Chapter Text
7:30 AM
Tree sat on the roof of the hotel, enjoying some sunlight, with Black Hole nearby, making sure the crack in the sky doesn't worsen. The two sit in a comfortable silence for a while, before Tree breaks it, albeit in a hushed whisper.
"P is the for the painful way, she makes me feel some days.
U is for utopia, the other times with her.
N is for the new wave dreams, she had back in her teens.
K is for the kid in her, my P.U.N.K. Girl."
Although Black Hole didn't have great hearing, in the hushed silence, he could tell Tree was singing. "Again?" He asked. He had heard those same lyrics from Tree time and time again when they sat in the silence of the roof.
"Yeah," Tree got that dopey smile again, "I can't really stop thinking about her, ya know?"
"I... think I understand. It's just that you, uh, sing it every day."
8:15 AM
Tennis Ball continued to stare at the board of gibberish, trying to decipher Fanny's writings. Of course, if she is correct, then the reason it is all messed up is One's doing. And One seems to have a LOT of effects. Also Donut's been hanging out with them now. Unfortunately, most of it is getting jumbled for Tennis Ball. Fortunately, a new mystery is popping up, and it's something Tennis Ball will get to work on.
On one side of Tennis Ball was Fanny, grumpier than usual, and on the other side was Donut, who had also noticed Fanny's grumpier than usual demeanor. Donut spoke up about it first, "Hey Fanny, you alright over there?"
"I hate having a song I don't recognize stuck in my head," she muttered.
The two looked over in confusion, Tennis Ball speaking up, "Then how do you have it stuck in your head?"
"I don't know," Fanny bit, "and I HATE IT!"
"I'd hate it too, that's for sure," Donut added on.
Tennis Ball pulled out a notepad, and started scribbling, "Well, if this is One's doing, then she'll probably start messing with what I'm writing."
8:45 AM
It was peaceful in the elimination space. Nickel was sitting next to the sink, washing the plate he ate breakfast on. It was a bit quiet, and as such, he did the only reasonable thing: he started singing one of his favorite songs. He had this one entirely memorized!
"Bow chicka bow, wow!
That's what my baby says!
Mow mow mow!
And my heart start's pumpin!"
From the other room, Fries yells, "NICKEL SHUT UP! THAT'S THE 2763RD TIME YOU SANG THAT SONG!"
Nickel yells back, "WELL YOU AREN'T A BOYONOCERUS FOR THAT BAD MUSIC TASTE!"
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN????"
Nickel went back to singing the song, not listening to Fries' request.
9:00 AM
Tennis Ball walked out of the kitchen to a pissed-off Fanny and trying-to-not-make-Fanny-any-more-upset Donut.
"Well?" Fanny spat.
Tennis Ball sat down at the table the two were at, "I think this actually has to do with Two and their... current state."
"What do you mean?" Donut asked, "I get they're not in a good state, but how does that have to do with Fanny having a song she's never heard stuck in her head?"
"According to Four and X, Algebralians that go through heartbreak in some form can have effects on others nearby and their soulmates. So, in short, Two is most likely heartbroken over Gaty's disappearance and it's affecting Fanny, and possibly others as well," Tennis Ball explained.
Fanny's eyebrow twitched, "And?"
"Whatever song you have stuck in your head," Tennis Ball explained, "is somehow connected to your soulmate. But, without proper evidence, I can't say anything for certain."
Meanwhile, at another table sat Book and Price Tag. The two were sitting in (mostly) silence, eating a later-than-usual breakfast. Book was very quietly humming a song currently stuck in her head, one she hadn't heard in over a year at this point.
"What song are you humming?" Price Tag started a conversation up.
Book sighed, a soft, light pink blush dusting her cheeks, "Just a song I haven't heard since Nickel got eliminated. He's cute, ya know."
"He's quite the wild card," Price Tag chuckled, "But it was really fun with him around."
The conversation slowed as Book fell into a daydream, the song still looping in the back of her head.
9:30 AM
"Golfie! Me, Fanny, and Donut need your help!" Tennis Ball called out, running down the factory stairs. Fanny and Donut quietly followed.
Golf Ball looked up from what she was currently working on, "What do you need, TB?"
"So, I was working with Fanny and Donut earlier when Fanny mentioned having a song she had never heard before stuck in her head," Tennis Ball explained, "And after some digging I think it's related to Two's current state. I was curious if you could help us with testing some stuff."
"I'm down," Golf Ball nodded.
As the four settled into an empty part of the factory, sharing what was happening and notes all around, Golf Ball started to develop an idea. Just a small idea she wanted to try. An idea better than nothing.
"TB, do you think you could try singing a song? We basically have no knowledge, but that could be a start," Golf Ball stated her idea out loud.
Tennis Ball smiled, "Okay Golfie! But should I do it where no one else so you guys don't hear it?"
"Great thinking TB," Golf Ball smiled, "Go do that, and we shall wait."
Tennis Ball went to an isolated, sound-proof area of the factory, finding a song on his phone that would be perfect for trying to ask someone who they are. He smiled, and started to sing the perfect song.
"Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?
Who can it be now?"
As Tennis Ball had left to go sing, the very song he sang started to play in Golf Ball's head, although she couldn't actually hear him sing. How it works is about to be solved... partially. But Golf Ball really also just... didn't like the song.
9:45 AM
Golf Ball clearly had been distracted (and a bit frustrated) for the past 15 minutes. Tennis Ball was the most worried, but also very silently hoping that the song he sang got stuck in Golf Ball's head. Because that would mean... haha... no, it's just a silly crush messing with him. There's not a chance. No way. It's just a crush. A crush on his childhood best friend he's had since he can remember and has quite possibly the closest and deepest bond with out of everyone he knows. Someone he would share his darkest secrets with. Yeah. No way. It's just a silly crush.
"Hey, Golf Ball," Donut spoke up, "You okay? You've seemed more frustrated since Tennis Ball left."
Golf Ball snapped, "Maybe because since TB left I've had Who Can It Be Now? by Men at Work stuck in my head!"
The room went silent, and from left to right, Donut looked concerned, Fanny was stifling a laugh, and Tennis Ball was profusely blushing.
"Uh... TB? You okay?" Golf Ball asked, breaking the silence.
Tennis Ball's eyes snapped to look straight at Golf Ball, "Y- yeah! I'm fine! I- I'm totally fine Golfie!"
He then sprinted off, leaving a confused Golf Ball, Donut knowing exactly what's going on, and Fanny, no longer able to hold in her laughter, howling and struggling to breathe from how hard she's laughing.
She knew that crush that Tennis Ball had on Golf Ball was obvious.
10:00 AM
To say the last... 10 or so minutes for Bagged had been confusing was... an understatement. Imagine you're in someone like Liy's shoes for a minute: Chatting with your teammates in the shared team room (you guys claimed one in the basement and managed to get a way to access it underwater), only for another one to bust in with the biggest, deepest blush, spewing over 150 words a minute about... something. It was so fast you couldn't understand it!
So, needless to say, the last ten minutes had been spent trying to calm Tennis Ball down. He was not calming down. And he was basically saying gibberish to his teammates. All they've managed to make out (presented on TV) was the following:
-Soulmates
-Golf Ball
-"Just a stupid crush"
...They had to guess Tennis Ball found out he was soulmates with Golf Ball or something like that. How he would even do that, none of them had an answer for.
Meanwhile, for Golf Ball, Donut, and Fanny, Golf Ball and Donut were making sure Fanny could, ya know... breathe. She was going to die of laughter and the two knew Death P.A.C.T. would be very upset and frame them. And for Golf Ball... she was theorizing. And she thinks she has the answer to what's going on. But first, she'd have to find TB.
Okay... well first was getting Fanny to stop dying of a lack of oxygen from laughing too hard. She couldn't believe she was witnessing someone actually die of laughter (well, getting close to dying of laughter). But could it also be valuable to understanding what is happening if Fanny died and got recovered? Yeah.