Chapter Text
It was mid-to-late October, the outside air crisp, and the trees outside half-empty with the leaves falling in beautiful colors of yellow and red. The Halloween season was in full swing in the halls of Hotel Oj.
Orange and black garland, bats hanging from the ceiling, cheesy skeletons, and pumpkins everywhere. It was one of the paper's favorite holidays, so of course, Oj would go all out with the decorations he did all himself for his boyfriend.
Everyone was happily anticipating the yearly Halloween party this weekend. The parties at the hotel were usually fun, but the Halloween party was the best party of the year! So it has high expectations. Today wasn't really a busy day; it was just more or less a normal day in the halls of Hotel Oj.
Trophy, ever since his breakdown a few weeks ago, hasn't been doing well at all. He's been getting worse, more aggressive, and more prone to snapping at people. He's more withdrawn from everything.
He fell into a routine. Wake up, throw on a hoodie, leave the room, do whatever all day, be mean to someone, regret it…and go back to the room to repeat it all again tomorrow. He's used to the monotony of life. He's numb, has been for years. doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and-
Trophy opens the door to his and knife’s room and runs into the bathroom. He quickly grabs the first aid kit with shaky hands. The blood flowing from his nose and dripping onto the counter, He doesn't even remember who he was antagonizing this time. Whoever it was, they can punch hard.
After 10 minutes of trying to stop the nosebleed, it finally stopped. With a sigh, he looked at himself in the mirror. God, he let himself go. His once bright blonde hair was now a dirty blonde, with his roots very much showing. Both of his eyes were hazy with eye bags, red from crying. His lip was busted from the punch he got earlier.
“..god. Im so fucking pathetic.” he spat out looking at himself in the mirror in disgust.
He sighed and started cleaning up the counter, wiping up the blood from his nose and putting away the first aid kit. He threw away the toilet paper he used to clean and left the bathroom. He fell face-first into his bed. He decided to stay here the rest of the day. Not like anyone would care where he is.
“...” he turned over to stare at the ceiling.
No one would care. No one cares about him. Not even his roommate. In the weeks he's been like this, no one has asked him if he's doing alright, or if he's okay. Not like he would open up to anyone. Why would he, not like anyone would care.
He's stuck in a loop. A loop of self hatred and doubt. If he wanted help, he couldn't get it. He's scared of looking weak. So he does this alone. He has always done things alone. It's easier that way.
He turned to the wall, putting his knees up to his chest, while crossing his arms to give himself a makeshift hug to try to feel better, it never works. But he tries anyway.
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“DUDE- not fair?!” Pickle shouts and punches knife in the shoulder, playfully.
“Ow- Nah! You're just a sore loser dude.” knife laughed.
Knife and pickle were hanging out in the hotel's living room, playing a video game, they both had nothing to do today. Well they did, but they were slacking off.
“What do you mean?! We are on the same team?” Pickle looked at knife with a playful annoyed expression.
The game that they were playing was a co-op shooter game and they were on the same team playing against NPCs.
“i- we were??” Knife looked at pickle confused and slightly embarrassed, he genuinely thought they were not on the same team.
“... dude.” pickle looked at knife shocked, “do you pay any attention Knife??” pickle let out a laugh.
They continued playing, both of them engaging in lighthearted banter while talking about random things. The conversation turned into plans for the halloween party.
“So, what are you thinking of being for the Halloween party this weekend?” pickle asked knife while choosing a new map for them to play.
“Oh…probably a vampire. I don't know.” Knife shrugged as he watched the screen.
“Dude. You're always a vampire for Halloween. Change it up for once?" pickle looked off to the side at knife while starting a new game.
Knife rolled his eyes, "what's wrong with it? It's a classic, and I already have half the look. So it's easy.”
As they played and talked about party plans, Soap walked into the living room.
“hmm…Oh! Hey, knife, just the guy I'm looking for!” soap called knife smiling, she had a basket of cleaning supplies with her.
Knife and pickle looked behind them over to soap, walking to the couch casually.
“Hey soap. What’s up?” knife asked her, pausing the game at the same time.
“Would you know where trophy is by chance? Oj needs him to move some stuff for the Halloween party this weekend.” Soap answered.
“Oh…Trophy? No. I haven't seen him all day.” knife rolled his eyes while crossing his arms.
“uhh…Me neither. Which is kinda odd, usually he's being a nuisance to people around this time.” Pickle added while shrugging.
Soap sighed, “knife, can you go find him? He's the only one who can lift stuff this heavy.”
“I- why me?!” knife interjected, while standing up.
“Hes your roommate. Can you just please find him?” soap asked him nicely.
Knife sighed, he's not getting out of this. “Fine. Only because you asked nicely.”
Knife sighed, and said goodbye to pickle, going off to find his roommate trophy, not like he had a choice really.
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Knife started to look in all the places that Trophy usually hung out every day.
The common room?
Nope.
The gym room?
Nope
The garden?
Nope.
Near the woods??
Nope.
As knife looked for him, he started to get an odd feeling… like he was worried? Why would knife be worried about him? He has never been before. Well, besides that party a few weeks ago, but I guess that wasn't being worried. That was just really an excuse to talk to someone. Anyone, that party was boring.
but still! Trophy has been acting… weird these past few weeks. But he brushed it off because Trophy is always like that. Aggressive and standoffish, like he's better than everyone else. Knife always hated that about him.
As he walked back to the Hotel, he spotted Cheesy. Would he know where Trophy is? I mean knife always kind of figured that Trophy and cheesy were somewhat friends…did Trophy even have friends? Eh- whatever.
“Yo! Cheesy.” knife walked up to him.
Cheesy was on a midday stroll, coming up with new jokes for his comedy show, when knife calls him from afar. “Oh! Hey knife? What's gouda?”
Knee slap
“Do you know…” knife sighs at that word pun.
“Do you know where Trophy would be? Like at all??” he asks Cheesy.
“Hmm..no? Not really...but I did see him earlier.” cheesy looks at him.
“Oh. You did? Where did he go?” knife asked.
“Welll….after getting-” he laughs “punched in the face by paintbrush!” cheesy says while laughing.
Knife frowned “he got punched….Did you see where he went?”
“No, but I'm assuming that he went to your guy's room. But that's just my guess. Anyways, see ya later alligator!” cheesy shrugged and walked away.
Knife sighed, of course he would be in their room, why didn't he check there first? He started walking back to the hotel, and in the front doors.
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He was mildly annoyed that he had to find Trophy, this wasted half of his day! He could be busy doing nothing! But no, he just HAD to find his dipshit roommate.
“...” he sighed as soon as he got to their room and opened the door.
The room was dark, the light was turned off and none of the lamps were on, the curtains were drawn and trophy was on his bed, facing the wall.
“Uhm..hey. Trophy?” knife walked into the room and closed the door.
“...” Trophy didn't say anything.
Knife turned on the overhead light. It's pitch black in the room. What is trophy? A vampire?
“Turn that the fuck off.” Trophy mutters.
Great. Trophy was in one of his “Good” moods. Knife sighed.
“No. oj needs you for something.” knife told trophy while he leaned on his own desk.
“...” Trophy didn't answer back.
“Dont ignore me.” knife looked at him.
“.....what does he want?” Trophy grumbled.
“He needs you to move shit for the Halloween party.” Knife answered back in an impatient tone.
The both of them stayed silent for a while, Knife was getting impatient. After a while Trophy sighed.
“Tell him I'm busy.”
“Busy doing wha-” Knife crossed his arms.
“Ugh- just stuff.” Trophy cut him off.
They stayed silent for a while more, then Trophy spoke once again.
“Why does he want me to do that stuff?” Trophy asked.
Knife rolls his eyes “i dont know? Probably because you're the only one who can lift heavy shit?”
Trophy huffed “of course. They only want me around when it's convenient. Get someone else to fucking do it.”
Knife sighed frustratedly “Fucks your deal? Is this because you got punched?”
Trophy went silent, he faced the ceiling. Knife could see his face better, Trophy’s face had a black eye and a busted lip, his appearance was messy, his hair was a very dirty blonde very much showing his roots. His eyes were red and there were tear streaks down his face.
Knife has seen him batter up and bruised, many times… mostly from knife himself. but not like this. Not this bad. He got a deep pit in his stomach, his face dropping at the sight of him.
“i-...Trophy” knife started.
Knife felt odd in this situation. This was his rival. The same rival who made him feel bad over some stupid doll, well. Not stupid to knife….but seeing him like this, He didn't like it. At all.
“...Are you okay? like…Acually.” knife approached his bed, like approaching a fragile doe.
“Get the fuck out.” Trophy warned.
“...no. this is my room too.” Knife stopped approaching Trophy’s bed.
Trophy sighed “i said-”
He sat up, reaching to a glass cup on his nightstand.
“GET THE FUCK OUT.” He yelled while hurling the cup at knife's head.
Knifes eyes widened and he dodged the cup, the cup shattered on the wall behind him into pieces.
“...” knife was speechless.
He stood there for 5 seconds before leaving the room, but before he left.
“...im here if you want to talk. Don't forget that.” he looked at trophy from the corner of his eye. Then left.
As he walked down the hall, he sighed. He could see that Trophy was struggling. He didn't like it. He didn't know why. Rival or not. He wanted to help him. Knife didn't know how.