Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Two paced around the kitchen, body bathed in a green light as their powers worked overtime. Even with infinite power, it was still hard to create food, especially food that was cooked properly and tasted like food instead of chalk. It was much easier to summon the ingredients from somewhere, then cook the food themself. 

The timer went off with a ding.

Two opened the oven door with a flick of their wrist. The light from their power flickered and dimmed for a moment, but Two didn’t have the time to worry over their power growing weaker. Their thoughts were only on their contestants. Thanks to everything that had happened recently, Two was one of the only ones able to work in the hotel, and it wasn’t like they were willing to put Grassy or Rocky to work in the kitchen.

Two placed the chicken on the countertop, then turned off the stove to stop the broth from overboiling. There wasn’t much, especially considering how many contestants they had to feed, but it wasn’t like much was being eaten anyway. The sickness seemed to have ruined everyone's appetite, and Two didn’t want to overwhelm the contestants by giving them too much food. As they started to pull apart the chicken and prepare the other ingredients with their powers, they wondered absentmindedly if the contestants were getting annoyed of four straight days of chicken soup. Two refused to try another recipe- they’d read that chicken soup was good for helping with sickness, and what kind of host would they be if they didn't do everything in their power to help their contestants? 

They carved the chickens carefully, hoping they would be finished in time for lunchtime. It had taken hours, even with their limited abilities- all morning in fact, to make enough soup for forty-two people, but Two was determined. They were a host now, it was their job to take care of their contestants the best they could. 

It was oddly quiet as they traversed through the empty halls of the hotel. Most of the contestants were isolating, trying to sleep off the worst effects of the sickness in their rooms. Even those that weren’t sick were busy The sickness had been odd, unlike anything Two had seen before- algebraliens got sick, but not like this, not with nearly everyone coming down with a sickness that had them bedridden. Everyone had gotten the exact same symptoms at the exact same time, with not even a day passing before everyone had gotten sick.

At first, Two had assumed it was something only objects could come down with, considering they and Yellow Face were both fine. But then Grassy and Rocky had been unaffected, while the robotic objects were faced with a much milder variant, and Two couldn't figure out why the robots were affected at all, or why only the adult objects were sick- none of it made any sense. But Two didn’t know anything about illnesses, or how to treat it or help or anything, so they were stuck giving their contestants soup and hoping it made things better. They didn’t understand what had happened, even days later. One moment, all of their contestants were fine, going about their lives as usual. Every day Two held onto hope that things would magically get better in the same way they’d gotten so bad- but their hopes were always in vain. At least none of the infected had died yet, they mused. Objects hadn’t needed to evolve a strong immune system thanks to the invention of recovery centres, so the fact that nobody had died meant that this wasn’t extremely harmful. Still, that begged the question of why things had gotten so bad if the virus wasn’t serious.

Two emerged from the elevator onto the second floor to find a ghost town. Usually some contestants would be lingering in the hall, chatting or idling around, but today it was silent, barren. 

They wheeled their cart up to the first door, knocked thrice, and left a bowl of soup at the door. They repeated until the tray was empty, never getting a glance at any of their contestants. At most, a muffled ‘thanks’ or some other weak form of acknowledgement came from behind the door, but nobody actually came out. It worried Two that they couldn’t see any of their contestants, but they didn’t want to invade their privacy by checking in on them.

Mostly, the only response they received was silence.

They repeated their pattern on the third floor, the fourth, and finally the fifth, until they were satisfied all the contestants were fed. With their most important task out of the way, they finally allowed themself a break.

Part of Two wished they had someone to help them, but out of all the others that hadn’t been made bed bound by the illness, none of them were able to help Two. Yellow Face had run off immediately, shouting something about how ‘this will be great for a new line of cleaning products!’. Robot Flower had shut herself up in her shop, refusing to talk to Two unless they promised to buy something. Remote seemed very concerned about the wellness of her fellow P.A.C.T members, constantly flitting between their rooms to make sure none of them were dying from illness. Grassy and Rocky were too young for them to even consider asking them for help. TV had decided it was his job to distract the duo from these circumstances, and spent the days playing tag or hide-and-seek with them in the hotel lobby.

On the fourth day of the sickness, Two woke up feeling… off. Their body felt too hot, their limbs were heavy, and they had an odd cramp in their lower abdomen. They shot out of bed with a gasp- this couldn’t be- it wasn’t- how could they contract the same sickness as the others? Why had it taken so long to take effect? Two stood still, mentally checking themself over. With a deep breath, they forced themself to try and be calm and rational about this. With a clearer mind, they decided that the pain in their abdomen was bearable, their fever was barely noticeable. It seemed they’d caught a much milder version of whatever the contestants had.

Of course they were glad that their symptoms were mild, but this didn’t make sense- algebraliens weren’t supposed to get the same illnesses as objects. The fact that they’d gotten sick at all was worrying. The illness was making them tired, and Two desperately wanted to lay down again and go back to sleep, but they knew they had a duty as host to help their contestants. They slowly forced themself to stand, legs shaking slightly. They had another busy day of chores to prepare for, after all.

As it turned out, it wasn’t that easy to ignore the effects of the illness. Their body seemed to lurch with every step they took, vision flickering at the edges. When they tried to teleport to the kitchen, they were hit with a wave of nausea so strong that they were forced to stop, shaking hands gripping the wall for support.

Maybe they hadn’t caught a weaker version. But how, and why now, when everyone else had gotten sick at the exact same time? Two hadn’t interacted with any of the infected contestants, and they’d taken care to ensure the hotel was clean.

Unless one of the robotic contestants had managed to pass it on? But it wasn’t as if Two had been spending an excessive amount of time with any of them either. Regardless of how they’d caught the virus, it was definitely making itself known now. It felt awful, causing a dull ache across their body and a fever that had them sticky with sweat.

Two hesitated before stumbling back to their bed. They would still do their best to take care of their contestants, just as soon as they started feeling better.

Chapter Text

Snowball paced in his room, silently fuming to himself. He wasn’t a weakling! He was the leader of the strongest team on Earth. And yet, when the sickness struck, he’d been just as ill as everyone else. He was the strongest contestant by far, and yet, for a week he’d been bedridden and helpless. He’d tried to put the moment of weakness behind him, to just forget about it. It had been over a year ago, and he hadn’t gotten sick since. Snowball had thought he was finally safe, that he had reclaimed his title as the strongest, before he came down with another disease.

The universe had to be playing a joke on him. This disease seemed worse than the one before, and that had left everyone in the hotel bedridden and helpless. His usually frigid body was barely cold, a remnant fever still gripping him. A part of him wondered if he should ask someone if they were going through the same thing, if it was sweeping through the hotel again. Then again, that would mean revealing his sickness, his weakness. Snowball would never let himself be weak. He hadn’t even accepted Two's offering of food last time, not wanting anyone to know how badly he was affected.

Snowball forced himself to shake it off. He probably just needed some fresh air, or something. He never got sick, and he refused to go through everything that had happened last time again. He marched across his room to the window, sliding it open and taking in a mouthful of the fresh air.

To his horror, his symptoms only grew despite the fresh air, mild fever progressing to something hot and unbearable to his cold body. The snowflakes on the very edge of his body melted, sweat trickling down his face. He forced himself to walk away from his window and start marching around his room- he could fight this off! He wouldn’t succumb again. He was too strong. He just needed to walk it off, and then it would go away.

He forced himself to keep moving, shoving his bed out of his way so hard it slammed against the wall. His breathing was heavier now. Snowball picked up his pace, speed-pacing around his room. He wasn’t afraid of this illness- he didn’t even know what he was running from.

A sharp bolt of heat shot through his core, and Snowball froze, gasping. 

He needed something. He needed to prove his strength. He needed to fight everyone to defend his territory. Snowball needed to do something to quench the ache inside of him, he needed- he needed-

He needed to mate.

With a groan, Snowball finally stopped pacing, collapsing into his mattress. He could already feel his slit opening, body betraying him. Why now of all times? Snowball groaned into his blanket, fighting the urge to rut into his mattress. He felt like he was going to die if he didn’t do something right now. It was like an inferno, burning in his gut. He was still sweating and aching, but all the symptoms he’d felt prior were being overtaken by this burning lust.

Snowball went to reach between his legs before something else caught his attention. He took a deep breath and frowned. The room smelled wrong. Nothing like him, polluted with the fresh breeze. It didn’t smell like his territory. A primal growl rumbled from his throat, forcing himself off the bed. His dick protested at the lack of stimulation from the mattress, but he had more important things on his mind. He slammed the window shut, beginning to pace again, but this time making sure his side was pressed against the wall. The melting had slowed, but not stopped, coating his walls in a clear liquid that smelled like him.

Now the room was okay. His uneasy growling finally subsided, and he returned to his bed to deal with his other issue. 

Snowball shuddered when he finally got his hand around his dick, the tendril pulsing with need. It was like bliss when he finally got to stroke himself, biting into his pillow to stay quiet. 

And just as he finally got started, somebody knocked on his door.

Snowball was going to scream. Or punch whoever had decided to interrupt him. Instead of reacting like he wanted to, however, he forced himself to take a deep breath and staggered over to his closet. There wasn’t much there, just a few oversized shirts, but it was better than nothing. Pulling it over, he walked over to the door, trying not to look as murderous as he felt.

The door swung open. Eraser and Pen were standing in the hall, staring expectantly at him.

“What are you two doing here?”

Eraser blinked, as though surprised Snowball was asking the question. “You said you’d hang out with us today, remember?”

Snowball groaned. Why did they have to come now of all times? He was oh so tempted to just slam the door shut, but he finally settled with replying “Yeah, whatever. I’ll meet you outside in fifteen.”

This time, it was Pen who stopped him. “You can’t flake on us now bro! It’s been ages since we last hung out.”

“I need a moment.” He growled, voice scratchy. His tone was much harsher now, and he noticed with a cruel sense of satisfaction that Pen had flinched. Eraser, however, just narrowed his eyes.

“You look like shit, dude.” Eraser commented. Snowball shot him a glare. He knew rationally that he should have agreed, claimed he wasn’t feeling well and retreated back into his room, but something about Erasers’ remark bothered him much more than it should have. It only added fuel to the flames that were already threatening to extinguish him. 

“Don’t.” He warned. Eraser gave him a confused look.

“Hey, c’mon guys! Don’t fight!” Pen interjected, standing between the two. Snowball bristled. His mind was getting hazy now, from the fever or the horniness or the dizziness he couldn’t tell, but something whispered to him that Pen was challenging him. Calling him weak. 

Snowball didn’t respond. His mind was screaming at him to grab Eraser, to pound him into the earth and eliminate the threat . These two were stopping him from going back to his room, they were against him, and therefore, he had to chase them away from his territory. 

“You okay?”

Snowballs attention snapped to the voice. Pen was looking at him with concern, pity. It was a challenge, Snowball knew. He wouldn’t tolerate this blow to his ego.

Snowball buckled at the sheer force of the dizzying rage that overtook him. How dare Pen suggest he was weak. How dare he. 

He hadn’t even known he’d moved he lunged. His vision blurred. He wasn’t aware of anything around him, only that burning rage, the pressure in his core, the everything that was starting to become unbearable. He could hear Pen and Eraser shouting, trying to push him away and restrain him. His vision darkened around the edges. Someone was holding him back, he shook them off easily. All he cared about was defending his territory, so he could quell the urge inside of him. At that moment, he was unstoppable.

Then came the crash. The heat inside him turned to pain, clawing at his insides, sending him crashing to the ground. He tried to stand up, but everything had suddenly taken its toll- the sweating that had taken most of the snow on his outer layer, the heat, the adrenaline, the anger, it was too much for his body to handle. The world was spinning. Snowball shuddered, and finally collapsed, unconsciousness taking him.

Chapter Text

Donut wasn’t an early riser. On the days there weren’t challenges, he saw no need to wake up before ten- it wasn’t like he had anything to do with all that time off. 

Today, he was aware something was off even before he opened his eyes. The sunlight that streamed through his curtains was harsh, insistent. The blankets were heavy, uncomfortably weighing down on his body. The whole room seemed oppressive. Groaning, Donut scrunched his eyes shut and rolled over, stubbornly trying to stay asleep. He kicked his blankets away, doing everything he could to avoid waking up. Finally, when despite his best efforts things were still too uncomfortable, he was forced to admit defeat and open his eyes.

His clock read 7:43AM. Far too early to be awake, especially on a Saturday where he had nothing to do. Donut grumbled and rolled over. Even if he couldn’t get back to sleep, he could still relax in his bed for a while longer.

 On any other day, it wouldn’t have been a problem to relax in his bed. Today, he couldn’t seem to get comfortable, no matter how much he tossed and turned. Finally, he admitted defeat and rolled out of bed with a yawn. Getting up didn’t help; in fact, things only seemed to get worse. The feverish heat in his body travelled downwards, jelly filling pulsing inside of him with an uncomfortable warmth. It pooled beneath his hole, then travelled further still, reaching down between his legs-

Donut was definitely wide awake now. He scrambled upright with a surprised yelp, pressing his legs together. His body had absolutely no reason to be this hot-and-bothered this early in the morning. He’d had a quiet night of dreamless sleep, yet here he was, horny for no reason in a way he hadn’t been since he was a teenager.

At first, he was naive enough to think it was just a random quirk, something that he could ignore and drive away with a cold shower. The heat pulsed again, more insistent. Donut scowled. He liked to think he was, at the very least, above jerking off first thing in the morning. Yet he couldn’t focus on anything but dealing with his erection, or better yet, finding someone to help him. Fucking a faceless person until they were screaming, biting them, claiming them. He forced the thoughts out of his head. He still had enough control of his own thoughts to make sure of that, at least.

What he lacked was physical control.

Unconsciously, his hips rolled against the corner of the mattress. Donut gasped at the pleasure, even the small action making him whine. Fuck- he was so sensitive. Now that he’d gotten a taste of pleasure, it was impossible for him to stop, thrusting his hips as fast as he could manage, both hands pumping his cock. The sensation was overwhelming, the only thing he could focus on. His moans filled the room, too out of it to realise everyone else on this floor could probably hear him. In his state of heightened sensitivity, it didn’t take long for him to climax, cum spilling onto his sheets.

The fact that he just came did nothing to quell his libido. He just wanted a moment to catch his breath, but his body wouldn’t have it, dick aching with need every second without friction. Unable to resist, Donut sat on the bed, wincing at the stain on the mattress next to him. Just mere moments after his last climax and he already felt as pent up as he would if he hadn’t touched himself in years. His whole body shook as he started jerking off again, almost screaming in pleasure.

He scrunched his eyes shut, imagining pounding into someone else rather than his own hand. The fantasy somehow only made everything he was feeling stronger. He could envision it perfectly, those intelligent black eyes, that soft, warm body, the smoothness of her paper beneath him. “Ngh- B-Barf Bag!” He moaned. He needed her so badly right now, to claim her-

With a final shout, Donut came for the second time in five minutes. The orgasm didn’t seem to end, rope after rope of cum shooting from his dick, leaving him in a blissful haze. Once the pleasure started to fade and he opened his eyes again, he yelped. His dick was swollen, an angry red bulb flaring out at the tip. He was still hard, but the rampant lust seemed to have calmed down to a bearable level. Donut shivered, blushing in embarrassment as he saw the sorry state his bed was in. Whatever was wrong with his dick didn’t seem to be going away either. 

Donut’s eyes widened with horror as he finally realised everything he’d just done. Moaned his best friends name loud enough for the entire hotel to hear as he fantasised about fucking her into submission. Completely lost control of himself for no reason.

And yet the heat in his gut persisted, much milder than before, but still definitely there. His cock still hadn’t gone back to normal either, still stuck in that weird, swollen shape. Something was clearly horribly wrong with his body.

Donut curled up on the far side of his bed, the part that hadn’t been ruined, processing everything that had just happened. And his dick was still refusing to retract with that weird growth at the tip.

Then there was a knock at the door. Rather than panicking, his horrible, traitorous brain hoped that it was Barf Bag. “I- I’m busy!” He stammered, hoping whoever was on the other side of the door would go away. Donut scrambled to pull his blanket over the bed and his lap. He couldn’t be seen like this. He could never go out in public again if anyone saw him like this.

“Too bad! Open the door or I’ll just come in.”

The smell hit him before he even registered who was talking to him. Cold and minty, overpowering in a way that burned to breathe it in. Donuts muscles tensed. “Why are you here?” He called out, voice tense. He and Snowball had barely ever talked to each other. There was no reason for him to be here.

Snowball entered the room with an expression of annoyance and vague disgust on his face. Donut’s crust prickled with unease at the sight. Something about him seemed off in a way that made his fight-or-flight kick in. Donuts body flattened slightly, and he was sure if he had a throat he would be growling. “Why are you here?” He asked again, more a warning than a question. He needed Snowball out of the room. He was too big a threat, polluting his space with that awful smell.

Snowball seemed on edge too, eyebrows furrowed. He stared at Donut like he was looking for something, only speaking after a long, tense silence. “You’re going through it too?”

At first Donut didn’t respond, too focused on that nauseating, overwhelming spearmint scent. He didn’t know why it made him so angry, why it filled him with the desire to tear it apart and drive it away. Only then did it finally sink in that he could smell Snowball. How could he- he wasn’t a dog, for crying out loud! “Why do you smell like that?” He blurted.

Snowballs eyes narrowed just the slightest bit further.. “I can smell you too, bagel brain. It’s nauseating.” There was a hint of a low growl in his voice. 

Donut bristled. His mind was screaming at him to lunge at Snowball. He needed that awful smell out of his room, he needed the threat gone. He steadied by closing his eyes and counting to five. He’d spent months working to control his anger after his premature elimination in BFDIA, and he wasn’t letting it go to waste now. “Tell me why you came here, then leave.”

“Because-” Snowball paused, massaging his temples while groaning in frustration. “I don’t know! I could just- I don’t know, it was your scent or something- I could just smell it, and it was pissing me off, so I came to investigate.”  

“Is this happening to you too?” He blushed as he said it, but his desire for answers prevailed over his embarrassment.

For once, Snowball looked sheepish. He didn’t say anything, but the silence was more than enough to know the answer.

“But why us out of everyone?”

“How should I know!?” Snowball grumbled, starting to turn away. “I’m going back to my room.”

Donut half wanted to call him back, to try and figure out why this had happened, but Snowballs presence was still overpowering, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold back. So Donut watched him leave, slamming the door shut behind him. The smell of spearmint lingered in the air, clinging to everything in his room. The heat was already building again, and the scent of a rival in his room filled him with unrest. He could worry about what caused it later. Right now, he had more important things to deal with.

Chapter Text

Something wasn’t right. Ever since the battle for the power of two had started, it had just been one strange thing after another. First there was that weird virus, then objects started acting off. Saw was beginning to wonder if she should have stayed in Fours contest. 

Saw was usually anxious, sure, but right now, she was almost terrified. She walked over to where her team was gathered, fidgeting with her hands nervously. “Do you guys know what’s happening?”

Coiny answered her with a shrug, his expression also uneasy. “Two hasn’t said anything about what’s going on.” 

Saw was going to ask another question, when she noticed her team seemed smaller than usual. “Where’s Donut?”

“…actually, I haven’t seen him in a while.” Gaty frowned. “Hey Needle! Have you seen Donut around?” The metal object shook her head, but didn’t seem too bothered.

So on top of everything else, one of her teammates was missing. Saws anxiety spiked. She needed to look for him- why wasn’t anyone concerned over their teammate going missing? Her eyebrows furrowed in worry. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, jolting her from her thoughts. “Saw? Come on, we have to go build our tower.” Coiny held her hand, tugging her gently.

“The… towers?” She asked, confused. 

“Yeah? For the challenge, remember?” Coiny asked, confusion and a touch of concern in his voice. “Two just announced it.”

Saw blinked. “Oh.” If Two had just announced a challenge, why couldn’t she remember it? She was sure she hadn’t been that deep in thought, but recently, she’d found her concentration and memory just getting worse and worse. Still, it was worrying that it was this bad. Maybe it was some after-effect of the sickness? She could ask her teammates if they were feeling the same way after the challenge.

“Saw?” Barf Bag gave her arm a gentle tug, giving her friend a worried look. “Is everything okay?”

Saw blinked, trying to snap out of her haze. Why was her brain so foggy this morning? She never usually had this much trouble concentrating. Was she getting sick? Saw frowned at the thought. She didn't want to go through what happened last time again. 

Eventually, she realised that Barf bag was still waiting for a response, and that she’d gotten lost in her thoughts yet again. “I’m grEIGHT! Just- not paying that much attention. Uh- who got eliminated?”

“Pie. Oh, and Two let Teardrop join, can you believe it? She’s on her own team though, so she probably won’t stay in for too long.” 

“Mhm.” Saw agreed. Her mind was starting to feel fuzzy again. In fact, she felt weirdly apathetic, as though she couldn’t find it in her to care about the competition. That was… worrying. 

She followed Coiny over to their station- apparently the challenge was just to stack blocks, so it couldn’t be too hard, right? She reached into the pile to grab the first block to add to the tower, when she suddenly froze. The pile, uneven and messy… she wasn’t sure what about it looked so… inviting , but it seemed somehow safe, protected from the rest of the competition. Instead of picking up the block, Saw climbed over it, sitting in the pile. Something about it bothered her, but it was still better than being out in the open.

“Saw? What are you doing?” Needle asked. Saw blushed, suddenly realising how stupid she must have looked. She quickly scrambled upright, stepping out of the pile.

 “Nothing!” She quickly grabbed the closest block, flashing Needle what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Just- uh- looking at the blocks to see which ones look the most stable?”

Needle seemed to accept that answer, only giving her another confused look before returning to the challenge. Saw placed her block on top of Needles, then grabbed another. It was getting hard to concentrate on the challenge. Stacking blocks. All she had to do was stack blocks, and help the team create the highest tower. It wouldn’t be hard, right? Especially when the team8s had decided to use glue. She just had to stack one block after the other. Easy.

But she still felt weird. The fuzz that had enveloped Saw’s brain had spread to the rest of her body. Her libs were shaky and weak, and there was a pit in her stomach, as though she was missing something important.  She was tired despite getting enough sleep last night, and she could feel the sun beating down on her, slowing her movements. Nonetheless she continued, albeit at a slower pace, trying to help her team.

By the fifth block, Saws arms trembled, barely able to pick up the wooden block. She paused to wipe the sweat off her handle. Why was it so hot today? Even with her metal nature making her heat resistant, she was still overheating. Even her thoughts were sluggish. Yet all her teammates seemed fine, gluing the tower together without a worry.

Saw was barely able to focus, and any desire to win the challenge was quickly abandoned. How could anyone focus on the challenge when it was so unsafe here? In the middle of a wide-open field with so many others around, there was nowhere she could have any privacy. She felt exposed, naked. 

“Are You Okay, Saw?” Pin asked, noticing her struggle.

“Just grEIGHT.” Saw tried to reassure her, giving her a weak smile. It was too hot, too exposed. She needed a place to hide. Saw trembled, eyes darting to the block pile. It was smaller now, but still better shelter than anywhere else in the challenge area. “I’m just going to… sit down.”

Saw climbed back into the pile, digging out a wider hole for herself so she could sit down comfortably. It was far from comfortable, and the wooden blocks weren’t exactly soothing, but it was still better than nothing. Saw could feel her anxiety dropping, protected by the wooden barrier.

Everything was too much. She was too cold and too hot at the same time, and all her teammates were right there too close to her shelter (yet part of her wished they were closer, curled up with her), and there was still the stress of the competition, and steel, Saw knew she was being useless. She couldn’t help it. She felt too weak to stand, and the thought of leaving her makeshift shelter sent a spike of anxiety through her. Trying to calm herself down, she took a deep breath in. 

And got a breath full of a smell that soothed her and put her on edge simultaneously. Salty and thick, Saw didn’t have the words to describe it. She just knew she needed to find out what it was. 

She hesitantly stood up, legs shaking as she drew closer to the source. Only to see Teardrop, staring at her with a worried look on her face. The smell was definitely coming from her.

Saw had so many questions. Why was Teardrop here? Did she somehow know that Saw was sick? And why did she smell so oddly soothing? Before she had a chance to ask, a sharp bolt of pain shot through her body, making her gasp. Teardrop ran to her side, a worried expression on her face. 

Then Barf Bag picked up one of the blocks. Her attention was instantly drawn away from Teardrop, and Saw watched with wide eyes as her temporary shelter was destroyed. “Hey!” She snapped, trying to pry the block back from Barf Bag. In her weakened, feverish state, she could barely even tug it towards her. “Give that back!”

“We need it to build the tower!”

Teardrop stood between the two, waving her arms so fast they were just a blur. 

“What are you doing here Teardrop? Go back to your own tower!” Barf Bag ordered. Teardrop stomped her foot, clearly trying to tell them something neither Saw nor Barf Bag understood.

“ What Is Going On Here!?”

The three turned to see Pin. “Not Only Are You Chea-ting With Glue, Now You’re Figh-ting With The Other Teams!? I Expec-ted More From This Team!” Pin snapped. Saw vaguely remembered that she’d gone to complain to Two about the glue earlier- she really seemed to hate anything she thought was cheating. Saw shrunk back. She’d made Barf Bag and Teardrop fight, and now Pin was upset too. It made her want to curl up and cry, but where could she go? The blocks weren’t safe any more, and she couldn’t just leave the competition.

“Saw?” Pin was looking at her with sudden concern, eyes narrowed in worry. “You Look Sick.”

“I…” Saw shut her eyes, taking a shaky breath. “I think something’s wrong.” She doubted Two would let her sit out, especially if they were anything like Four, but her condition was just getting worse. She couldn’t compete like this; she could barely walk straight. “I’m going to go ask Two if I can- just- take a break.” She turned, feeling three sets of eyes burning into her back.

But as Saw stumbled through the competition grounds, it became clear She was too weak. Her body trembled with every step, she was too fatigued to keep walking, and that unbearable heat wouldn’t leave her alone. At this pace, she would never make it to Two.

Footsteps came up behind her. “Are You Sure You’re Able To Get Back To The Ho-tel By Your-self?” Pin asked, flanking her left side with a worried expression on her face.

“I-” Saw stopped herself from protesting. At the rate she was going, she wouldn’t make it across the field until the challenge had ended, if she even had enough energy to get there. “No.”

“I’ll Bring You.” Pin promised, holding Saw’s hand. The action sent a jolt of warmth through her.

“Are you sure? Doesn’t the team need you for the contest?”

Pin sniffed in disgust. “I Refuse To Be A Part Of Cheat-ing! If They Wanted My Help, They Shouldn’t Have Used Glue.” Pin started to lead her across the challenge area, Saw letting herself be dragged along.

Saw followed Pin to the couch where Gaty and Two were sitting. They walked through the competition area, and Saw was suddenly even more aware of how open it was, how many people were around. She wasn’t safe here. They were in the very centre of the competition, cornered from all sides. She clung to Pin, holding her arm tightly. Pin gave her a confused look, but didn’t say anything. 

“Hey Two, Can Saw Go Back To The Hotel? She’s Sick.” 

Two looked Saw up and down, as if assessing her condition. Saw hid further behind Pin. She couldn’t explain why, but having their scrutinizing gaze on her was only making her feel more afraid. She didn’t know how to feel- she wanted to be alone, she wasn’t safe around others, and yet she clung to Pin. 

Gaty gave her a sympathetic look. “Are you feeling okay?”

Saw shook her head weakly. She hadn’t been this overheated when she had that sickness. It was dizzying.

“Ah, I shouldn’t let you skip challenges, but I guess that’s okay. Just this once though! Pin, would you mind bringing her back to the hotel? I need to keep talking to- I mean, watching the competition.” Two said. Saw should have questioned why Gaty was sitting with Two rather than helping the team build the tower, but there were more important things on her mind.

Pin nodded, leading Saw gently away from the competition. Saw followed, eager to get away from everyone. 

Her sickness didn’t get worse until they entered the hotel. Saws knees buckled, and trembling, she staggered and fell to the floor. Pin was there immediately, holding out her hand to help Saw up. “What happened?”

“I- I don’t know.” The world was spinning. Her body was too hot, and everything was wrong. It wasn’t safe here, she wasn’t protected- it wasn’t right. She needed somewhere safe. “I don’t feel grEIGHT right now.”

“You’ll Be Okay. Just A Bit Further.” Pin soothed, helping her to the elevator and pressing the button for the fourth floor. Saw tried to calm herself- she’d be in her room soon, it was fine, but she was only feeling worse and worse. At least she wasn’t alone right now. She’d hated being in the competition area, feeling exposed with so many others around… but at the same time, she couldn’t handle the thought of being alone. “Thanks for staying with me, Pin.”

Pin smiled. “Of course! A Strong Lea-der Has to Look Out For Their Team!”

The elevator moved slowly, and Saw slumped down into the corner. It was meant to be cooler in the hotel- the air-con was always on- but she was still so hot. Her fever was only getting worse. In fact, it was starting to turn into a dull ache, weighing down her limbs and pooling in her-

With a squeak of shock and embarrassment, Saw felt her slit being exposed. A furious blush coated her cheeks. She was miserable, curled up in the corner of the elevator with the worst fever she’d had in her life. What reason did she possibly have to be horny? And why now of all times, with her friend and teammate right beside her?

She could feel how wet she was, slit aching for attention, only adding to her humiliation. Her inner thighs glistened, and she quickly pressed them together before Pin noticed. Saw was already so desperate, and from absolutely nothing. 

Pin must have heard the noise she made, because she looked over at Saw in curiosity. Saw pressed her legs together tighter, praying that Pin wouldn’t notice her predicament. She knew Pin would never look at her in the same way if she saw this. Scrunching her eyes shut, she hoped the burst of arousal would disappear before she had to get out of the elevator.

The door opened with a mocking chime.

Shit. She couldn’t stand up- Pin would surely see what a sorry state she was in. But she also couldn’t stay in the elevator forever. “D-don’t look at me.” She mumbled, embarrassed. “Just- just give me a moment to get up.” She could only hope that Pin would leave her alone for a moment. Pin only stared at her, confused. Saw whimpered. This was so humiliating- what would Pin think if she saw this? 

“Don’t Worry, I’ll Help You Up!” Saw shook her head in protest, but Pin paid her no attention.

Pin grabbed her by the wrists, forcing Saw to stand, unable to resist in her weakened state. Her body felt like putty, able to be molded into whatever shape Pin wanted. She could only feel herself getting wetter at the thought. It disgusted her.

Pin had seen. Her mouth formed a perfect ‘o’, blush visible despite her already red body. “I’m sorry… don’t look…” Saw whimpered, humiliated and ashamed. Why did this have to happen to her?

Pin didn’t say anything. Saw looked away so she wouldn’t have to see her face. Pin probably thought she was disgusting, and Saw couldn’t blame her. The headache and the fever, the never ending fear, and now this? It wasn’t fair. She forced herself to get out of the elevator, body still trembling with weakness as she moved. “I’m sorry… I don’t know why this is happening… I’m sorry.” She whimpered, even her voice sounding pathetic.

To her shock, Pin hadn’t run away, disgusted. Instead, in an odd tone, she said; “I… I’ll Just Take You To Your Room.”

Saw nodded weakly, still too ashamed to say anything. Why did her room have to be the furthest from the elevator? The duo walked in awkward silence, Saws slit still open for the world to see. At least Pin was focused on staring ahead, not so much as glancing at Saw

They finally made it to her room, and Saw almost ran inside, naively thinking it would finally be a safe space, that she could get rid of the fear that pulsed through her.

But nothing in this room was right, it was too neat, too clean, the blankets were in the wrong spot and nothing was organised right. How had she managed to live here for so long!? It was horrible. She hadn’t realised that she’d already started to change things, pulling up the neatly fitted sheets and gathering every soft thing she had into a pile, until Pin, still standing in her doorway, caught her attention. “What Are You Doing?”

Saw froze, snapping out of her stupor. “I don’t know… nothing’s right… fuck, I hEIGHT this.”

“I Should Pro-bably Go…”

“No, wait.” Saw begged. The very idea of being alone scared her, despite how embarrassing it was to be seen like this. “Stay. Please. You don’t have to be in the room or anything, just- please be nearby?”

Pin seemed to hesitate, and Saw’s heart skipped a beat, worried she’d overstepped a boundary. “I didn’t mean- not in a weird way- I just- I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Sure.” Pin finally promised, stepping out and shutting the door behind her.

Saw went back to rearranging her room. She pulled her mattress off its frame, into the darkest corner of her room, the one furthest from the door and the window. She piled up blankets and pillows around it, creating a nest-like structure. When she crawled inside, her fear was finally quelled, though it still felt something was missing. Saw sighed, snuggling deeper into her nest. Her symptoms were still just as bad, but at least now she was finally protected.

Chapter Text

As the unofficial leader of the team8s, Pin had of course had to tell Coiny everything that had happened last challenge. Coiny, never the best at keeping secrets, told Gaty. It wasn’t long before the entire team had at least some idea of what went down.

Rumours spread like a wildfire. Soon everyone in the hotel had their own version of what went down, and someone had started spreading that it was linked to the virus from last year. The fact that Donut and Snowball were nowhere to be found didn’t help disprove that theory either.

Everyone was scrambling to prepare for when they got hit with the ‘second wave’- what that actually meant, nobody could agree on. Of course there was a rush to get supplies to wait things out once again- bottled water, food and the like. Two had tried to assure their contestants that there was no need to panic and they could take care of everything, but they’d been ignored.

Through the waves of gossip that had spread through the contestants, things had gotten muddled, but everyone was at least aware that there were some sexual side effects to it. The problem was that most of the contestants didn’t have a partner. It was something far too intimate and awkward to ask, so most of the contestants had chosen to deal with things alone.

Book never expected she’d be asked out of everyone. She was still hated for her actions in BFB, and even out of those that didn’t hate her, there was nobody she was really close to. There hadn’t been enough time to forge new friendships with the other contestants on Just Not, so Book was mostly alone. That was fine. She wasn’t sure if she believed the rumours anyway, so spending a few days in solitude would be just fine for her.

When Pillow asked her to go through it together, Book had thought she was just joking. But Pillow didn’t laugh at the way Book blushed and sputtered at the offer, just standing there patiently, waiting for a reply. Eventually, Book found her voice to reply, and managed to squeak out; “You’re joking.” 

“Nope!” Pillow chirped, her smile never wavering. It was almost creepy, how that same eerie smile never left her face no matter what she was doing. Book felt horribly flustered, yet Pillow seemed completely unaffected.

“But why me!?” Book protested. 

Pillow just shrugged, still grinning. “Why not?”

Book sighed. She was beginning to realise she wouldn’t get any answers. She wasn’t sure what she should say- normally she would never have considered it. But Pillow was probably one of her closest friends in the competition right now, and if the rumors were to be believed in the slightest, being alone would be miserable…

“...fine. Do you have a phone, so we can call each other when we need it?”

Pillow blinked. “Nope!”

Book sighed. Of course Pillow didn’t have a phone, why should things ever be easy? “Okay. Move some of your stuff to my room, and that way we won’t have to walk all the way to the hotel to get to each other.”

“Sure.” Pillow agreed. Book was glad that, at the very least, Pillow wasn’t being argumentative about the whole thing. There was a feeling of uneasiness haunting her, as though something bad was going to happen soon.

. 

Book woke up hot and dazed. She could feel the sweat seeping out of her cover, vision hazy.  She was so weak, barely able to crawl across the room to wake Pillow. “Pillow,” she whined, pawing at the other girl to get her attention. “Pilloowww, wake up.”

Pillow awoke slowly, taking her time. Book huffed in annoyance; couldn’t she see how urgent this was? “Pillow,” she tried again, voice sharper. 

Pillow sat up, taking her time to stretch and yawn before greeting Book with her usual cheery demeanour. “Hi Book! How do you feel?”

“I- fuck- dunno…” She was horny, the rumours hadn’t been wrong, and she could feel the embarrassing wetness soaking the bottom of her pages, but it was more than that. Her room wasn’t right. She needed to make it safe, somewhere for her to curl up and hide with Pillow.

She stumbled away from the other woman, going back to her own bed and scooping up her pillows and blankets. She wandered around the room, collecting anything remotely soft and bringing it back to Pillow. Pillow only watched as she started to knead it into place, creating a nest out of the materials. 

“What was that for?” Pillow asked, the click of her pen alerting Book.

“Y-you’re writing this down!?”

“This is valuable research!” Pillow chirped in response. Book huffed. Her creation- she didn’t know what to call it- was more than research! Was that the only reason why Pillow had wanted to spend time with her at all? For research?

It stung more than Book expected. She curled up in the centre of the nest, self-pity flashing through her for a moment before it was replaced with something else. Determination. If Pillow wouldn’t give Book her affections, Book would just have to prove she’d earned them.

“It’s to keep us safe.” She murmured, as though telling Pillow that would make her abandon her research and focus all her attention on Book. Pillow simply copied her words onto the paper. 

Now Book was starting to get annoyed. Pillow was the one who’d asked for this, and now she didn’t care!? Book pressed a kiss to Pillow's cheek. She needed her to know that she was a good mate, that she was all Pillow needed right now…

Pillow seemed to stiffen for just a moment before turning to Book, those big, dark eyes piercing her soul in a way that made her heart flutter. “Can I try something?”

Book nodded eagerly. She’d been good , and now her efforts were rewarded, and Pillow would finally give her what she wanted. Pillow smiled, pulling Book into her lap, her fingers brushing through the sensitive spot at the bottom of her pages. Book shivered and moaned, eyes squeezing shut at the sensation. She waited eagerly to be touched again, but it didn’t happen.

Pillow was writing in that damn notebook again. 

“Pillow.” Book whined, starting to get frustrated. All of Pillow's attention should be on her, not on her stupid notes. When Pillow's focus wasn’t immediately turned to her, she slapped the notes out of her hands. 

“Pillow, I need you. Please, please, just-” her mouth snapped shut, cover reddening in embarrassment. The heat was growing, she could barely think straight, but she was not going to beg Pillow to fuck her! 

Pillow flashed her an innocent smile, though there was something dangerous hidden in her eyes. “Please what?”

Book bit her lip. She could actually feel slick dripping from her slit at the thought of being degraded to begging. Her legs squeezed together, trying to hide it as she forced herself to stammer out; “I- c’mon Pillow, you know-”

“I want you to say it.” Pillows voice was commanding, dominating in a way that made Books body shake and even more slick gush from her. She wasn’t sure if it was just another strange side effect of the sickness, but there was something about the thought of being dominated in this state that was insanely hot to her. 

“Pillow, please just-” her breath hitched. She knew she had to force herself to say it, or she would never be able to. And so, with her hands over her blushing face and a very quiet, forced whimper, she choked out,  “Iwantyoutobreedme.”

“Breed you?” Pillows eyes lit up with hunger. Suddenly Book didn’t care about the humiliating thing she’d just said, she wanted that hunger to consume her, she wanted Pillow to fuck her until she couldn’t remember her own name. She needed Pillow.

“That sounds great!” Pillow chirped, and Books eyes lit up eagerly before she continued “but no.”

“Why not!?” 

“You don’t deserve it.” She replied simply. “You’ve been bratty and demanding and you stopped me from getting my research. But…” She leaned in close, hot breath on Books face. “I think you might be able to make it up to me.”

Book whined. “I’m sorry…I’ll be… good…” Book couldn’t help but beg for this maddening sensation to be taken away. She was barely aware of the humiliating spiel pouring out of her mouth. She’d known this would be awful, but she’d never known it would be this bad- all she could concentrate on was Pillow, and the fact she wasn’t being fucked senseless by her right now was so frustrating it was almost enough to make her cry. “Pillow…”

“You’re going to be good from now on, okay? Let me  get my research, and you’ll get what you want.” Pillows smile widened dangerously. “If you keep acting like a brat, though, you’ll get punished.”

Book shivered, giving a weak nod of agreement. Pillow was terrifying at the best of times, and Book didn’t want to see what her idea of a punishment was. Pillow walked over to grab her notebook, then returned her attention to Book.  “Spread your legs for me.”

Book eagerly complied, revealing the bottom of her pages were wet  and glistening covered in the effects of the sickness. Pillows eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t comment.

“Touch yourself.”

Book let out a pathetic squeak. Pillow's words seemed to go straight to her core, making it ache even more. “Wh-what!?”

“It’s for my research.” Pillow replied sternly. “Do you want to be punished?”

“No…” Book murmured, ashamed. She slowly reached a hand to her slit, looking at Pillow for confirmation that she really had to do this. Pillow nodded.

Book whimpered as her fingers traced circles around her hole. She couldn’t help the embarrassing noises that left her mouth- she was so fucking sensitive from this sickness. She hesitated to finger herself, but whatever was going on with her body right now was making her wet enough, and her pussy ached with the need to be filled. She shuddered, closing her eyes, and pushed two fingers into her slit. Book outright screamed at the sensation. She was sure that masturbation had never felt this good, but her body still trembled with the need for more. She fucked herself on her fingers desperately, as though she’d die if she stopped.

All the while Pillow watched silently, scribbling down more notes. 

Book quickly added a third finger, and fuck, she knew she wouldn’t last much longer. “Pi-PiLOW I’m- fuck- ah- I’m gonna cum-”

“No you’re not.” Pillow said matter-of-factly. “Stop touching yourself.”

Book whined, slowing down her pace but not completely stopping. Her fingers felt so good inside of her, it ached so badly without them- she couldn’t stop now. Pillow frowned at the disobedience, voice more stern this time. “Stop touching yourself.”

Book didn’t want to listen to her. She was so close- it felt like she’d go insane if this feeling didn’t end soon. But the threat of a punishment loomed over her, and Book had seen enough of Pillow to know she wasn’t someone to cross. With another whine, she forced herself to stop, waiting for Pillow to give her next order. She knew she should be mad at Pillow. If she wasn’t going to help, Book should just kick her out of her room and deal with it herself.

But there was something about this, being ordered and forced to bring herself to the edge, that was incredibly hot.

“You can start again.” Pillow finally said, not even looking up. She was still lazily scribbling something in her notepad, a disinterested expression on her face. Book was so desperate for relief that she accepted the command with gratitude. She didn’t even bother to hide her moans as she gave Pillow a clear view of her fingerfucking herself. She felt so tight, yet her fingers slipped in effortlessly. She wondered if she could fit her whole fist in. She was tempted to try, but even with whatever was happening to her biology, she still doubted it would be a good idea to try without more prep. Book whined, high pitched and needy, breathing faster and faster as she once again got closer to her peak. She dared to hope that Pillow would let her finish this time. Maybe if she hid it, didn’t let Pillow know she was about to orgasm, she could come before Pillow got another opportunity to edge her.

“Stop.”

Book withdrew her hand, looking at Pillow with pleading eyes. The other woman didn’t seem aroused by the show she was forcing Book to put on, her expression remaining neutral. “You’re not allowed to cum until I say so.” Her voice was emotionless. It scared Book more than it could have if she was angry, but at the same time… “I suppose I have enough research from this test.” Pillow sighed. “Onto the next one!”

Pillow walked over to Book, a faint scent of holly berries noticeable as she came closer. Shen bent down, staring Book in the eyes.

Then she swabbed her finger across Book’s slit and stuck it in her mouth.

Book only managed to squeak in surprise at the action. Pillows finger slid out from her mouth with a wet pop, the woman talking to herself as she took even more notes. “Slightly salty, sweeter than expected.” She mumbled. 

Book wasn’t sure whether to be mortified or aroused. She was being treated like an item, like some science experiment for Pillow to study, but it felt so good to know that she was being good, that she would be rewarded soon. “Do you have enough research?” She whimpered desperately. 

Pillow sighed. “You’re not very good at being patient.” She reached forward, gently flicking her fingers through Books pages, teasing her. Book could do nothing but whine at the stimulation. “Does it feel more arousing to be touched now than when you’re not in heat?” Pillow asked casually, continuing to fondle her.

“M- I’m n-not- ngh- not in heat…” Book protested, shame filling her at the description. It may have been accurate, but she was an object, not an animal! She wasn’t in heat, this was just some… weird effect of the sickness. Pillow pinched one of the pages near her slit in annoyance, just hard enough to hurt, and Book squeaked, realising she hadn’t answered the question. “Y-yes, it’s so good, Pillow, fuck- please-”

“Another thing. You said earlier you wanted to be bred. Are you into that, or was it an instinctual thing?”

“I-” Book wasn’t weird! All the weird, kinky thoughts she'd had were just caused by the virus, right? She’d never even thought about being bred before now, but now it seemed like her body and mind craved it. She wanted to be bred by Pillow, claimed by her, even though she logically knew it wasn’t possible. The sheer intensity of the desire surprised her for something she had never even thought of before.

Maybe Pillow had a point with the whole ‘heat’ theory. “I- I dunno…” 

Pillow hummed in acknowledgement, starting to pump her fingers faster, entering Books slit rather than just the pages around it. Book had to bite her hand to hold back a scream of pleasure. The other contestants might have been going through this too, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing to be overheard. She took a deep breath to steady herself, the scent of holly berries flooding her senses. Nothing in her room smelled like holly. The scent of it shouldn’t have been turning her on even more, making slick gush out of her in waves.

She buried her face into Pillows body, and the scent only got stronger. “Mmm… Pillow… you smell so ni-ICE” she squealed when Pillow’s finger curled into a particularly sensitive spot. 

Pillow responded, voice deeper and huskier than before, finally losing her aloof tone. “I feel strange. I think it’s happening to me too.” She didn’t reach for her notepad to record the effects the sickness had on her, instead pulling Book closer to her, grinding against her. Book moaned at the sensation of Pillows bulging sheathe pressing against her. 

“Fuckkk,” Book moaned. She wasn’t even surprised to find out Pillow had a dick- she didn’t care. She wanted it in her. Books body craved it, craved for Pillow to impregnate her, but she knew, logically, that she couldn’t allow it. “Wait…” she forced herself out of the nest, stumbling over to her bedside table and shakily pulling open a drawer. She didn’t even know why she had condoms- it wasn’t like she ever had an opportunity to use them. she tore open the packet and pushed one into her slit, eagerly returning to Pillow. 

Pillow smiled. As soon as Book was within her reach, she flipped her over. Book squeaked in surprise as her face was shoved into the nest of blankets, keeping her rear in the air, forcing her to present. Pillow didn’t waste a moment; she shoved her entire length in one go, making Book scream in pleasure. She knew it should have hurt- they hadn’t even used lube- but apparently whatever was going on with their bodies made her unable to focus on anything but the pleasure. “PiL-I- FUCK!” She screamed, voice muffled. Pillow pounded into her ruthlessly, while Book just sobbed and screamed for more. 

Pillow bit her spine, then her shoulder, digging her teeth into the edge of her cover directly above her arm. It was soft at first, but Pillow leaned back to bite her again, this time digging her teeth in hard enough that Book winced in pain. Whatever Pillow was trying to achieve by biting that spot, she didn’t seem to be able to do it, growling softly in frustration. She settled for gently digging her teeth into the spot, keeping a firm hold on Book as she fucked her.

 Book only preened at the attention, moaning every time she felt Pillow sinking her teeth into her. Being marked, being claimed in such a way felt so right despite the pain, so natural…

Book could already feel herself tremble- fuck, she was so sensitive. “I’m gonna-” She tried to warn Pillow, but that was all she managed before she collapsed, body shaking with the intensity of her orgasm. Her walls clenched around Pillow. The other woman gave a shout as she reached her climax, filling Book with her cum.

Book wanted to collapse into the nest and sleep. She felt so full, the pages of her thin body forced slightly apart from having Pillow inside of her. The heat had been chased away, leaving only a dull warmth. She suspected it would be back later, but until then, she could relax.

Book tried to pull herself up, but something seemed to be stopping her. Pillow grabbed her instead, propping her up in front of her so Book could actually speak.

“Are- are we- how-” Book tried to squirm out of Pillows lap, and when that failed, stand up, but nothing she did worked to free her from Pillow. It was as though there was something tying the two together. Book groaned in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. “Are we- is your dick stuck in me right now!?”

“Hm.” Pillow responded, seeming to have gone back to her usual self as well. “That’s odd.”

Book once again tried to get away in vain. “What do you mean odd!? Pillow we’re stuck- what if we’re stuck like this forever!?”

“I’ve never heard of something like this before!” Pillow continued, seemingly ignoring Book. “Pass me my notebook.”

“No!”

“It’s closer to you!” 

Book crossed her arms and refused to move as Pillow tried to awkwardly maneuver herself back to her notebook. Why did I ever agree to this?

Chapter Text

Pin knew the rumours. She’d witnessed what happened to Saw firsthand, and she definitely didn’t want to go through that. It contradicted everything she strived to be. That being said, it didn’t seem like it was something she could avoid. Pin had resolved to just deal with what was coming by herself- it was the far less humiliating option. 

At least, that was the plan. Until Coiny had approached her, uncharacteristically nervous, and asked if she’d be willing to wait things out with him. Pin hadn’t wanted anyone to see her in a state of weakness, but with Coiny? It was different. He’d seen her at her lowest and hadn’t thought less of her for it. The thought of doing it with him was different, for some reason. So she’d accepted, then told Coiny to meet at her room and shut the door before he could see her blush.

So on top of all the other weirdness, she’d agreed to have sex with her best friend. That was something she really didn’t know how to feel about. Pin just hoped the flustered feeling she got whenever she thought about what was going to happen was because of the sex, and nothing more. The last thing she needed was to unpack her relationship with Coiny right now. Plus, he was so selfless, and he’d always been willing to give up so much for her, that his offer was probably just a favour. 

That was how she’d ended up here, sitting on her bed and pretending to read a book while Coiny did the same on the floor. For the past three days he’d come to her room, and in the absence of anything unusual happening, they’d spent the time talking or playing games. Today, though, something was different. They sat in awkward silence at opposite ends of the room, not interacting more than glancing at each other.

Pin finally decided to break the silence. “Are You Feeling Okay?”

Coiny nodded, though he seemed to shift uncomfortably. “Fine.”

“You Don’t Look Fine.” Pin responded, narrowing her eyes. Now that she was actually looking at him, she could see that Coiny looked off. His cheeks were darker, and he looked tired. Worse, he was half-curled up, legs pressed to his body, as though trying to make himself look smaller. Pins eyes narrowed. Something was clearly wrong, and he hadn’t told her. It bothered her much more than it should.

“I’ve just been having cramps, don’t worry.” Coiny tried to wave her off, but Pin wouldn’t accept it for an answer.

“Are You Sure You’re O-kay? Have You Been Ea-ting Enough? Are You Sick? Do You Need A Heat Pack? Painkillers?”

“...Are you okay? You’re acting overprotective.”

Pin scoffed. “Overprotective? It’s Not Overprotec-tive To Make Sure A Friend Is Okay.”

“I guess.” Coiny agreed reluctantly. Pin finally dropped the subject, realising Coiny wouldn’t be telling her anything more. It still bothered her that he was unwell, but there was no point in continuing the conversation if he wouldn’t talk. Instead she just watched silently, ready to step in the moment Coiny looked any worse.

Awkward silence returned to the room.

“So, uh, when do you think it will kick in?” Coiny asked, trying to start conversation.

Pin shrugged. She could only guess what it felt like to go through what Saw had gone through, but she was waiting to feel it herself. Saw had been clingy, nervous, and obviously very horny, but Pin had yet to feel any of that herself. If anything, she felt more annoyed, though she couldn’t pinpoint anything specific that was making her feel that way.

It took another hour of awkward silence and stilted small talk before Coiny got to his feet. He walked towards her door, and for a second Pin was scared that he’d leave her, but instead he walked to her hat rack, running his fingers along the lone scarf that rested on it. Pin didn’t have that many clothes, she didn’t see the point in them, but sometimes it was too cold to go outside naked. “Can I borrow this? It’s cold in here.”

“I Can Turn Up The Hea-ter?” Pin offered, feeling like an idiot for not noticing Coiny had been cold all this time. 

“No, it's fine! Just… let me borrow it…” He protested.

“Sure.” Pin answered. He probably just didn’t want to turn the heater on to make Pin too warm. It was just like Coiny, always thinking of her. 

Coiny shot her a grateful glance, carrying it back to where he had been sitting and holding it on his lap like a blanket. He seemed slightly off, shivering even with it. His eyes darted around the room nervously. 

He must still be cold, Pin realised with a frown. That wouldn’t do. She tugged the blanket off her bed, bringing it to Coiny. “Here! So You Won’t Be Cold.”

Coiny accepted the gift with gratitude, gently placing it on top of the scarf. “Can I take more things? I- I’m still cold…” He blushed, seeming embarrassed. 

Pin frowned- it wasn’t that cold in her room. If Coiny was still cold after the scarf and blanket, it had to mean he had some sort of fever. Pin had no idea how to treat illnesses, but at the very least, she wanted to make Coiny comfortable. “Go Ahead.” She watched as Coiny continued to go around her room, taking anything soft and warm to add to his pile. Once it was big enough, he started to move it around, digging through it to change the order everything was in and creating a ring around himself. It almost reminded Pin of…

Saw.

But that wasn’t possible, right? Coiny was a guy, he couldn’t go through what Saw did, he didn’t have the right parts to end up curled up in the corner of an elevator, leaking uncontrollably onto the floor- fuck. She shouldn’t have been getting turned on by the memory, definitely shouldn’t have been getting turned on by the thought of Coiny taking Saw’s place. She took a deep breath, trying to purge the thoughts from her mind.

It only made things worse. There was a smell in the air- sweet and soft, almost like chocolate. Before she could control herself, she was drinking in the scent, hungry for more. She needed to consume it. The scent alone was making her horny, and she could feel her slit starting to open. Oh pin factory, it was happening. Her arousal made the situation so much more real. She was about to have sex with Coiny. 

“Coiny? I Think It’s Happening…” She choked out nervously. She stood up, trying to hide how her legs were shaking, but Coiny stopped her.

“No, wait! Don’t come over here.” Coiny sounded anxious enough to make Pin freeze. Had he changed his mind? The idea filled her with dread. 

“Is Something Wrong?”

“No- just- I just need a minute.” Coiny pulled the blanket over himself, clutching it tightly. His expression was one of fear, and the tantalising scent in the air had gone bitter. Something was definitely wrong, even if Coiny was trying to deny it. Pin wouldn’t let it stand, not while she was right here with him to do something about it. 

“Coiny, You Can Trust Me. I Told You We Can Deal With This Together, Remember?”

Coiny didn’t respond. Pin stood up, slowly walking closer to him. “Please? Just Let Me Help.”

**

“You can’t.” He finally whispered. “Don’t come here. It’s… really bad.”

“Please Let Me.” Pin protested. She hated to see him this upset. She just wanted to take his problems away. “Coiny, Please.”

“Fine,” he finally relented, “just… don’t laugh.” 

With permission finally given, Pin sat beside him, moving the blankets to do so. The smell of chocolate was overpowering here, not that Pin minded. She truly couldn’t see anything wrong with Coiny. “You’re Perfect.”

“Pin, look.” Coiny moved his legs apart, just enough for Pin to see the inside of his legs were streaked with a gleaming substance. She could see his dick, hard and straining, but beneath it…

Pins eyes widened in surprise, and Coiny snapped his legs shut. “I- fuck- I’m not- I’ve never had this before!”

“Coiny, You’re Perfect.” She repeated. 

“It’s weird!” He protested, starting to tear up. “It’s weird and awful and I can’t make it stop… leaking everywhere,” he whimpered.

“Coiny-”

“I know you think it’s weird. I can go, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable-”

He started to stand, but Pin grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Coiny, No. You Stuck By My Side In BFDIA, Even When I Had No Limbs, No Face And Was Tiny. You Helped Me. You Even Forgave Me When I Betrayed You! I’m Not Abandoning You Over This.” 

Coiny blushed. “You- you really want to stay?”

“Of Course.” Pin promised. She leaned into him, tugging the blanket back over them both. “Tell Me What You Need.”

“Nothing- not yet. I’m not ready. Just please stay.” His fingers intertwined with hers, holding her hand tightly.

She leaned into Coiny, letting the smell of chocolate flood through her once again. He smelled amazing, but she ignored the emotions it brought up for his sake. “Are You Okay?”

“No.” He murmured, mirroring her actions and leaning into her. “I fucking hate this.”

“I Know.” Pin replied, because she didn’t know what else to say. “You’re Not Weird. You’re Still You.” She tried to ignore the burning in her core as she cuddled him. This was about Coiny, she just needed to be there for him.

“You smell nice.” Coiny murmured. “Fuck, why can I smell you? I’m not- this isn’t- what’s happening to me?”

**

Pin hushed him gently. “I Can Smell You Too. You Smell Like Chocolate. It’s Good.” 

They sat together, silently but without the awkward tension that had haunted them before. She ignored the strange feelings bubbling up inside of her for as long as possible. She pressed her legs together to try to hide her open slit- she didn’t want to make Coiny uncomfortable. That's when she came to a realization.

She was hard.

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. Holy fuck. She had a dick. Aside from the obvious question of how, she didn’t know how to feel about it. It wasn’t her. But at the same time, she didn’t hate the change. In fact, part of her was almost… eager. She’d always wondered what it was like to have a dick.

“Oh.” Coiny echoed, seeing her new appendage. For the most part, he looked concerned, but Pin could see the hunger in his gaze. “What’s happening right now? Pin, are you okay?”

“I’m Fine.” Coiny was still looking at her with concern, as though worried she was lying. Pin factory, he was so sweet, so adorable. The urge to protect him, to cherish him, was overwhelming. She needed to take care of him, to make him feel good in any way she could.  

“So…” She started, worried she hadn’t given Coiny enough time to adjust yet, but starting to grow impatient. “Do You Want To Do What You Came Here For?”

**

“I… um…” Coiny looked away, blushing. “It’s- you’re- you’re big.” He gulped. “I don’t- this is still too weird. I’m not- I never even considered that I’d have this- this thing- I don’t know- it’s gross- it’s- fuck, i can’t do this.” 

**

Pin frowned. She knew Coiny was still processing what had happened, which was expected. He’d only had ten minutes to deal with it, after all. But to hear him disgusted by his own body, unable to see how beautiful he was? 

That wouldn’t do.

“I’d Like To Try Something. Are You Okay With Doing Something Sexual?”

Coiny hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Just don’t go inside.”

Pin pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I Would Never Do Anything You Don’t Want.”

“Okay. I think… I want to try what you’re planning.” Coiny murmured, blushing profusely

Pin smiled. “Lay On Your Back.”

Coiny obeyed, giving Pin a view that made her gasp. He was so wet, so beautiful; the sight alone was enough to make her ooze precum. “Cork… you’re so beautiful.”

Not wanting to overwhelm him, Pin started by pressing a gentle kiss to his slit, lips smeared with the slick his body seemed to be endlessly producing. Coiny gasped, but didn’t tell her to stop. Pin smiled, kissing him firmer this time, licking his slick off her lips. She could get lost in that taste.

She gave him a moment to steady himself, then lapped at his pussy gently, resisting the urge to devour him. The scent was strongest here, making her almost lightheaded. Pin wanted to dive in, but she knew she needed to savor Coiny, to cherish him, make him realise how beautiful he was. Coiny moaned softly as she continued to use her tongue, suckling on the soft, sensitive metal around his slit. “Pin- fuck-” he sighed, hands gripping the blankets. Pin moaned at the sight, starting to grind against the floor to relieve some of the aching pressure in her dick

Pin took his noises as a sign to increase her ministrations, tongue darting between his folds, teasing his slit, and occasionally shifting to give the underside of his dick a teasing lick. She didn’t stick her tongue inside, as much as she wanted to- she wouldn’t until he gave permission. That didn’t change the fact that she so desperately wanted to taste him from the inside, lapping at him more eagerly in the hopes permission would be granted. Coiny brought a hand to his mouth to stifle his noises. 

“Pin- Mint-” Coiny panted, whining at the feeling of her tongue. “I can’t- stop teasing me.”

Pin smirked. She shifted position slightly, letting her teeth graze his body ever so slightly, giving herself better access to his slit. She waited a moment, giving Coiny a final opportunity to change his mind.

He didn’t.

Pin nudged the tip of her tongue into him, taking it slow. Bit by bit, she wormed her way into him. Her tongue squirmed to lick at the inside of his walls, taking in as much flavour as she could. Coinys legs squeezed around her as he whimpered. His hands shot to her point, gripping her desperately. “Piiin- ngh- don’t stooop.” His voice was so desperate, so easily undone. She licked faster, doing her best to make him finish. At the same time, she rutted harder into the floor- Pin still wasn’t near to finishing, but the friction was wonderful. 

Coiny came with a cry of pure pleasure, thighs squeezing around her, losing himself. Pin slowly pulled herself away, wiping the liquid off her face. “You Did So Well,” she murmured.

Coiny didn’t seem satisfied at all. He looked between his legs shamefully, still producing enough slick to leave a puddle soaking into her floor. “Why hasn’t it stopped?” He whimpered pitifully, staring desperately at Pin as though she knew the answer.

Pin blinked in surprise. Whatever this thing was, apparently it had given Coiny a huge libido. “Do You Want Me To Use My Mouth Again?”

Coiny blushed, answering quietly. “I… I think I’m ready. I want you in me.”

Pins eyes widened in surprise. “Are You Sure?”

“I…” Coiny blushed bright red. “It hurts, Pin. I don’t think it will help unless we… do this.”

“If You’re Sure…” Pin agreed. “You Brought Protection, Right?”

Coiny’s eyes widened in alarm. “You think I can get pregnant!?”

“No!” Pin reassured, seeing his anxiety. “Just Better To Be Safe.”

Coiny took a deep breath to steady himself. “Right. Um, in my bag, by the door.”

Pin took a moment to figure out how to put it on, spotting some lube in the bag and coating that on top. She wasn’t quite sure what to do, but she was determined to make this enjoyable for Coiny. Hopefully, it would make him see that the new part of his body wasn’t entirely bad. “You Sure You’re Ready?”

“I’m sure.”

“I’ll Sit Still. You Just… Sit Down On Me Slowly? Take Your Time.”  She positioned herself with her legs spread, staying as still as she could. Coiny took a deep breath, starting to lower himself onto her dick.

“You’re Doing Great. Just Relax.” Coinys breathing had increased in speed as the tip poked against his entrance. “It Will Be Easier If You Stay Calm.”

He nodded slightly, sinking down lower. Pin could feel how easily his pussy swallowed the tip. He felt so good around her, and they’d barely even started. It drove her wild, left her craving more, but she swore not to do anything that would make Coiny uncomfortable. 

Coiny whimpered as he continued to sink onto her. “Fuck…”

“That’s It Coiny,” Pin encouraged, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You’re Doing So Well. You’re So Good.”

He moaned as he finally took her entire length. “Fuck- Pin, don’t move yet.” Cork, he was beautiful, flushed and sweaty and perfect. She could feel his walls squeezing around her- maybe this new biology wasn’t so bad if it meant she could feel this good.

She sat patiently, inhaling his scent as she waited for him to be ready. He seemed less anxious now. “Okay. You can move now, just be gentle.”

Pin didn’t need to be told twice. She gently bounced Coiny on her lap, biting back a moan at the sensation. They’d barely started, and she was already so eager for more. She increased the pace, holding him in place with her hands. “Oh mint- fuck- Pin- don’t stop.” He whined. His voice sounded blissful. “Pin, I need you, please.”

“Corkboard, Coiny, Don’t Say Things Like That.” Pin was barely keeping it together as it was, if Coiny kept whimpering and begging like that she wasn’t sure if she could control herself. He was so beautiful, panting and moaning like he couldn’t help it. And right now he was hers, so pretty and losing control just for her. He was gorgeous. He was perfect. “I Love You, Coiny.”

Coiny kissed her. She didn’t protest, melting into it, sliding her tongue into his mouth as she continued to fuck him. He was so pretty, so perfect, why had they never done this before? She thrusted harder, experimentally, silently asking for permission to set a faster pace. Coiny gave her a pleading look in return, and how could she ever say no to those eyes?

She fucked him faster, rougher, dick twitching in excitement. Coiny seemed to like it too, he moaned into her mouth, arching his back into the air. It didn’t take long for him to abandon the kiss, shouting “fuck- Pin- I can’t- I’m GonnaAA-“

The way he felt around her when he came was almost enough to make her finish herself. She slowed down her pace, but continued to pleasure him through his orgasm, only stopping when his cries died down and his body stopped shaking. “Pin… Oh mint, Pin.” He buried his face into her chest, panting.”

“Did That Feel Good?” She asked gently. Her dick ached with the lack of simulation, but she was also filled with a sense of pride at doing her job well, taking care of Coiny.

“Yeah.” He murmured into her chest. “Is it bad that I want to keep going?”

“Of Course Not. Slow Or Fast?”

“Fast.”

She returned to the pace she’d set before, She could feel pressure building in her core fuck- she needed this so bad. Pin’s instincts were getting stronger now, she didn’t just need to take care of him, she needed to make him hers. “Coiny, Can- ngh- Can I Bite You?”

Coiny nodded enthusiastically. “Please.”

Pin sunk her teeth into the soft skin of his shoulder, biting down hard enough for him to feel it, but not hard enough to draw blood.  She sucked on his flesh, leaving a mark that would surely remain for a while. The pressure in her groin kept building, until-

She came with a shout of pleasure, nails digging into his shoulders. She was aware of Coiny orgasming for the second time, but didn’t concentrate on it, too lost in her own pleasure. It felt like the longest orgasm she’d ever had, ropes and ropes of cum shot out from her, leaving her dizzy from the pleasure.  “Fuck…” Pin finally managed to gasp out. “Do You Feel Better Now?”

“Yeah.” Coiny said softly. “Thanks for letting me take my time.”

“Of Course.” Pin responded warmly. Realising that she should probably pull out, she lifted Coiny gently, only to find that she literally couldn’t pull out. It seemed like they were stuck together, somehow. “Um.”

“Are we stuck!?” Coiny yelped, trying to squirm out of her lap in a panic, tugging on her.

“Hey! That Hurts!” Pin protested, holding him still. “What Do We Even Do About This?”

“I don’t know!” Coiny looked like he wanted to try and move again, but stopped, realising it would hurt Pin. “Okay, let’s just stay here for a bit. Maybe whatever this is will go away on its own?”

“Okay.” Pin agreed, wrapping her arms around Coiny and guiding him to lay beside her. Surrounded by the safety of the shelter Coiny had made, she couldn’t bring herself to be upset that they were stuck together.

Chapter Text

Pie trembled, swallowing back a wave of nausea. Fingers digging into the carpet, she could barely muster up the strength to do anything other than curl up in a ball. She was trapped on her hands and knees, unable to stand but knowing if she let herself lay back down, she wouldn’t have a chance at getting off the floor for the rest of the day.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, counting to five. It was a tactic she’d told countless people to use to calm them down and prevent fights that could lead to death. It usually worked, but right now it did nothing to calm her. Pie’s mind was screaming at her that she wasn’t safe here, that it was too dangerous, despite knowing that she was the only one in the elimination space. And there wasn’t even any danger to the space itself- it was actually quite nice, decorated with everything she’d need in a bedroom, even if it was upside down. Pie had tried to calm herself from the irrational fear- she’d taken deep breaths, and meditated, and gone for a walk, and finally hid under the covers of the bed she’d woken up in when she was first sent to the elimination place, but nothing helped. Everything in this twisted dimension smelled awful- far too clean, far too empty. It was uncanny. Pie had loved cleanliness before (it lowered the risk of catching an illness, and illness could lead to death), but now, the thought of how sterile the empty elimination plate was made her anxious.

She finally managed to move, shakily crawling closer to the wall. Her exhausted body ached in protest, but she forced herself to not just quit and lay down in the middle of the room. Another competition could be happening right now, someone else could be eliminated any second, and then they’d arrive to find Pie in an absolutely pathetic state, unable to even walk, forced onto her hands and knees with arousal gushing down the inside of her legs-

She whimpered. This erotic panic attack had persisted for days now, and she couldn’t find a way to get rid of it. Masturbating had been her first thought, but the heat returned with a vengeance just half an hour later, leaving her just as frusatrated as she had been beforehand. 

Her second solution was to ignore it. Most of the time, Pie could make it better by forcing herself to think of other things, but it would always return far too soon. 

After what felt like hours, Pie finally managed to crawl onto her bed. It was neatly decorated with pillows and blankets, and she could already feel it getting ruined as her wetness soaked it. 

Surrounded by the softness, an all too familiar urge returned. Pie knew that protecting herself, shielding herself from the outside was the only way to become safe and make the anxiety go away. She dared to think that maybe this time it would work. She wrapped herself in blankets and throws, pulling the cushions to her to make a shield. Her shelter was complete, but it still wasn’t good enough. It smelled wrong, unfamiliar and uncomforting.

Pie wished she hadn’t been eliminated. She wished one of her teammates was here, just so she wouldn’t be alone. She threw the ‘shelter’ away, frustrated tears pricking at her eyes. It wasn’t fair. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get rid of this feeling. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve this, but if she had to go through another moment of this torture, she would surely go mad. She wanted someone to hold her in strong arms, to protect her from the fear and loneliness. To hug her and tell her that everything would be okay, and then oh-so-gently free her of the horrible ache in her core.

Pie pulled her knees to her chest as she sobbed. Why did she have to be the first voted out, banished to this horrible place and alone for baker knows how long? She had tried her best to prevent death, but maybe she simply had been good enough. Maybe her efforts hadn’t been enough for the voters to like her.

Pie didn’t know how long she sat there. Time didn’t seem to work the same in this place, even more so since… this had started happening to her. Pie didn’t want to leave her bed, despite how anxious she felt sitting here, waiting for something to change, she knew she had nowhere better to go.  There wasn’t much she could do, other than try not to throw up from anxiety and handle herself when the lust got too intense. A mindless cycle of misery. Anxious and nauseous and miserably horny, all Pie wanted was to be taken away from this, even if just for a moment. Sleep seemed impossible in this state, but even just five minutes of quiet would be bliss. 

She lay on her side, closing her eyes and forcing herself not to think about the wetness soaking her lower body, the way her head and heart were pounding. Pie didn’t know how long she lay there, tossing and turning, before she finally managed to drift into an uneasy sleep.

Soft hands caressed her tin, keeping her in place. Pie shivered, melting as kisses were pressed to her crust. She couldn’t see who was holding her, keeping her in place on their lap. She didn’t mind that she couldn’t see what was happening. Pie was finally getting the attention she craved, and that was enough to make her relax. Fingers dipped teasingly into her steam vents, making her gasp in shock and pleasure. They were so warm and gentle, petting her in a way that soothed her completely.

Pie finally felt something press into her back and she whimpered, trying not to be too impatient. Without their sex even going near her slit, she was already wet. She needed it desperately, but whoever was holding her didn't seem to notice or care, keeping her in place and treasuring her with gentle kisses.

Pie normally loved tender, slow romance, but she was beginning to ache, as though she needed things to go faster at that exact moment. She rolled her hips forwards, grinding against their lap, silently begging for them to get the hint. And finally, it worked.

Pie was moved again, gently lifted above their core, finally feeling the tip of their shaft . There was no pain when she was dropped, body more than ready for this. Her lover took her gently, thrusting into her slowly. Their body rocked gently into hers, making her whine and moan in pleasure. Her hands gripped their back, digging into them. She couldn’t take it much longer, she was going to-

Pie woke up from the dream with a shout of shock and pleasure, whimpering as she saw the mess she’d made on the already ruined bed. She couldn’t even sleep without this stupid thing infecting her mind. Despite the fact she’d just come, and quite violently if the puddle beneath her was any indication, she was still horny. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she just be allowed to rest, without this stupid, disgusting illness corrupting her? Her hands itched to sneak down to her slit, but she knew she couldn’t allow it, that with each bit she gave in it would be harder to escape. 

Refusing herself relief and unable to do anything to escape this hellish nightmare, Pie resigned herself to another day spent curled in a ball, trying to ignore this miserable state.

Try she did. Whimpering and squirming on the bed, she tried to fall back asleep, or meditate, or do anything that would fix her from this state. It was all of five minutes before the dam of frustration burst. Pies hands shot to the bottom of her tin, groping for her slit. Her hands almost slipped off the metal surface from how much slick her body was pumping out- surely that wasn’t healthy- but as soon as her fingers brushed against her entrance and the first sparks of pleasure shot through her, she found she couldn't care about anything but chasing that high. 

But even while she was finally giving in, that nagging urge to be protected still persisted. With a groan of frustration, Pie reached for something to cover herself. Most of the bed had been torn apart in her frenzy, leaving the pillows and throws to be tossed on the floor. With how hard it was to walk, Pie didn’t want to risk getting them. But there was one blanket, that if she stretched, she might just be able to grab…

Pie almost fell off the bed in her effort to grab it, but reeling it back in, she wrapped it around her body. Resting it on the top of her tin and making sure her lower half was covered, Pie finally started to slowly touch herself, playing with her clit. It was too much, the stimulation shocking her with its intensity. And yet, the second she pulled her fingers away her body ached, desperate for contact. She couldn’t resist reaching for herself once again, this time forcing two fingers into her slit and orgasming just from the fullness once they were in. Pie had known she was pent up, but this was excessive. She was soaking her hand, and it wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed to cum again, and then again, and as many times as it took until she could finally get rid of this feeling.

Pie grunted and steadied herself, determined that she’d finally best this, and return to normal as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

“And you’re sure that all the tests came back negative? There’s definitely no parasites?”

Basketball sighed, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to stay calm and not snap at Golf Balls repetitive, condescending questioning. “Yes, Golf Ball. I looked at the saliva sample under the microscope six times, at four different magnification ranges. There’s no parasitic organisms, no unusual bacteria, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.”

Golf Ball scowled “How can there be nothing!? This type of thing doesn’t just happen-”

“I know that, and you’re free to look at the sample yourself, but there’s nothing wrong.” Basketball interrupted. Each day, more and more people were being affected by the second wave of the sickness, and the urgency of the situation was the only thing that had driven her to work with Golf Ball. Initially, Tennis Ball had worked on research with them, but when he’d gotten sick himself, it was down to the two of them. They hadn’t found anything in the time they’d been working, and the lack of progress was wearing on both of them. Basketball knew that Golf Ball was being so snappish because she was frustrated they hadn’t accomplished anything and worried for her friend, but it still made her hard to work with.

 “The only thing abnormal about Saw’s saliva was the shockingly high oestrogen levels but it seems to be normal for the uh, affects she’s having.” 

Basketball had gone to Saw for information as soon as she’d heard what had happened. Blinded by her desire for information, she hadn’t considered exactly what she’d be walking into. 

It was the shortest and most awkward investigation Basketball had ever conducted, and it ended with her discovering that Saw had no idea what caused her symptoms, hadn’t done anything different in her routine that could cause new symptoms, had avoided almost everyone in the challenge and therefore couldn’t have passed anything onto them. Neither of them had been able to bring themselves to discuss the symptoms Saw was feeling, so Basketball left with a single saliva sample and no more understanding of the virus than she’d had before.

“So in short, we’ve spent three days researching this, and we still have no idea what caused it, or even what the full effects are.” Golf Ball huffed in frustration. “And you don’t feel any different, do you?”

“No.” Basketball said, just like she had every time Golf Ball had asked her this question. She’d experienced a few minor changes before she’d even started her research with Golf Ball and Tennis Ball, and yet nothing anywhere similar to what the others were going through affected her. Basketball had taken her own samples, which was how she knew that she was entirely ordinary- not even her hormone levels were affected. The only thing that had changed was her sense of smell. For some reason, Basketball's sense of smell had improved to the point where she was constantly overloaded by all kinds of scents- salty and sweet, earthy and spicy, flooding her even when there was no source for them to come from.

It wasn’t until she visited Saw and was overwhelmed by the sweet floral scent in the air that Basketball realised what she was smelling was the other contestants. She hadn’t seen many people around the hotel, but even with her small data sample she was starting to form ideas. Saw had smelled sweet, and she’d picked up on Donuts savoury, floury scent when they’d walked past each other in the hallway. Eggy, who had the same enhanced sense of smell that Basketball did, smelled of cranberries. Basketball hadn’t told Golf Ball her scent discoveries yet- it made no sense for an illness, or a parasite, or whatever it was to be causing these types of effects. Then again, nothing about this made sense to begin with. 

“Well. I know that there’s an asymptomatic and symptomatic version. At least a third of the contestants, like us, weren’t affected. Considering how diverse the unaffected people are, I doubt there’s something we all have in common that’s preventing us from contracting the virus. So we just need to focus on curing the symptomatic effects, and trying to find what caused some people to be asymptomatic.” Golf Ball ended her rant with a smirk that had Basketball struggling not to roll her eyes. She knew once Golf Ball got an idea in her head, nobody could tell her she was wrong, no matter how outlandish it was. There were no asymptomatic patients- at the very least, the others Basketball had spoken to had a heightened sense of smell. Which meant she could let Golf Ball go on a wild goose chase to try and prove her theory, or she could come clean and tell her about her heightened senses.

The thought of getting rid of Golf Ball for a bit was incredibly tempting. But Basketball knew the others were counting on them to make sense of everything, and she wasn’t sure she could do it alone. She sighed. “Golf Ball. I’ve been speaking to some of the others that aren’t holed up in their rooms. None of them are asymptomatic- in fact, they've all reported similar symptoms.” 

Golfball snapped to attention abruptly. “You’ve been withholding information from me!? Do you know how long you’ve delayed our research by-”

“I would have told you about it, if you’d stop being so insufferable! Treat me like an equal. Stop acting like I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

Golf Ball’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Fine. Just tell me what you’ve learnt in full.” 

Basketball got to enjoy Golf Balls rapt attention, the first time since they’d started this research that Golf Ball wasn’t interrupting or arguing with her. She explained the enhanced senses, and how she’d started to notice the different scents of the other contestants. There wasn’t much left to add after that;  the effects of her variant were, thankfully, far less extreme than the other version.

Golf Ball hummed in thought when the explanation was done. “So this variant heavily altered the structure of your olfactory cortex. The full extent of this must be analysed immediately.”

“I don’t have x-ray equipment in my factory.” At Golf Balls scornful look, she added “I’m an engineer, not a biologist!”

“It doesn’t matter. I have the necessary equipment in my factory- come on.”

They walked through the hotel as quickly as they could, trying to ignore the lewd sounds  that came from behind locked doors. In any other scenario, Basketball would have laughed at how hard Golf Ball was blushing, but she knew her own face was probably red as well. They all but ran out the doors of the hotel, only stopping for air once they were outside.

Basketball followed Golf Ball to her factory, but stopped when another scent hit her. It was sweet, like vanilla- something she was starting to associate with what Golf Ball had called the symptomatic variant, but who would want to deal with that outside? “Golf Ball, wait- I need to check something.”

“What?”

“It’s probably nothing, I’m just uneasy.” She couldn’t provide any more explanation than that. She didn’t know why she felt compelled to check that everything was okay- she knew what she was likely to find,and she absolutely did not want to see that- but it seemed this worry wouldn’t leave her alone until she checked.

Golf Ball followed her as she tracked the scent of a ragged blanket patterned with stars in the middle of the field. It absolutely reeked of vanilla. “Um… are you okay?”

The blanket moved, falling back to reveal… Clock? Basketball blinked. She wasn’t sure who she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t him.

“‘M fine.”

“What are you doing out here?” Basketball asked gently. 

Clock seemed confused by the question. “I like it outside.”  He responded matter of factly, as though he was simply going for a stroll and not horribly ill. “I’m kind of busy right now, so if you guys could leave-"

“Alright… as long as you’re okay, we can go.” Basketball agreed reluctantly. “Come on Golf Ball, let’s go to your factory.”


“But this could be useful information-“

Basketball could smell the vanilla scent spike with anxiety, turning it sour. ”We can get information later, Golf Ball. When he’s not… y’know.”

Golf Ball reluctantly agreed. “Fine. We’ll continue investigations on your symptoms.”

At Golf Balls factory, she was led down what seemed like endless stairs until she was brought to a machine with several metal rods protruding from behind a screen.  “Why do you have an EEG machine in your lab?”

“A good scientist is well versed in all aspects of the field.” Golf Ball responded. Basketball chose to ignore the dig, sitting down to allow Golf Ball to attach the wires to her head.

“I’m going to blindfold you to record brain activity when exposed to different odours. Wait five minutes, I need to grab some things.”

Basketball sat and waited, blindfolded and hooked up to the EEG for what felt like a lot longer than five minutes. She  was starting to wonder if Golf Ball had ditched her, but she doubted the other scientist would pass up this opportunity. Eventually, Golf Ball returned, the sound of wheels squeaking following her. “There are fifteen items in this cart. Tell me what you think each one is.”

There was the click of a container being opened. Basketball took a deep breath.  It was harder for her to pinpoint the scents of non-objects, but when she concentrated, she could smell rubber. “Did you really bring a non sapient basketball to me.” She deadpanned.

“Moving on. Second item.”

Basketball inhaled a floral scent Fresh and delicate, it reminded her of Saw’s scent, though much milder. “Some sort of flower.”

“Accurate enough. Brain activity spiked, any theory why?”

“It smells like Saw”

“Wait- scents are unique for each case!? You didn’t tell me that earlier.” Golf ball accused, as though she thought Basketball was purposely sabotaging her. Basketball allowed herself to roll her eyes this time. “Continuing with the test- but I expect a full explanation afterwards.”

The test continued without much success. Basketball could correctly identify objects half the time, but it appeared her increased sense of smell only applied to other biological specimen for the most part.

“Final item.”

Basketball went rigid. That scent, tangy and musky, made her feel odd- similar to Clocks scent, it made her worried, wanting to help someone who wasn’t there. But unlike with Clock, it also made her feel wary, as though facing off with a wild animal.

“Major spike in activity of the olfactory cortex. That confirms that your heightened sensitivity to smells is activated most prominently in reaction to other objects. Don’t move, Basketball, I’ll unhook you.”

Whose scent was that?” Basketball asked as soon as she was unhooked

“Tennis Balls.”

“I thought you two weren’t-“

“We’re not! Don’t get any ideas, it was just something I grabbed when I was bringing food to his room.” Golf Ball snapped, flushed.

“So we have notes on this variant, at least. What do we do about the other variant?  Tennis Ball said he’d give us notes on his symptoms when he feels better, but we still don’t have a large enough sample size to come to any conclusion. It’s not like anyone would agree to be interviewed about this.” Basketball mused.

“We could force them. It's for the greater good.”

“That’s unethical!”

“Basketball, we barely know anything about this virus.  And we need a cure, fast. Ethics aren't important right now.”

“So what are you going to do? We don’t need to trick people. We’ve seen how miserable everyone is- I’m sure they’d be willing to help make a cure if given the chance.”

Golf Ball grumbled, finally giving in.  “Fine. But if I don’t get enough data, I’m doing whatever I need to do to get it.”

“Fine.” Basketball agreed. “Are we finished with our research for the day?”

“I doubt we’ll get new information on the virus until Tennis Ball gives his report to us. I’ll be in here, you better come back immediately if you learn anything new.”

“Of course.” Basketball agreed, walking away from the room.  They’d made more progress than ever before, but she still couldn’t help but worry about the obscurity of the virus. They still had no idea what had caused the sickness, or the true extent of the virus’s capabilities, and she couldn’t help but worry that this was bigger than she could have ever expected.