Mable: And so the second part of the first arc starts!... Err, or continues, more like. Either way, here it is! I don't own 9, Enjoy!
Fabric Runs Shallow
Chapter Seven: The Concealed Concerns
"Such a precious little princess, aren't you?" Two cooed down into his arms where his new daughter stared up at him with wide optics. He was perched on the throne and allowing the others to come look at said baby with a warm smile stretched on his face. Twenty-One was also there but on the carpet playing with his toys nearby. Most of the others were simply balancing between visiting the new Stitchpunk and trying to figure out a normal schedule as well around it. One, however, decided to regain normal behavior by firmly confronting Nine on where he had been the night before.
The zippered male couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed and partially amused when Child took off with a look of horror. Nine explained most of the story; Child and he went out to scout, his Lightstaff was broken, and they left so early that they stopped to rest mid-way. That was until One gave him an unimpressed look and responded with, "What type was it?" Nine relinquished his mock innocence, "It was a Mosquito Beast, but it's not an issue anymore." One's optics scrutinized him while Nine insisted, "It was bound to happen eventually and it wasn't even that aggressive."
He then began to explain more about said Beast while watering down most of the details. Five passed at this point and gave Nine a sympathetic pat on the shoulder in which the zippered male quickly greeted him. It was reassuring that he had no hard feelings towards One eventually finding out about what happened. Because of that, Five felt a bit better, and headed over to see the new baby. As he looked down at her Three wandered up and planted a warm kiss on his cheek to which he smiled before becoming confused when she right afterwards pulled away.
"Three?" He asked in confusion and looked to her to notice that she was starting to approach the bucket lift. She gave him a sweet smile and pointed to her twin and None before following after them eagerly. The Healer suddenly felt his mood drop once again as he realized another odd fact about his somewhat hesitating relationship with Three. She was constantly running off with None and her twin. While it was normal to be with her twin, there was something confusing about the sudden amount of time that she was spending with None.
"I shouldn't be thinking like this." Five mentally scolded himself. He knew that it was jealousy and he knew that he had felt it before. Five's jealousy didn't present itself as bluntly as expected. To Five, it appeared as concern and worry, and not an aggression that was usually known to come. As such he predicted that this bit of concern and worry had to be a bit of jealousy, and jealousy in its own didn't tend to be a positive occurrence. Instead he looked down at the new baby who was still looking upwards at Two with an innocent admiration; as though it barely knew Two and yet completely idolized him.
It was probably because Two was closest. Twelve didn't seem to have good eyesight yet and could see much past her own hand so when something was close she would stare at it in wonder. Five also noticed the tiny ribbon now tied on the female's head knot and softly reached out to touch it. His fingers gently ran over the navy ribbon and knot as he looked to Two who smiled and nodded a bit, telling him to continue. Five did, rubbing the head knot and watching as she looked upwards towards the thing above her. "She's beautiful, Two." He complimented again to which the male looked pleased.
At that point Twenty-One looked back from his position on the floor. Five noticed him staring and greeted him. This got a pleased look and he stood before toddling over, "Can I touch Baby?" He inquired and, again, Five looked to Two. "Of course, Twone." Two responded, "Five, could you help him?" The Healer leaned over to lift Twenty-One and held him over his sibling. The tiny Stitchpunk reached out and squeezed her tiny hand with his own. "Hello little Baby!" He said a bit loudly, but thankfully the infant flinched instead of bursting out into tears or anything.
Then Twenty-One became a bit upset and looked to his parent, "Papa, she's not doing things." He pointed out and Two chuckled, "She's too young, Twenty-One. She doesn't know how to talk yet, or really smile, but she does love you and she's happy to meet you." Twenty-One perked a little and looked back to Twelve before squeezing her fist again, "Okay." He merely answered before continuing to study her. Five patted Two's shoulder before looking over. One was starting away from Nine and so the Healer decided to talk to him.
"I'll be right back." He spoke before crossing over towards his friend who now looked a bit weary after spending so long talking to One. "Sorry. He got it out of me after you left." Nine managed to shrug it off somewhat, "I'm sure he was probably waiting all morning for that." He rubbed his neck tiredly and Five asked, "You guys were gone for a while. I'm guessing you ran into trouble?" At this Nine suddenly looked flustered, "You… Can say that." He laughed a little nervously and suddenly changed the subject, "Did you see where None went?"
"Down in the Library with Three and Four" Five pitifully explained, his voice clearly revealing his distress, and Nine blinked, "They're… Spending a lot of time together." He suggested and Five suddenly clenched and became a bit paranoid, "You noticed too? I was- I mean-…" He exhaled tiredly, "Two said it's normal for couples to be apart, but it feels like Three's avoiding me, and maybe she and Four are bringing None so that it'll seem less obvious." He then actually paused and then laughed a little, suddenly seemingly returning to normal.
Really it just felt better to pretend it wasn't anything at all. "I just realized how over-dramatic I'm being. Two was right, I'm just doing the same thing I did when I thought you wanted to be with Three." Suddenly he felt a lot better about this, but surprisingly Nine didn't, and he was not a bit curious. He decided to help keep Five's relaxed demeanor, "None's probably studying something and getting them to help him, you know? We talked about another trip somewhere so maybe he's trying to keep it quiet from One." Five nodded, "That's true. It's probably just that. I can't believe I'm worrying about nothing."
"Maybe I'll ask him later." Nine pointed out, "But if you're this concerned you should probably talk to Three about it." The Healer nodded before Nine added in, "In the meantime, think you can help me with this?" He showed his friend the Lightstaff and Five immediately smiled, "I think I can do that much."
Someone thrown into the darkness, another crushed under an unseen force, bubbling ink raising over his own head; yet standing through the darkness he could see the dark figure, dripping with an oily, black substance and standing tall. It wasn't recognized, but it was titled. It was a Beast in Stitchpunks' fabric, a monster coming down, and it had overtaken the Sanctuary. It had taken over everything.
Mismatched optics shot open and he shivered in his bedding. He had known that a nap was risky, considering his recent nightmares, but he had still caved and faced the consequences. His blanket was tightened around him and he shivered a bit at the cool air. He was feeling uncomfortable and ill, perhaps budding with a fever, and yet tried to shrug it off as he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling high above him. His bedroom was the same as always; covered in random drawings of nightmares and other inspirations.
Thus leaving it a gallery that went well with him; mismatched with aspirations, the occasional nice feeling, but something darker looming under the surface. There was something certainly looming under Six's fabric, though. He had a clear idea what was coming but couldn't put every piece together except that he knew it was a Stitchpunk, or something that resembled one, and that it was going to come into power very quickly. "There's someone out there still…" Six thought to himself as he reached up to grasp on the key ring around his neck.
"There's someone out there and they're going to come here and hurt us, and they'll let it happen because it's a Stitchpunk, right?" His other hand moved to rub at his face, the dried ink flaking off when pressed into the canvas on his forehead that felt warm. "Head hurts…" He spoke to himself and looked over across the room tiredly. He couldn't really focus on much other than the growing dread and trying to figure out what he could do to stop the coming threat. Yet there was nothing that came to mind.
He shivered a little bit and pulled the blanket over his frame, feeling a little better from it. Something about wrapping himself in warm fabric was nice. Being enwrapped and being warmed past the point where it was probably healthy. Either way, he started to feel a little better and moved to stand and cross the room over to his inkwell which he stared into. The ink was running low, but it didn't matter much and he expected that the others would probably find some in the future, he would just have to remind them.
The blanket was pulled over his head and wrapped around him and the inkwell which he now held close to his chest. Then he headed out towards the throne room, stopping in the actual room that Eight and he shared to grab what paper he had left. The throne room felt too filled to be comfortable. The corner that he usually sat in to draw was presently being taken my Seven who was speaking to Eight and Cat at the present, probably about training or something, and Six quietly decided to take the corner by the throne instead.
Two and Five were looking at the baby and Six himself sort of wanted to look over as well. Yet he waited until Five wandered over to Nine's side, once One himself was absent, and then scurried over. After so many nightmares and so little sleep Six was feeling strange and somewhat unsocial. Thankfully Two was easy to be social with and since he was still weak after the birth he wasn't ready to begin making up for lost time by working. Though it didn't help that two infants were now in his lap, Twelve asleep again and Twenty-One just resting against Two, letting his Papa pet his head.
"Good morning, Six. Or perhaps afternoon." He greeted playfully and Six forced a smile as he adjusted his blanket around him, "Hello. Can I see?" he stumbled on his words and the Inventor noticed. "Of course, Six." He spoke and moved his arm down a bit so she could see Twelve's face. Then he felt the need to ask, "How was your rest?" he asked and Six shrugged it off as he peered down at the infant. Six found himself smiling through any troubling thoughts. To see the new pup again was enough to ease his mind.
"Are you cold?" Two guessed while looking at the blanket and Six silently nodded before feeling his body tense when Two's hand pulled back from Twenty-One and pressed to his forehead. Twenty-One was clearly inquisitive at such and his slanted optics stared at the scene in a scrutinizing fashion that resembled One's. "You feel a bit warm. Have you been having any aches or pains?" Two asked and Six quietly responded with, "My head, a little, but I'm okay. Nothing else hurts. I'm just a little cold."
"That's probably from the fever." Two pointed out, "Just try not to overdo it today." At this moment Twenty-One let out a small, disgruntled noise and reached upwards to grapple onto Two's arm. The Inventor looking down, looking amused, and then returning to petting his head, "Just as impatient as his father." Six took this distraction to cross back to his things and kneeled down before beginning to draw. It wasn't too long until he heard the sound of heavy footsteps and realized quickly who it was.
His makeshift hood was pulled back in a playful and remarkable fashion that noted Eight as the culprit immediately. Six leaned his head back and looked up at the Guard before smiling to him. Even with the nightmares Eight brightened his day. "Hello." He greeted and Eight responded, "Hey. Get any sleep?" The striped one nodded and decided not to mention the nightmare. "So which one of them are you trying to look like; the twins or the boss?" He teased and the joke wasn't wasted on Six, "Both at once?"
Of course he noticed Eight's inquisitive look past this and realized that he actually wanted to know the real reason. It was odd behavior, even for Six, and he decided to reassure his mate before he thought he was acting more insane than usual, "I'm feeling a little cold." Eight raised a brow before suggesting, "I could get you a jacket or something." This meant having to go through the winter supplies that were stacked away and Six found it easier to decline, "I'm okay like this. You don't have to do that."
Eight leaned against the wall by his normal post, "Did you have another nightmare?" He knew, he could already tell there had been one, and Six's face suddenly shifted into a mix of shame and fear. "I did." Eight went solemn, "I guessed as much. You've got that glazed look you get after one. Was it the same as last time?" Six's last couple of nightmares had been building to something and he was able to nod honestly, "Yeah… I saw more this time." There was an eerie silence before Eight asked, "Anything we should be worried about?"
To answer, Six requested something, "Eight… Can you answer a question for me? Please?" Eight looked confused but answered, "As long as it's nothing I have to do any quick math for. Shoot." The Artist looked at the inkwell before asking. Staring into what was left of the black ink as he asked, "Eight… If someone came… Another Stitchpunk, you wouldn't trust them all the way when you first met them, would you? You'd keep... We'd all be cautious, wouldn't we?" Eight wasn't sure where Six was going with the question, but answered honestly.
"I wouldn't, but you know how everyone else is. One wouldn't trust them, Five would, Two'd be nice, the twins would get way too close; why? Is this something to do with Cat?" Cat was the newest member so his abrupt assumption wasn't too far-fetched, though Six's stitched brows were now what raised. "Cat? No. No, I meant someone new. Someone who suddenly appeared out of nowhere." Eight sort of made a chuckling noise, or a mix between a chuckle and a scoff, and insisted, "Course not. Not when they just popped up out of nowhere."
"That's… Good to know." Six murmured softly and looked down to his paper before him. Eight was starting to become very aware that something was off with Six, but decided to leave him be, decided to leave it as 'just a nightmare'.
He knew he would regret it soon enough.
There was no denying it now, they were all starting to notice.
While None paced across the marble floor he felt his thoughts racing like a brewing storm. Five was definitely starting to pay more attention and Nine had noticed him when he walked by so no doubt he would be down here later asking around. It wasn't as though None really wanted to keep this a secret forever, it just sort of turned out that way, and now he had to figure out how to get this secret out without ruining his, and the twins', lives forever.
As he looked over at the two female pointing down at an open book he knew that the others wouldn't understand. Maybe Five would, but maybe that was because Five had neared the same predicament in the past, but back then Five at least had honesty on his side. It didn't help that None was sort of an enigma in the Sanctuary. He was basically a slightly more laid back, perhaps more childish, and admittedly slightly more observant copy of his twin. So while he felt and acted slightly different, the others were probably going to judge him on that.
It wasn't that he didn't like being Nine's twin, though. Honestly he very much loved Nine and enjoyed spending such close time together. Maybe it was the same twin bond that now put the twins in the same situation as him. Though he doubted they would be frowned upon as much as he was. All three of them were lying to those who they loved and while he wanted to believe that the others would understand he knew there would be a doubt of some kind, yet wasn't fully sure what kind. Whether or not it would be permanent and he would be forever branded.
After all, Nine would constantly carry the burden of being the one who awoke the Machine who went on a rampage, and while the others didn't see that one Nine did. It clearly would always be a tag attached to his mind that would only fade after years. None very well had the opportunity to carry a tag just the same. However, while he wanted to share everything with his twin he didn't very well think that he wanted to share this one.
That was it, he had to tell Five the truth, or Nine, or someone. He couldn't keep on going like this but he knew somehow it was worth it. All of this trouble was worth it. Looking at the two twins he knew why he started this in the first place. Over all, he couldn't lose this, not yet.
Mable: Oh, so something is occurring with None, but what exactly? More to come on the update tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!
