Chapter Text
Thunder strikes the ground, sinking into theplanet's core right outside 8's abode, the wind's harsh whispers seeping through the door, replacing the silence between the two odds. 9 skates along the dark oak floorboards, 5 tracing behind her. The moonlight sinks through the windows, illuminating the dim hallway, highlighting 9's face.
There's a smile on her face, 5 notices it immiediatly. 9 holds his hands on his hips, he usually does that whilst he skates if he's not trying to get something attention, that's something 5 noticed pretty early on when he started skate boarding. 9 is good with directions, 5 noticed that a long time ago, but now they seem rather confused and slow with each turn taken, not that 5 can blame them though, the hallways are pitchblack. Whenever they take a turn 9 seems to instictnively tap on the wall exactly 3 times. 9 usually does something like that when xe's confused or curious, 5 noticed that a while ago. But it's not like any of these things means anything. They're all just simple observations.
[A/N: Referencing yourself in your own work? Wow.]
5 tries to catch up to 9, walking up beside her. 9 is pretty fast despite being less powerful than the other numbers, it's something 5 noticed. "Isn't it dark for you?", he asks, monotonous. With nothing else but the relentless breeze trying to inavde the house filling up the otherwise overwhelming silence of the area. The sudden speech distracts 9 slightly.
9 turns to face the other odd. "Uh- yea dude. The power's all out and dead and stuff! Dunno dude, I think it's prettyyyyyy dark in here!" they remark sarcastically. It's hard to tell with their shades in the way, but 5 can tell 9 rolled their eyes. They do so whenever they exaggerate the ending of a word. It's a simple observation, really.
"I'm not just talking about the power outage! Why are you still wearing your shades inside the house- when it's night time- and there's no light around here whatsoever! Why keep them on? It's stupid."
"Cuz they look awesome on me, duh!" 9 points at xir shades, strolling off on xir skateboard before crashing into a wall. "Ouch-!" xe stumbles off xir skateboard, xir shades almost falling off as well before 5 catches xem.
It takes a couple of seconds for 9 to fix their composure, but she steps away from 5, trying to conceal their face. "Take your shades off. It'll be easier to see that way." 5 remarks as 9 tries to readjust their sunglasses. "Besides- you're more fragile than glass. One more bump and you might as well shatter." he remarks, carrying a somewhat mocking tone.
"I am NOT more fragile than glass!" 9 tries to conceal her irritation, "Whatever! That's never happening dude, these shades are stayin-" she bumps into another wall, cutting off her sentence. 5 can't help but chuckle a bit, "It's not funny! Not funny dude- shut up-!" 9 scrambles back up, flailing her arms, flustured.
"I'm not even laughing that much- you're just being dramatic!" 5 quickly responds, immiediatly trying to conceal his smile, "Stop blushing and compose yourself! You look like an idiot." he points at their face, his tone becoming more stern once again.
"I am NOT blushing!"
"Yes you are! You always start to blush and flail your arms around aimlessly whenever you're embarrassed, it's stupid." 5 rolls his eyes, sounding self-assured.
9 steps on top of her skateboard again, holding onto the wall for stabilitiy. "Always?"
"Everyone noticed that!" 5 quickly adds on, sounding flustured, much to 9's confusion. "Whatever! It's not a big deal- Let's just go!" he traverses down the hallways before taking a turn to the left, 9 quickly tries to catch up to him.
"Wait so- is it noticeable- do they also think it's stupid!"
"It doesn't matter! When are we reaching the room?" 5 quickly cuts her off.
The two continue to walk down the hall, the wheels on 9's skateboard whirring softly. "We weren't walking for that long dude, 8's house isn't that big! So um about the blushing-" 9 responds
"I said it's unimportant! Whatever- Aaswer the question, 9."
9 suddenly puts a stop on her skateboard, pausing. "Geez- no need to sound so offended all the time. You should work on that!"" he leans on the wooden door behind them, "But anyways- there's nothing to fear, Shakespeare! The attic is right behind this door- or well- 8's room is behind the door but like 8's room leads to the attic so it's uh- it's pretty much the same you know-! Yea- the same- let's just- go inside- yea, yea." their voice gradually shifts from confident to nervous and soft, stuttering slightly. 9 typically does this when she rambles on for too long about things he's meant to know about. 5 noticed that early on. It's a simple observation, really.
5 shoos 9 aside, aiming to open the door. The scent of cedarwood floods the halls as the door opens. The room is dark, but not dark enough. Melted candles and a stack of cards are propped on top of the bedside tables, which are postionned side by side an organised bed. A rocking chair is situtated infront of a corner-bookshelf, which is beside the walk-in closet.
Leaving xir skateboard at the door, 9 walks into the closet, 5 following behind. "There's a trap door right up there!" xe points up.
"I could probably lift you up there."
"There's a ladder right here bro." 9 moves a side, showcasing the ladder behind her.
"Oh shit didn't notice that." 5 quickly gets in between 9 and the ladder, preventing her from helping him pull the ladder to the foot of the trapdoor. 5 is the first to climb, he reaches the hatchet and pushes it open, crawling out into the attic. "Jesus christ- I can't see ANYTHING!" he pulls 9 up as well, leaving the both of them in the dark. "I'll go back down and borrow a candle from 8."
9 moves past 5, "Relax man- the pile of boardgames are right in that corner over there!" they point at the area before turning back at 5, fingergunning. "Lemme just- OOF!" 9 then falls face first against the floor after tripping over a convinently placed dice.
5 sighs before pulling 9 back up, "I told you that you should of removed your sunglasses. Maybe then you wouldn't be falling over all the time!"
"Whateverrrrrrrrr it's not a big deal!" 9 rolls her eyes as he stands back up, stepping away from 5. "Anyways we have like- a lot of games up here 8 pretty much has every boardgame ever- which should we get-"
"What do you mean we? It's 8's house."
"8 let's me surf around here a lot- it's practically my house too, bro!" 9 sits at the window's ledge "Actually now that I think of it- I might of left my water bottle in here, I should go look for it!"
"That's unimportant. Let's just get the games and leave." 5 kneels down infront of the pile, narrowing his eyes. Unfortunatly, it's still too dark to tell anything a part. Dozen of games and yet they all look the same.
"Can you get codebreaker?" 9 rests her head against the wall, "8 orders the games via colour and stuff, so like, it should be near the bottom. I'm pretty sure it's like the 107th box or something! I dunno."
"You memorised the order?"
"Yah. Like I said, 8 lets me stay over a lot. So I sort of just started noticing more things about em. Did you know about 8's bottle cap collection?" 9 props her sunglasses on top of her head, seeing more clearly.
"He has one?"
"I Think so- noticed a couple years ago ago that he only throws away the bottle but keeps the caps. Also I found his display case on top of that drawer." 9 points to the opposite end of the room from 5. He notices a birch drawer with candles and said display case on top.
5 rolls his eyes, finally picking out the codebreaker box. "Instead of collecting a bunch of stupid bottlecaps 8 should start actually helping around the Equation Playground for once- he's so lazy and irresponsible."
9 sits straight up, "I dunno dude, letting us stay at his house instead of forcing outside is pretty helpful dude!"
"What else does he do to help? All he does is play card games!"
"And all you do is argue. That's not any better man." 9 lifts up his shades to shoot 5 a glare, before letting them rest infront of his eyes again.
"That's not ALL I do! I'm the one keeping things orderly- I'm the planner- I'm the one keeping things in check whilst the rest of you waste all of your time! I'M the one who has to act as the leader here because I'm the only one who-"
9 fakes a yawn before interrupting 5, "Dude! It was just a small joke, no need to launch a whole monologue over nothin!" 9 finger guns, "You are WAY too serious all the time y'know? Anyways uh- can you get the 85th box? And the one on top?"
5 rolls his eyes, silently counting down until finding the requested box. "Well someone has to be realistic here." He oulls out the box before taking out the one on top too.
"You are not realistic broski."
"Yes I am."
"No you're not!"
"Yes I AM!"
"Geez man it was just a joke no need to raise your voice!" 9 laughs a bit.
5 scoffs, "Why can't you be serious for once?" he takes out another boardgame, not caring to check which one it is.
"I dunno! It's just hard to take you seriously, I guess!" 5 pauses at 9's reply, confused. "It doesn't matter if we're nice, or mean, or reckless or not. You're just always going to be mad at us. That's just how you are. Someone whose mad all the time. It was annoying at first but eventually- I just got use to it. You're not gonna change for the worse or the better, so why should I take you say or do seriously if it's not gonna matter? You're gonna get mad at everything I do." 9 rests against the walls, carrying a more out-of-characteristcly monotonous tone. "The others seem to take you seriously tho, for some stupid reason."
5 freezes for a moment, the attic's shadows looming over the two. He falls silent for a moment before speaking once more. "I do NOT get mad at everything you do!" he replies, evidently defensive.
9 simply stares at 5, her expression blank. "You're joking right? Like you yell at us all the time-"
"Okay well- yea! I yell a lot I know that! But- I'm not mad at you all the time." 5 stands up, gesturing at 9.
"...Me?" 5 nods at the question, 9 raises an eyebrow, not believing it.
"Okay well- Yes- I'm mad at you a lot as well but I don't get as mad as you as I do with the others!" 5 rubs the back of his head, sounding fairly awkward. "I mean- you're the only one left with a somewhat functioning brain aways." he looks away from xem.
9 gasps, "Oh my god! Is that Five Integer- complimenting someone? Wow! Anyways, you could of at least tried to be more genuine." 9 sarcastically remarks, the moonlight trying to slip through the glass.
"I am being genuine! You- you can be kind of smart!" he stands infront of 9, "Well- only at some certain times- not all the time." 5 stutters, quickly adding on before stepping back from 9.
The moon, looming over the house from the outside, slowly gets covered up by the clouds. The attic gets darker and darker. "Really?" 9 asks, sounding quiter.
"Really! I mean- I kind of have to admit that!" The other odd exclaims, "A lot of the things you plan or say sound stupid but for some even STUPIDER reason they end up working out or end up being true! Like division- I remember when you first brought up that idea! It sounded like the dumbest shit ever- and for some reason! You were right about it being true! And then the plan to get 6 out of orbit- that worked too somehow! And then there was the plan to find 12- and that- stupid square-rooting incident that YOU somehow fixed! " 5 paces around the room, listing off examples. "Somehow- you're the only other capable person here DESPITE being so carefree and that just-!" 5 pauses midway, stopping in his tracks. "...Well, that doesn't mean anything but, I guess that makes you less insufferable than the others." he states, looking away from 9.
9, sat up straight midway through the monologue, waiting for 5 to end. None of the other algebraliens really seemed to of considered them as 'smart' before, instead they seemed to consider him the opposite. "You remembered the division stuff?" 9 tilts their head.
"Well YEA! Of course I did- I mean, the others probably remembered too." 5 crosses his arms, trying to sound calm.
9 stares down, silent, his expression unreadable. He knows how the others truly see him, they think he's pathetic, simple as that. But hearing 5 of all people calling him smart- 9 facepalms. It probably means nothing.
This silence was quickly interrupted. "Whatever! We wasted enough time anyways!" 5 picks out 3 more random boardgames and adds them to the pile. "Let's just head back to the living room! Alright?" he picks up the boardgames.
9 lifts her head back up again, alert. "Oh! Haha! Yea- uh. Let's leave." she feigns a smile, coming off the wooden ledge. "Hand the pile over to me for a sec, you go step down first and I'll then give them to you!" she finger guns.
5 shoves the pile into 9's hand, "I GUESS that works." he heads to the ladder, stepping down. "Oh, and 9?" he peaks his head up.
9 kneels at the hatchet, giving 5 one of the boardgames, "What's up dude?"
"Forget everything I said. It meant nothing."
Though quiet for a moment, 9 tries to laugh it off. "Duh! I told you- It's like physically impossible for me to take you seriously." he smiles, stepping down after handing the rest of the boxes to 5. "But honestly dude, you need to stop it with all the tangents." he pokes him before walking off and getting his skateboard.
5 quickly follows after, "HEY! Well sometimes tangents are necessary."
"Most of the time you make pointless ones tho."
"I do not."
"Yes you do."
"I do not."
"You do."
"I do NOT! My rants are VERY important!" 5 crosses his arms, walking alongisde 9 down the hallway.
"Are they really that important tho?"
"Yes they are!" the two continue to bicker until they finally return to the living room, their voices becoming quiter and quieter with distance. The rainfall and thunder outside defeaning their sounds.
Things will continue being the same.