Chapter Text
Susie couldn't sleep.
Today was… Well it was SOMETHING, to say the least. These Dark Worlds were always so overwhelming.
Not to say she didn't have fun though, far from it. Everything was amazing! That delicious cotton candy she and Ralsei had, fighting Queen in that huge mech, riding that ferris wheel with Noelle, everything was so exciting and new.
She wasn't used to this kind of feeling. She hadn't been this happy and excited since… well, never.
Susie turned over in her bed, and the box spring below her let out a pained creak. As she stared at the ceiling and reminisced about the day, her eyes slowly closed, and her mind filled with visions of bright neon lights, ferris wheels, strings… Susie’s eyes shot open.
“Shit!”
She pinched her brow and scowled. how could she have forgotten about that? Those strings that reached high up to a place that didn't seem to exist, that uncanny voice he spoke in, the incomprehensible things he said, and the way he just… broke.
Well, she certainly remembered now. The fight played over in her head. The roller coasters, the way the walls seemed to shift and change around her, the panic in Ralsei’s face, Kris.
Kris.
Susie tensed up. That wasn't just another fight for them, it was something… personal.
From what she'd seen from Kris so far, nothing seemed to phase them.
Nothing in the Card Kingdom got to them, their expression was painfully neutral practically the whole way through! Hell, even the fights with King and that clown didn’t crack their stoic demeanor.
The fight with Spamton though… Susie closed her eyes and replayed it in her head.
***
"[Heaven], are you WATCHING? IT'S TIME TO MAKE A VERY [Specil] DEAL..."
Susie scowled murderously as the puppet laughed. She did her best to steady herself on the shaky ground beneath her and summoned her axe, pointing it straight at the dumbass who just threatened her friend's life. This bastard was as good as dead.
She quickly turned to Kris, awaiting their orders, but…
In place of their typical stone-faced expression, there was fear. Their mouth was twisted into a grimace, and their teeth were clenched so hard it looked painful. They were shaking, and breathing so heavily she could see their chest rising and falling. Sweat was pouring down their cheeks… or… Shit, were those tears?
Susie's eyes widened, and she couldn't stop a bit of fear from growing within her. If Kris couldn't calm down, she and Ralsei would be completely lost.
But then, like a switch was flipped, their neutral expression immediately returned and their body shifted into a defensive stance, ready for combat.
"Susie, snap wires. Ralsei, defend."
Their voice had regained its typical neutrality. Kris sounded so calm that if she’d had her eyes closed, she would have thought they were just fine.
What the hell was up with them? Were they really okay?
Susie shook the thoughts out of her head, there were more important things to focus on right now. The feelings talk could come later, cause right now…
She had an ass to kick.
***
Susie sighed as she reopened her eyes.
The fight went fine enough after that. It ended like all others, with the Delta Warriors victorious. The puppet broke, then offered his power to the group, telling them to "break their strings" or some shit.
When they left, she'd stopped the group to ask about the fight. It was way too weird for her, and she wanted answers. After Ralsei deflected her question, she noticed Kris shaking a bit, so she went to check on them.
She'd asked if they were okay, and…
Susie had never heard Kris’s voice so clearly before. It typically came out an indifferent whisper, but this had been anything but.
A pained, desperate yell had escaped from their mouth. Their voice was hoarse as if they hadn't said a word in years, or they'd just been screaming for hours. It almost looked like even managing to open their mouth was a fight.
It scared the shit out of her, but after she and Ralsei calmed them down, they snapped right back into their typical stoic persona.
It was… strange.
But… Kris was always strange, right? Their actions frequently betrayed their passive appearance.
In the Card Kingdom, they wouldn't stop trying to tie that stupid white ribbon onto her! She'd gotten so fed up that she snatched it from them, threw it on the ground, and stomped it until it was buried, eliciting an almost unnoticeable chuckle from Kris and a disappointed sigh from Ralsei.
They ate that moss in the dungeon jail cell, staring directly into her eyes as they shoved a pile into their mouth… not leaving any for her.
And in their fight against King, they blocked a blow from him that likely would have killed her.
Susie’s eyes narrowed as she remembered that, a slight frown forming on her face. She'd been… less than kind to Kris, hadn’t she? Threatening them alone in the classroom, slamming them into the lockers, pretending she was going to bite their face off, criticizing their every move in the Card Kingdom.
And yet, even after all that, Kris risked their life for her… That was…
Well, it was pretty damn stupid! She certainly wouldn't have done that for someone who relentlessly bullied her for months. But Kris didn't even hesitate, they'd just thrown their body in front of her, barely managing to get their shield out in time to block the blow. It was stupid. REALLY stupid.
… But it was also cool. The way they stepped in fearlessly like that was, like, really fuckin' cool!
Man, Kris was… really cool, weren't they?
Susie felt her cheeks get a bit hotter. Her frown turned into a full-on scowl as she tossed around in bed, desperate to purge that thought from her head.
She'd gotten sidetracked, right? Why was she thinking about Kris?… Right, Spamton! She was worried about them! The outburst from her best friend had scared her and she was worried! That was DEFINITELY the only reason she was thinking of them!…
“…Ugh.”
Desperate for a distraction, Susie reached out for her phone, snatched it off the floor, and pressed the power button. The screen practically blinded her and she slammed her eyes shut, cursing under her breath.
She dragged the brightness slider all the way down, and her eyes quickly adjusted to the screen. Slowly, she navigated to the messaging app. She opened it, and a blank screen stared back at her.
Susie sighed, she already knew she didn't have any friends, she didn't need the reminder. She clicked out and stared at the home screen. A drawing of Godzilla on a skateboard stared at her from behind the apps. She glared back at him and scowled, before quickly reopening the messaging app and violently punching in Kris’s number.
She stared at the blank screen and keyboard. Was it okay to message them this late? She didn't want to wake them up but… Whatever! She was being nice! That was justification enough for her!
Violently, she typed in her message, deleting it several times before getting it right. Damn her big ass hands!
She stared at her message for a solid minute before taking a deep breath and hitting the send button.
-yo you up?
Almost immediately, three dots appeared in a speech bubble under her message.
-always
Susie smiled.
—-------------------------------------------------
Kris couldn't sleep.
Today was… not great. They'd just thought they were in for another mostly lighthearted adventure like the Card Kingdom.
But fate had other plans.
Susie split off from them almost immediately, causing their mood to quickly sour. Then they traveled with Noelle for a bit which had been a bit awkward. But as they kept traveling together, teasing each other back and forth, Kris slowly started warming up to her. They even started to have a bit of fun.
But of course… He had to show up.
Meeting Spamton was extremely unnerving. Watching someone who had lost it completely babble about strings and control was scary enough, but what shook them even more was the fact that they saw themself in him. Or at the very least a possibility if things continued as they were.
They don't know why they helped him. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was the sense of camaraderie that seemed to form between the two during their exchanges.
Obviously though, trusting him had been a mistake.
When Spamton threatened them in the basement of Queen’s mansion, they genuinely believed they were going to die. It was the most scared they had ever been in their life. They remembered looking down the barrel of Spamton’s arm cannon, feeling the sweat drip down their face. They could barely hear what he was saying, the sound of their rapid heartbeat in their head dampened any incoming sound.
And then… they gave up.
Kris stirred in their bed remembering this, tangling up the sheets.
They remembered the wave of calm that had suddenly washed over them as they accepted their death. It was the kind of peace you only expect to experience once in your life. They just closed their eyes, and waited for everything to end.
… But then.
Their eyes had shot open upon hearing the familiar sound of Susie’s Rude Buster. All of a sudden the panic returned, and adrenaline coursed through their body. They didn't want to die. Especially not in a place like that. Emotion flooded their body as they began to tense. Tears streaked down their face… they'd almost forgotten what crying felt like.
The next few moments had been a blur. They didn't remember anything spoken or seen. One minute they were lying on the ground, the next they were speeding down a track.
They stood and immediately scanned their surroundings before locking eyes with Susie from behind their bangs. She was staring at them, eyes wide in shock. Kris quickly realized their teeth were clenched, and their body was shaking. They were quickly taking in air and expelling it as if any breath could be their last.
And then… it returned.
They'd felt their body relax against their will as their face snapped back into that stoic expression that it constantly made them wear.
The battle had proceeded as normal from there, it forcing orders out of their mouth. Kris had retreated into their mind, letting it take the reigns.
But then, a loud crash startled them back. When Kris came to their senses, they saw that all the strings had been severed, and Spamton had crashed to the ground, unmoving.
Everything then seemed to freeze as Spamton’s influence was sapped away from the environment around them. Kris had blinked, and suddenly they were looking at Spamton, ensnared in roots that grew from the walls.
He'd offered some words of encouragement, before shifting into another Shadow Crystal and his signature pink and yellow glasses.
Kris felt a strange energy coming from the glasses as it forced their arm to pocket them. It felt like… freedom? Kris didn’t know how to explain it, but it was like they could FEEL Spamton’s hunger for freedom flowing out of the glasses.
As it walked them out of the basement, Susie had stopped them.
Kris's frown grew as they closed their eyes, sank into their bed, and returned to that moment.
***
“Hey so… are we seriously not going to talk about any of that? That was god damn weird. Puppets, strings, hands. What the hell does any of that mean? And the way he just… broke.”
Susie stood rooted to the ground in the dark corridor, and it was clear from her expression that she wouldn't move until she got answers.
Ralsei quickly respond.
“I don’t think it meant anything, Susie. It seems like it was just a corrupted program. He turned into our ally, so let’s just accept it.”
The hell was with that response? Did he legitimately not care or did he know something?… With the way he was, the latter seemed much more likely.
Ralsei always acted strange when it came to important Dark World stuff, but this was different. It was obvious he was actively trying to shut down the conversation.
Susie was clearly unsatisfied at Ralsei’s answer, frowning at him with a raised eyebrow. Then she looked past him directly at Kris. They saw her eyes widen, and she quickly shoved past Ralsei to get to them. It craned their neck to look her in the eyes.
She set a hand on their shoulder, a look of genuine concern on her face.
Admittedly, the slight pressure of her hand comforted them. Physical contact wasn't exactly Susie’s thing, so any from her felt… special.
“Kris… You've got goosebumps.”
Apparently, intense feelings could still have effects on their body, even when it was in control. They hadn't even noticed the goosebumps, but they suddenly became aware of their neck hair standing up.
Susie then lowered her voice so only Kris could hear.
“… you ok?”
It wanted them to say yes.
Not this time.
The sudden push back into their body caught it off guard, and for a moment, they were in control.
“NO!”
Vocal cords clearly not used to that volume, their shout came out hoarse and dry. Damn… they'd almost forgotten how their voice sounded.
They suddenly felt themself pulled back out of their body as it regained control.
Susie jumped back when Kris shouted, and the reassuring presence of her hand was suddenly taken away from them. She looked scared, and a little sad.
It hurt to look at.
Ralsei was quick to inject himself back into the conversation.
“K… Kris, are you ok? You’re yelling…”
They didn't hear anything else after this. They fell away from themself, once again allowing it to take control.
They didn't want to be here anymore.
The rest of the Cyber World was a blur. They watched sporadically as if they were flipping through channels on TV. They fought Queen… several times, Ralsei explained something Kris didn't care enough to understand, and then they were standing in front of the dark fountain as their SOUL rose out of their body.
Then they woke up in the computer lab. Noelle and Berdly seemed to think it was a dream, which was probably for the best. They didn't want to rope Noelle into this, and Berdly would probably let it go right to his head.
They left the Librarby and took everything from the computer lab to the school. After that, It paraded them around Castle Town for a bit.
They felt like a dog on a leash.
It was so awful it was almost funny.
It finally decided to settle in the room Ralsei made for them. After they entered, Susie promptly started poking around aimlessly while Ralsei politely stood by the door, hands behind his back. And then…
Something unprecedented happened.
As It was going through everything they had with them, Kris was forced to grab Spamton’s glasses.
The second Kris touched them… they were shoved back into their body.
Kris wasn't ready for this, and a gasp escaped their mouth as they stumbled forward. Susie immediately noticed, ran to their side, and grabbed their arm, looking scared.
“Woah, dude!… Shit, you alright? Sounded like you got punched in the gut or somethin'.”
They were still reeling from being shoved back into their body so quickly, and a shocked expression appeared on their face as they tried to steady themself.
Ralsei quickly sped over and gave Kris a concerned look.
“Maybe… Maybe they’re tired? We've had a long day and… they took quite a few hits.”
They looked at Ralsei, still looking quite shocked. He seemed to take this as Kris being upset, and quickly tried to save face.
“Ah… not to say you performed poorly! We all were hit quite a bit, right Susie?”
Susie looked just as confused as Kris.
“Um… yeah I guess so?”
Ralsei nodded frantically and clapped his hands together in front of him.
“My healing magic can only do so much! Maybe you’d like us to leave you for a bit so you could get some rest?”
For once, Kris was grateful for Ralsei’s overbearing nature. They managed a terse nod toward him, and the prince seemed satisfied.
“Alright Kris… take your time. We’ll stay close, so come find us when you're feeling better!”
Ralsei made a quick exit, holding the door open for Susie who was still clutching Kris’s arm in a vice grip. She suddenly snapped out of whatever daze she was in and released them, quickly turning away and clearing her throat.
“Yeah, uh… rest up or whatever, dude.”
Susie started to walk to the door but abruptly stopped in her tracks. She then turned back to Kris and sped towards them. Once again, she placed her hand on their shoulder… but she was smiling this time.
“Hey… Just… Just let me know if you need anything, alright Kris?”
Her voice was quiet and gentle, a far cry from her typical brash tone.
Her smile grew, and Kris's face became a darker shade of blue.
“Alright, four eyes, let’s go. Sleeping beauty here needs their beauty rest… heh.”
Susie ran out of the room, grabbing Ralsei by the arm and slamming their door shut.
Kris immediately fell to their knees, their hands following suit and planting on the floor. They stayed in that position for a bit, trying to slow their breathing. After they did, they slowly repositioned themself, sitting down on the floor with their back resting on their bed. They opened their hand, and the glasses stared back at them.
For some reason, the glasses had given Kris control back. In fact, they could only faintly feel it still hiding in their SOUL. Still, they had no idea how long this would last, so if they were going to do something they needed to do it fast.
Steeling themself, they put on the glasses.
Immediately, a cacophony of noise exploded in their head. It sounded like… heavily distorted screaming. Kris let out a quiet yelp as they fell to their side.
The garbage noise got louder.
Their head felt like it was going to explode. They curled into the fetal position, shaking violently.
And then it stopped.
The silence was deafening. The only thing Kris could hear was their own labored breathing and their heart pounding in their ears. They sat up and opened their eyes before quickly jumping back in shock.
Spamton.
A hazy image of Spamton was standing right in front of them, stained pink and yellow.
“KRIS!!! MY [compadre] MY [friendly faces!]. YOU’VE DONE IT! YOU’VE [garroted and impaled] THOSE [Silly Strings]!”
They reeled back a bit, not expecting his voice to be so loud in their head.
“FROM ONE [BIG SHOT] TO ANOTHER… I HAD NO [discernable motives…] IF THIS WOULD WORK! IT COULD HAVE [He was murdered?] YOU! HAEAHAEAHAEAHAEAH!”
Kris's face scrunched up in confusion, what the hell was he talking about?
"DON’T YOU FEEL IT KRIS??? THE [night lights only 4.99!] THE [what’s that sound?] THE"
"[F R E E D O M]?"
Confused, they did a mental check of themselves.
…
Oh my god.
It was gone.
They couldn't feel it anymore.
It was as if it had never been there. They touched their chest, then their arms, then their face.
They were in control again.
They sat in silence for about 5 minutes, head hanging limply. Then, they moved. Kris stared back at the projection of Spamton, who was smiling at them. They were immediately overwhelmed with emotion… Kris didn’t know if they could, but they had to try.
“… thank you.”
A shaky whisper managed to escape their mouth. Spamton stared at them, and his eyes suddenly filled with static as his smile fell.
“Don’t mention it, kid. Just giving you back what’s yours. I’ll see you around, yeah?”
The projection suddenly vanished, and Kris removed the glasses before looking them over. Curiously, the color had disappeared from the lenses. But more importantly, Kris was alone.
Truly alone, for the first time in a very long time.
The rest of the day passed in a haze, they remembered following Susie around Hometown for a bit until she told them she was going home. After that, they staggered home, entered their house, went straight to their bedroom, and crashed into their bed.
***
Kris opened their eyes, escaping their memory. They laid on their back and raised a hand above their face, watching as it clenched, then opened, then clenched again. They finally had their body back. They felt tears welling up in their eyes.
Their phone buzzed loudly next to them.
Startled, Kris jumped and shuffled around in bed, further tangling the sheets. They grabbed their phone and pressed the power button, letting out a gasp as the bright screen blinded them. They turned the brightness down, and their eyes quickly adjusted. There was a message from… Susie?
Kris sat straight up as their cheeks got a bit warmer. Why was Susie messaging them so late? Was she okay? They quickly opened the message.
-yo you up?
Kris sighed, and a small smile formed on their face.
-always
—-------------------------------------------------
Susie stared at her phone.
Her brow furrowed as she thought about how to say she was worried about them without, like… telling them she was.
She couldn't just say it, that would be way too embarrassing! Like hell she’d be caught caring enough to text them in the middle of the night! Kris would never let her hear the end of that.
After deliberating in her head, she finally settled on a good catch-all that would probably get them talking. She grinned, satisfied with how smart she was.
-what’s up?
Kris’s response was quick.
-that rly y u texted @ 3am?
Susie had never texted with Kris before, but she certainly didn't expect their typing style to be so… unique? She had expected a one-word response at best from the stoic human, as they never really spoke outside of battle. Even in battle, they were pretty damn quiet. Regardless, it was cool to see another side of them.
-tryin 2 sleep
-what do u rly want?
Susie blushed, and a scowl formed on her face as she let out an exasperated grunt. Damn it, they saw right through her!
She thought about trying to deny wanting anything but quickly abandoned the thought.
A heavy sigh left her maw. Unfortunately, Kris wasn't stupid, so she shouldn't waste time trying to convince them that was all she wanted. Kris would probably just keep pestering her until they got their answer.
Reluctantly, she typed her next message.
-ok so like dark world today what was up with that?
Kris’s text bubble popped up, indicating they were typing. It then disappeared, reappeared, and disappeared again. After repeating that cycle a few more times, a message finally came through.
-wdym
Susie shot up in bed, snarling and tightening her grip on her phone.
“DAMN IT KRIS! I know you know what I’m talking about… ”
She trailed off as she thought about what to type next.
Well, beating around the bush didn't work, so it looked like the direct approach was necessary… God damn it.
-YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!!! Spamton!! You always told us to let you go alone whenever you talked to him
Nothing was showing up on Kris’s side of the screen. They seemed to know she had more to say.
-and you just looked really scared when we fought him so i wanna know why
It took Susie a while to send that message. She didn’t want to push Kris, but as much as she tried to deny it… she was really fuckin' worried about 'em.
-aw worried abt me suzy?
She growled. Damn right she was.
-sry sry
-teasing
-honestly… i dont really know how to explain it
They were typing differently now. If Susie was worried before, she was twice as worried now.
-can you try?
—-------------------------------------------------
-can you try?
Kris wanted to. They really really did. But… how would you even begin to explain something like this? Anything they said to her either wouldn't make sense, or would scare her away from them.
As they thought of what to do next, Kris was suddenly hit with a terrifying thought.
Would Susie even like them?
All of her adventures in the Dark World had been with it, not them. They tried to show their personality to her whenever they could, but… that didn't change the fact that the one she fought with, took orders from, and bonded with wasn't them. Kris sank into their bed, letting out a shaky sigh. They needed to respond. They stared at their phone, desperately thinking of what to type, but…
They couldn't do this.
They pressed their palms into their face and scowled. Why were they like this?
Once again, their phone buzzed.
-ok too slow im calling you
Kris started to panic.
They couldn't talk. Not enough to hold a conversation with her at least. She would probably just get frustrated with them and hang up.
They went to type a message suggesting she NOT call them, but the second their finger hit the keyboard, the incoming call notification popped in front of it. Kris was shaking, they really didn't want to hang up on her.
Kris didn't know if they would be able to talk but… they had to try. For Susie.
They took a deep breath and accepted the call.
—-------------------------------------------------
Susie was met with silence when Kris accepted the call.
Damn it, she probably scared Kris with that message. It sounded like she was angry, didn't it?
She did her best to speak quietly, trying not to worry them any further.
“Kris?”
“…”
No response. Susie frowned. She lowered her voice further. She had to show Kris she wasn't upset.
“Hey… you there, dude?”
“… here”
Susie could barely hear their voice. They were whispering, and their voice was wavering. It… sounded like they were going to cry, and Susie didn't know what to do.
She'd never comforted a friend before… but she had to try. For Kris.
“Dude, hey… e-everything’s gonna be alright, yeah? I-I’m not mad or anything! I just… Well you weren’t responding, and…”
Susie trailed off. She could still hear Kris breathing shakily. Damn it, they were really going to make her say it weren't they?
“I’m just… I'm real worried about you dude.”
Kris inhaled sharply.
Maybe this hadn't been a good idea.
She thought calling Kris would make them talk to her, but it seemed to just scare them. As her mind raced trying to think of what to do next, a thought crossed her mind.
Had she ever heard Kris speak outside of the Dark World?
Come to think of it, even when they did speak in the Dark World, it always sounded so… strained. Had they… been forcing themself to talk? It would make sense, they HAD been kinda forced into the leadership role so…
Susie felt gross.
But, she needed to calm Kris down.
“Kris it's… it's alright. You don't have to say anything, alright? Dunno why you can't talk but… I ain't gonna force you, ok?”
Silence. Susie couldn't even hear their breathing anymore.
Her phone buzzed, and she brought it away from her ear. She had a message from Kris.
-im sorry
“Kris… I… I should be apologizing. I shouldn't have done this… I’ll let you sleep. We’ll figure this out later, yeah?”
Susie’s phone immediately buzzed.
-please dont go
Susie felt her face heat up. Of course she wouldn't leave them… Kris had never acted like this before, what the hell happened to them?
“A-Alright, I’m still here. I'll stay as long as you need… ok?”
-thank you
***
Susie had been lying in silence for a while now… Maybe Kris fell asleep?
“Hey Kris, you still there?”
Instantly, her phone buzzed.
-yeah im here
-hey susie?
-can i tell you something
“Of course dude… heh, long as it’s not stupid”
-its pretty stupid
“… Guess I can allow it… Just this once”
-for a long time, i didnt really feel in control of myself
-i felt like my body just did things and i sat back and watched
-and anytime i tried to change that, i would just get shoved back into my seat
-everything i did felt fake
-like a puppet on strings
-like spamton
-i didnt feel like a person
“…”
-so when i see you wanting to be around me, it just feels wrong
-i didnt do anything to earn it
-my body just followed a script that would make you like me
-spamton scared me because i saw myself in him
-he manipulated me so easily
-he told me exactly what i wanted to hear
-and i feel like im doing that to you
-just telling you what i think you want to hear
-so you won’t leave
“… The way you’re talkin' about this… do you still feel like that? Being controlled or whatever?”
-i… dont know?
-i think the “strings” are gone
-but im still scared
-because the person youre friends with is gone
-im sorry im probably not making sense
“Hey, Kris? You’re like, in control or whatever now right? Like I'm talking to YOU? Not whatever was… movin' you?”
-yeah
“And you still like being my friend, yeah? Ya still like hangin' out and talkin' with me and all that?”
-of course
“Listen, Kris, I'm not gonna act like I totally understand this. It sounds like it sucks, but… well… far as I’m concerned, If you still like me, then I don’t think we have a problem.”
-what
-why?
“'Cause I like the person I’m talkin' with right now too.”
Susie heard a muffled squeak come from Kris before they went silent once again. After a short while, she saw their text bubble doing that same disappearing and reappearing thing.
-suzy ur rly cool
They went back to their regular typing style. Seemed like they'd calmed down a bit… good.
She wasn't sure why, but she really liked seeing them talk like this. It felt genuine, like she was finally really talking to Kris. It made her feel… really damn happy.
“Heh, damn right I am.”
-I should try 2 sleep now
“Cool, I think I'll do that too… You want me to head out?”
Kris’s text did its disappearing and reappearing act again.
-no
“Heh, good… cause I ain't goin' anywhere”
-aww suzy u wanna stay too?
-ur such a good friend!
“Hey… Kris?”
-hm?
“THAT’S NOT HOW YOU SPELL MY GODDAMN NAME AND YOU KNOW IT!”
-what was that suzy?
-sry suzy i didnt hear you
-could u repeat that suzy?
“God you are such a dork… Great! You're clearly feeling better! Now shut up and go to sleep before I hang up.”
-okkk gn
-…
-suzy
“GOODNIGHT, KRIS”
Susie turned away from her still buzzing phone, surely indicating more poorly spelled messages for her to wake up to. Well, at least it seemed like they were having fun.
She didn't really understand most of what they were saying, but… whatever was going on with them seemed like it was getting better?
… God dammit, her phone was still buzzing. Susie faked a snore, and the buzzing promptly stopped. They finally took the hint. She sighed and closed her eyes.
A whisper came from her phone.
“… goodnight susie”
Her face felt hot.
Thank god this wasn't a video call.