*CLICK*

I pulled the trigger again, only to get the same sound. I pulled the gun away from my head, looking down to find I had left the safety on.

"Of course I did…" I muttered, only to be tackled to the side as the gun flew out of my hands.

"Are you insane!?" Neptune exclaimed.

"Maybe! I don't know!?" I answered back, as I was pinned to the ground.

"Why did you even try that!?" She screamed into my face.

"I don't know!" I answered, pushing her off me as I rolled over and pushed off the ground. "I just…"

"Did nothing I just say go through your head, you idiot!?" Neptune asked, grabbing onto my shirt. "I just told you I'd miss you if you had left… and then you go and try to kill yourself!?"

"...I did…" I said, closing my eyes. "...I… It just got too much to handle… Everything that I had went through… then Peashy left… and then I… I'm stuck in a world… where everything seems to be out to get me… where some higher being seems to think people get a kick out of watching me suffer. Be it nearly dying, traumatisation or… whatever else… It's just too much…"

I fell to my knees as I shakily put a hand on Neptune's shoulder. "...I just… want to go home… and just… go back to doing literally nothing with my life… go back to… playing my video games and reading and writing Fanfiction on some site…"

"And you thought killing yourself would lead to that!?" She asked.

"Here we are talking about listening to someone, did you not just hear what I said!?" I asked, as I raised my head to look at Neptune. "I just… I can't keep doing this anymore…"

I felt a hard impact to the side of my face, as I fell over onto my right side.

"That's a load of dogoo slime, and you know it!" Said Neptune, as I pushed myself up, putting a hand to my face.

"You slapped me!" I said.

"You tried to shoot yourself!" She shouted, as I took a shaky step up. "What do I need to do to get the thought out of your head that killing yourself isn't the answer!?"

"I don't know!" I said, turning to her. "...Why would I want to stay in a place where there I can't even call anyone fam-"

My words were suddenly cut off, as a pair of lips slammed onto mine, as my eyes widened as Neptune took a step back, glaring at me.

"Am I making it clear enough for you now!?" She asked, as I stopped, my mouth opening and closing.

"...Uh…" I licked my lips. "...What just… are we sure I didn't die? Because I think you just kissed me."

"What the hell do you think!" She said. "I can do it again, if that helps you realize you aren't dead!"

"...You kissed me…" I said, repeating like a broken record, as I licked my lips again.

"...uh, Bryce? I… think I broke him…" Neptune said. "Error 404 over here… Bryce is not responding."

"...Oh… OH MY GOD!" I shouted, slapping myself. "Why the f*ck am I so stupid!?"

"Ah, there we go." She said, as I shook my head.

"...I'm an idiot." I said.

"And an asshole… and a bit of a pervert… not to mention-" Neptune began.

"Okay okay, I get it!" I said, placing my hands on her shoulders. "...How long ago?"

"Since day 66." She said.

"That was… the day my sentence was rewritten? I think that was it… wow, okay then." I said, leaning back as I laid on the sand.

"...You may be all of those things said above." Said Neptune, as I sat up. "But you're one other thing."

"That is?" I asked, as she leaned in, kissing me once again.

"You're also the man I love." She said.

"Okay, two things, one, stop with the cheese, it's killing me more than that gun over there." I said, tilting my head towards where my discarded gun was.

"Second?" She asked, as I leaned in an kissed her.

"Feelings are mutual." I said.

"...and how long ago was that?" She asked.

"...Feelings didn't blossom until sometime during my stay here." I said. "I forgot when that was exactly."

"Well, with that out of the way." I said, standing up as I looked out at the ocean in front of us, the moon reflecting off the water. "...I think I should give myself a minute before heading back to the basilicom…"

"Yeah, that seems like a good idea." Said Neptune.

"...Want to go check out my old apartment?" I asked, as I turned to Neptune. "Will probably help keep your mind off things."

'Both my attempted suicide, and Peashy…' I thought to myself.

"...Sure, let's see what 'Su Casa' looks like." Said Neptune.

"Su Casa? Oh right, 'you're house'..." I said to myself, before looking at Neptune. "So… shall we?"

"Huh… was expecting more dust… and cobwebs…" Said Neptune.

"It's not like it'll look like a haunted house, just because I've been gone for… how many months has it been now that I think about it." I said to myself, looking at the apartment in front of me, plastic sheets wrapped around the furniture in what I had called my home a few months ago.

"I am not looking forward to opening up your refrigerator…" Said Neptune, as I walked over to said appliance, opening the door to find a single empty cardboard box in it, the words 'Doc P.' on the side.

"...I know I had at least a can or two left over…" I muttered. "Looks like the clean up crew from the… was it the basilicom or was it the guild?"

"I dunno." Neptune said.

"Whatever." I muttered, as I opened the door to what once was Linda's room, only to find the room looked like it had never been touched.

"Guess she booked out pretty hard when I broke the news." I said, sighing. "...Let's head back to the basilicom…"

"You sure?" Neptune asked.

"...Yeah… I'd like to ask Histoire if she'd allow me to continue boarding with you guys." I said, as I walked out of Linda's room. "That, and I need to ask IF for my bag back."

"Didn't she give you it though?" Neptune asked.

"She gave me my phone and headphones, but she kept my laptop and everything else that was in my bag." I said, as I opened the front door, holding it open for Neptune. "After you."

"When did you become such a gentleman?" She asked.

"The moment you kissed me." I said, following after her.

"We're back!" Neptune said, as the elevator door opened with a 'ding!'. I walked out behind Neptune, as the eyes of everyone turned to look at us.

"So… I should probably apologize." I said, as I looked at the CPUs, Candidates and Makers in front of me. "I'll be honest, I don't know the first thing to really say right now."

"How about where you went after you jumped out the window." Said Noire.

"...Well…"

…

"You tried to kill yourself!?" Noire exclaimed, as everyone looked at me.

"...Yes." I said after a moment. "Look, I already explained to Neptune and all that, and I honestly don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to stop and forget I ever tried that to begin with."

"...Sorry about the whole… trying to kill you during stopped time." I said, looking at Vert. "It wasn't my finest moment."

"I think anyone in your position wouldn't have had a clear head when faced with such news." Said Vert. "However, I think we should move forward with the removal of the device as soon as possible."

"Yeah…" I said, as I felt a shiver go up my spine. "...Did someone touch the AC?"

"Now that we're all settled." Said Plutia, as everyone turned to her, an unnerving smile plastered on her face. "Can I have a few moments alone with Bryce?"

"...Why do I not like the wording of that?" I asked, as everyone stood up and quickly left. "Wha- Hey! Guys!?"

A sudden flash of light sounded off behind me, as I turned around to see Iris Heart, and…

"...You're shorter than me…" I said, to myself, looking down at the sadist who was a full 7 inches shorter than me. "...That actually makes this a bit less terrifying."

"Oh, we'll have to change that then, won't we?" She asked.

"...I need an adult?"

"I am an adult."

"Congratulations Neppy!" Plutia said, as she walked back into the main room, a smile on her face, as Neptune visibly paled.

"T-thanks?" Neptune responded quickly, a stutter in her voice.

"What are we congratulating?" Noire asked, letting out a sigh inwardly at seeing Plutia in her normal form.

"Neppy got a boyfriend~!" Plutia sang, as everyone looked at Neptune, then at the open door leading to the room where [Content has been censored for your own sanity] occurred.

"...So Bryce then?" Asked IF. "...Well, Nep, you might want to check the damages on your 'boyfriend'. I don't think you can get a refund on him if he's broken."

"Ah! Right!" Neptune said, quickly running into the room. "Bryce! You alr-what are you doing?"

Now this would normally be the point where I would rock from side to side, silently whispering 'all these squares make a circle' to myself, but I have evolved past that stage of myself.

"I have seen many things in my life… but that… what the f*ck…" I muttered, as I laid on the ground, my eyes equipped with the 'dark bags' debuff as I rolled over and stood up, my eyes slightly vacant. "...Oh hey Spooky Pirate, when did you show up?"

"...Plutia, I think you broke him." Said IF, as she walked in behind Neptune.

"Let me fix him." Said Neptune.

"How exactly?" IF asked, only for Neptune to pull my head down and kiss me again.

"...I'm okay now." I said, slapping myself in the face. "Just needed to be turned off and on again."

I walked out of the room, a visible limb in my step, as I sat down on the nearby couch, looking out to see.

"Jeez, it's still night!?" I exclaimed.

"Did you expect it to be something else? You were gone for half an hour." Said IF.

"Oh, right…" I muttered. "I'm very tired."

"I noticed." Said IF.

"Hey, Histoire." I said, standing up as I motioned her to the side. "Okay, so Basically…. I'd like to ask to stay here at the basilicom for the time being."

"I don't think there would be an issue with such a thing, but I'd like to ask why the sudden question." Asked Histoire.

"Well, my old apartment was a bit… too full of bad memories." I said. "That, and it would probably feel very weird going back to the apartment after being here for a few months."

"Alright then." Said Histoire. "I'd recommend you go get some sleep, you look like you could pass out any second."

"I'm gonna go take that advice." I said, walking over to my room, as I opened the door and crashed down on the bed, instantly passing out.