Chapter Text
The morning is a new day, of course, and a finalization of the previous day’s events.
It’s— it’s odd. It’s really odd. That everyone knows about you and 1x1x1x1, that they’re fine with it, even. For so long, you’d been running, avoiding telling them in fear of a bad reaction— a reaction you got from Shedletsky, even— and yet, after that, during the party yesterday… everyone was perfectly fine with it. Asked some silly and odd questions, for sure, but they were nice .
You’d been so used to the possibility of never telling anyone that you’d accepted it as fact. Now, though, there wasn’t a need to worry, which was something both comforting and unsettling. Growing so used to something bad, that now, when there wasn’t a possibility of it happening anymore… it felt weird. Perhaps it was a bit too pessimistic to think you’d have to keep up the façade forever, but you’d always been taught to prepare for the worst. Hope for the best, too, but you often worried too much about the bad to focus on the good.
Now, though, with your secrets having been laid bare for the world, with your friends supporting you… it didn’t even feel real, as if everything past the snowstorm was just a dream. But you knew the difference, and everything happened . It was real, and you were actually going to visit your partner later this morning. You didn’t have to hide, to sneak out, you could just… see her, with people knowing, like it wasn’t a massive deal.
It’s nice, of course, it’s really nice that you don’t have to hide anymore, but… even so, clinging to the back of your mind, you can’t help but think that you’re on eggshells now. That if you mess up even a single bit, they’ll all turn on you, whispering behind your back about your mistakes. It was stupid , they clearly liked you, but still, doubt and paranoia fed themselves on your thoughts, always whispering in the back of your head.
You shoved them away as you got ready for the day. It was… you could work on that later. And those thoughts would disappear eventually, so you should focus on the good! Like seeing your beloved partner! Today! The fact you weren’t in their arms right now was kind of a crime, really. God, you were acting like every sickeningly sweet couple, weren’t you? It was a wonder you hadn’t seen anyone gagging over it besides C00lkidd.
Exiting your room, you give it a once-over. It’s not too different from when you left it after running away, but it certainly feels like a lot has changed. When you left that room, you were at one of the lowest points in your life, running away from your problems. Now, standing here, hand on the doorknob… somehow, for a moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day.
Closing the door, you go to the kitchen, connecting to the table where most meals are eaten. There, 007n7 is cooking breakfast, focused as he flips pancakes and heats up bacon. There’s no one else besides you two— maybe it helped you both retired from the party early, going to bed immediately after the meeting, but it seemed everyone else was asleep. If anyone was awake, they were very quiet, or outside the cabin. You wouldn’t have paid mind to them, anyways. Talking to 007n7 was more important.
You sit down on one of the table’s seats, accidentally startling 007n7 when you speak, him jolting his head to look at you as the pancakes slide on his pan. “Sorry, 7n7! Didn’t mean to scare you. Just wondering when you want to, um… head over. Not to rush you, just excited. Haha.”
The face he gave you was sympathetic, a fond look as he seemed to remember his own past. “Oh, you’re fine… love is a beautiful thing, and I won’t stop you. Seeing you and 1x1… it reminds a lot of, um… a-actually, don’t worry about it. Let’s just f-focus on the present, right? I can, um… a-after breakfast, we can go. That gives us a f-few hours before the rounds, which should be g-good enough…”
For a moment, he seemed more confident, speaking on his past… before you could comment, though, he went back to his nervous self as soon as he realized when and where he was. It made you curious, but asking likely wouldn’t yield any results. It felt like one of those topics where you’d have to be a certain person in order to glean anything useful from it, so you didn’t press.
Instead, you nodded, smiling. “That sounds good! I’ll round up everybody when it’s finished cooking and we can be off after we eat, unless you want to leave more privately? Either way’s fine with me.”
Turning away to put a few more pancakes on the plate of finished ones, he hummed, tapping his fingers on the handle of the pan. After a few moments, he spoke again, more decidedly. “I’d… I w-want to leave quietly. I don’t l-like when people stare at me. W-We can just eat by ourselves and g-go after… I’m sure they won’t c-care since there will be food for them… I o-only have a bit left to prepare, if you want to g-grab some plates and cutlery.”
“You got it!” Grabbing enough plates, forks, and knives for everyone, you set aside two sets for yourself and 007n7. He placed down breakfast for you two, and you ate in silence, enjoying the rare moment of silence in the cabin. For a few minutes, the only sounds were cutlery and the wildlife outside of the cabin. It was something you relished in until it ended, when 007n7 washed both of your dishes in the sink.
As you stood up, bag slung over your shoulder, you looked at him. “Got anything you want to bring over, or are you good to go right now?”
He shook his head. “I… I don’t h-have anything in my room to bring. I can’t put this off any longer, anyways. L-Let’s just go, okay?”
You nodded, and he followed you out the main door, closing it behind him. The sky was ominously bleak as always, though paler and lighter than it was at night. It almost felt serene, were it not for the fact a malevolent entity trapped you all here for god knows how long.
As you walked the path to the killer cabin, you took 007n7’s hand in your own, to make sure he wouldn’t deviate from the path. He walked beside you, eyeing the scenery carefully. Thankfully, you’d left many markers from your previous trips into the wilderness, as well as spotting some marks from when 1x1x1x1 was here, their presence much less subtle than yours.
Right before you exited to the clearing where the killers’ cabin rested, 007n7 stopped, nervously grasping your hand tightly. You looked back, and he was anxiously staring into the ground. “… Everything okay, 7n7?”
“I-I just… are you sure I should d-do this? What i-if it’s just a prank, or a l-lie, and he doesn’t want to see me again, or w-what if C00lkidd hates me —”
You put your free hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at your face, supportive expression and all. “I don't think they would’ve done this if they hated you. When they asked me, they seemed excited, and happy, and I didn’t see any maliciousness. I know it’s hard to believe in the fact they want to see you, but in this case, you just need to trust them. Trust me, who guided you here. And hey, if they get mad, I know someone who’s more than willing to stab someone, hehe.”
It was a silly remark to make in the situation, but it was the kind of thing you’d say to make people smile when nervous. And it worked, too, as 007n7 gave you a huff and a small smile. “I d-don’t think she’d protect me like that, but I’m glad y-you have my back. L-Let’s just go in, alright? Before I try and b-back out again.”
He stepped forward into the clearing with you, and you both walked until you reached the front door of the killer cabin. Well, if there was any chance of backing out, there really wasn’t a chance to do it now, so you knocked. A moment of silence followed, and 007n7 looked at you nervously, before the door opened. Noli was on the other end, and he had a snarky remark on the tip of his tongue before he noticed the person beside you, stopping in his tracks.
“… Hi, Seven. Did you want to go to another room? Jason’s watching C00lkidd, so—”
He was cut off with a sharp nod, and 007n7 grabbed his wrist to drag him out of the room. You gave him a threatening smile; you two were somewhat friendly now, but you were much closer to 007n7, so you wanted to make sure he’d listen.
He actually did seem a bit nervous at that, despite the fact you couldn’t really do anything in a round to hurt him, and you were left in the main room alone after the two left. Honestly, they both seemed incredibly nervous, 007n7 was just being forceful so he could get over with it. Ripping off the bandaid fast so the pain didn’t last at long.
But as much as you were curious, what they talked about wasn’t your business, and you had other reasons for being here. After all, you’d been excited since yesterday, and you practically couldn’t wait, only stopping to let 007n7 calm himself down. If it was just you, you’d have sprinted here the minute you could.
Now that you were alone, you took a minute to look around the room. It was quite nicely taken care of, and there was a little collection of items on the shelves. Most of them seemed to be from C00lkidd, rocks and random doodles, but there were a couple that seemed to be from other killers. A small display of dried flowers, a stand for the skeleton of a rabbit… there weren’t many items that were from the adults in the cabin, but you supposed they probably spent more time taking care of the place and furnishing their rooms.
Opening the door, you were met with the living room, and the sight of Jason babysitting C00lkidd. The former nodded in your direction, while the latter waved enthusiastically. “Hiiii!!! Noli and papa are talking right now, so I’m being watched. 1x is in the kitchen making breakfast if you want to say hi! The door’s right behind you!”
You thanked him, opening the large door (it seemed like it used to be an open archway at some point), and quietly slinking into the kitchen. There, you saw 1x1x1x1 cooking, completely focused on the breakfast in front of them. It looked really good, too, and you almost wished you didn’t eat before you came just so you could have a plate. You took a seat at the nearby counter as you entered, silently watching them cook.
It was adorable seeing how focused they were, softly mumbling to themselves. They hummed something, a song you didn’t recognize, but it sounded so sweet coming from them. Perhaps you’d ask about it sometime. Throughout the entire thing, they didn’t even notice you, so preoccupied with cooking.
Their tunnel vision on what they enjoyed was something you’d noticed about them, even back before you’d first encountered them in that clearing. While they certainly could pick up on minute details (and they certainly did so, learning the habits and behaviors of the survivors to kill them better), their natural instinct was to hone in on one thing, to completely focus on it until their task was accomplished. They hunted down each survivor one at a time until none remained, and it seemed they also focused intently on cooking.
As you watched, you wondered if they’d ever let you help out with them cooking, or if they were the kind of person who needed to be left alone when making food. Baking with them also sounded nice, though you certainly wouldn’t mind simply watching them as they cooked. Perhaps it was like training, and they’d allow you to talk, as long as you both focused on the task they’d given you.
After a few minutes of blissful silence, watching 1x1x1x1 finish their cooking, they turned around, finally noticing you. They startled, thankfully not holding anything, and quickly went over to you. Instinctively, their eyes scanned you over for injury, and they sat beside you, some stray wisps of cooking staining their body and clothes.
They spoke first, affixing you with a look you easily discerned as love. “I didn’t expect you to be here so early. I would’ve prepared extra if I knew you’d come over by breakfast.”
You shook your head. “I’m good, don’t worry! 7n7 and I made breakfast before we came over, so you don’t need to make anything else. Um, speaking of breakfast, though, do you want me to help you clean up? I can also plate things if you need it.”
1x1x1x1 thought for a moment, closing his eyes in contemplation. “… You may aid me in cleaning up the kitchen, but I shall be plating the cooking. The people here are quite specific in their food preferences.”
After they finished, you nodded, standing up, and immediately going to clean. Most of it was just the dishes, since he’d managed to keep everything surprisingly clean, but you were happy to help nonetheless. While you did so, 1x1x1x1 took the food to the dining room, plating everything and cleaning themselves up afterwards. When you were both finished, he called Jason to get everyone else, before sitting down, making you sit in the chair beside him. You certainly wouldn’t complain, and you grabbed his hand underneath the table as you both waited for people to walk in.
Predictably, C00lkidd was the first, and you halfway thought he might explode from how excited he seemed. John Doe was next, sitting down, curious gaze never leaving you. Noli and 007n7 walked in together, decidedly much more calm and collected— you could even spot a blush on them if you looked hard enough. The last was Jason, giving a nod to 1x1x1x1, before sitting down as well.
You didn’t eat, and neither did 007n7, so you simply made light conversation as everyone else had their breakfast. When people finished, they joined in talking, until eventually most everyone was chipping in to their little conversations. It actually felt rather nice to talk to everyone like this, a warm and cozy feeling blooming in your chest. As a whole, you were closer to the survivors, but you wouldn’t lie if you say you hadn’t become friendlier with at least a couple of the killers.
After 1x1x1x1, the one you were closest to was surprisingly Noli. Even though you had a relationship that festered a bit on bickering and threats, he actually did seem to like you. He spared you in a few rounds during your stay at the killer cabin, and in general his flair for eccentricity was a bit endearing. In another place, where you weren’t trapped here, you probably could’ve been close friends, but what you had now was alright (though you still wanted to get a bit of revenge on him).
When everyone finished with their food, 1x1x1x1 cleaned everything, and you helped. Everyone filtered out slowly, and you were left alone with him after a few minutes. A nice silence returned, and you sat by the counter together, holding hands.
“This place is nice,” you mumbled, looking around at everything. “If I was the one killing people, I think I’d enjoy it a lot.”
1x1x1x1 hummed, eyes never leaving you. “If you were killing people, I’m not sure if you’d be scary. You’d be too adorable to find intimidating. There’s… time to get used to this place, too. It’s not like you’ll stop visiting me.”
You let out a little laugh at his comment about you being adorable, looking back towards him. “That’d be my secret, 1x. I’m so cute, that they’ll let their guard down, and before they know it, they’ll be dead! And, uh, speaking of this place… any place you want to hang out before the rounds? Your room is lovely, but maybe there’s somewhere else you wanna show me? I’m open to a lot of things, you know.”
He huffs in amusement, rolling his eyes. “You’re dating me , I’d be surprised if you weren’t open to new experiences. But if you want to go somewhere other than my room… I’d take you to the garden. Everyone takes care of it, and it surprisingly hasn’t gotten trampled yet. Azure would likely come for our heads if we messed up the flowers, so perhaps that’s enough motivation for everyone. It’s… rather nice to sit down near, take a break. On days where I’m not focused on training, I’ll sometimes take a few minutes to admire the flowers.”
“That sounds nice. Our cabin actually has a garden, too, so I want to see how they compare. Maybe one day I can take you there, too. You can lead the way, dear.”
1x1x1x1 led you out the cabin and to the garden, growing next to the right side of the cabin. It was larger than the one at the survivor cabin, but you supposed it made sense. After all, all of the killers took care of the garden, as opposed to primarily Jane Doe’s handiwork. There were more varieties in flowers, more precision and perfectionism evident in their placement. A little path had been paved from random stones, and you both sat on a tree log refurbished into a small bench.
Despite the bleak sky overcasting the area, it was indeed extremely pretty, and you found yourself sitting in pleasant silence with your partner. You leant against their shoulder, and for a moment, everything felt like it’d be okay. Even if you were trapped here, even if you didn’t know if you could ever escape… as long as you had your friends and 1x1x1x1, part of you felt like you could take anything on. Even if it was a terrifyingly powerful godlike being who played with your souls and vessels like toys.
In your musing, you hadn’t noticed 1x1x1x1 threading her hand through your hair, claws gently scratching your scalp. Without putting much thought into it, you let out a pleased hum, closing your eyes as you focused on your partner, focusing on the tactile sensations. She leant her head on top of yours, and in the silence of the forest and the garden, it was easy to let the minutes pass by, smiling all the while.
Eventually, you opened your eyes, garden still faintly illuminated by the faded pale sky, and spoke, voice quiet even against the silence. “... It’ll be nice to pick up swordfighting again.”
At that, you could sense her excitement, hearing the smile in her voice. “I see you remembered. I wouldn’t have pushed it in the chaos of the past few days, but I’ve been excited to go back to our usual routine. Perhaps, starting tonight, we can begin to rearrange when we meet, so that it isn’t late for you. Our nightly meetings were… unforgettable, unable to be recreated, but I would prefer to be able to show you off.”
Ah, what a pleasant thing to hear her say… you could almost envision your face aflame with blush at those words, and there was no doubt she had a similar expression on her. “Is that so, 1x… in that case, I’ll try and show you off too, okay? I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re mine, heheh.”
She— awkwardly, nervously, out of clear embarrassment— pushed you away, using her cape and hands to cover up her face adorned with an evident blush. It was cute, to such a degree you almost forgot people widely considered them terrifying, and her grumbled words also sounded adorable. “You’re lucky I love you so much, because otherwise I’d tear you apart for saying that. You’re awful, you know that? You present yourself as a nice person, but you go around making me blush like this where everyone can see. Horrid.”
Her words hardly had any bite to them, and you simply smiled at them. To be quite honest, you probably weren’t normal, laughing away death and willingly dating someone routinely killing you, but you never really cared for following norms. While it led you to this realm, your oddities and fixation on the unknown, you’d also made new friends and acquired a partner because of it.
“Love you too, 1x.”
It was simple, but it was all you needed to say. The two of you made small conversations as you waited for the rounds to start, losing time as you held hands and leant on each other, completely immersed in each other’s presence. It felt peaceful in a way you hadn’t been in a long time, and you savored every minute of it.
When you felt the familiar fog of the rounds, of the Spectre’s glee at another moment of suffering, you didn’t even find yourself that annoyed. Instead, you were just excited to see what would happen, and how this round would play out. They all ended up differently, sometimes with a massacre, and sometimes with everyone alive. All that went through your mind was how this one would play out, and what your role would be.
Right next to you, standing out amongst the grass of the Ultimate Assassin Grounds, was a sword. The Spectre wasn’t kind enough to give you weapons unless it decided you had one as part of your “kit”, so this was very surprising, especially since it felt very deliberate. You knew this sword, too— it was the one 1x1x1x1 gave you for your training together.
As you contemplated why the Spectre would give you a weapon, you heard sounds somewhat far away from you. Every killer had a distinct sound to them, a way of knowing who it was hunting you down each round. Jason’s was the whoosh of a machete, the sound of a chainsaw. John Doe breathed and growled like a wild animal during rounds, the hum of the corruption much louder than it was at the cabin. C00lkidd laughed, the mafia muttered amongst themselves, and the sound of plant growth was how Azure made himself known. 1x1x1x1 had the most recognizable sound of all, a clicking as her sword swept poison through the map, and a silence that permeated her time spent stalking you all down.
These sounds were different, a glitchy voice and other distorted effects— the distinct mark of Noli, undoubtedly smirking as he chased after whoever had the misfortune of being his first chase. You glanced down at the sword again, a very funny idea forming in your mind. You absolutely stood no chance to win, but it would be oh so amusing if you could inconvenience Noli for even just a minute. Grabbing it with a practiced finesse, you started towards him, barely holding back your giggles. Even if you got hard targeted for the next few days, his misery would make this all the better. It served him right for poking fun at you and 1x1x1x1, anyway. What’s the fun in spilling one’s mouth if there’s no sense of karma to keep one in check?
Perhaps the rounds would have variety now, if you could have a sword from time to time. Spar with C00lkidd, beat up Noli when he’s being annoying, have a little duel with your partner… hell, maybe you could even try your hand against the survivors. You certainly knew at least one you wouldn’t mind using your full knowledge and skills on, hehe… the thoughts began ticking in your head, swirling around as you finally reached where Noli was, ready to enact your little petty revenge.
Yeah, you could get used to something like this.