Crowned

Arc 3, Chapter 84: Lets Start Over, You Are?

//TW\\

HOMOPHOBIA

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Dough let out a sigh of relief as the helicopter finally landed. A Specially deployed fire squadron had been rushing around trying to put out fires... and many bodies were laid out near to where they had landed. Covered and draped in tarps, supposedly because there had not been enough body bags. Dough climbed down as soon as he had been able to. And then watched as Mepad clambered down to the ground. Quite painfully—struggling quite the bit. Dough's eyes nervously drifted to the entrance of a cave which rested in the distance. Mepad joined him as the Soldier hopped off the helicopter, and searched for their back in the storage compartment.

"Nervous?" Mepad asked cautiously. Their eyes concerned as they studied Dough's face. Dough didn't reply immediately and instead sat down in the grass... So many people. They had all been fighting over what happened back on Inanimate Island. "I determine that's a yes?" Mepad blurted.

Dough nodded briefly. Confused as to what's going on. He wish he had answers... Something told him he was in dangerous territory.

Mepad sat down beside him, which made Dough feel a bit better. Knowing he wasn't alone, anyway... "I'm sorry that I directed you into a situation you felt discomfort in." Mepad's eyes drooped.

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable. It's that I'm scared..." Dough explained, "I don't feel squirmy being here." He chuckled, "It's more of a sense of anxiety..."

"I'm not sure I understand... Wouldn't those two describing words, discomfort, and fear, go hand in hand?" Mepad pondered, not understanding what Dough meant by that.

"Usually, I guess..." Dough grumbled, "But, like, not always. It doesn't help describe what I'm thinking... I don't know." Dough hugged his knees close to the body which wasn't his. "I feel comfortable sitting next to you, I guess?" Dough shrugged.

Mepad blinked and looked straight ahead. He didn't understand what that was supposed to have meant. Emotions were complex. And he wished he could understand them. Maybe then... He could help Dough. It's what he was made for after all. He had been made to assist. Dough lifted one of his hands and touched his face. It felt like glass. Not Diamond... Fake. He should've expected as much. Rare material like that has dwindled in objects. It's just not genetically realistic anymore. That, and Objects had evolved to stop being valuable material. People used to use the valuable materials, and sell themselves—or—pieces of themselves for money. Not ideal. The ones who were born as gemstones or otherwise valuable items usually never survived to adulthood. A sad thing, really. Harder materials like diamond were especially unlucky. Because of their unnatural occurrence, and general biological structure, they often had fatal birth defects—which commonly couldn't be treated without special equipment or treatments that were less than likely for the poor infant to survive. Dough was actually kind of glad this child was made of glass rather than diamond.

The soldier hopped off the helicopter and let out a brief sigh. Finally turned to someone to have a less complicated suit. The object jumped and turned to them. They seemed to be new—that or inexperienced. The soldier was demanded to guide Dough and Mepad inside the facility. They strode over to Dough, and Mepad. "Quite the predicament you guys found yourself in! Are you family? Witnesses? Or from the island?" They asked, helping Dough to his feet. Mepad stood on his own.

"We're uh... From the island?" Dough shrugged and glanced at Mepad nervously. Who did not return the glance.

They let out hiss through their mask, "Yikes... Containment? I would've thought you'd be tranquilized by now—?"