Question: Do You Want to Live?

[] Doesn't Work With That Type []

[SERIOUS WARNING: If you are triggered by Suicide, ESPECIALLY by Overdose, do not read this chapter.]

Life shifted to how it was before at a pace that Mask perceived as... quick, deep down. In the moment, it felt like it took forever to stop being coddled by everyone, but he knew that he needed something more. He wasn't sure what it was, even as he walked out of his room on his own and his roommates all celebrated as if it was the greatest step in recovery of all time. In reality, Mask just hated staying in the same space as his old clothes now.

Army, Aloha, and Skull were dating now. They didn't tell him directly, he just knew. Maybe it was hearing them all worriedly talking together, or the flirting from Aloha that had the word 'roxo' instead of 'laranja'. Mask knew that Aloha was obsessed with flirting with ink colour for some reason, so of course Aloha was flirting with Skull that way. Maybe it was the way that Army spoke more in Russian to Skull, in spite of Aloha also being there. Hell, Aloha had spoken some broken Russian at some point.

Life moved on without Mask whenever he was in the hospital, and he supposed he shouldn't have believed that would change at home. It took about two weeks for things to go back into the usual rhythm, for Goggles to stop texting him everyday with breathing exercises or checkups. It took about a month before he was being left to his own devices again. Mask didn't mind it, realistically, because he was in control. Yet, as Army shoved the fluoxetine joy to Mask's dull life, Mask knew that it was a temporary fix.

"Mask," Army was at the stove, flipping pancakes. Genuine American ones, because Skull wanted them. Skull was stirring the pancake batter repeatedly as he waited to be asked to pour some more, and clearly this was their way to teach Skull the values of cooking. Mask walked by to the sink to pour himself a glass of water, only acknowledging Army's prompt with a grunt, "did you take your pills?"

"Yes," Mask replied automatically. He sipped the water from the cup, feeling his rotting teeth ache from the coldness of the liquid. Army hummed in response, muttering to Skull to pour more once he flipped a pancake onto a plate. Aloha wandered inside with his hairspray still setting in his hair. The waves in each tentacle were natural, but tried to split into different directions, even as he had the hairstyle for years by now.

"I can't believe we're going to a tournament. It feels like it's been forever," Aloha would grin, reaching for a pancake straight from the plate, only to retract his hand from the heat.

"Well, it is a shame we still can't go to The SplatLands," Army responded, turning around to gently flip some pancakes onto a separate plate, giving a kiss to Aloha's jaw. Mask turned away to grab more water to drink like he was dying dry.

"They're still fixing the railroad? Jeez, might as well go back to our old turf and visit the plaza after the tournament," Aloha grumbled, rolling his eyes as he grabbed the plate, giving a kiss back to Army's cheek, turning to Mask to wave, then walking behind Skull. The taller inkling didn't react, until Aloha pulled him down by the shirt to give a kiss to his jaw too.

"I wouldn't mind," Skull muttered, lifting the whisk a moment, then crouching down to give one kiss to Army's forehead, the height difference huge. Another pancake joined the community pile.

"I'm sure they miss us there. I heard that Team Yellow have been going up the ranks to take our place," Army said as he flipped another pancake, "We'd crush them."

"Yeah," Skull simply spoke, reaching over to dish himself up, presumably burning his hands as well by how quick he moved to get pancakes onto his plate. Army gave a scoff.

"We can visit some other time. We need to predict what Team XBlood is going to do today in our match," Army's redirection was kind, considerate, yet commanding. Mask grabbed a pancake with his hands, just like the last two had, and felt the way his fingertips burnt. Pulling just one pancake away to place on a plate set aside, Mask sighed and wandered to the breakfast table.