’s loud voice drives into his skull.

“EDGY!”

“Shuttup… m’ tryin’ ta sleep. They hell ya gotta wake me up fer every time I’m sleepin’!” Edgy snaps, lifting his cheekbone and moving it to a new spot of the plastic tunnel. The cooler section of plastic feels soothing against his face, and he keeps his sockets shut, trying to continue the nap he was just taking.

“EDGY BITTY, YOU ARE SO LUCKY! THERE ARE ALREADY HUMANS HERE WHO WANT TO SEE YOU!”

Edgy snaps his sockets open, leaning up so fast he slams his head on the tunnel ceiling.

“WHAT?!” He growls, rubbing at the spot before looking at the other bitty.

The blue is crouched halfway down, looking excitedly at Edgy through one of the tunnel entrances. “HUMANS, EDGY!... THEY ARE ASKING FOR YOU!”

Edgy glares at the other bitty, thinking over his words. He knew they’d come… He knew it, but… 

“W-Well I ain’t comin’ out…” He snaps.

“BUT-”

“I’m takin’ a damn NAP!” Edgy states firmly, rolling over and shoving a hand under his skull.

“LANGUAGE! AND THEY ARE POTENTIAL ADOPTERS, EDGY BITTY… THEY’RE-” And the blue climbs inside the tunnel, getting closer to the other bitty before dropping his voice. “THEY’RE WAITING RIGHT OUTSIDE… YOU WOULD ONLY HAVE TO SEE THEM FOR A MOMENT…”

“I said I’m not comin’ out! They’re only interested in me cause I’m the only edgy in this fuckin’ place! I jus’ got away from my last bunch of dumbasses. Can’t a guy have some space!?!”

The blue pauses in his arguments, and edgy notices for the first time how loudly his soul is humming… When did he start breathing so hard? He’s hooked his claws into the tunnel, leaving small marks where they’ve sunken into the plastic. Ah… and it was so perfectly smooth too…

“I’LL… I’LL TELL THEM THEN…” The blue says slowly.

Edgy feels himself relax as he listens to the other bitty backing out of the tunnel. He’s surprised the blue gave up so quickly. Wasn’t the guy adamant about being adopted…?

“Y-YES… UM… HUMAN…” Edgy hears the bitty’s loud voice from outside. “I DON’T THINK IT IS THE BEST TIME RIGHT NOW… EDGY BITTY DID JUST COME IN YESTERDAY… HE’S FAST ASLEEP AFTER ALL, AND WILL BE FOR A WHILE… A SLEEPY EDGY IS NOT A PLEASANT ONE...”

“But Mom!” A voice whines.

Edgy flinches… Not a kid… He’s not doing another family with a damn kid!

“Can’t you get him to come out…?” A lady asks. “We’d need to see him before we decide…”

Edgy readies himself… The blue’s going to come shouting into the tunnel again… Any moment…

“PERHAPS IF YOU COME BY ANOTHER DAY…” The blue bursts out.

Edgy cracks a socket open, straining to look out the entrance facing the blue. He’s really going to let him sleep…? That easily…?

Or maybe… Heh… If they can’t adopt Edgy, then the blue has better odds… that little…

Suddenly the tunnel shifts, and Edgy feels his soul bottom out as the entire thing is lifted first into the air, and then tilted on one side. “GAAAAAH!” He snarls, digging his claws into the tunnel walls as his weight slides down the tube.

“H-HUMAN! PLEASE! THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE HANDLING!”

“I’m not picking him up, I’m just trying to see him.” The same lady’s voice responds.

“H-HUMAN…!” 

Edgy looks out the bottom of the tube, but he can only see the rubber pen floor. He doesn’t want to come out! He doesn’t! He feels the tube start to shake, and he forces his claws deeper into the walls. Screw these humans! He definitely ain’t comin’ out now!

“MA’AM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” A bossy voice calls.

The tube abruptly drops, hitting the rubber pen floor, and Edgy feels himself bounce heavily along the bottom, before coming to a stop.

“THE FIRST RULE ON THE SIGN CLEARLY STATES TO PROPERLY ASK A BITTY BEFORE PICKING US UP!”

“I did ask, but he won’t come out. Besides it’s not like I touched him.”

“Ma’am…” A new voice calls. “Please step over here…”

“My son just wanted to see the Edgy!”

Footsteps sound as the voices carry away, and Edgy huffs before prying his claws from the tube. His soul is shaking from the all the motion and, he just manages to breathe a sigh of relief before jumping as the boss’s voice calls again.

“YOU! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL THE HUMAN OFF PROPERLY?!”

“I TRIED MY BEST!” The small blue answers.

“WELL IT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH! ONE OF THE WORKERS HAD TO INTERVENE!”

“I A-ASKED THEM TO STOP.”

“USELESS! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS CAUSING SO MANY PROBLEMS!?!”

“I-I AM SORRY BOSS!”

“THIS IS WHY YOU AREN’T GOING TO GET-”

Edgy slams the tunnel wall, shoving his head out of the tube and glaring at the arguing bitties. “Shuttup, I’m tryin’ ta sleep!” 

The boss turns his head, looking down at Edgy as he sneers. “AND YOU WEREN’T ANY HELP EITHER…”

Edgy’s soul picks up again when he looks at that scarred socket, but he feels too irritated to let the boss win. “I was asleep.” He growls slowly through his teeth. “What d’ya expect me ta do.”

“AT LEAST COME OUT AND TELL THEM PROPERLY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING, NAPPING DURING THE DAY ANYWAY?”

“I jus’ came in yesterday, n’ I’m tired…” Edgy growls, doing his best not to escalate the argument. He keeps his eyelights averted, but he’s feeling extra irritated. He smirks a little before letting out another quip. “People who ain’t been adopted before wouldn’t understand.”

The boss turns his head sharply. Edgy can feel his wrath building, but he maintains his own steady glare.

“LISTEN HERE, EDGY! I’VE WARNED YOU… IF YOU DON’T LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY, THEN-”

Edgy’s hands form fists. 

“LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY…” Echos in his soul and he nearly spits something back, when the blue interrupts him.

“A-AND HE NEEDS MORE SLEEP!” he says, dancing in front of the tunnel. “E-EVEN SANSY’S CAN GET TESTY IF THEY DON’T HAVE PROPER SLEEP!”

The boss glares for a second more. “TCH… WHY ARE YOU ARE AGREEING WITH HIS SLOTHFUL BEHAVIOR?”

 The blue pauses, digging a foot into the rubber floor. Something loud happens across the pen, and the boss breaks his gaze instantly.

“NEHGH! WHAT NOW!” He yells, walking away from the tube. He turns before leaving, glaring at the pair of bitties. “I AM WATCHING YOU! DO NOT GET INTO ANY MORE TROUBLE! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!”

Edgy huffs, watching go, then he ducks back into the tunnel, getting comfortable. A moment later he hears scraping sounds, and suddenly the other bitty enters his space.

“The hell r’ ya doin’?” Edgy growls, turning to watch the blue clumsily entering the tunnel. He’s about to shout something more when he sees the bitty’s face. His eyelights are shaking, and it looks like he’s doing everything he can not to cry. Edgy huffs, turning away.

“J-JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE…” The blue says in a small voice, curling up against his back.

Edgy doesn’t complain. Even taking a nap with another bitty is prefered, just like sleeping. And this bitty looks like he wants to hide away just as much as he does. Instead Edgy lays his head down, trying to relax and get rid of his irritation.

“I REALLY TRIED TO STOP THEM…” The blue mutters.

“Yeah yeah… Whatever…”

Sniffles come from behind, and Edgy finds himself awkwardly fingering one of the new gashes he’s sliced into the tunnel. He should say something, but what should he say…? He doesn’t care that the idiot is crying, but it’s making it hard to sleep… It’s not like it was that big a deal… 

“That boss is an asshole anyway…” Edgy finally mutters. “Fuck him…”

“L-L-LANGUAGE…” The blue responds. “AND IT IS A-ALRIGHT… IT ISN’T HIM THAT BOTHERED ME…”

“What… the humans…?” Edgy asks. “Tch… fuck them too!”

“LANGUAGE…!”

“Hope they decide ta leave… It’d be shit fer anyone gettin’ adopted by those idiots…”

“THEY WEREN’T THAT BAD. THE CHILD SEEMED FUN.”

Edgy glances back at the blue, but his skull is turned away from him. He sighs, stretching his toes a little. “Tch… Yer probably all excited ta get adopted by anyone at this point… But humans like that ain’t good at all… If they can’t listen ta an easy rule in public, then they’re gonna be even worse n’ private…”

“R-REALLY…?”

“Yeah…”

Edgy repositions himself, feeling the tunnel getting warmer now that there are two bitties inside it. It’s nice… sleeping with someone again… Even if it is an annoying blue.

“WHAT WAS IT LIKE… BEING ADOPTED…?” The blue suddenly asks.

Edgy stiffens, his phalanges digging into his palms.

“Tch… It ain’t like they tell ya. Humans lie n’ jus’ use ya for whatever they want. If ya don’t act the way they want, when they want, they get annoyed. Ya gotta watch their moods cause whatever they’re feelin’ is pushed onta ya. They think they’re so great jus’ cause they’re bigger than ya, n’ cause yer a pet ya gotta do what they say. They think it’s funny ta see how ya react ta shit, so they do things ta freak ya out just ta see how ya take it. N’ ya gotta like what they buy ya or they get mad, and ya sure as hell gotta wear what they give ya. If they don’t got time fer ya, then they don’t got time. Botherin’ them’ll just make ‘em mad. Hell, everything makes ‘em mad! And-”

Edgy feels shuddering across his back and he stops.

“A-And…”

The other bitty starts to sniffle again, and edgy scratches at the back of his skull, thinking.

“A-And… Yer lucky… c-cause… You’ll probably get nicer ones… Probably...”

The bitty doesn’t respond.

“C-Cause… ya’know… Ya ain’t n’ Edgy… Bad people like Edgy’s more, N’ I got a bunch’a bad families cause I’m… Ya could be lucky… m-maybe… S’Not like every bitty gets returned… N’besides… Most’a the idiots who want Edgy’s want them fer… ya know… Cause we’re... So there’s gotta be…”

“IT’S FINE, EDGY BITTY… I’M FINE.” The blue mumbles.

Edgy stops, staring away out his end of the tube. He hears light breathing from the bitty behind him, and he settles himself against the plastic.

Of course the blue’s fine… He’s not the one who’s gonna be adopted...

Edgy yawns, staring at the line in front of him. It’s morning again, and after an entire day of hiding out and napping, he feels like he’s finally gotten a little closer to catching up on his sleep. He holds his arms behind his head, leaning into them lazily as the line slowly shortens. He got up faster than yesterday when the papy and blue attempted to wake him, and now they stand together near the front of the line waiting to be served breakfast.

“No ghosts last night, huh?” Susan asks, handing back a newly filled bowl to the blue who holds out his hands. 

“IT WAS A VERY RESTFUL NAP!” The blue answers collects it from her. He stands aside, waiting for the other bitties to take their turns.

“GOOD MORNING, WORKER SUSAN!” The papy says, bowing his head in turn. She strokes his skull gently, using her other hand to scoop from a bowl of freshly cooked scrambled eggs. “Morning…” She answers back, smiling and handing over the bowl.

The Papy collects his breakfast, and stands aside too, both bitties now intently watching edgy as he shuffles lazily up. 

“Morning…” Susan says, recognizing the bitty immediately and faltering in her motions. “Um... “ She keeps both hands back, using them to serve his breakfast. “I hope you slept well…” She says, refusing to look the bitty in the sockets.

Edgy has to force down a snicker. He knew this human would be easy, but this is just sad. It’s only been one day, and he’s already got her respecting his space. What a damn wimp. “Yeah, yeah…” He mutters, keeping his eyelights averted as he leans into his hands.

She hands a bowl down, holding it in front of him. Edgy removes his hands, and, as fast as he can, snaps his jaw at her fingers.

“Ah!” She squeaks, dropping the bowl as she moves her hand to safety.

“Keh heh heh…” Edgy snickers, catching the bowl, and sauntering off to allow the next bitty access.

“EDGY BITTY!”

“EDGY!”

He slides his eyelights to the scandalized bitties watching him. “ Heh… Sorry… Looks like I got a little egg-cited…”

“NO!”

“EDGY BITTY, WHY!?!”

“APOLOGIZE TO SUSAN!”

“APOLOGIZE TO THE SANCTITY OF HUMOR!”

He snickers, walking past them. They mutter something behind him, before they part ways and the familiar footsteps of the blue sound.

“WHY MUST YOU ANTAGONIZE SUSAN LIKE THAT?!”

“Tch… whatever… s’jus’ a little joke…” He snickers, shifting his bowl as the eggs steam in his face.

“SHE IS VERY SENSITIVE! WHAT IF YOU NEED HER ASSISTANCE IN THE FUTURE AND SHE IS TOO AFRAID TO HELP YOU?”

“Hm… yeah… this could really bite me in the ass later.”

“EDGY!”

“Eh… Not my problem if she’s terri-fried!”

“EDGY!!!”

“What…? I thought she was makin’ a hilarious egg-spression!”

“PLEASE STOP SPEAKING!”

“Heheheh!” Edgy snickers, glancing to the side to watch the blue. He shuffles around a group of bitties sitting across his path, heading for the same tube as the day before.

“Anyway… I thought I told’ja ta stop followin’ me today.” He says, still sensing the blue following behind him.

The blue speeds up, easily ending up beside edgy as they both carry their bowls.

“THEN I’LL JUST HAVE TO WALK FASTER!”

Edgy speeds up as well, glaring at the other bitty. “I’m bein’ serious! I don’t wanna deal wit’cha this mornin’!”

“LUCKILY MORNING IS ALMOST OVER!”

“I said fuck off!” Edgy snaps, speeding up again. The blue speeds up as well, easily matching his stride.

“GASP, LANGUAGE! AND WHAT WILL YOU DO WITHOUT ME!?!”

“The same thing I always do!”

“THEN... DURING BATH TIME YOU WILL HAVE TO GO IN ALONE AND HAVE NO ONE TO POORLY ATTEMPT TO HIDE-”

“Shuttup! That was one time! I got a new plan fer tonight!” Edgy growls, walking even faster.

The blue keeps up without a problem. “MWEH HEH HEH! AND WHAT PLAN IS THAT!?!”

“A plan that ain’t none of yer damn business!”

“LANGUAGE! AND I DO NOT SEE WHY YOU ARE SO ADAMANT ABOUT BEING ALONE. A FRIEND CAN ONLY EVER-”

In his haste to outpace the other bitty, edgy steps over one of the many small cushions scattered around the pen. His clawed foot catches across the corner of the pillow, and as he attempts to steady himself, he finds his bowl tipping over.

“S-SHIT!” He yelps, trying to balance his bowl, and himself. He feels like it’s the end and is just about to spill when another hand reaches out to help him.

“MWEH HEH HEH… SEE!” The blue says proudly, one hand outreached to help balance the bowl that had almost fallen over. “THIS IS WHY YOU NEED FRIENDS, EDGY BITTY!”

Edgy stares back, his sockets expanding. “Are… Are ya completely stupid!”

“THAT IS NOT A VERY NICE WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU…” The blue huffs. “BUT I TAKE YOUR GRATITUDE.”

“No you idiot! Your food!”

The blue follows edgys eyelights, trailing down his own arm and to his bowl. It’s held at his hip, but in his haste to help catch edgy’s bowl, the entire thing had overturned, and now his eggs are spilled once again across the floor.

“MWEH!!!”

“Sh-Shit!”

“NO HO HOO!”

His starred eyelights dilate and he releases Edgy’s bowl, flipping over his own and staring at the empty dish.

“I… I CAN STILL… U-UM… SURELY… I-IT’S JUST A SMALL SPILL AND- MWEH! THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS WEEK! HE IS GOING TO BE VERY ANGRY!”

Edgy watches the blue’s face for a moment before making up his mind. “Quit whinin’! Let’s jus’ put it back before he sees!” He snaps, putting down his own bowl and looking hastily around the pen. He feels his soul speeding up just thinking about the boss catching them.

“I CAN’T EAT DIRTY FOOD!”

“It doesn’t matter right now, jus’ put it back!” Edgy hisses. “Ya gotta clean it up anyways!”

The blue starts shoveling the spilled eggs back into his bowl. They’ve rolled across the cushion and he grabs the largest pieces first, throwing them into the dish in haste.

“MWEH! THE PILLOW IS ALL WET!”

Edgy’s neck bones prickel, as he senses sockets on his back. He grabs the cushion, dumping the eggs still on it into a pile, before quickly flipping it over and laying it back down. Then he uses his foot to push any of the leftover spilled eggs beneath it.

“EDGY NO! WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP!”

“We’ll do it later!” Edgy growls, “Jus’ put it there for now.”

“EDGY NO!”

“Shuttup! N’ hurry!”

“EDGY!”

“WHAT ARE YOU TWO UP TO?!”

Edgy jumps, hearing the boss’s voice behind him. He uses the momentum to slam himself across the cushion, lounging as best he can in what he thinks is a natural position. “N-Nothin’... boss…” He stutters, glancing at the blue before looking back.

The blue remains silent, his eyelights dilating further in his extra wide sockets.

The boss tips his head, looking at the blue’s half filled bowl sitting on the floor. “THIS ISN’T WHERE YOU WERE PLANNING TO EAT! WHY DID YOU STOP HERE!”

“Ain’t we allowed ta eat here…” Edgy responds. He glances at the blue again, noting his increased silence, before spotting a scrap of egg poking out of the cushion. As best he can he attempts to lean one of his feet over it, but the boss follows his movements.

“WHAT ARE YOU HIDING!?!” The boss demands.

Edgy feels his soul speed up, and he presses his foot over the evidence. “”Nothin’ egg -citin’, boss.. Jus’ scramblin’ around a bit… havin’ f-fun…” Edgy plasters his grin across his face, but he can tell the boss isn’t believing what he’s saying. The hell does he even gotta butt in for… They’re gonna clean it up, he doesn’t gotta tell them what ta do. 

“ENOUGH WITH THE JOKING!” The boss says agitatedly, ignoring the puns and continuing to watch edgy. “WHAT IS THAT UNDER YOUR FOOT…”

This guy wasn’t going to give up without a fight, and Edgy can already feel his claws form fists at his side. He decides enough is enough. He isn’t going to take this shit from another bitty. Maybe he can get the guy to leave him alone forever. “It ain’t shit’...” He growls darkly, leering up at the other bitty. “Ya ain’t seen nothin’, so get outta here...”

The boss’s socket twitches, acknowledging Edgy’s increased aggression. “YOU WILL NOT TALK TO YOUR SUPERIOR THAT WAY!”

“Superior ta what…?” Edgy snarls back. “I ain’t gonna let some unadopted asshole tell me what ta do! Ya better fuck off right now if ya know what’s best fer ya!” He warns.

The boss unfolds his arms and for a moment he seems a little bewildered as to what to do next. Then he spots the blue standing frozen next to the cushion, and he seems to get ahold of himself. His own hands form fists, glaring back at edgy.

“C-COME HERE BLUE BITTY… WE NEED TO HAVE A TALK.” He demands, his sockets continuing to watch edgy.

The blue’s eyelights start shaking, and he nearly takes a step when edgy sits up, slamming a foot on the egg he had just been attempting to hide.

“Stop tellin’ him what ta do! I told’ja, ya didn’t see shit! We’re gonna take care of this ourselves. Ya don’t need ta show up every time something happens!”

“AND WATCH YOU DUMP OUT MORE OF HIS FOOD, BEFORE TRICKING THE HUMAN! I THINK NOT! YOU!” The boss turns again to the blue. “DO WHAT I SAY AND COME HERE!” The boss demands a second time.

Edgy feels his soul speed up as the phrase echo’s in his skull. “DO WHAT I SAY!” And he growls louder when he realizes the boss is accusing him.

The blue’s eyelights continue to tremble, but he lifts up his foot, taking a step forward. As fast as possible, Edgy lunges from the cushion, standing in front of the blue.

“I’ll give ya one more warning, asshole…” He hisses, glaring at the boss. “Turn around n’ leave…”

“E-EDGY B-BITTY…” The blue attempts to interrupt. “I-IT IS FINE… W-WE DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT.”

“Shuttup! I’m gonna take this guy down a notch!”

“YOU’RE GOING TO WHAT!?!” The boss shouts back.

“EDGY!”

“Shuttup!” 

“QUICKLY! BLUE BITTY! COME OVER HERE! DO WHAT I SAY!”

“DO WHAT I SAY.”

“DO WHAT I SAY…”

“DO WHAT I SAY… KILL HIM…”

Edgy lunges at the boss, easily catching him off guard and slamming him to the floor. He finds himself screaming as he’s sucked into that scar. Darker and darker. The black beyond black. Don’t let them touch you. Not a single hit. Pin his arms down and pummel him!

He smashes his fist into the other bitty’s skull, right across that hideous scar. Destroy it. Make it go away. Do what he says! He smashes his fist again, feeling something crack as he brings it down. Don’t let him attack. He’ll make you suffer. He’ll kill you. Get him first. You’re going to survive!

Cause down here, it’s kill or be killed.

“SOMEBODY STOP HIM!”

“EDGY!”

“THEY’RE FIGHTING!”

“SUSAN!”

“WAAAAAAA!”

Something heavy is slammed against edgy’s back, and he finds himself in darkness unable to move. “QUICK, GET HIM OUT!” Edgy struggles, battling against the weight pressed against him. He feels soft darkness wrap around his body and he snarls, reaching his jaw around and biting as hard as possible.

“HE’S BITING ME!”

“DON’T LET GO!!!”

He’s pulled into the air, thrashing against the darkness that seems to have enveloped him.

“OVER HERE!”

Calm down. He needs to calm down. Where is he… He… he isn’t. What’s going on!

“MOVE ASIDE! LET ME LOOK”

Edgy’s soul hums out of his chest, his head feels like it’s swimming, like the whole room is in water.

“What did he… What did he…?”

“TAKE HIM OVER THERE, THERE’S A FREE CARRIER!”

“DID HE KILL HIM??”

What did he do!?!

Edgy unlatches his jaw, feeling his soul spiral into a panic. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean ta!” He sputters, grabbing at the dark fabric that feels like it’s choking him. He attacked him… In a center, he attacked another bitty! 

“I… I Didn’t mean ta!” He shouts louder.

The fabric stops moving and edgy feels himself shutter, panting into it, then he’s suddenly plunged into greater darkness and released. His body scrapes across something hard, and when he looks up he finds himself inside a plastic carrier. “W-Wait…!” He says shakily, trying to get his bearings. He slips, crashing to the hard plastic floor. “I-I-I’m Sorry! I Didn’t… Please d-don’t! Ya gotta… Don’t put me in here!” Two windows are cut into the sides of the carrier, lined with grates. Edgy flings himself onto the only lit window, just in time to watch something cover it.

“Make sure you cover the front too. He needs to calm down...” A calm voice says.

“NO! I’m sorry! LADY! I SAID I’M SORRY! DON’T RECALL ME! WAIT!”

“We’ll be back to talk later edgy… Take… Take some time to calm down.” The woman sighs, before muttering about more paperwork.

“I AM CALM! Don’t recall me! I swear I didn’t mean ta!” He screams, hearing his voice muffled by the fabric.

But nobody responds.

Edgy’s hands slowly slide from the metal bars and he grabs his skull, rocking himself across the plastic floor of the kennel. He can’t breathe… Oh shit he’s going to pass out…

What did he do to that bitty…?

What did he do!

He curls into a ball, trying to calm his humming soul.

It hurts…

It hurts so much…

He lets the darkened crate consume him, waiting for the world to disappear, waiting for the hum of his soul to stop. His hands throb, and he shields them in front of his chest, wishing he couldn’t feel them. Why does he have to feel so much. As he gasps for breath across the plastic floor, he hears something shift in the kennel.

As fast as he can he’s rolled into an upright position, glaring around the carrying case for intruders. N-Nobody’s in there with him right…?! He would have seen them. His eyelights frantically search every corner, but they find nothing. He settles back onto the floor again, when he hears another soft shift.

Again he jumps into a ready position, searching the carrier for someone else. Where are they! He knows he heard them.

At last, he sees movement in one of the windows, and he turns his head, growling in warning when he sees what’s behind it. Two white eyelights look back, before crinkling into a smirk. 

“Well well... An edgy, huh…” A low voice chuckles

“Didn’t think they made those anymore…”

Chapter Text

Edgy growls in warning, staring at the dark window of his cage. From what he can tell, his kennel is lined up beside another, allowing the small barred windows cut into the sides to see through each other. A boned arm leans across the window, and from the other side, a wide grin stretches under two pinpricks of light.

“Heh… Welcome to solitary, buddy…” The bitty says with a smirk. He lazily lifts his arm, holding his hand out towards Edgy. “Hope you enjoy your stay.”

Edgy studies him, before huffing and glaring back. It’s just some stupid Sansy. The guy’s stuck in a kennel, same as him… He doesn’t gotta worry ‘bout him. He’s fine… he’s alone… He doesn’t have to fight...

“Ey, come on… don’t’cha know how to greet a new pal?” The bitty waves his hand a little, but Edgy ignores it, and instead scoots himself into the far corner against the windowed wall, trying to get out of the other bitty’s line of sight. He doesn’t need to say anything. He isn’t here to make friends. He’s going to be recalled, nothing matters anymore. It’s all over. Some stupid Sansy pretending like everything’s fine just pisses him off.

Edgy huffs, feeling the panic from before welling back up in his soul. Breathe… Just breathe… It doesn’t matter… He needs ta be able ta think… He’s gotta… He’s gotta figure out somethin’...

The hand from the window withdraws. “Welp, suit yourself… Just thought a bit of conversation would be better than practicing your breathing exercises.”

Edgy’s sockets expand as he feels the color move onto his face. Of course the other guy can hear him. S-Shit, he must’a sounded like a fuckin’ looser!

“Fuck off…” Edgy mumbles, hoping to get the guy to leave him alone. Unlike baby blue’s, sansy’s will usually back off if ya tell them to. They don’t got much of a spine n’ pretty much leave people ta do whatever they want. Actually, they’re pretty easy ta get along with, for the most part… Well…  S’long as they ain’t totally bored. That’s the only thing ya gotta watch out for. When a Sansy gets bored, you better bet some stupid shit’s gonna start happening. 

Edgy glares across the kennel. Hopefully this guy ain’t too pressed for entertainment, bein’ locked up n’ all like this… The sansy withdraws completely from the window, disappearing with the smallest sound of footsteps. Edgy watches the window for a moment more before settling down. Now he can finally think. No baby blue’s to bother him, no boss’s to watch him, and no sansy’s trying to show off their half assed comedy routine.

Edgy attempts to control his breathing as best he can, already feeling his soul speed up as his thoughts wander. He focuses his eyelights on the floor in front of him, trying to keep calm. Don’t let the other bitty hear him… Breathe… Think… Jus’ think...

Did he really kill that boss…?

Edgy clutches at his tunic, remembering how he dove for the other guy, n’ started smashing on his head. Right near the scar… It’s a weak point after all… But… S’not like he’s that strong right…? Edgy’s in general aren’t physically strong… He didn’t use any magic so…

You’ve done it before. Killed with your own hands alone...

Edgy turns over, trying to control the air in his chest. No! He didn’t this time! It was just a few hits. He was already calming down when they caught him. He was just teaching that guy a lesson! Bosses are strong, they can take a few hits!

He rolls over again, feeling his breathing become erratic. Breathe, just breathe...

“Hey… don’t mean to interrupt your swimming practice, but… You don’t happen to know what’s for lunch, do ya…?”

Edgy startles, rolling over and glaring at the window. A small boned arm is leaning out the side again.

Edgy huffs, already remembering the words on the whiteboard from this morning. “S’mashed potatoes n’ ham...” He mutters in annoyance, feeling his chest calm a little as he dredges up the memory.

“Nooooo…!” The other bitty calls dramatically.

“The hell else do ya think it’s gonna be!” Edgy snaps.

“Why can’t it be pizza…?” The sansy moans.

“Because all they ever fuckin’ feed us is some gross mushy shit, that’s why!”

“The whole day is ruined…” The sansy cries.

“Yer stuck in a fuckin’ cat carrier all day n’ what ya decide ta cry about is not havin’ pizza?!” Edgy snaps back.

“It’d be a much better day if we had pizza…”

Edgy palms his face, glaring at the window. “Jus’ shut the fuck up’n leave me alone already, dumbass! I told’ja it ain’t pizza already, what more d’ya want!”

The sansy seems to hesitate at the window, before withdrawing his arm again. “Sure… Cause sitting around silently in a cat carrier all day is more fun than talking about pizza… Got’cha...” His footsteps clack decisively away from the window, and Edgy waits for them to stop before he dives right back into his thoughts.

The store’s definitely gonna put him up for recall. No doubt about it. He can’t be adopted out anymore. The company would be held liable for any damages he causes. The store’s already gonna be in deep shit with him bein’ put out with the other bitties even after bein’ returned for bein’ violent. Hell, they’re gonna be in deeper shit when they find out he-

Edgy’s soul hums louder as he tries to breathe. No, he didn’t kill him! He didn’t! All he did was beat him up a little. The bitty’s… fine… probably! Edgy could still feel him trying to push him off even as they grabbed him… 

Or was that just the towel…?

Gah! He doesn’t know. Why can’t someone come by and tell him! Don’t jus’ leave him in here without sayin’ nothin’! His eyelights flick to his other window, still covered with the towel used to restrain him. Edgy rolls over, trying to be quiet enough that his neighbor in the next cage over can’t hear him, then walks up to the opposite window and cups his hands through the bars against the towel. It isn’t very thick, and some light shines through the cloth… But he can’t see any of what’s going on in the center. 

Dammit! Can’t they at least tell him what’s going on?!

He rocks back and forth on his feet, before making up his mind. 

He’s gonna have to check...

Edgy moves to his corner again, getting into a seated position, trying to calm his nerves. If he killed the guy, then his exp would be higher. All he’s gotta do is check… Actually, last time he remembered looking, he was already close to a level up. All he’s gotta do is see if it’s any different.

Edgy takes a deep breath and begins to focus. He closes his sockets, attempting to relax his soul as he thinks about himself. Summoning your soul is kinda like looking in a mirror. A weird mirror. One that doesn’t reflect what ya look like. Instead it shows who you are… And more importantly, what you’ve done… All he’s got to do is think about that. It’s pretty easy for the most part. Any bitty can do it.

His soul takes longer to come out than he’d like. His frazzled state makes it difficult to reach the appropriate focus and calm required to summon it. He still feels hesitant about knowing if he killed that guy, and that hesitance is making it difficult. Eventually a speck of light appears near his chest. It grows, coalescing in the air as it moves away from his body. The upside-down heart flashes into existence, drowning the carrier in such a bright light, the room becomes black. Edgy stares, watching it settle the set distance from his chest it always does. A deep shadow washes through the shape, and he frowns.

Same as always…

He huffs again before focusing once more on his soul. Humans often need a scanner to read them, but he isn’t a human. He can force a check on his own anytime he wants. In a moment, words begin typing themselves slowly beneath his soul. Silvery white, they match the heart above with a jagged font, like reading letters from an old computer. 

First his bitty class appears in large bolded print. “SANS”. It reads. That’s normal. This is always displayed first for all Sans types when checking their souls. His stats appear next.

HP 3/1 

DEF 1

AT 1

*Is having a bad day

Edgy glares at the flavor text in annoyance. Really…? His soul’s jus’ gonna call this shit a bad day? Fuck off! This is a fuckin’ horrible day! The hell does it think it is calling this a ‘bad day’. What? Has it been listening to that dumbass sansy! It’s not some simple shitty day where he didn’t get pizza fer lunch, he just condemned his whole fuckin’ life! Get a little more accurate about his status will ya, ya stupid soul! 

Edgy huffs to himself, starting to focus impatiently as he waits for the rest of his stats to appear.

LVL 4

EXP: 112

NEXT: 8

Edgy sighs in relief… It’s the same… He’s the same as before… That means he didn’t-

“Don’t mean to intrude on your little heart to heart over there, but… I’ve got another question…”

Edgy jumps, his soul slamming into his chest as fast as he can force it. The sansy next door has his head pressed against the bars now, straining his tiny white eyelights to look at him. 

“H-How hard is it for ya ta leave a guy alone!” Edgy shouts in annoyance.

“Mmm…” The sansy closes his sockets, and his smile inches wider as he thinks. “Probably not any harder than it would be to answer a quick question about dinner…”

Edgy balls his fists, starting to growl. “It’s applesauce and meatloaf! Now leave me the fuck alone!”

“No pizza…?” the other bitty questions.

“NO! NO PIZZA!” Edgy snarls back. “THEY’RE NEVER GOING TO GIVE US PIZZA!”

“You sure?”

“JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP N’ LEAVE ME ALONE!”

---

Edgy stirs when he hears movement outside his kennel. Something clinks against his neighbor’s ceiling before light fills Edgy’s dark room. The towel from before disappears from both his window and the front of the carrier, and Edgy blinks his sockets slowly, his eyelights adjusting to the newly flooded light. He hadn’t been asleep, he felt too sick in the soul for that. Besides, it’s hard for a bitty to sleep by themselves without anyone nearby to sleep with. Then again he wouldn't really call his state as being awake either. It was more like something in between, a place where his soul could stand still as he waited. Now that activity is happening again, his soul begins to speed up, and the familiar sickness in his soul doubles in anticipation.

What are they gonna say…

Beside him, the heavy breathing from his neighbors kennel continues. It started shortly after the sansy left him alone, and even with human activity around them it still hasn’t stopped.

Edgy crawls stiffly to his feet as a large human face appears in the kennel doorway. It’s Susan, and she hesitantly looks in his kennel first, locking eyes with Edgy for only a moment before shifting over to the sansy’s cage. 

“Sansy, it’s lunch time!” She calls, and edgy feels annoyance climb it’s way up his panicked soul. Did she jus’... She fuckin’ ignored him! 

“Mmmm… Finally!” The sansy answers from the kennel beside him. Soft shifting noises indicate he’s standing up, and after a few seconds his door clicks open as Susan unlocks the kennel.

Edgy comes to a stop just behind the front of his bars. He doesn’t want to interact with Susan right now, but he doesn’t want to stay in the back of his kennel either. Besides, she’s got lunch, so he may as well be ready for it.

To Edgy’s surprise, the sansy takes a shortcut out as soon as the door is opened. Did he just make a break for it? But a moment later his low voice picks up a little further away, laughing at a joke he made. Talking happens back and forth between him and Susan, and Edgy finds his soul dropping. Are they gonna take away his food? Are bitty centers even allowed to do that…? He didn’t have breakfast this morning either… Shit, is this how he’s going to be punished?

But Susan’s face appears again in front of his kennel, and Edgy notices himself flinching before he can gather himself to look her down.

“W-What…?” He sputters, watching her quiet face before him.

Susan’s eyebrows furrow, before she reaches for the lock holding the normally easy to slide open pet door. It clicks undone, but she doesn’t open the door. “What!” Edgy demands at her again, trying to force down a growl at how quiet she’s being.

“DECLAN!” Susan suddenly shouts. “I can’t do it!”

Another human pulls up next to Susan, smirking softly at the shorter human who starts to pout. His curly dark hair falls halfway down his forehead. It’s cut short at the sides, and Edgy has to admit he somewhat likes the little rows of lines cut into the short parts. Declan’s equally dark eyes turn down at the sides, showing a relaxed demeanor that can only match his slightly ruffled work shirt. He grins lazily at Edgy, side eyeing Susan before reaching one of his gangly hands for the kennel door. “Relax, he isn’t going to bite you…” He says. Then he looks again at Edgy. “Right?”

Edgy folds his arms. He’d seen this guy briefly yesterday. Seems he works a late shift, and from what Edgy could tell about him, he didn’t like to work at all… Which Edgy can respect…

But that doesn’t mean he’s gonna let him put his hands all over him…

“Dunno, still thinkin’ about it…” Edgy mumbles, folding his arms.

“Uh… well then… what about me?” Declan says pointing to himself. 

“Tch… Also thinkin’ about it…” Edgy repeats, feeling slightly frustrated.

He doesn’t wanna bite either of them right now. He’s already deep in shit as it is, but a small portion of him is hoping he can dig his way out. He’s gotta be civil right now, just as long as he might have a chance. That, and he’s hungry. If they’re going to give him lunch then he should at least hold off until he’s fed. He didn’t get to eat breakfast this morning, and his soul is starting to grumble from the lack of food.

“How ‘bout you keep thinking about it while I get you lunch, huh?” Declan says, holding up a bowl filled with mashed potatoes and some fake looking processed ham.

“Whatever” Edgy huffs, and when Declan opens the door, Edgy immediately takes a shortcut to the guy’s shoulder, sinking his claws into his shirt before glaring at the human. Declan pauses, looking a little stunned that Edgy’s tolerating him. Then he shrugs and moves Edgy’s bowl to the desk space nearby.

Edgy finally gets a good view of where they’ve been keeping him. They’re at the checkout counter in the middle of the adoption center. His kennel is stacked on a high shelf on the back wall along with two others. He spots the sansy, already on the counter, halfway finished with his bowl of food, and Edgy decides to join him. He takes another shortcut to the second bowl placed on the counter, and looks up just in time to see Susan walking briskly away. The sansy stops for a moment, watching her go, before looking up at Declan, who still stands idly by.

“Uh… Susan isn’t-”

“Yeah, uh… not today bud…” Declan cuts him off, flicking his dark eyes at Edgy before looking back at sansy. “You’re okay with me, right…?”

“Y-yeah… sure... it’s fine…” Sansy responds, slowly and somewhat quietly, before going for another spoonful of his food.

Edgy picks up his own spoon and begins digging in, doing his best not to panic about his circumstances while he’s out in public eating. He eyes Declan again while shoveling food past his teeth. Should he ask what’s going to happen to him? Maybe the humans aren’t going to say anything yet. They’re being pretty trusting by letting him eat outside the crate like this. Aren’t they worried he’ll escape? Are they not telling him what’s going on so he’ll behave? Dammit, this is frustrating!

As Edgy drowns himself in his thoughts, the sansy next to him finishes his meal. He drops his spoon in the bowl and settles into a seated position, as though waiting for something. Declan reaches across the counter toward the sansy, and Edgy expects that he’d be picked up and put back in the kennel, now that his meal is done. Instead, Declan drops his hand on the counter, resting it out, palm up next to the sansy. The bitty slowly reaches out toward it, hesitantly, like he’s worried about something. His tiny fingers come to a rest on the humans larger forefinger and he looks away, sweat beading across his forehead. Edgy finds himself staring.

“Uh… heh… heya… something wrong…?” The sansy says awkwardly when he notices the other bitty. Edgy flinches, stumbling with his spoon before dipping it back in the bowl. 

“N-Nothin’.” Edgy mutters, feeling strange and quickly looking away.

The hell is that supposed ta be!?!

“You’re next edgy boy.” Declan says, leaning across the counter between the two bitties, but keeping his hand where it was for the sansy.

“Next for what! The hell is that!?!” 

Declan smirks a little. “We can’t have you sitting in the kennel by yourself forever, not unless you want to dust… so… during mealtimes.” He reaches out his other hand, leaning it on the counter next to edgy. “However you wanna get it done.”

Edgy realizes what he means and quickly stuffs his face with the last of his food. He could probably use a little handling today, what with skipping out yesterday, but… Is nobody gonna talk about what’s going on after his fight earlier?

Edgy’s spoon clanks in the bowl as he gets up and walks to Declans hand, decisively flopping down next to it. He presses the back of his skull and shoulders fully against it, feeling the hard lines of the boys hand circle his head. This is how ya get it done. No wimpin’ out at the sight of humans and actin’ like a priss. If yer gonna get handled, then yer the one lettin’ it happen’, not the other way around! Heat radiates off the human’s touch, and Edgy feels his soul relax as warmth flows into him.

Declan snickers watching the small bitty below him, and edgy feels his body stiffen. “Susan was saying you’d bite everyone’s fingers off before you’d be touched.”

Edgy relaxes again, and even snickers a little back. “Well that’s cause she’s a fuckin’ wimp.”

“I happen to like Susan…” Another voice joins in, and Edgy leans over looking across at the sansy who’s still weakly holding Declans finger. He’s sweating heavily, and keeping his eyelights averted from what he’s doing.

The hell even is that!?!

“Yeah… well… buncha dumbass wimps would like each other...” Edgy sneers back. The sansy doesn’t respond, but Edgy can easily see his blank sockets lightly glaring at him.

“Hey, hey… let’s not have anymore bitty fights today, huh?” Declan cuts in. leaning farther over the counter so as to obscure the bitties from each other. “I’m really not in the mood for extra work.”

Edgy starts at the indication of his fight, looking away from the sansy and instead dead ahead. 

“Heh heh… Same here buddy, same here…” The sansy agrees from across the table.

After a moment of more silence Edgy looks up at the human whose hand he’s leaning into. That’s it…? That’s all he’s going to say. Nothing else. He’s just gonna sit there and give him some food and tell him not to fight?

Declan spends a few more minutes with the bitties at each of his hands, listening to a joke or two from the sansy who seems to be on edge more than usual for his lazy bitty type. Edgy feels his sockets start to droop, and when he finally comes to a light dose, Declan removes his hands and stretches. “That should be enough time.” 

Edgy falls back a little before catching himself. When he sits up, the sansy is already back in his kennel getting his door locked. Edgy looks out at the center one last time, contemplating if he should make a break for it, then decides against it. There’s double doors at the front of the center that won’t open for a bitty’s weight, and he’d probably be chased down and caught before he could make it that far anyway. He could try to hide, but he’s pretty sure he’d be found before he could sneak out. They’ll probably take him out to feed him again anyway, so he may as well bide his time and see what's going on. When he finally knows, that’s when he’ll attempt escape.

Once Edgy is back inside his kennel, Declan reaches for the door, shutting it and closing the lock that prevents Edgy from getting out. He’s about to leave when Edgy clears his throat.

“Hey! W-Wait!”

“Yeah…?” The human turns, training his dark brown eyes on the small bitty.

“The hell’s going on?” Edgy demands, folding his arms impatiently. He can feel his soul begin to hum, but he ignores it.

“With…?”

Edgy huffs. “M’ I gettin’ recalled or not…?” He snaps.

Declan pauses, seeming to think. “Don’t know… Tiana’s the one doing the paperwork… All I’m supposed to do is make sure you're fed.”

“N’ that’s it?!” Edgy snaps. “That’s all ya got ta say?”

“Uh… yeah…”

Edgy sighs, feeling somewhat relieved. He isn’t recalled yet, but… He isn’t not recalled either.

“Well… See you tomorrow…” The human says simply, and with that, he walks out of sight of the kennels and back onto the adoption floor. Edgy shuffles again to his corner against the back wall, and lays down. He stares at the ceiling, feeling his soul start to hum. He rolls over, trying to control it. He’s sick of feeling this way. He isn’t sure what’s worse, not knowing what’s going to happen to him, or being stuck in a kennel by himself. Damn he wishes he could sleep. The bitty next door seems strangely fine sleeping by himself, but it’s been a while since he’s had to do it...

Even when he was with that shit family, he had someone to sleep with…

His soul overflows instantly and soon thick tears stream down his sockets and onto the kennel floor. His breathing picks up and he clutches at the tunic around his chest.

And he’s never going to be able to sleep with her again…

His breath rattles as more tears slide down his face. He tries his best to keep quiet, he really does. But, after a few short breaths, he hears the familiar low voice from the kennel next to him.

“So uh… don’t mean to interrupt your plumbing-”

“THERE’S NO FUCKIN’ PIZZA TODAY!” Edgy snarls, slamming the floor with his fist. Why can’t this guy leave him alone? What is wrong with bitties n’ leaving him alone!

“Okay, okay… I know there isn’t any pizza today.” The sansy responds.

“THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YA WANT!”

“What about tomorrow…?”

---

Edgy traces the outline of light cast into his kennel from the outside, attempting to pass the time as he lays on the floor. The center is closed, and even though he should be sleeping, he can’t. He couldn’t all day, and now he can’t at night. It feels so uncomfortable, sleeping by himself. Even when his spine curved across two differently shaped bitties, he felt more comfortable than laying neatly across the smooth, cold bottom of this empty plastic kennel.

Tick… Tick… Tick…

Edgy’s almost certain the clock over the center entrance is what’s making that noise, and he huffs, continuing to stare at the ceiling. They fed them again during dinner, but this time it was inside their kennels. Guess they only get lunchtime for handling. The other bitty ate his meal in silencel, and for the most part, had left him alone without any more dumb comments about pizza. Edgy even heard him sleeping again soon after, and now he’s got to be the only bitty left in the place, wide awake.

How the hell does that guy sleep so easily like that?

Edgy rolls over again, hoping to get more comfortable. What’s with this sansy anyway... He’s locked up, the same as him, but for what…? He’s only known a few bitties to be locked up, and it’s usually Edgy’s with behavioral issues such as fighting. It’s difficult keeping bitties separate, as most bitties don’t like sleeping alone, and they have to be handled more often by humans else they’d dust.

All he can tell about the other bitty is he’s being all weird about getting handled. The sansy doesn’t seem like the violent type… so… what could he have done…?

As if on cue, the clock’s regular ticking is joined by a new faint sound. Quiet clicks come from the other kennel, and in a flash Edgy’s sprung silently to his feet, staring at the window between the two cages.

The heavy breathing from the other side is nowhere to be heard, and instead, light jingling, like metal on metal comes from the other side. Edgy creeps up to the window, peeking inside for the other bitty, but there’s nobody there. 

Huh…?

Edgy double checks, looking for the other bitty again, before slinking to the front of his kennel and grasping the bars and looking out. He’s right in time to lock eyelights with the sansy who’s halfway out his kennel doors, a pleased smile on his face.

“Oh…?” The sansy says, stopping when he sees edgy at the front. “Sup, buddy…?” He whispers quietly.

Edgy’s sockets widen. “Yer… yer out!” He says in surprise.

Sansy puts a forefinger to his teeth, winking one socket at the other bitty. “Think of it more like a little midnight stroll…”

“But…” Edgy says, quieting his voice and trying to see the sansy’s door. “They put locks on um’…”

“They did, didn’t they…” The sansy says, smiling a little wider.

Edgy fumbles for his own lock, which he hadn’t even attempted opening yet. But as he pulls on it, it remains shut.

“How’d ya get it open…?” Edgy demands.

The sansy continues to smile. “Picked it” He answers.

Edgy grins. “Yer the one who’s been fuckin’ off at night n’ makin’ everyone in here say there’s a ghost!”

The sansy grins back. “Heh heh… Guess I’m doing a great job of lifting their spirits!” He says, fiddling with his door, and moving it so it sits ajar. When he’s happy with how he’s left it, he walks to the edge of the shelf.

“W-Wait!” Edgy calls, stopping the other bitty.

“Yeah…?” The sansy says, turning.

“Ain’t’cha gonna let me out too…?”

The sansy lifts his brow bones, looking Edgy up and down. “Heh heh heh…” He chuckles slowly.  “nope…”

Edgy glares back. “Ya know I could tell the humans what’cher doin’ out here.”

“I know…” The sansy says calmly.

“Then hurry up’n let me out.”

“Nope…” The sansy says again.

Edgy starts growling, gripping at his bars. If this guy doesn’t have ta sit in his fuckin’ kennel all night, then neither does he. “Open my damn cage r’ else!” He snarls.

The Sansy is suddenly at Edgy’s bars. His eyelights flicker out, and his smile drops as he looks the other bitty up and down. “I’m not gonna open your cage, buddy, and you know why? Because I know you aren’t gonna snitch on me. You aren’t the type that gets friendly with humans, and even if you were, they’d lock us both up so hard, you’d never have any hope of getting out of this kennel again.”

Edgy growls louder feeling his soul preparing for a fight he can’t reach. He angles his skull attempting to sneer at the sansy. “Ya don’t know me, maybe I don’t care about all that!”

“Oh… I think you do…”

“Well, I don’t!”

“Oh really…? So a lvl 4 bitty think’s it’s a good idea to screw up one of his few good chances of escape and get himself locked up harder before he’s recalled.”

Edgy falters, but continues to glare back. “Y-Ya looked!”

“Probably didn’t need to, it’s written on your face…” The sansy takes a step back from edgy’s cage, frowning. “You’ve been busy, huh…” Then he smirks. “Surprised they didn’t recall you sooner with all that exp…” 

“Y-You! S-Shuttup! Ya don’t know shit about me!”

“I think I know enough…”

“Oh yeah! Well yer here jus’ the same! Ya don’t seem violent, so what kinda weird shit did’ja do... huh…? Lemmie guess, yer some kinda’ sick fuck who fondeled other bitties r’ somethin’ n’ now they can’t have ya together with em?”

There’s a slam on Edgy’s bars, and the eyelights return in the sansy’s sockets. Edgy’s smile grows, enjoying the agitation in the other bitty. So he must have guessed something close, huh? “Remind me ta stay s’far away from ya s’ possible, sicko…” Edgy snarls darkly.

“Heh…! I’d be fine with that!” The sansy responds.

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

The sansy moves his hands away from the bars, continuing to glare at Edgy as he walks to the edge of the shelf. “Tch…” He huffs before taking a step off the shelf, dissapearing.

“Filthy bitty killer…”