Chapter Text
Man, life’s quite wacky. I mean, it’s nice not being homeless and having both parents or so but well, it’s not like they pay me any attention. I mean look at me, I’m fucking eleven and I’m already swearing like this. Because -guess what?- I have unrestricted internet access, as my parents do not give two shits about me. And you know what happens to those kids without a restricted internet access?
They get into horror, I guess. How would I know? I mean, I’m a pretty lonely kid, I don’t have any friends, everyone thinks I’m creepy or something like that. I prefer being alone anyway. It’s more fun playing by yourself. People get weirded out whenever I open my mouth (as they do not find creepypastas fun for some reason), they aren’t into what I am into, and well, they might not care if I drop dead but it’s not like I care about them anyway!
I’m content with my video games. I mean it. I do.
I mean, sure, sometimes I look at their friendship funny and imagine how it would be to have a treehouse. A secret hangout spot. A kind sister. Go for a swim with friends and all that stuff, sure. But it’s not like I could find any friends like that, can I?
And fuck, if I do find all that, I hope my fate doesn’t end up like Sunny’s.
Like, what the fuck? Those dudes are supposed to be around same ages as me, right? What’s with Basil’s decision making skills anyway? How could someone just straight up make the worst decision possible ever? Like, seriously, that’s some Jimmy from Mouthwashing level of decision making. I know Basil was traumatised and shit… But damn. That’s so wicked. That’s so…
OMORI has ruined my life, in a way. From the moment I started playing it, I was captured; I loved all the characters and my lonely days were filled with the fantasies of hanging out with them. Thinking about it so directly like this is so embarrassing, but it’s the truth. They all seem to like and accept each other. It’s too good to be true, and it is ruined in the end anyway. It’s all so unfortunate, it truly breaks my heart. I cannot move on from it.
I wish I could hang out with Sunny. And read Captain Spaceboy comics with the others. Or just, you know, have someone sit right next to me on the school bus so that I’m not lonely throughout the whole ride. It does get embarrassing, even for me.
But alas. It cannot be helped. I mean, it’s not like I ride the bus anymore, I walk. Buses fucking suck anyway. Vehicles generally do. So much noise and pollution. I guess. I don’t know. Hey, speaking of the wrath of the vehicles, isn’t that truck too close? And too fucking FAST-
---
…
………….
It seems like I’ve been fucking isekai’d. By a goddamn truck. A truck? A truck hit me while I was on my way home from school and I woke up like this? Could anything get even more cliché? Is life actually making fun of me?
I get up from my surprisingly comfortable bed and look at my reflection on the mirror. It seems like I’ve been reincarnated as a kid around my age in my previous life. Looking outside my window, it seems like I live in a suburban area now. I am too scared to leave the room yet, though the outside doesn’t look threatening. Even so, my neglected child self is still there. This is what happens when you do not receive parental affection. You become detached from reality quickly and you are far too desensitized to be too emotional over literally dying. Jesus Christ, I literally just died. Still… I can’t help but wonder, is this too bad? I mean, this kid I’m looking at seems to be healthy. They are well-taken care of. Their room is elegant and comfortable. It’s all so cool. I can smell freshly baked cookies from downstairs. It surprises me. I don’t know, I’m not used to this type of stuff I guess. My mom rarely cooked, let alone bake. I’m tentative to go downstairs anyway. I’m deeply confused.
It's been hours since I woke up in that luxurious bed. I might have been not too emotional, as I’m certain I won’t miss my old life, but I’m still scared. What’s happening? Rather, what happened? Is this a Coraline situation where everyone’s out to get me? Or something? Dunno, haven’t watched the movie. Sorry. This is all so confusing and all that- but man, I’m also super curious. And hungry. And those cookies do smell awesome right now.
I take a final look at the mirror. I try to conceal my emotions. Am I an imposter? Who is this kid anyway? I try to gather some information on them. Thankfully, their conveniently placed wallet is sitting on her study table with their ID card inside. At the very least, I know their name.
And- residency? What? Is that… Oh my god.
Place of birth: Faraway. Is this the same Faraway? That Faraway? The Faraway Town that OMORI takes place in? Is that it? Is that really it? Did I get isekai’d into the game I’m obsessed with? Wow. How predictable. I genuinely don’t know what to think or how to feel about this.
The card slips through my fingers as my mouth hangs open. What kind of shitty plot is this? I do not want to see everyone suffer. I’m exposing Sunny and Basil just like that- or so I thought.
Because I hear a boy’s voice, calling out for who I assume is his friend. “Aubrey!” He exclaims. I quickly ran towards the window and see the one and only: Basil. He is chasing after Aubrey, Aubrey who still has her black hair, and they seem to be fooling around.
Oh god. Nothing happened yet. Everything’s actually fine. No one seems hurt… Yet. Oh god.
How do I check the date? My room doesn’t have any calendars! What year are we in? What month? I can’t… I don’t know, is there a way to fix it?
In midst of all that panic, as I scramble through answers, my stomach growls cruelly. I’m bound by my humanity once again.
I want some cookies. After a quick afternoon snack, I can dig deeper. I suppose.
Now, the thing that is never talked about enough in the isekais is the damn routine they expect you to follow. I don’t know anything, lady, I genuinely don’t. But the woman whom I assume to be my mother gladly feeds me some chocolate chip cookies, and she even kisses my forehead. At that exact moment, a warmth engulfs me and somehow I do genuinely feel like everything’s going to be fine. Like, no one’s going to find out I’m actually an imposter taking over this kid’s life and- god, this is so silly. I did not ask for this. I’m so sorry.
But this character is someone I have never seen in the game. Not even in the files. And trust me, I would know, I’m obsessed with the damn game, but they simply do not exist. Perhaps I am the sole cause of their existence. And perhaps I’m not an imposter- they are, um… Simply me, in an alternate universe. And my place is rightful now. Yes, that’s what I will believe in. Should an eleven year old even worry that much about all this when they just died like five minutes ago? Man, I should just munch on these damn cookies and enjoy the parental affection I basically never received and don’t sweat it. I will not feel guilty over what equals to five pixels in total in my previous universe, right?
Having eaten my snack, I look around a little, specifically for a calendar. Hmm, it’s late august. It makes sense, I was quite sweaty anyway. And as the date of the events that took place in the game has never been clarified, the year seems irrelevant.
“Um, thank you for the cookies,” I say to the woman whom I assume is their mother, “can I go and play now?”
She seems taken aback. “Oh, wow… Um… Of course, sweetie!” Are those tears in her eyes? “Go and enjoy yourself. Come back before it’s dark.” Pure damn bliss. If this kid is anything like me in previous life, I understand the joy in their mother’s eyes. I guess. Loving parent, something I am not used to, remember?
“Thank you,” I smile. Wow, that woman’s seriously quite affectionate, isn’t she?
“But first,” she points to her cheek, “give mommy a kiss!”
I’m a little hesitant as I have actually just met this woman five minutes ago, but fuck it, I run and give her a kiss on the cheek. At least I know for sure that she is my mother now. Or this kid’s. Whatever.
When I go outside, I realize Aubrey and Basil are still playing on their… Uh, what was Tamagotchi in this universe? Heh, as if I’d forget! Pet rocks, they were playing with their pet rocks. Or at least, Basil was playing with it and Aubrey was watching.
Being the more cautious and alert one overall, Aubrey quickly noticed my gaze and looked straight back into my eyes, startling me. I gave her an awkward wave, and she grinned. “Hey! You just moved here, didn’t you? I’m Aubrey!”
Realizing Aubrey’s fuss, Basil raised his head from his Tamagotchi- I mean, his Pet Rock, and looked at me. He smiled calmly. “My name’s Basil! Don’t be a stranger now.”
I gulped. I genuinely could not believe this was actually happening to me. Those guys were simple drawings for me, a bunch of pixels I’d attempt to replicate to hang on my wall over and over again, and here there were- smiling and staring at me. In blood and flesh. 3D. Even asking me for my name. I was too stunned to speak. I just stared.
“Wow, they are a little bit like Sunny, aren’t they?” Basil chuckled as Aubrey nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, it’s alright though! We are used to it. Did you get a good look at the town yet?” Aubrey chimed in, her voice cheery. Wow, I really wanted to be her friend right now.
Unsurprisingly, the thing that snapped me out of my trance was the two of them walking over to me, talking about the town. I quickly apologized for my spaced-outness and told them my name (while desperately hoping I remembered it right) and made small talk. Eventually, it turned out to them showing me around town.
It was all so… Lovable, so endearing, even. I liked everything about this small town. They seemed to like it too, they treated Hobbeez as some kind of Disney World, and I don’t know, it did feel the same way to me too. Maybe it was the weather, but I felt warm all over, and I smiled so much that my cheeks started to hurt.
“Um, actually, we were now going to hang out with the others. I’m certain the others won’t mind a new person. I’m not too sure about that idiot, though…”
“Don’t say that, Aubrey! Basically everyone was curious about the new kid, you know that. Kel’s no exception.”
“Yeah, it is a small town, I guess…” She pouted. Cute!
“I, um, if you are fine with me… Then I don’t mind,” I said, but my eyes must have been practically sparkling. Oh my god, far too many things to process… I needed to investigate, I needed a gameplan, what the fuck was happening?
Oh well. We are on our way to the playground now, so might as well.
Chapter 2
Summary:
In which the reader struggles to relate to the kids, while simultaneously going insane.
Chapter Text
“Kel, leave some for the rest of the children.”
“You little troublemaker! Eat less or mom will scold me when you don’t finish your plate.”
“Mom won’t care and you know it!”
Hero’s teasing expression softened as he watched his little brother. Soon, he ruffled his hair and regained his charming composure. “Well, I care. Mom’s cooking is healthier than all this junk anyway.”
“Oh, so my homemade cookies are junk now?”
“Err- of course not, sunshine! I meant mine! The snacks I… Brought.”
“Call me sunshine one more time and I’ll add you as my secret ingredient, you dork.”
I heard Basil laughing to himself. “I wish I could capture this moment,” he murmured. Aubrey sighed. “Kel is such an idiot…”
There they were. Rest of the gang. Settled on a picnic table, all enjoying the homemade snacks Hero and Mari probably provided. Hero’s trying to suck up to Mari as she brushes off every one of his attempts, meanwhile Kel’s gobbling up rest of the snacks.
“Well, what are we waiting for? C’mon, let’s go! I want some of those cookies.”
I was feeling extremely self-conscious as I just invaded these kids’ private hangout time. Really, was it a good idea bringing me here? The group seemed pretty homogenous already, I didn’t think they needed a seventh member…
Then again, look how great they turned out as six. As five, I say. They turned out as five. So I didn’t see the harm in trying to blend in.
“Oh, Aubrey! Basil! You’re finally here. And you brought a friend too!”
Upon seeing Mari’s smile up close, I now understood why “the sun shined brighter when she was there” was written in her memory. She was so pretty! And so was Hero. Especially while offering me a sandwich. A match made in heaven, like Basil said. “Hurry, before my rascal of a brother eats them all.”
Rest of the afternoon passed as I tried to pretend like I didn’t know any of these people inside and out. I was sweating bullets, and it wasn’t just because of the heat. They were asking me about my background but I genuinely didn’t know shit. All I knew was I was born here but apparently moved away only to move back again. Thank god Sunny’s existence helped my lack of communication easier to digest.
Holy fuck Sunny was there too.
He really barely spoke. I’d fall into depression while creating a wholeass fantasy world containing my friends too if I fumbled this friend group with that amount of social skills. But anyway, he was chill. By the end of the day, he started playing with his Gameboy, which I ended up watching. He even let me have a turn, totally not prompted by Mari.
“So you are enrolled in our school?”
“Um, yeah, I think so…”
“Well, we will probably end up in the same classroom. If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask me!” Aubrey said with full confidence.
Kel burst out with laughter. “And why would they ask you? Who put you in charge?”
“I- um, we, with Basil, showed them around the town just today! I put myself in charge! I can charge good!”
“Well, I bet you haven’t even showed them Faraway Plaza! And.. And even if you did, I’m sure it was Basil’s idea!”
“We did and it was MY idea, right Basil?”
“Uhh, guys, please…”
“Aubrey, Kel! I understand your bickering but don’t put poor Basil in the middle of it now.”
“Well, he started it!”
In the end, Aubrey and Kel both ended the fight with sticking out their tongues to each other.
By the time everyone decided to leave, the sun was setting. Me, Basil and Aubrey lived in the same neighbourhood which explained why they were hanging around by my house I guess. Well, I already knew where they lived, so, really, it didn’t explain anything.
Jesus I feel like a damn creep around these people.
But don’t they worry. I am not here to hurt them. I’ll help them. Save them, even. From themselves. Now, all I needed to do was to befriend them, and it’s kind of done already. Heh, this was easier than I thought.
---
Okay so that did not work. I don’t know what I was thinking I wasn’t exactly renowned for my impressive social skills in my past life either.
Rest of the summer vacation went by a breeze. I’d go outside, exchange awkward waves with the kids but that was it. That was literally it.
After a weak or two of cruel loneliness, I remembered how the original game went and decided to scheme. The recital was at the heart of the problem, right? So I just have to stop them from buying a violin for Sunny.
Hah! As if. I saw Aubrey and Basil selling homemade lemonade the other day. Soon, Kel will start delivering the damn newspapers as well, or maybe he is doing that already. Not to mention Hero and Mari working at the bakery. How was I supposed to change their minds? I was basically a stranger to them. It was too late.
Just kidding. I could always try talking to Mari about being less strict with Sunny- yeah, a stranger coming up to this perfect girl about her little brother, lecturing her ass about how should she treat him. That would work. “Um, excuse me, but I know my little brother. Don’t worry about Sunny, mmkay?” Cut to Mari giving me the cold shoulder and the whole gang basically hating my smartass. Then boom. The “truth”.
Then what else? Talk to Sunny? With what conversation skills exactly? We both lack them! I don’t know how to save those guys even when they mean the world to me. I think my whole purpose for being reborn is to save those children from their doomed fate, and if I can’t do that I might as well climb to that balcony alongside Sunny. What’s one more, am I right?
Okay, all that spiralling aside, I guess I could break the damn violin before Sunny. This is genuinely the only plan that makes sense to me. Even if I’m found out and, I don’t know, get sent to juvie because of it, at least Mari will be alive. I’m fine with being hated by them as long as they are safe and happy. And maybe Sunny will come forward and speak up for once, and him and Mari will understand each other.
God. Who am I? Lelouch or something? I’m literally just 11. I’ll save them somehow. Worse comes to worst, I’ll just bang on their house door on the morning of the recital. I don’t know what time the “truth” took place so I might as well be on their door at like, 5 AM.
But I’d really like to save that violin, if I can. It’s a meaningful present. Full of love and care, all for Sunny. So I’m not too keen on shattering it either, but hey, if it saves Mari’s skull from doing so!
As I was furiously sketching and scheming in my study desk, I heard a knock on my door. Puzzled, I opened it, and saw “my” mom outside. She looked… Puzzled? Sad?
“Mom?” I asked. “Are you okay?” Great. I finally got a decent parent and I managed to upset her too. Maybe I was the problem, not my parents.
“Of course I am, sweetie. Why’d you ask?”
“Um, I don’t know. Are you mad at me?”
“What? No, I’m not mad at you,” she excused herself in my room to sit on my bed, seemingly genuinely surprised I’d accuse her of being mad at me, then gestured me to sit next to her. “I’m just… Worried.” Oh.
Oh. So that was the expression she was wearing earlier. She was worried.
“Honey, you seem a bit… Withdrawn, these days. Is everything okay? Are those Basil and Aubrey kids being mean to you?”
I was flabbergasted. “No! No way, they are good kids, mom, trust me.”
“Then, did something happen? How come you never hang out with them anymore?”
“Well, uh, you see..” I fiddled with my fingers. I genuinely had no answer. I couldn’t tell my mom how big of a social failure I was, could I?
“If there isn’t a concrete reason, I hope you try harder here, honey,” she gently held my hand. Her palm was warm and soft, as comforting as her cooking. “We came back here because… This place is special, I’ve always felt that way. People are so nice unlike those city big shots, and… Me and your father were both hoping things would be different for you here.”
Okay so she already knew about my social failures.
“Um, okay mom,” I said, my shortcomings making my cheeks burn. “I’ll try harder. I promise.”
“Great! The school year’s starting soon, so I hope you meet some nice kids. I really do, dear.”
I am such a loser.
But I’m a beloved loser, I guess.
This kid I was reincarnated as doesn’t seem much different than my original self, I can say that much for sure. They are shy, anxious, socially awkward and tense. The only major difference is that they actually have a loving family.
My father here is a bit boisterous yet still quite the wholesome man, and my mom is gentle while also lacking tact sometimes. Funnily, as a result, this socially inept kid was born. Well, I certainly didn’t mind. I liked being their kid. I liked this suburban home, this suburban neighbourhood, suburban neighbours… I don’t know, I just liked them all. What I didn’t like was lack of modern technology but honestly 90s seemed pretty cool I can’t wait until 9/11. Holy fuck should I try to stop 9/11? I’m just kidding I’m pretty sure 9/11 doesn’t exist in OMORI universe.
Please tell me it doesn’t, I don’t want any more responsibilities. I am trying to save the life of a 15-year-old girl here. And uh, if I fail, two future 16-year-olds, possibly.
In the midst my overthinking and honestly losing my mind, the school year had begun. I didn’t have to be locked up in my room going crazy in summer weather! Yay!
As Aubrey had predicted, we really did end up in the same classroom. Mostly because there weren’t any other classrooms. High school and middle schools were in the same campus; I was surprised not seeing any elementary schools in the mix. The town really was quite small.
“Hey, it’s you!” Aubrey showed me a toothy grin. “Come, sit next to me. Leave your bag here. I want to show you around!”
“I want to show them around too!” Kel suddenly inserted himself into the conversation, pushing Aubrey away slightly.
“I! Saw! Them! First!”
“I! Does! Not! Care!”
“At least speak English correctly…”
As they bickered, I couldn't help but wonder: where was this energy while I was going insane in my room?
Soon, someone pulled me away from all the noise, and when I turned to see who it was, I saw Basil.
“Um, if it’s fine with you I can show you around? We don’t have much time left until the class starts… And, haha… Once Aubrey and Kel start, they don’t tend to… Well, stop.”
“Okay, uh… I don’t mind.”
School was genuinely new territory for me. I was quite lost here. I got to ride the bus with everyone, but my knowledge ended there.
“Hey! Where are you going?” Aubrey exclaimed.
“Sorry, Aubrey! The class will start soon. We need to be quick!”
“Darn it! I’m coming too then!”
“Me too! And I’M taking Sunny!”
Sunny, caught in the whirlwind of it all, didn’t seem to complain when Aubrey pulled his sleeve to force him into my very own orientation trip.
There wasn’t much to say or see about the campus. It was nice, there was a small garden that Basil took care of, the building in front of ours belonged to high schoolers (which Mari and Hero attended) and it was fairly taken care of. The grounds seemed clean and there weren’t any overly visible cracks on the walls. Halls were filled with laughter belonging to children, it was refreshing to hear.
As expected, Kel and Aubrey continued to bicker all the way. Basil and Sunny chuckled to each other as they did, but it’s not like I didn’t notice when Basil purposefully tried to leave Sunny and Aubrey behind. I helped him, even. I tried to send him knowing glances, but I don’t think he realized. I mean, it’s not like Sunny’s crush is overly obvious I’m just blessed with what equals to divine knowledge for them.
“Oh my god.”
“Huh? What’s wrong?” Upon my sudden outburst, Basil looked at me with confusion.
“Err, um, nothing! Everything’s A-OK!” They were GREAT, even! I just had my eureka moment. Yes, I knew things, not only tragic things, I also harboured information which could earn the kids’ favour! I could use this to my advantage and maybe, just maybe, I could be accepted as their own! What I knew didn’t have to be a curse but maybe some sort of power? I mean, they do say knowledge is power, don’t they?
Now… The thing is, how do I appeal to these guys without seeming like their stalker? That’s the real problem, I guess.
Chapter 3: Aubrey
Chapter Text
Remaining of the school day was quite uneventful. It was obviously easier to communicate with the gang now that we were confined in a classroom all day and even rode the same bus back home. Even so I wanted to make proper progress and tried to calculate who would be easiest to get along with.
I decided that it was Kel.
Kel was annoying, sure, but he was also the friendliest out of the whole friend group. He was like an open book, always the optimist, even after all the tragedy that took place in the game. His buff emotion was “Happy”, for goodness’ sake. Although Kel was happy-go-lucky and sweet, his parents neglected him in favour of his perfect older brother, Hero. I could relate to him in that sense. Neglected kids are bound to get along, right? Though I feel bad for even thinking so, as my parents in this world are extremely nice. Well, anyway.
I sat next to him during the bus ride. He was a little confused but started making small talk. Soon, he was talking about Captain Spaceboy, therefore losing me. Shortly after he got off anyway.
Yeah okay my conversation skills cannot match that yapper’s. I can’t turn all that chitchat into a full blown therapy session so I don’t know what I was thinking either.
Even so, I can’t give up after the first hurdle! I need to carry on. After we got off, I gathered my courage to ask Basil and Aubrey to take me to Hobbeez.
“Why didn’t you ask us earlier? We could’ve gotten off early and save the trouble of walking all that way…”
I’m such an idiot. “Uh… Um, I’m sorry Aubrey. I can be, uh, bit of an airhead sometimes. Sorry.”
Seeing how panicked I was, Basil came to my rescue. With a reassuring pat on my shoulder, he gently spoke: “Come on, Aubrey, it’s okay. This way, we can even call others and go there as a group! Right?”
Unlike Basil, Aubrey clearly wasn’t expecting my overly anxious reaction yet she managed to compose herself quickly anyway. “It’s obviously not a big deal. Plus, I get to spend time with Mari!”
Basil turned to smile at me, as if to say “See? She is just a hothead but isn’t a rude person.”, then walked over to his house:
“Well then, see you soon!”
“Bye!”
“Uh, yeah!”
Way to go, me. How do I manage to ruin the simplest of interactions? Basil’s so kind. He is so understanding and gentle. He totally saved my ass right there. Gosh, I should drop this tragic main character act.
After half an hour or so, Basil and Aubrey came out of their houses. “Mari and others will meet us there. Why don’t we run? I want to beat Kel to it!”
“Um, I don’t think that’s a great idea, Aubrey… I mean, if they are fine with it too, maybe…”
“No. I’m sorry, just, no.”
“Ugh, fine…” Yeah Aubrey I’m not running all the way to Hobbeez. I will simply not be doing that.
“Why do you want to go there anyway? Is there something you want to buy?” she asked, hopping over certain curb stones as she walked.
I found myself joining her little game, jumping over some of the stones. “Well, I was hoping to read the Captain Spaceboy comics.”
“Wow! Captain Spaceboy’s the best. I love it. I’m surprised there are still some kids who haven’t read any yet.”
“That’s the joy of it! I keep finding myself wishing to read some of the books for the first time again.” Basil didn’t want to join in, so he had to fasten his steps to keep up with us.
“Oh, I get that!” She then turned to me. “You are so lucky.” Aubrey giggled as she linked arms with me, which quickly stopped our little game.
It was nice seeing Aubrey still full of life. I don’t think there is any way to prevent her parents’ divorce, as much as I’d like to, but I hope she doesn’t get too hurt with her friends by her side (yes pun intended).
“What is it?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been staring at me with that… Well, how should I put it? Um, caring expression for a while now.”
“I… I just thought you were cute!” Great. I panicked, okay!
“Huh?” She took a step back.
“But so is Basil! Everyone’s so cute.” Oh god. I did not intend to come off as a creep. I genuinely just wanted to befriend them. But friends called each other cute, right? This wasn’t weird, right?
“Thank you. I’ve never been called cute before but… I think you are pretty sweet yourself,” Basil answered, blushing as he twirled his hair.
“You’ve never been called cute? How? You are adorable, Basil!”
“Not you too!” He was full-on red now, covering his face.
Aubrey laughed as she watched Basil blush, then turned to me. “Um, thank you. I think that you are cute as well.”
I feel like a damn creep, but at least I’m a cute creep I suppose.
After a very awkward walk to Hobbeez, we finally met up with the other kids.
“Finally! I was taking a toot there!”
“I think what you mean is taking roots, Kel.”
“Well, I think his version explains the foul smell here.”
Hero laughed upon his girlfriend’s quick wit and once again, they shared a quick heartwarming romantic moment with Kel as their kid and Sunny as their silent pet.
Before Aubrey and Kel even had the chance to start fighting, we walked into the store. I glanced at all the colorful comics, hoping to find the Spaceboy series. Soon, I became the center of attention. What was all the hype about this damn comic? I genuinely started to grow curious.
“So, Kel, why do you like Captain Spaceboy so much?”
“Well, that’s obviously because he is just so awesome! Sunny here, you see, draws amazing pictures of him. He even drew me in his clothes once! And it only took me a week to get him to do that.”
He then mimicked Hero’s charm emote, which made me laugh. “Persuasion!” He exclaimed as he continued to do that pose.
“Wow, is that supposed to be me?” Poor Hero didn’t seem to mind, but he clearly was not amused. “Well, I’m glad you can at least pronounce persuasion.”
“Hey! That’s rude!”
I couldn’t help myself from bursting into laughter with others after seeing Kel’s angry face, though I hoped he didn’t notice.
In the end, with a bag full of comics and pockets devoid of allowance, I left Hobbeez without getting any closer to my goal. I figured I’d try after finishing all these chapters. Or at least some of them.
Hero and Mari made sure we all got home safe, then made us promise we’d go to sleep early. After they left, I sat on the rocker on our porch (for some reason, we were the only ones in this damn suburbia with a porch) and watched the stars for a while. I thought to myself, would mom be mad at me for getting home this late? Also, was today in vain at all?
I mean, I did get to spend time with the whole group. I called Basil and Aubrey cute, and they returned the compliment as well. They took me to Hobbeez, and wow, I’m just realizing that we basically spent the whole day together.
A smile creeped up to my lips, wide enough to make my cheeks hurt. I giggled as I kicked my feet, rocking back and forth in my couch. This could work! This could actually work!
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Aubrey?”
It was late. Streetlights were illuminating her dark hair. Her energetic expression was nowhere to be seen, as her face looked pained instead. I instinctively got up and walked towards her. “Are you alright?”
“Me? I’m fine. I’m obviously fine. You, on the other hand, were laughing to yourself. Like an idiot.”
“Um, sorry… I was… Just. You know, happy after spending time with you guys, I guess.”
Her face looked even more pained now. Fuck. I messed up. Man, she was crying now! Way to go!
I rushed over to try and comfort her, despite having little experience to do so. “Hey, Aubrey, it’s okay, please don’t cry. Here, have my tissue!”
“No!” She slightly pushed me away. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I don’t mind. Really.”
“You are… You are not an idiot, I’m so… I’m the… Hic… Sniff…”
Having run out of words of comfort, I just held this poor girl in my arms. I figured her home situation was not ideal and Aubrey just needed to step aside for a while. Soon, she plopped herself down on the grass, and I followed suit.
After crying for a while, she calmed down and just looked at her feet with empty eyes. She was still sniffling, which made that sight even more heartbreaking.
“I’m sorry for calling you an idiot.”
“Don’t mention it, okay?”
“I have to,” she turned to me, her eyes full of determination. “You took the time of comforting me. Even though you just moved here. It must’ve been so awkward for you!”
“Hey, we are neighbours now. And I happen to be fond of you,” I smiled, hoping it’d bring her comfort even a little.
“What does that mean?” She was instead, confused.
I chuckled. “It just means I want to be friends with you, I guess.”
“Oooh. You mean you like me? But not like-like, because I think you like Kel.”
“WHA- no! What? What!”
She blinked in confusion. “Um, you basically never left his side at all today.”
“No! God, Aubrey, no. I do not see Kel in that way.”
She giggled. “Really? Are you being honest?”
“I mean it! Come on.”
“Okay, okay. Well, who could like someone like him anyway?”
Instead of answering, I just laughed. Crouched on grass, resting our backs against white-picket-fences, we watched stars with Aubrey. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t tell me why she cried, let alone about her home situation, and I didn’t dare ask. But I was genuinely happy to lend her a shoulder to cry on that evening. Not even because of my whole master plan, instead because I knew she needed it.
“You know, this is funny, I sort of met the others like this too.” I knew.
“How?”
“I lost my shoe, and Sunny saw me. I was so embarrassed yet before I knew it, they gathered around to help me. All while I was crying like a little kid.”
“That’s sweet,” I smiled.
“Yeah. I think Hero found the shoe for me.” She hugged her knees, her mouth hiding behind them, making her voice sound muffled. “It was nice.”
Aubrey was a headstrong girl with a heart of gold. I’d always likened her emotions to an ocean, her strong feelings wounding up in front of some sort of dam, the waves violently crashing against the concrete. She had big emotions and little way to know how to deal with them, mostly because no one taught her how to. I really liked Aubrey. I remember wanting a friend like her, who would defend me against anyone being mean to me, and whom I could comfort. Her core fear was being lonely and getting pushed aside, so if I could ease that fear even for a little while, I would be happy enough.
After a while, she stood up: “Sorry, I should go home. It’s already this late.”
“Yeah! Of course. See you tomorrow.”
“Um, before I go…”
“Yes, Aubrey?”
She turned to me one last time, her dark brown eyes full of vulnerability. “Could you… Keep all this between us? Pretty please?”
“Of course.” I made a motion of zipping up my mouth then throwing the zip away. Which succeeded in making her laugh.
“Okay, I’ll take your word then! Or, I guess, lack of it. Good night!”
“Night-night!”
For as long as I could see her, her smile didn’t vanish as she made her way home. I could only hope things calmed down inside.
Even though I probably had a whole other chaos happening waiting for me in my own house. Well, this was the advantage of being a total social-reject-loser, my parents were so overjoyed that I actually had friends to spend time with that they didn’t care I was home this late. Oh well. Let’s see how long I will be able to milk this.
Chapter Text
A gentle knock on my door startled me as I laid on my bed. “Come in,” I said, looking at the doorframe with questioning eyes. “Mom” walked in with a smile on her face. “Look at you. I came to tuck you in, but you already got that covered.”
“Well, I am a big kid now.”
“Of course you are honey,” she chuckled to herself as she sat on my bed. “Sorry, I just remembered how wild you used to sleep as a kid.”
“Oh, yeah.” I’d always wake up in the middle of the night shivering, as my comforter was kicked off long ago.
“You remember it? I’d check in on you often to make sure you were all warm and toasty. I guess I missed some nights.”
I couldn’t answer.
“Well, anyway, you rarely got sick, so I suppose it wasn’t a big deal.” She smiled, tucking a lock behind my ear. “I wanted to talk to you about your day. I know you didn’t tell all the details during dinner.”
“What do you mean?”
She just tilted her head. “What I mean is… Aubrey is always welcome here. I just want her to know that, too.”
That woman must have been a saint or something. “I’ll, um, make sure to tell her that. But I doubt she’d just…”
“Well, you just tell her that, alright? We could use things getting a bit livelier around here. No offense, honey.”
“None taken.” I smirked.
“Sweet dreams, love.” She kissed my forehead before she left.
---
“Morning, champ!” My “father” would greet me by ruffling my hair every morning. He would then give me the biggest bear hug. At that moment, I was quite confused about my mom wanting things to get louder around when we had this absolute unit of a man just living here.
I think about my previous life often, but I guess I think of it the most when it’s breakfast time. All I remember was a piece of toast and a pack of chocolate milk on a sad little table. Think of the girl from Erased except more comfortable living situations and less abuse.
But here? I think breakfasts were more of the husband’s thing. He’d go all out, like a comically large American teen movie breakfast scene. Except I wouldn’t just leave after two bites and a sip of orange juice. “Mom” would always scold him for doing too much, we’d always end up having leftovers for me to enjoy as a snack later or for the next morning. After her wife’s scolding, “dad” would just give her a belly laugh and talk about how it was his way of making up for the time he spent while working. Sometimes, when I think about it, my throat burns, and my chest tightens but I do not know why. This is sickeningly sweet.
We’d usually have dinner with “mom” by ourselves, though.
With a full belly, I hurriedly left the house to catch the bus. Before leaving, she handed me a paper bag and told me to share the remaining bagels with friends. I happily obliged.
“Leaving before giving your little old dad a hug?”
“You are none of those things mentioned, fathe- whoa there!”
This huge man just picked me off ground and gave me one of his signature bear hugs. Thankfully, the bagels survived. “Have a fun day at school!”
“Thanks fath- ahem, dad.”
He gave me a toothy grin as I went on my merry way.
Yeah, autumn was already settling in Faraway. The mild temperature was comfortable, and wind was gently shaking leaves. I smiled and let the breeze engulf me. As I stepped away from my house, I looked around, waiting for something to happen.
Aubrey was there, yawning and not bothering to close her mouth, her bow close to falling down.
“Morning, Aubrey!”
“Oh, good morning…” She yawned right after finishing her sentence.
“Um, would you like a bagel?”
“A bagel?”
“Yeah!”
“Is it plain?”
“I think it has cream cheese in between?”
“I’ll take one. Thanks.”
She ate the bagel in silence as cars passed.
“Aubrey! Good morning!” A soft voice belonging to a boy called out.
“Oh, Basil!” And poof went the awkwardness.
Soon, Basil joined us in waiting and Aubrey turned into her usual self, although she was very obviously tired. I offered Basil a bagel too, but I think he has some sort of vendetta against the word, so he refused with an angry expression I’ve never seen him wear before. It was confusing.
“Oh, Aubrey, your bow…”
“What about it?”
He giggled. “It’s falling. Here, let me fix it.”
A slow morning. Heartwarming, nonetheless. Funny to think that Aubrey bullies Basil in another universe that I will prevent that here no matter what. Oh, and this sweet child knows how to hang a whole teenager. Yeah, hilarious to think that.
The bus arrived as I tried to hide my goosebumps and morbid expression from the others.
Basil and Aubrey chatted all the way. We were one of the first kids who got picked up so we had a long road ahead of us.
“Your hair is super soft, Aubrey!”
“Is it? So is yours. And it smells like flowers!”
This dialogue is like straight out of Azumanga Daioh. And I’m behind the screen, watching cute animated characters.
Yeah, needless to say I spent the whole ride without uttering a word.
Aubrey was kind of ignoring me and I am not the one to insert myself into a conversation that I know I’m not welcome at. So I just watched. I guess this was good enough.
During the ride, the kids were whispering enough how much money they had collected for the violin. At every mention of it, I’d get a little scared. I don’t think I can stop them from buying the instrument at this point. Maybe I can stop the recital from happening though. I don’t know how. I really don’t know how. Well, it was time to get off the bus.
“Something on your mind?”
There she was. Her long dark hair perfectly brushed, albeit very thick, though the sun didn’t fail to highlight how silky they are.
“Mari.”
“Yes, that’s my name.” She giggled to herself.
“Um,” I blushed, thinking about how dumb I must’ve looked being awestruck. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“Well, okay,” her ass is not convinced. “If anything happens, you know where to find me.” She gave me a pat on the shoulder before going her merry way.
Throughout the school day, I think I opened my mouth for like, three times in total. Back to being a socially inept loser, I guess. Whenever I tried to talk to Aubrey, I was met with an awkward smile and even a slightly panicked gesture. I was lost.
Even on the way back home, I couldn’t say a word to anyone. While watching the suburban streets flow away by the window, I’d occasionally find myself muttering “back to square one”.
For some reason I got teary-eyed. I quickly wiped them off, but when I did that, snot came out. It was all a mess. Just when I lost all my hope, a napkin was extended to me. “Are you okay?”
A girl with a sketchbook and thick glasses frames. Who am I kidding? This is just Mincy, I know of her and even love her. Then I heard the sound of a paper being ripped off. “Here, take this too.”
It was a drawing of me in a cute, chibi-like style. Wow, she liked anime before it was cool.
“Thank you. This makes me so happy,” I said as I wiped my nose with the napkin.
She just smiled. Before I could say anything more, she looked outside and mumbled something about her stop being close and hurriedly left. The rest of the ride, I just looked at the picture.
We got off together with Aubrey and I just stared at her as Basil hurriedly ran for the bathroom, something about his stomach, I think. She did not react for a while, but after my eyes started burning holes on the back of her head, she finally gave up.
“What is it?”
“Nothing… I guess?”
“Then why are you staring at me?” She was trying so hard to be nice, even when she was obviously annoyed.
“I, um… Oh, do you like pies? My mom, uh, is baking a butterscotch pie. It’s delicious. And um, she did want you to come over, so…”
“That does sound delicious,” the words left her mouth, but it was as if she wasn’t even talking to me. Her eyes were distant, posture timid. “But, we are going to visit Sunny’s today, so, I can’t. Sorry!” She then basically ran away.
I didn’t feel like going home after that. I just left my bag on the porch and ran. Consequences be damned! I did not want to be seen by that kind woman. Not right now. I needed to hide. My chest was hurting and my throat was tightening, but it wasn’t the same as before. I felt far more hopeless right now.
Soon enough, I found myself in the playground. It wasn’t the first place that’d pop up in your mind when you said “emo”, but it’s not like I had anywhere else. That big yellow cat statue would hide me nicely, I was sure.
When I scooted inside, I just hugged my knees as the sounds of playground slowly started to dim out. My thoughts started to get louder, so did the need to cry. Soon, the tears started to form, and I silently cried as I clutched on the napkin Mincy gave me. What was happening? I thought I was succeeding. I thought me and Aubrey bonded. Why was she being so cold to me? Did I do anything wrong? Was I going to fail?
You know what, I’ll be honest. Right now, I wasn’t concerned about failing Mari. Right now, I was focused on how I’d be alone again, even in another life where relationships are fairly idealized. It was just like my previous fucking life. Miserable. The lonely bus ride. School day spent without talking to anyone. And even now, all alone in a playground holding onto a soggy napkin for dear life. Oh my god, I was a mess. I was the problem all along, not my environment nor my parents.
There was only one thing that could make this situation even more miserable and it- oh, there it was. Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.
Soon, the playground was completely empty and I was deserted, even there. Well. I needed to go home now.
I emerged from my seat and stood under the gradually increasing rain. At least I didn’t have to worry about my snots now.
As I walked home, I prayed for no one to see my miserable form. I walked with my head down, barely hiding from the rain, and hoped I’d at least catch a cold and avoid school for a while.
Then I saw her.
Holding a purple umbrella with one hand, groceries with others. She seemed to hurry home, as the strong wind got to her and her clothes were a little damp. Her quick steps stopped in their tracks when our eyes met. She didn’t recognize me for a little while, but when she did, she started to walk towards me, gesturing for me to run to her side as well.
“Oh, dear! You’re drenched. Quick, come here!”
I didn’t. I just stared at the teenage girl haunting my narrative. The wind blew on her dark, thick hair.
Soon, her expression grew angry and she made me get under the umbrella herself. “Here. You’re coming with me. I’m sure we can fix you a bath. You’ll definitely catch a cold like this! Does your mom know you’re here?”
Rest of the walk home was short and quiet, save for the sound of raindrops. She got wet herself while trying to prevent me from getting colder, which was pointless in my opinion, as I was already soaked. She just needed to worry about herself. But I guess that’s what made Mari her. She was special like that.
Wow. Now that I think about it, Mari really just casually invited me over. It was literally my first time over at Sunny’s, and I felt incredibly bashful. Hopefully it wouldn’t be my last, though. I don’t know. It seemed like that. Anyway, Aubrey said they’d meet up soon, so I looked for them, but it didn’t seem like anyone was coming over anytime in the near future.
Mari left the groceries on the kitchen table and gestured towards the bathroom.
That’s when I saw them. The stairs. Those damn stairs.
What the fuck kind of an architectural wonder was this house anyway?
“What is it? Is your leg hurt?”
“No… No I’m fine.” But I knew hers was.
“Okay, hurry towards the shower then. Oh, but first, I’ll need to call your mom. You didn’t tell her anything, did you? Write down her number- or just tell Sunny. He has excellent memory.”
Thankfully, maybe because we moved, I was forced to memorize our home number. I wrote it down quickly, then hurried to bathe.
---
“I’m so sorry. They just ran away on their own… I was worried sick when they didn’t come home even after the bus left.”
“It’s no problem. Plus, we got to enjoy this delicious pie!”
“Oh, I didn’t know how else to thank you. I can make this anytime.”
Behind the door, I anxiously fidgeted with my fingers instead of going in. Sunny shot me a “you’re dead” glance before disappearing into kitchen, possibly to have a slice of the pie himself.
“Again, I sincerely apologize for the trouble… Now, where are they? Normally, they’d be out by now.” Okay. No point in hiding anymore. Time to face my fears.
“…Hi, mother.” I said, timidly. I didn’t exactly know why I was in trouble but, somehow, I knew all along that I would be.
“Teddy bear!” She rushed over to hug me. “I was worried sick. I’m ought to punish you…”
Even while scolding me, she didn’t let go. When she finally did, her disappointment was evident. “What were you thinking? Throwing away your bag, running off to god knows where, especially when it was raining cats and dogs?”
“I… I don’t know, I’m so, so, sorry.” To be fair, it wasn’t raining when I first left but I didn’t tell her that.
“Sorry won’t cut it! God… I know this place is safe and all, but you should at least let me know.”
“Um, miss,” Mari was there to save my ass again it seems, “sorry to interrupt, but, maybe you’d enjoy having dinner with us? Dad is away on a trip, and mom could use the company of another adult. Oh, obviously, your husband’s welcome too…”
“I don’t know Mari, shouldn’t I be inviting you over for dinner? I can’t have my troublemaker cause you any more inconvenience, can I?”
“Oh, it’s really no problem. We always cook too much, especially with dad gone. Please, mom’s insisting.”
“Hmm, we did just move here…” I guess she was lonely too, in a way. Why, I never thought of that. “If it’s not much trouble, then I guess we can. But only if I can host you next time.”
“Of course,” Mari smiled, “I would want to taste more of your delicious cooking!”
Okay, so this girl had no foot to stand on when she was making fun of Hero. Horrendous case of a honey tongue.
Notes:
Yes, the parents are Toriel and Asgore. Or loosely based on them. Or heavily. Who knows? This is the joy of writing.
...MAN i love tori <3
littletwinstarz on Chapter 1 Sun 10 Aug 2025 03:54PM UTC
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chervildreams on Chapter 1 Sun 10 Aug 2025 04:18PM UTC
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greatest one of all time (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 10 Aug 2025 04:22PM UTC
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chervildreams on Chapter 1 Sun 10 Aug 2025 04:37PM UTC
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Someone Cool (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 10 Aug 2025 06:01PM UTC
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chervildreams on Chapter 1 Sun 10 Aug 2025 07:03PM UTC
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IdeaTrash on Chapter 1 Wed 13 Aug 2025 06:15PM UTC
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chervildreams on Chapter 1 Wed 13 Aug 2025 06:25PM UTC
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des (Guest) on Chapter 2 Mon 11 Aug 2025 07:38PM UTC
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littletwinstarz on Chapter 2 Mon 11 Aug 2025 07:39PM UTC
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BongoXP (Guest) on Chapter 2 Wed 13 Aug 2025 04:56AM UTC
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chervildreams on Chapter 2 Wed 13 Aug 2025 07:34PM UTC
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