Chapter Text
Guest remembers way back when he was a kid, before they had to leave their hometown due to the Bacons terrorist organization. His parents had a favorite spot to go fish or swim sometimes.
It was a lake. It used to be part of a camp, Guest can’t really remember the name of it; he didn’t pay that much attention to names when he was a pup. It didn’t have many fishes, but the vibe was extremely calm. He could say it was one of his favorite places when he was little, but not because of the water to swim, the fish to watch, or the strangely pacific vibe of the lake. It was the kid he always spent his time with. He met him the second time he came to the lake.
Little Guest was practicing his football tricks when the ball accidentally rolled way too far into the forest around the lake. Without telling his parents (because he was an uncaring pup back then), he went right to get it back, afraid of losing it. Just as he spotted it, it got picked up. Following the unknown hands, he met the ‘face’ of a child (‘face’ because that kid hid his face behind a cloth bag, yet child Guest didn’t feel like asking about that was relevant). Maybe a year or two older than him, pup Guest supposed. They stared at each other for a while, just the way a baby dog would look at a baby cat—playful, full of curiosity for the unfamiliar being. Yet the baby cat seemed tense, about to attack if a line seems crossed.
“Hello! I’m Guest!” Guest eagerly presented with a warm smile, it had a calming effect on the unknown pup, making him relax his body slightly. “That’s my ball, thank you for picking it up!” He held out a hand to get back the football, yet the other child stayed silent, not giving it back nor stepping back. “Oh… You like it? Well, I cannot give it to you, because my mom gifted it to me on my birthday—” Guest got startled; the other child had a sudden reaction to his words, like a slight spasm. “And uhm… I would be really sad if you… took it away,” he continued. That seemed to work. The ball was right in his hand not a second later, but the kid was already walking away as fast as he’d given it back. “Ah—Wait!” he exclaimed, making the other pup stop and look back.
It got really boring for him at the lake; he wasn't about to lose a potential lake-friend he could play with! “We can play with it!” The kid looked at him, maybe not interested enough to come back or to fully turn around to see him. “Please? We can even be friends!” Again, the unknown child seemed to have a reaction. After a few seconds of standing there, he walked back to the blue-haired pup. “Yes! You’re not gonna regret this! I am the best doing tricks, I can even teach you how to do them!” the excited pup exclaimed. The other just stayed silent.
Guest tried to show off his ‘great’ skills with the football, supposedly teaching the unnamed kid. However, he wasn’t really the best. Most of the tricks turned out wrong or were poorly executed. The other pup just watched him.
“Well! Now I’m going to teach you a super easy one so you can practice!” Guest said, pointing a finger at his only spectator. “You’re supposed to kick it up, then kick it from behind, and then it must fall on your right hand!” he explained, making signs with his hands to the child sitting down on the grass. “Understood?” The other kid nodded, one of the few reactions Guest could get out of the silent kid. “Then look and learn!” Guest barked with pride, thinking he would look incredibly epic.
Guest followed as he said: he threw the ball up with a kick, making sure it fell behind him, then kicked it from behind with the sole of his shoe. He held out his hand, ready for the ball to fall right into it. Turns out the only thing Guest got in return was a well-delivered hit on top of his head.
“Oww! Ow! Hurts, hurts!” the blue-haired kid hissed with his eyes tightly shut as a single tear of pain rolled down his cheek. Then he heard something that sounded like a mumbled gargle. He looked at his new friend; he held a hand over his mouth, making it obvious he’d let out a giggle. Then Guest smiled. “Hah… It’s just because of the wind. That wouldn’t have happened if it was less windy,” he excused, a bit ashamed but happy that his friend was having fun, even if it came out of his disgrace. “Here, why don’t you try it out yourself?” Guest picked up the ball and offered it to the kid with a big smile, trying to forget about the embarrassing situation of a few minutes ago.
The kid stayed reluctant, but then he accepted it. The pups switched positions. Guest sat down and the kid of, still, unknown name got up with the ball in hand. The blue-haired kid spectated with a smile, hoping the other kid could do it and, turns out, the masked kid was a natural. He did the trick right at the first try. Guest excitedly got up quickly, baffled in a good way at the other’s kid ability.
“Woah! You’re amazing!” Guest exclaimed, looking at the other pup with extreme enthusiasm. “I can’t believe this is your first time doing tricks!—Oh wait, is this your first time?” he suddenly asked, the illusion of ‘a natural’ breaking with ‘effort and practice’. The other kid stayed still and quiet for a while, analyzing Guest’s change of humor, then decided to nod.
“Oh wait! It’s really true! You’re a natural!” the pup said, coming back with full energy and sparkly eyes at the masked child, who just stared at him. “You don’t speak that much, you know,” Guest mentioned. The taller child just tilted his head in response. Guest smiled back. “That’s okay, I used to be really shy too,” he replied to nothing. “Can I know your name?” he questioned. The other child stayed silent. Guest wondered if he still didn’t trust him. “Oh, then next—”
“Guest?! Son?! Where are you? We already have to go home!” Guest’s eyes widened in realization; it was already noon. Time truly passed quickly when you have fun. The masked kid looked in the direction of the masculine voice yelling.
“It’s my dad, I already have to go back home. Ahh, I don’t want to…” Guest complained slightly but sighed in resignation. “Well, I really liked playing with you! Now I gotta go, goodbye!” The blue-haired kid grabbed his ball and was just about to run off, when a hand harshly grabbed his arm, retaining him in place. A growl came out, it was the masked pup; he was holding him there. The grasp was strong yet not hurting him.
Guest caught on almost immediately. “You don’t have to worry! I’ll come back!” he said with a comforting smile and tried to pull his arm off, but the grip on his arm didn’t flinch. He looked at the hand, then at the child. Maybe he was lonely, and he didn’t have many friends, or none at all. “I promise,” he said, yet the silent child didn’t seem convinced.
“Uh, how can I show you it’s true… Ah yes!” Guest looked at his cherished ball and shoved it into the other child’s arms, who looked a bit surprised. “So you believe me, I’m leaving my football with you! I will have to come back for it for sure! And then you also can practice and play with it!” he explained to his friend, who loosened his grip, still a bit perplexed.
Then Guest, instead of pulling off, hugged him, soft and full of confidence.
“You will see! I’ll be back in less than a blink!” he exclaimed as he let go of the other pup and ran away fast, knowing he would get scolded if he took more time.
The masked kid just stood there, looking at his new friend disappear between trees and then at the ball.
He tasted the name: “Gu… Gu…” “Est… est—Gue…st.” he finished, the name taking its place in his brain.
Guest was back after four days. The lake was still the same, pacific, calm, and his parents were setting up their place to sit and relax while they were fishing. Guest 1337 told them he was going to find his ball; the exact reason they'd rushed their next visit due to Guest ‘losing’ his birthday gift accidentally. Dad and Mom gave the okay, and he went right where he met the silent child with a big smile; he was eager to see the boy again.
Just that there was a small problem, the blue-haired pup realized. The first time they met it was a mere coincidence; it could even be called an accident. Guest didn’t really know where the masked kid could be found, or where he lived to knock on his door and ask his mom if he could come out to play. Now that he thought about it, he knew really nothing about the strange child; he didn’t even show him his face. 'He is just shy, for sure,' the yet-not-fully developed shark hybrid thought.
“Uhm…” Guest mumbled, trying to figure out how to find the other child. He should probably scream his name—ah, Guest didn’t know it... The last time when he asked, he got cut off by his dad calling him to go back home. Well, at least he knew the silent pup was his friend. “Friend! Frieeeend? Frieend with the… mask? Wheere are youuu! I’m back—” Almost instantly, the kid with a cloth bag on his face appeared in front of him. Guest jumped back out of pure instinct; the other kid had sneaked up really well on him.
“Ah—You scared me!” Guest giggled. “Look! I’m back, just as promised!” He opened his arms, demonstrating he was real and the same as before. The other kid just tilted his head, examining him. Yep, Guest was, in fact, Guest. The masked kid just nodded.
“Ah wait, I just remembered it…” The blue-haired kid reached into the pocket of his jacket to get out a bag of candies. “Look! I brought this! A really nice granny gave it to me yesterday! So, I thought we could eat it together!” He shook the candy bag excitedly. The silent pup just looked at it; not a word came out, just like the other day they met.
“I hope you like candy!” he took out a handful of candy and offered it to the older kid, who seemed reluctant to grab it. “Oh right, did you take care of my ball?” Guest asked, remembering the object was part of the promise. The pup of unknown name nodded, taking out the said ball. “Where would you take it out from…?” he asked, a bit puzzled by how sudden the ball appeared; he didn’t remember his friend holding it before. The taller kid just stayed silent, left the football on the floor, and grabbed the handful of candy.
“Uh, so you like candy then,” Guest smiled, yet he became confused as the other kid turned around to pull up slightly the cloth bag and eat the sugary product. He gave the blue-haired child his back for a while 'til he turned around again, all candy gone, just empty wrappers. The smaller child felt confused, was his friend so shy to show his face to him? But Guest was also more aware of how fast the masked kid ate. 'Was he starving?' the worried thought struck him like thunder.
“Are you… still hungry?” he asked, handing out the bag with a caring smile. The other pup stared at him for a while, then nodded. “You can eat the rest. Let’s sit down while you do it. Don’t worry, I’ll turn around so you can eat comfortably,” Guest explained, and they did so.
They ended up sitting back-to-back. Guest rested his weight on the masked pup’s back as this one ate the remaining candy in the bag. The blue-haired pup looked at the sky; the vision of clouds was slightly hidden by the many trees of the forest. He watched some birds sing, then a squirrel got inside a tree. He sighed, catching a slight sweet water scent on the air—it was probably the lake. Even if it was the first days of spring, the weather was cloudy and humid, lightly cold, yet Guest felt no cold at all. Contrary to it, he was warm, comfy, thanks to the company behind him. Yes, this probably was one of his favorite places, without a doubt.
He felt his friend arch his back, probably done with the candy. Guest wondered now, where were his friend’s mom or dad to look for him when it was late, or to ensure he had a full belly of delicious food? Maybe he had bad parents; he had heard that some parents don’t love their children. The younger pup’s heart sank. What could he do for his new friend if that was the case? He thought as he looked at the sky. A pair of birds passed by, very near to each other; one of them had a branch in its beak. Perhaps they’re a couple; couples are cute, they show a lot of love to each other.
“That’s it!” Guest said, thinking out loud. His companion turned his head to see him. “Oh, oops, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to yell,” he excused, then turned around to see over the masked kid’s shoulder. The bag was empty, just wrappers. “Ah, you must have been hungry,” Guest said worried, a frown formed on his face, and the other kid became tense because of the blue-haired pup's discontent.
“Are you still hungry?” the smaller pup asked, putting up an understanding smile. His friend just shook his head in a kind of ‘no’. Guest got up. “We can play now then!” He had an excited smile now. The silent pup relaxed; Guest was content again. The older kid got up too.
“You know how to play hide-and-seek, right?” he asked as he looked at his friend who just nodded at him. “Alright then! You seek and I hide!” Guest giggled, and the masked kid just went to a tree to start mentally counting. “You better not take any peeks!” His shy friend stayed silent, and the blue-haired pup took it as a sign to start running to hide nearby—close enough to be potentially found and not far enough to never be found. Right behind a thick, big tree.
He heard a crunch of leaves, a sign that his friend had started looking for him. Guest put a hand over his mouth, holding back giggles. Whenever he played hide-and-seek, he got way too excited and couldn’t stop making sounds of happiness. It was probably part of the adrenaline that coursed through his body, but he was too much of a pup to even understand what adrenaline was.
The blue-haired kid accidentally let out a giggle, and not even a second later, the masked kid was right next to him, surprising him off.
“Ah, you’re way too good at finding…” he mentioned, then turned his hands into fists because of excitement. “Now it’s my turn then! Hurry up and hide!” Guest turned to the tree to hide his face in his hands, starting to count, “One, two, three…” Guest took a peek, the masked kid was already gone, not even a sight of him.
And so, on they spent the whole noon playing hide-and-seek. The blue pup always lost; the masked kid was way too good at finding and way too great at hiding. Guest was just good at hiding, but not good enough to beat his friend. Eventually, it got boring, and they decided to take a break and later play something else.
They were sitting side by side now, both resting their backs against a tree, observing the bushes. Guest drank from his water bottle, which he'd retrieved earlier from his parents, before returning to the spot with his friend. The masked kid just looked at him.
“You want some? I don’t mind sharing water at all,” he offered the bottle to the other pup, who accepted the bottle and, again, turning around, he drank the water, pushing the cloth bag a bit up. “So uh, what’s your name? Last time I asked you couldn’t tell me because I had to go,” Guest asked as he watched the other pup finish drinking; the bottle was now half empty.
The silent child took a moment, not saying anything. Then, a mumbled, rough, raspy “Ja-..Jaso..n” came out, like a whisper with an echo. It was the second time Guest ever heard anything come out of the other kid’s mouth, but he smiled; his shy friend was unfolding with him.
Guest tasted the name: Jason. His lake-friend. It sounded nice. The kid, now Jason, had a slight spasm at the way he pronounced his name. But no word came out, and it was okay; it was a comfortable silence.
“I wonder if there’s any deers or bears in this forest…” Guest wondered aloud as he looked around. The masked pup turned his head to him to nod softly. “Oh?! There are?!” His eyes sparkled with excitement, staring at Jason. “Could you show me them? I really love bears! And deers are so cute too!” The blue-haired kid held the other pup’s hands, begging for his help to find the longed-for animals.
Jason nodded, and Guest exclaimed, “Yes! Thank you! Thank you so much!” He let go of Jason’s hands, staying excited. “I always wanted to see a bear!” Silently, the kid with the cloth bag observed him. Nothing came out of his mouth, but there are things that don’t need any words to explain.
“Ah, but let’s do it next time, ‘cause it’s already late. My dad will surely call me in a few minutes,” he said, a bit of aversion in his tone. “I will bring snacks too! It will be like… like a picnic!” He giggled and played with a stick he found on the floor. Jason just nodded.
“Do you live here? In the forest?” Guest asked, drawing on the dirt with the branch, then looking at the pup next to him. It took a while, but the masked child nodded. “That must be cool! I once asked my mom to live in a forest… she said no,” he told sadly, earning a slight growl from Jason, who put his hand over his shoulder. His hand on Guest's shoulder was a clear, unyielding gesture.
“I can’t live with you! My mama would miss me and my dad too! I would love to, though. Maybe when we get older, we could do it!” he smiled at the idea. Jason just tilted his head, but quickly became alert when he heard the same masculine voice as the last time.
“Guest! We have to go home already! Hurry up!” the man yelled to where his son was supposed to be. Guest got up quickly and wiped the dirt off his clothes. The taller pup got up along with him. A hand quickly held his arm, but not harshly like the last time. It was soft, more of a plea. The blue-haired pup sighed and smiled calmly at Jason to hug him warmly.
“I’ll come back, I promise,” he said as the masked kid hugged him back, strongly, like he was afraid of Guest disappearing. “I’ll leave the ball again then; take care of it!” He gently retrieved himself from the other pup’s arms and watched him.
“Guest! It’s late! Come already!” his dad called him again after five minutes without response.
“Oh right. I’m coming!” Guest answered with a yell in the direction of the voice. Then he looked at Jason again. “I’ll be back sooner than what you think!” He gave the other kid a toothy smile and ran back to his parents, ready to go home again.
Jason observed him run away. He turned to see the ball on the floor. How long would it take Guest to come back? He already missed him.
A few weeks later, their routine was firmly established. Every few days, Guest would sneak off to the lake, armed with a bunch of snacks. Sometimes he was accompanied by his parents; other times he was alone, with a strict hour to come back home.
They had fun, played the whole day, watched bears from afar, and even were able to pet a hare some lucky times. Guest taught Jason some stuff too: how to play his favorite game on his Game Boy, how to play UNO. He also made the masked pup try Bloxy Cola. Jason just shrugged; he didn’t like it as much as the blue-haired pup did. Jason taught him some stuff in return too; they were very rustic things: how to set a bear trap, how to use a bow and arrow (this one was Guest’s favorite! It was so cool!), and to set a fire without any lighter. Guest was amazed at Jason’s skills; he complimented everything he did.
They showed each other their interests as the children they were, but there was one thing that slightly bothered Guest. Whenever they ate the snacks together, Jason always made sure to hide his face no matter what. A PB&J sandwich? He had to turn around. A slice of cake? Jason had to give him his back, even when they drank water!
The blue-haired pup was starting to suspect it wasn’t simple shyness from the masked kid. No one could be that shy enough to spend two months hiding their face from their lake friend.
Guest hummed as he watched a butterfly land on a flower, with Jason standing silently beside him. This time they were deeper into the forest (taking advantage of the fact that his parents did not accompany him that day), looking for foxes since the younger kid begged to find at least one with the excuse of ‘They’re so cute! Please Jason!’ if that even counted as an excuse, and not just taking slight advantage of Jason’s kind attitude towards him.
Then the butterfly landed on the older child’s masked face, making Guest giggle.
“I think it likes you,” he said, tilting his head in amusement at the sight of Jason staying tense, trying not to move and scare or hurt the winged insect away. The taller pup growled softly, and the butterfly was quickly flying away. “Aww,” Guest pouted at the loss of the insect.
Jason straightened up, relaxed now that the fragile being was away from him. He looked at Guest. The shorter child was now looking for something inside his leather crossbody bag, that he borrowed from his father to make it easier to carry the snacks to his daily meeting.
“Look, I brought something!” he took out what he was trying to find, two cherry red lollipops, putting them in front of Jason as if the kid was blind. “They’re delicious, I swear!” the pup said, with the same excitement as always, trying to convince the masked kid, who looked… reluctant.
Guest unwrapped his and put it in his mouth, then offered the other to Jason with a smile. The silent pup remained still for a while, then grabbed the sweet and turned around to open it and bring it to his mouth, hiding himself from the other pup.
The blue-haired kid just thought, ‘Not again,’ with a sigh.
“Are you going to give me your back the whole way, or how are we going to find the foxes?” he asked with a pouting tone, making Jason jerk at the call out. “You know, I have noticed you never show me your face…” Guest mentioned with discontent, staring at the taller kid’s back, making him tense.
“Can I see your face?” The most feared words for Jason came just from the mouth of the person he cherished most, along with his mother.
“Monster!” “Why do you look like that?... It’s scary!” “I can tell why only your mom loves you.” “GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FREAK!” “Ew! Don’t touch me, you ugly monster!” “He’s Jason… Don’t get too near to him, he’s weird.”
These words came out of the mouths of all the children who saw his face. Counselors never said anything; they would scold the children vaguely, but Jason knew. He could see it on their faces: the looks of silent disgust, of hate for his very being. “He’s an ugly little motherfucker, huh?” he heard a counselor say once. He didn’t need to know the whole conversation; Jason already knew they were talking about him, in such a raw, cruel, unloving, awful way.
From the day he drowned, he learned that no one, no one at all except his mother, actually cared about him.
Jason remembered crying for help out loud. Kids even saw and heard him from afar, yet no one did anything. Why did no one help him? It was because of his deformity, wasn’t it? He wondered that if he weren’t cursed with that illness, if he were normal… would someone have helped him? Would people have loved him?
Guest touched Jason’s shoulder, making him jump at the sudden contact.
“Ahh! Jason, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to surprise you—it’s just… you were more silent than usual,” the blue-haired pup mumbled softly, acknowledging that something fragile was happening. “So, can I see you?” he insisted, a warm smile still on his face.
The lollipop tasted like poison right now, burning the taste buds on Jason’s tongue.
“Kill him, Jason… Make him remember!” his mother’s voice called, sensing that her son felt in danger or despair.
But he growled in denial. ‘Guest is my friend. Guest is kind, kind to me. Guest loves me.’ Jason reasoned, jerking at the last confirmation. Could someone, who wasn't his mom, really love him? Could someone love his face?
Guest looked at his friend with curiosity. He’d gone unresponsive for a long time now. “Jason, are you okay?” he asked, worried. Maybe he’d gone way too far beyond his lake friend’s boundaries. Even if he didn’t mean to, maybe he hurt Jason. Guest gave a hurtful whine at that thought, like a primal cry of ‘we hurt Alpha!’ It was something the blue-haired pup didn’t really hear or understand, but it made his chest sting with force.
Jason spun around in an instant, eyes locking onto Guest’s tear-streaked face. Both of them were a mess. He exhaled sharply, his heart faltering as his hands reached for the rough cloth bag. Trembling, he reluctantly grasped the bottom edge. This is it, he thought sorrowfully. I won’t see him again.
His hands fumbled nervously with the fabric before peeling it off his face, eyes squeezed shut as he braced for the inevitable horror or disgust — resigned to the painful familiarity.
A heavy silence settled between them, thick enough to drown out everything else. It wasn’t familiar. It was a strange, uneasy peace — no screams, no laughter, no pointed fingers. Nothing. Just silence, even as his mind screamed beneath the weight of tension.
Slowly, Jason opened his eyes. Guest’s head was tilted slightly, face calm and unafraid, eyes wide and curious — the same gentle charm he always carried, as if Jason had never taken off his mask. No mockery. No fear. Just... acceptance.
“You’re a bear? That’s awesome!” Guest exclaimed, reaching out to poke the soft brown fuzz of Jason’s round ears. His smile was warm and gentle — like a ray of sunlight breaking through a storm.
Jason froze, baffled. No mention of his deformity. No cruel words or insensitive jokes. Just kindness. His breath caught in his throat. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, spilling over quietly at first, then in a desperate flood. A breathy, heartbreaking sob escaped him, ragged and raw.
Guest noticed the tears, mouth half-open in surprise and worry that he might have caused the pain. He stopped his gentle poking and studied Jason as if solving the easiest puzzle. Then he gave a soft, understanding smile and wrapped him in a gentle hug. The older pup clung back fiercely, desperate to hold on to the only warmth left in his world.
This warmth was different from anything Jason had ever known — unlike his mother’s gentle embrace. It came from someone he’d met after birth, someone who truly liked him. For the first time, he felt a warmth completely unfamiliar, spreading slowly through his chest and thawing parts of him buried deep within his soul. Parts he might never have discovered if not for Guest.
And yet, beneath it all, the memory lingered — the cold his own heart knew all too well. The bone-deep chill of the lake’s bottom, where water painfully filled his lungs and his heart slowed to a painful crawl. The chilling grip of death tightening around his neck. Then, blackness. Complete, suffocating darkness.
When he finally woke, he found himself on the far shore of the same lake, bathed in the pale light of a full moon. Packs of wolves or hounds howled in the distance beneath the clear night sky. The stars twinkled faintly above, and for a moment, he thought innocently, I must have fallen asleep. He pushed himself up and began walking toward the camp, the cool night air brushing against his cold, soaked skin.
His mother would be worried sick by now. He’d probably get a long, stern scolding — followed by the soft comfort of her arms, whispering that everything would be alright. Later, she would cook his favorite dish to make sure he understood it all. She was tedious with her motherly love, always pampering him and caring for him like a baby. But her love was all Jason knew, and so he had no choice but to accept being cradled in the love only a mother could give.
Jason exhaled softly, his eyes catching movement near the canoes. He crept closer, ducking behind a tree, heart pounding. Was it a fight? His breath caught as he saw her — his mother. And beside her, a girl in a counselor’s uniform, gripping a machete with trembling hands, eyes wide with terror.
What was she about to—
The forest held its breath.
Then came the sickening thud that would ruin his life.
Jason’s mother’s head hit the ground, followed by the lifeless fall of her body — decapitated by the terrified girl.
Jason’s breath hitched at the horror, frozen in place as he felt his soul shatter with the heaviest realization of his eleven years. The counselor climbed into a canoe, paddling steadily away across the dark water, exhausted.
When she was far enough, Jason crept toward his mother’s still form, his hands trembling as he took in the lifeless figure of the woman who had loved him. His heart pounded faster than ever.
Tears didn’t come. But his mind raced, and the pounding of his heart was loud in his ears. He felt so numb he half-expected to wake up and find it was just a nightmare. A growing rage stirred deep inside him. That woman had killed the only person who loved him—the only one who accepted Jason for who he was.
He picked up the machete from the ground. It was heavy, but Jason barely noticed. In his sore hands, along with his mother’s head, it felt cold and damp, as if she had been soaked by restless rain. The air hung thick with the coppery scent of blood from the corpse and the severed head he held. This was not the end—not at all.
A soft breath brushed against his chest, pulling him back from the edge of his fury.
Jason looked down and met the gentle gaze framed by soft, true-blue hair, fluffy like clouds. Inevitably, he buried his face in it, inhaling the faint, calming scent of pineapple, orange, and passion fruit—barely noticeable, yet soothing in its own strange way. He sighed, relieved, and held Guest closer as his tears slowly ceased. Peace returned, fragile but real.
The shorter pup tilted his head up, a warm smile lighting his face. Now, face to face, they were just inches apart.
“I like your face, it’s really pretty,” he mumbled, arms around the other kid. Jason wondered, was there someone that could love him more than this child he met not so long ago?
He must expect better from the younger pup. Guest was truly so different from the other kids he’d met before. Guest was full of love and understanding. If Jason could, he would like to be around Guest the rest of his life.
They stayed silent, finishing their lollipops as they held hands and walked deeper into the forest, still looking for the red-furred animal. Guest was as silent as Jason this time, knowing better than to talk after such a moment. Jason suddenly stopped, making the younger pup halt in place. Then he pointed, leading Guest’s gaze to it.
“A FOX!” Guest yelled with genuine excitement, getting closer to the animal in a sneaky way so as not to scare it. “We found it!” He crouched, and Jason followed, nodding in confirmation.
Then another fox appeared, surprising the first one. “Another!?” Guest mumbled, amazed at being able to see two. However, Jason shushed him.
The foxes positioned in a play bow, wagging their tails at each other, ready for the other to make the first move. One of them started biting playfully, and the other ran behind a bush, followed by their partner.
Jason and the smaller pup stayed crouched a bit longer, then got up, seeing that the red-furred animals were not coming back. “Hey Jason,” Guest called, looking at the other kid, getting his attention. “Do you think we are those foxes in another universe?” he asked with a smile, tugging slightly at the hand in his.
Jason took a while, his blue eyes staring into Guest’s. Then he nodded. The other kid giggled contentedly. Yes, they must be next to each other in any life they had.
It had been a long time since that fateful day, and the bitter taste still lingered on Jason’s tongue as he washed fresh blood from his hands.
Good things always end.
Guest had to leave.
The blue pup came running one day, sobbing, in the worst state the older kid had ever seen him in the whole year they’d been meeting. It made his, even if undeveloped, Alpha-self jump with pure discontent at the cries of his… his friend, his best friend.
Jason looked at him, worried, not sure how to even handle the situation. He never thought Guest would break like that one day. What could be so bad? It had to be bad enough for the kid to run right to the silent pup and cry—not just tears, but deep sobs and weeps.
The taller child started to get nervous, unsure how to help Guest or what to do. Guest just cried, not saying a word. He cried and hugged him close desperately. Jason couldn’t take it anymore, so he did the first thing he could think of: he bit the other kid’s shoulder, softly and over his clothes. The effects were extremely quick. The younger pup was now only weeping, his breathing slowing and relaxing, less tense than before.
Now he pulled Guest slightly away to see him face to face, tilting his head to make his confusion obvious.
“I—I have—They—My parents and I have to go to another town!” Guest replied to the unspoken question. “The Bacons… they’re evil, and we have to go because,” he stopped mid-sentence to take a breath. Jason just observed him. “Because they will find us if we don’t!” he hissed. “Dad said it wasn’t like that, but I heard them talk last night! I know the truth! They hate us! If they find us, they will hurt us!” The tears didn’t stop, but Guest was now more relaxed than before, having finally been able to cry out the truth.
Who wasn’t relaxed now was Jason. The older pup had already heard a few things about the Bacon terrorist organization, from Guest and a few months before he’d drowned in the lake. The ‘Guest’ kind disappearing due to this organization. Jason couldn’t have cared less back then; he had his own struggles. But now, he realized: the only person alive that loved him was a ‘Guest’—a ‘Guest’ named Guest, exactly. The person he now loved the most was in danger, again.
Jason cuddled the younger pup closer to him, a slight growl rumbling from his chest. He wouldn’t let it be. Guest wouldn’t die as long as he could protect him. He would kill millions of Bacons if he had to.
“Jason, I—I might not be able to see you again.” The words went down the older child like a bucket of cold water, as cold as the day he reached the bottom of the lake. Truth hit hard.
The silent kid placed his blue eyes on the blue-haired child, now understanding Guest’s desperation. Jason’s gaze was empty, yet his mouth was full of emotions—so many things he wished he could say, to express, to explain. He wanted to say ‘No,’ to deny Guest from ever saying something like that again, to deny him leave. To deny the fact they had to part ways for a greater good: Guest’s life.
He could only let out a hurtful mewl, not enough for him, but the smaller pup understood everything with such a small sound. They cuddled even more. Jason sighed as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. He looked at the winter sky.
Why did the person he loved the most always have to be taken away?
Jason continued to dispose of the corpse in his hands, the head already in the tub of water as an offering for his mother. Blood smell scenting his whole house. Postmen always get too confident in the forest. In Jason’s forest, in his territory.
But he was happy whenever they appeared: they meant only one thing. Guest had sent a card, just as promised. It had been 6 years already, but the letters always appeared, even if Jason didn’t reply to any of them. It was the string that kept them together, along with… His head turned to a shelf, where a dusty football was preserved, he doesn’t dare to touch it, he just appreciates it from afar, as if it was a fragile being. But it was, it was the string that connected him and his soulmate... his mind wandered right back to the vivid memory of that, even if awful, it left many things clear to him.
“I know!” Guest barked, trying to hold the crumbling contentment left, looking at Jason, who was still an emotional mess. “Our ball!” he mumbled, making the older kid remember why this all started—and the promise.
‘So you believe me, I’m leaving my football with you! I will have to come back for it for sure!’
“This ball… It’s not even mine at this point,” the younger kid whispered softly. “It’s ours now.” He held Jason’s hands, smiling warmly despite the tears on his cheeks. Jason wondered how long Guest could keep up the already crumbling facade of being ‘strong.’ “Just like before, I’ll…” The pup’s voice faltered, swallowed by overwhelming emotion. “I’ll come back to you! I swear.” He pulled even closer to the other child’s chest, hiding his tear-streaked face.
Jason wasn’t sure if the promise was meant for him or if Guest was simply trying to convince himself. But it made him tear up even more — it was perhaps the saddest feeling he’d ever known in return: to be wished for as much as you wish. He would never let go of that feeling.
Years later, Jason — now grown — sat alone at the worn table in the shack that once belonged to him and his mother, clutching the freshly delivered letter. The room was thick with memories, both comforting and painful.
He felt a ghost of a kiss on his cheek, pulling him back into that memory. The soft warmth lingered briefly, a bittersweet reminder of promises made and farewells left unspoken.
Guest kissed his cheek, softly, a gesture both rewarding and yet punishing. The lovely peck carried a clear, sad intention — a sugarcoated farewell. A physical expression of the blue-haired pup having to leave — an unspoken end to the time they’d shared.
“I’m sorry, Jason… I will come back soon, I promise,” the cracked voice said, eyes red from crying.
Jason often wondered if anyone could ever love him as fiercely as Guest did — if anyone could see past his scars and still choose him. But the true question always was: was there someone Jason could love as much as he loved Guest? The answer was no, and Jason wouldn’t hear protests. His love for Guest would transcend time and even death itself.
And so Jason waited — patient and unwavering — clinging to the hope that Guest would one day return, as he promised.
Jason sank back into darkness—the cold pit of despair swallowing him whole once more, like reaching the bottom of the lake again in his mind. Days turned into weeks, then months—two months of suffocating silence. Not a single letter written in cursive, no silly polaroids with his longed-for childhood friend in them, no small candies tucked inside envelopes, and not even a clueless postman wandering near Jason’s territory. Each silent day shredded the fragile thread holding him together, and with the last letter unreceived, he finally snapped.
Fueled by loss and rage, Jason became like the howling hounds and wolves under the full moon—seeing only red, blinded by fury. Because if Guest went silent, it meant he was dead, Jason knew. Nothing mattered anymore. The person he loved had died, again, and this time Jason wasn’t even close to them. He no longer cared if he was caught; no string held him back from going utterly feral.
Bacons—the ruthless, merciless faction hunting Guest and others like him—became Jason’s sworn enemies. He would resent them for a lifetime. It was all their fault; if not for them, Guest would be beside him, smiling, cuddling, and loving him. There was no cause left.
Eventually, his rampage caught the attention of shadowy authorities who sought to stop him. Captured and taken to the infamous Area 51, even facing execution—none of it mattered. Nothing could move him now—not if there was the absence of those beautiful strands of true-blue hair.
Jason’s fate twisted further when an unknown entity claimed his soul, dragging him into an eternal realm of torment, where he was destined to be a punisher. Trapped in an endless cycle of pain, Jason knew neither beginning nor end—only an eternal, suffocating now. A life or death without his soulmate was meaningless, and so was this realm. He sought only to drag more souls to hell with him, avenging the loss of his other half. Jason wasn’t thrilled by what the entity offered—but the entity seemed eager to strike a deal. There was nothing Jason truly wanted… until The Spectre revealed something that might change his mind.