The Black Infectious Thingy | Inanimate Insanity AU |

(CH.52) A Guest At The Mansion

\\\CW: SWEARING\\\
///PAINTBRUSH POV///
I walked to the main door.
Fuck-
Lighty, why'd you have to do this?
I thought as I opened the door and looked over to the forest.
I should've followed you... UGH. Why didn't I?
I walked down the entrance stairs as I held myself up with the help of the railings.
I should uh.. get something to walk more easily, I need something to aid me to walk-
This cast by itself is too annoying.
I got closer to the forest.
I should go with Marshy, help her find her.
But I shouldn't leave the house, I'm defenseless.
I- I hope Lighty is safe..
Man, I wonder how the hotel guys are doing, maybe they'll have figured out what happened already?
Ugh, idk.
I don't think so.
And damnit Fan, why you..
I hope Test Tube stays safe, and I hope Fan doesn't dare to lay a single finger on her, not after everything.
I sat on the floor and sighed.
Fucking hell.
I feel so guilty...
About everything, specially about having hurt Lighty so badly...
I should've been so much more gentle with Lighty, if I had been....
She.. She would still be beside me...
FUCK- Why couldn't we just talk it through, why must I be such an idiot.
She's in danger now...
Or maybe- if I hadn't gone to the lab with her...If she hadn't even stayed in the hotel in the first place-
Ugh...
I started regretting the past, thinking on the consequences of my actions.
And then, I caught some movement in the woods.
"Huh... Lighty?" I said, confused and approaching the bushes.
"Are you back alrea-" I said as I opened the bushes, but found none other than Trophy in there.
"AH! YOU'RE NOT LIGHTY!" I shouted as I backed away.
"Agh! No shit." Trophy said as he slightly backed away too.
"What are you doing here?!"
"Because I can! Those twerps were too fuckin' annoying. I hated it there."
"How'd you get here???"
"By walking through the forest? Fuckin idiot."
"No- I mean. Ugh- forget it."
He looked at me up and down and as he pointed my leg he began talking.
"...And how'd you get here? Everyone thought you were dead or smth."
"That's none of your business..!"
"Hey- Wait, what happened?"
"Why do you keep asking??? I'm not answering."
"Why would I be? Paintbrush, you've been gone for weeks! At least it feels like so, everyone already thought you'd be dead by now, and you aren't? Why the heck would I not be confused and worried on this situation?"
"Because you're you???? Agh, idk! You're acting weird, and I don't even know what you mean with 'What happened'."
"Well, with your leg and I guess in general? Everyone at the hotel was worried you got kidnapped... We were all so confused."
"Since when have you ever cared?"
"Paintbrush. I've had a long day. Just answer."
"Ugh- Well... We just.. we got lost."
"Lost? With who? D'ya wanna talk about it or?"
I looked at him.
"You're... asking?"
"Don't look deep into it. I came from that bush and wasn't expecting you and now I'm curious as to where you've been. We can talk about these things, can't we?" He said as he held my hand and guided me to the stairs.
"This is so weird. What's up with you?"
"Nothing, just kind of worried about you."
We both sat down and he let go off my hand.
"You acting so sensitive right now... you'd usually just be a jerk about it- Did something bad happen to you? You're never like this... hell, I'm pretty sure the last time we talked to one another you shouted and told me to fuck off."
"So many questions! No. Nothing happened. It's fine. Im worried, okay? Am I not allowed to worry about a fellow contestant? And what's up with you? At this point you'd be angry too."
"I guess I'm too tired at this point..."
"Fair enough, and same tbh."
"Yyeah?"
"Mhm. And, about you.... You wanna talk about it now?"
"Ugh, sure, whatever. I keep telling people so one more won't make a difference..."
"Go on?"
"It's just- I made a horrible mistake and now someone I love is in danger because of it..."
"Is it Lightbulb?"
"Uh..  yyeah..."
"Oh shit, actually? Was that why you confused me for her earlier?"
"Mhm..."
"Well? What happened?"
"Umh... I hurt her- I made her feel bad and she hasn't talked to me since, and then- She...She run away from me! A-And I'm worried that the traitors will hurt her- And-"
"Jeez, calm down. Okay- I get it."
"Y-You do..?"
"Yeah, been through similar shit myselfl."
"Then.. What do I do..?"
"Huh?"
"How do I fix it..?"
"Okay, how do I tell you this- You can't."
"W-What..?"
"Ugh. Look, okay, so if you messed up that badly then the only thing you can do is wait for Lightbulb to forgive you whenever she's ready, y'know?"
"What if she doesn't?"
"Then you respect it. It's her decision after all, and if you really don't want her to not forgive you then give her the space she needs."
"Oh.. But-"
"No buts. This decision is totally up to her. Not you."
"I don't wanna loose her..."
"You can't rewind time and fix these things, you gotta just let them fix themselves however they can."
"Fuck. What if... they fix in a way I hate?"
"Then, you'll have to get used to it. There's nothing else for you to do. But knowing you and Lightbulb, I'm pretty sure it'll be alright.
"You think so?"
"Yes. Firmly."
"Jeez, thanks, I guess?"
"You're welcome, hope that helped."
"Yeah- Gosh. Where did you learn all of that?"
"Therapy sessions with Paper, from before all of this happened."
"Huh... I didn't know that."
"I didn't tell anyone. Not until now at least."
"Oh... why are you telling me this then?"
"I don't know. Guess it felt right?"
He looked away.
"Since I told you what happened to me... Can you now tell me what happened to you? I know you'd never willingly come here. I think it's a fair exchange."
"Ugh- Okay. A brief explanation is what you'll get then. Basically, there was so much stuff going on in that shitty hotel, everyone started pointed fingers at each other and after a while someone pinned the blame onto me, and I wasn't gonna take that shit so I just left."
"Wait what did they accuse you of???"
"Remember the whole mess with Cheesy? We both were suspicious of Mic and Fan and stuff- Well, suddenly and literally out of nowhere, everyone turned against me and started accusing me of hurting Cheesy or smth. They said that they had proof of me being the fucking idiot who hurt him, and well, one thing led to another and here I am now."
"What the fuck? That's- not fair at all."
"I know. I would never hurt him. Ugh, idk why everyone thinks I would."
"I know you wouldn't, you aren't the one to."
"THANK YOU. Fucking hell, who would ever do that?"
"Well.. Me and Lighty did find out who might've done so."
"Wait what."
"It might've been Fan, he- He attacked us. We planned on going back to the hotel on the morning to warn everyone, but first we'd had some rest. But Lighty, she- She just left without a warning..."
"Fuck. Fan, of course. That could be why he got everyone against me. I overlooked that idiot."
"I did too- He seemed to be the same way? I would've never guessed that he was infected."
"He's a nerd, he's smart. He probably covered his spot on the head. And since he already had red eyes... Ugh. Smart asshole."
"Fuck. He did have a bandage on his head, didn't he?"
"Mhm, yeah. That's what I meant."
"Shit.. Well, umh.. Apart from that whole mess, how's everyone doing? Specially Soap and all of those whom had it rough."
"Soap is okay, but something off is up with her and Mic. They seemed to be close at first but then for some reason grew apart? She passed out and they stayed with me and Cheesy's room. They made me share beds with cheesy and they themselves shared one too! But for some reason... The next day, they completely avoided each other."
"That's... off."
"I heard some rumors that said that they got attacked and Mic ran away, leaving Soap there. Soap's got really hurt, she can't speak anymore. Probably the reason she is so resentful of Mic? Dunno."
"Oh shoot. Poor Soap."
"Yeah, but now she's fine I think. She's been hanging out with Bomb and Yin-Yang a lot."
"Damn, that's a friend-group I would've never expected to be formed."
"Well, Balloon and Nickel have been interacting more too. It's pretty fuckin weird to me after everything they've done to each other but they're fine now? Idk."
"Balloon and Nickel???????"
"Mhm."
"Fuck. Okay, that's actually quite a shocker??? Did anyone else develop a weird friendship or?"
"Nah, OJ has been slightly talking to Test Tube more but that's to be expected, I think Pepper has started talking to Pickle more? It's unclear to me."
"Huh. Weird- has there been any more attacks ever since we left?"
"Nope, it's all suspiciously quiet."
"That doesn't sound good..."
"That's what I've been trying to tell OJ, but he just keeps calling me paranoid."
"Yikes. Well that's a bit suspicious of him to say..."
"I know! Ugh, he's hiding something. That twerp definitely knows something that he isn't telling us."
"Huh, you seem more skeptical than usual."
"Of course I am! Everyone is. I'm no exception."
"Even after getting kicked out of the hotel?"
"Specially because of that."
"Wow Trophy, I wouldn't expect any of this to affect you so deeply..."
"Huh. Why not?"
"You seem so... idk. Just, not the kind of guy to care about these things, I guess?"
"Just because I'm tough? A bully? Yeah, whatever. I may be like that, but this just freaks me out as much as it does to everyone else."
"I guess that is fair enough."
"It is."
"Damn, okay, you're right. Dunno why I even assumed you'd be unaffected."
"That's just how everyone views me, I suppose. Cold, heartless and careless Trophy, ain't it?"
"Sorry."
"Don't be, I already know that's how you all talked about me back in the hotel. But at least now you know that's not really me."
"Okay?"
"..."
"Hey Trophy, and how are you holding up?"
"Huh."
"You just said you're not all of those things... do you actually care that much? What are your feelings towards this entire... situation?"
"Idk Paintbrush, it's complicated."
"Well, we do have time to discuss it rn..."
"Dang, okay. Guess you're my new therapist now, ha."
"Jokes? From you? That's something new.. seems like Cheesy did affect you, but yes, please continue."
"Okay, I feel so weird and stuck, y'know? Specially when I was back in the hotel... trapped without being able to be of any use... I hated it, and I ran away thinking that it would all be better once I got out of there, that I'd be able to do whatever I wanted once I became free and that I'd be able to help Cheesy, but the freedom I expected hasn't been that great on me this far. Agh, I have no clues to follow to rescue Cheesy, and I want to help out but I feel so stuck here, I don't think I'll ever figure out how to help anyone."
"Hey, don't be so rough on yourself, please. It's not easy to just- help out someone in need, I'd know about it."
"Yeah, I know you do. But this is not the same. You fucked up and now your friend is mad at you and I completely lost someone due to being an asshole to them, not the same at all."
"Trophy, it's fine. Again, don't be so hard on yourself. You're not perfect, and you messed up.... I'm sure we'll still get your Cheesy back though."
"I hope we will.."
"Hey, we will. I promise."
"Thank you. I needed that."
Some minutes passed, both me and Trophy looked over to the dark forest and just waited for something to happen.
I personally was waiting for Marsh to be back.
But it was taking a worrying amount of time, when suddenly...
"PAINTY! PAINTY!-" Shouted Marsh hysterically as she run towards me.
"Wha- Marsh? Did you find Lighty???" I said as I looked directly at her, shocked.
"Yesyes! But she- she..." Marsh couldn't finish her sentence, she gulped and was shaking.
"She what???? Where is she????????" I said as I stood up in front of Marsh.
"...She got captured by the TEO!"