Chapter Text
Climbing is something that Skizz wished he was better at. Climbing to the peak of a mountain was really hard and he looked like an idiot when he couldn’t do the first one. His wings were mostly the reason why, being able to fly a lot make climbing extra hard. Gem and Grian would constantly make fun of them for how useless they were and he laughed it off, not really acting like he cared when it stung deep in his core. He wanted to help out Gem and Grian as much as he could but all he could ever be was a problem.
Worse of all. He could see the shift in Impulse. He was quieter, asked less questions and acted like he knew the answer. He followed the group silently and Skizz was about to jump off the cliff if it meant getting his Impulse back. So when Gem and Grian started to climb ahead, Skizz was going to make Impulse talk.
“Why are you acting like you’re a professional, Dipple Dop?” Skizz had brung up.
“Well, Grian and Gem wanted actually good players so I’m trying to focus a little more.” Impulse said as he was climbing a tree for coconuts.
“I think there’s more than that.” Skizz spoke softly, staring into his brown gaze.
“Well if we don’t improve then Grian and Gem will be mad and go play with some else like Pearl. I saw your run with Pearl and Grian saying about cutting the dead weight and so I’m trying to be better for them.”
Skizz smiled softly at Impulse, “They aren’t angry at you and trust me, I get a lot of the comments too but I just brush them to the side. You never really know when you’ve taken something too far with me. I understand, and I tried to defend you when you weren’t there.”
“Thanks Skizz, we should get going. The fog will be here any second.”
And so the two of them tried to climb up the mountain, giving helping hands and joking around as they climbed and met up with Grian and Gem.
“Finally we can continue, I was wondering when you lot would decide to actually climb.” Grian had celebrated in relief.
Skizz could see the halfhearted smile on Impulse’s face as they continued. He tried to get Impulse talking, Impulse would quietly nod or give a few words for an answer and when asked for his opinion on something, he just parroted that he didn’t know and he could tell that it was more of ‘I don’t know best’.
No one had died in the first area which was good for Skizz but expected from everyone else. They had started to climb up the rainforest when the rain came at such a bad time for Skizz and he slipped down the mountain and passed out, destined to death, his wings didn’t work in this game. He could hear Gem shout out his name in frustration, not like he could of done much to stop it. And when he died, he spawned on Gem.
“Skizz that was very not good at the game of you. You should of waited for the rain to start to know it was safe.” Gem explained.
“In his defence, it had rained like five seconds ago,” Impulse argued with Gem.
“Still, you would think after playing this for hours that you would finally get the swing of it,” Gem counter-argued.
“Don’t tell Skizz off for something way out of his control, what would you do with coconuts, on a rock about to fall down.” Impulse defended him.
“I wouldn’t of been on the rock in the first play.” Gem shot back.
“Ladies, Ladies,” Skizz started. “I know that we all love Skizz but let’s not argue about his unfortunate demise, shall we?”
“Gem and Grian put too much pressure on us anyway.” Impulse had muttered, to which Grian caught his name.
“Pardon?” Grian asked.
“It’s nothing,” Impulse had slung his shoulders down in some kind of defeat. He climbed up quietly as Gem and Grian discussed the way up. Grian had asked for Impulse opinion to which he responded with ‘I don’t know’.
“You don’t seem to know a lot of thing.” Gem had joked about but he could see that it stung a lot. Body froze, his face frowned for a few seconds and a ‘yeah’ that didn’t even feel like Impulse came out.
After a while, Impulse had fallen behind a bit and Skizz took this as a chance to tell Gem and Grian that there jokes weren’t funny, not to Impulse and so not to him.
“Hey Gemmy Bemmy?” He asked as they were climbing up a short rock.
“What’s up Skizz? Impulse dead yet?” Gem asked.
Skizz did go look and saw Impulse thriving with his resources. Then he came back to Gem. “He looks good,” Skizz had started smiling, “he’s doing pretty well but I need to talk to you about something.”
“What’s on your mind then?” Gem asked again.
“The stuff you say about me and Impulse being bad and slow aren’t funny and they’re really getting to Dipple Dop. He’s gone all quiet and he’s saying that he doesn’t know stuff when he does. ‘I don’t know’ felt like it was his way of saying, ‘I don’t know best’. Anyway, can you stop for a bit cuz I prefer seeing my Dipple Dop happy, not sad. And give him some praise every once in a while, just make him feel better.”
“When did you have this conversation?” Gem questioned.
“At the beach this round, this is the first time I’ve got an actual chance to talk to you two without him hearing.”
Gem had looked down for Impulse, but she couldn’t see him. Skizz had gone to check on his to see him at the top, marshmallow in hand.
“Look at you!” He exclaimed. “Here before Gemmy Bemmy and G-Sharp. I’m so proud of you.” So proud he wished he could spin him in his arms.
Impulse had smiled for the first time since the beach. “Yeah dude. I got really lucky with terrain.”
“I say it was pure skill considering they left you behind.” Skizz had laughed. “I’ll go update Gem to stop looking down for you.”
And back with Gem and Grian, they were so close to the peak so he decided to leave it a surprise, lie a little so they lose a little hope. “Dipple Dop is all the way down at the bottom of a mountain, just get to the top and wait for him.”
“But the scout master- “ Grian had tried to reason.
“Just grab the marshmallows and go look for him.” Skizz had responded.
And so when they saw Impulse sitting by the fire, ghost Skizz behind him, Gem had gasped. “You liar,” she screamed at Skizz.
“I didn’t lie, he’s at the bottom, of a mountain.” Skizz laughed.
“How did you even beat up here?” Grian asked.
“I’m so proud of you!” Gem squealed. “You got to the top of the mountain without us and before us.”
Impulse was smiling at Gem, and the ghost Skizz. Impulse clicked on the statue and he became alive and ran to give his best friend a hug.
All would be fine with Dipple Dop by his side to bring him joy and comfort.