An Itsy Bitsy Strawberry

Down in the Deep Dark, Up in the Shallow Light

"What do you want, Rocco?" Strawberry mumbled, rubbing her hands against each other.

"Wanna see something cool?" he answered, staring as menacingly as before. 

"Mmm, sure, I guess," she shrugged, shifting herself off the bed.

"C'mon. Ignore the lovebirds there," he giggled, opening up the door of the laundry chute.

"Heh." She followed Rocco as he crawled into the chute, traversing the airy tubes.

The tubes blasted with air upon feeling matter entering the chute. The two, being as heavy as they were, were not thrown around as easily as clothes could be.

"I made markings around here to get about these tubes. It's actually a hella neat transport system across dorms," Rocco explained, turning around a three-way intersection that was marked blue on its left and red on its right. "Follow the blue, okay?"

"Mhm," Strawberry acknowledged, pulling herself across the blue corner.

The chutes felt like a low gravity shelter sitting in outer space. They could make blissful swims through tubes, and larger leaps forward than if the world had pulled them down.

After a few minutes of traversing, Rocco finally called out, "Right up here!" Strawberry looked to where he shouted from, seeing a lighter array of colors above her. Sunlight.

She burst up from the chute, landing on some cushions laid out beforehand.

"Welcome to my getaway from life. I share it with Damien and Astral when they need it, but I come here most often. Now that you're in the dorm with us, this is your getaway too." Rocco stood, slouching down on a cracked stone slab.

The skies almost seemed clearer here, somehow. The getaway in question was an unusually green, grassy area, a field full of flowers. That field hosted an overgrown cabin, blooming with flowers and growing moss in old cracks.

"Sediment piled up here a while ago, creating these walls around the field. Somehow, the sediments completely ignored this circle. Now, with the help of the overseer, this was converted to my safe space. Our safe space," Rocco rambled. 

Strawberry slowly made her way through the grass and flowers, reaching the door of the cabin. Rocco followed closely behind her.

The cabin came off as cozy despite its overgrowth. Sunlight shone through windows and unfilled cracks, casting light onto a worn-down room. An old, creaky bed sat in the corner of the room, covered in dusty bed sheets. String lights decorated the top of the walls, a few bulbs being broken from old age. Next to the bed was a kitchenette, perfect for making emergency meals. Then, there was a broken couch, springs and filling bursting out in varying holes. Yet, it was what made the couch all the more comfy. Then, a few stacks of tapes and a VCR with an old TV sat in front. Varying old shows were kept in the tapes, making for a fun watch if needed.

Hell, this cabin was a hundred times better than the "Outside" that the overseer had set up. They should have really taken inspiration from the sanctuary they permitted.

"This place is awesome...," Strawberry mumbled. Her eyes kept darting around the room. Rocco simply flopped onto the bed in response. He groaned slightly and then gave a loud yawn. "You good?" she questioned, noticing Rocco carefully brushing the side of his stomach.

"Obviously not," Rocco whined, attempting to not scratch at the bandages soaking in minute amounts of blood.

"What happened?" she asked, slumping down into the couch.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" His voice rose.

"No?"

"You were right fucking there, dumbass!"

"I was?"

"Dude. You have to be kidding."

"I'm not, okay?"

"How the fuck did you not notice Starry barging the fuck in and us fighting the shit outta him? Did you not see Damien do the weird ass thing with his head?"

"All I saw was a little jumping guy."

"God's sake, you gotta get off the fucking Gameboy."

"I am not getting off the Gameboy."

"What, is the little shit your boyfriend or something?"

"Comfort source. Fuck off."

"D'aww, is the big baby busy with her little toy?" Rocco teased in a sing-song voice.

Strawberry stopped answering.

"Pfft, dummy."

"This is stupid, Rocco. What the fuck has got you poking shit at me tryna ignore your annoying ass making me feel like a miserable piece of shit? All you've done ever since I got here is make me feel like disgusting crap."

Rocco remained silent.

"The place is nice, but I think it's time to go back to the dorm now," Strawberry finally sighed. She made her way out the door and back through the chutes. Rocco did not follow her back.