Welcome to South Park (Gender neutral)

A Happier Time

The group walks in silence, the weight of uncertainty and shared concern hanging in the air. As they approach Cartman's house, Y/n feels a mixture of gratitude and trepidation. The boys exchange glances, silently acknowledging the complexities of their newfound responsibility.

Entering Cartman's home, they navigate the familiar chaos of his living room. Cartman, despite his grumbling, directs Y/n to a spare room where they can rest. The atmosphere is tense, but the boys are determined to provide some semblance of comfort for their unanticipated guest.

As Y/n settles into the room, surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings, questions linger in the air. The boys, though uncertain of Y/n's past, are now intertwined in a journey that transcends the boundaries of their everyday lives.

Little do they know, this encounter is just the beginning of a story that will unravel the mysteries of Y/n's past and intertwine their destinies in unforeseen ways.

"So uh, what's your name?" Kyle begins as Y/n looks around the room. "Uh... My name is Y/n. I think... It's nice to meet you." Y/n says, uncertainty lacing their quiet words.

"It's nice to meet you too Y/n, I'm Kyle" The tallest of the boys replies, "this is Stan" he continues, pointing towards the boy with raven hair and blue eyes. "This is Kenny," he points toward the second tallest of the four, his face covered by his orange Parka. "And this is Cartman, you'll be staying with him." Kyle finishes, pointing towards the shortest of the four.

Cartman grumbles, "I'm going to go make lunch. You guys can do whatever, I don't care." He leaves the room, Cartmen grew fond of cooking in his early teens. He has since used it as a way to deal with his problems, chop out his anger then eat his emotions away. It's better than hurting people, but it's certainly not the healthiest of coping mechanisms.

"So..." Stan begins, curious to see just how much Y/n knows about their past, "What do you remember?"

Y/n thinks for a moment, trying to figure out where to start, "Well... My name is Y/n L/n. I'm seventeen, my birthday is DOB and I know something bad happened... I don't know what or why, but that bang earlier triggered a memory. I was in a small room with about twenty kids, the room was so small we were basically on top of each other. It was dark and there was gunfire, the kids were crying and I felt... I don't even know how to describe what I felt...."

Y/n trails off, trying their best to recall more of the memory and failing. That was truly all they knew about their life. "Damn. That's... Intense." Kenny remarks he knows his words feel inappropriate but he doesn't know what else to say.

"Well, you got that memory with a car backfiring. Hopefully, as time goes on, we can bring forward other memories. Once we piece together what happened, we'll be able to try and fix it... I think." Kyle tries to sound reassuring but with what Y/n has gone through he feels out of his depth.

As silence fills the room, with everyone too preoccupied with thinking about what to do next, a smell enters. As Y/n breathes in the aroma it feels familiar, it feels... Pleasant.

Y/n sniffs the air again and it happens again, that feeling like something is on the tip of your tongue. Except this time, instead of an object or even a place, it's a memory.

Y/n jumps to their feet and immediately starts following the smell, the boys follow, curious to see what their new acquaintance is doing. Following the smell down the hall, down the stairs and into the kitchen Y/n stops in their tracks.

In front of them is a regular kitchen, one most homes in South Park have. But it wasn't the kitchen that caught their eye, it was Cartman. The smell and the scene of someone cooking were enough, the memory was triggered.

"Hey! You're going to burn the toast!" Someone laughs, and Y/n looks up to see someone who looks like them now. "Don't laugh! I'm trying my best!" Y/n huffs, trying to flip the sandwich in front of them. They're small and their voice is higher than usual. "Here, let me help." The older person gently grabs Y/n's hand and together they flip the sandwich, revealing almost burnt bread.

"Thank you S/n" Y/n smiles up at their older sibling, as they gently place an arm around Y/n's small frame. "Like I could ever watch you struggle," they laugh smiling down at Y/n. "I'd tear the world apart for you kid. Don't you ever forget that."

(S/n stands for "sibling name" Yes, you get to pick. Enjoy.)

Y/n opens their eyes only to see the boys standing in front of them. "Are you alright?! You just started walking and suddenly started crying, was it a memory?" Kyle asks, worried at the sudden emotional outburst.

Y/n lifted their hand to their cheek, once again revealing a tear-stained face. However, this time was different. This time, Y/n felt happy. "Don't worry, these aren't sad tears... The smell. It triggered a happy memory..." Y/n begins, smiling as they get to relive the moment again.

"Damn... So you've got an older sibling and a caring one by the sounds of it." Stan observes as Y/n finishes retelling their memory. "Yeah, I just hope they're okay..." Y/n trails off. That memory must have been almost ten years old. What happened in such a short period of time?

"Here fags, I've made grilled cheese with salad. No, I don't take constructive criticism. If you insult me, I'll poison your food." Cartman states as he passes everyone a plate, his friends know he's joking but they're not about to test that.

Y/n looks at the plate in front of them, trying their best to savour the smell that brought the image of their sibling back to them. Y/n takes a bite and immediately, they feel at peace. It's like the feeling of home has wrapped its arms around Y/n's heart, promising to never let go.

"How are you crying again?!" Stan exclaims as he notices the small tears rolling down Y/n's face, they wipe their tears away hastily before taking a big swing of the water Cartman had just passed to them.

"I'm sorry... It's the smell and the taste, it's so comforting. It makes me feel safe. Happy." I explain, taking a bite between sentences and making sure to savour every moment of it.

"Jesus Christ. I don't know what happened to you, but the more you talk the less I want to find out." Cartman jokes, but he knows he's only half joking. He's concerned, if what Y/n has gone through is as bad as it seems, could his friends get hurt? Could their kindness bite them in the ass? It wouldn't be the first time, but with how intense this feels he worries...

Maybe this was a person they shouldn't get involved with.