Chapter Text
It’s late when they finally get to Skateboard’s place, a surprisingly nice house considering the demon they were talking about. Coil doesn’t hesitate to lead them to the door right away, knocking twice eagerly.
After a few seconds, a shout can be heard from inside, presumably from Skateboard. “Door’s unlocked, come in!”
Coil and Curiosity exchange glances, before Coil takes the lead heading inside. It’s an absolute mess in Skateboard’s house, yet somehow cozy and comfortable.
“Welcome to the crib!” The orange and blue demon raises his arms grandly, walking backwards and grinning, which earns him an eye roll from Curiosity.
They enter the living room, and are surprised to see three demons strewn about a couch, all playing a game on the TV. Coil walks over to lean on the couch, watching over Skateboard’s shoulder as the red-horned demon manages to fall off the map in a game that Curiosity thinks is an Inpherno equivalent of Mario Kart.
The latter demon huffs a sigh, leaning back to look at Coil behind him. “Heya, dude. Have a good time in Blackrock?”
“Yeah, I got a load’a crystals, and I found us a new pal!” Coil puts a hand on his hip, eyes closing happily as he grins.
Skate raises a brow, setting his controller down as the game conveniently ends. “Oh, yeah! Who’s–” He spots Curiosity and falls backward with a surprised shout. Boombox and Slingshot, who hadn’t really been paying attention, were startled as well. “HOLY SHIT! DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK!” Skateboard scrambles to stand up, backing away unsteadily.
Coil waves his hands desperately. “No, no, it’s okay! They’re chill, I swear!”
Curiosity watches the whole thing unfold, a mixture of dread and amusement bubbling in their chest as three out of the four demons in the room stare at them fearfully, and the last one does his best to defend them.
“DID YOU NOT THINK TO TELL THE PLAYGROUNDERS YOU’RE BRINGING A BIOGRAFT TO THEIR HOUSE?” They deadpan at Coil, who grins at them sheepishly over his shoulder. “Yeah, that might’ve slipped my mind a bit…”
The robot facepalms, sighing. “YOU’RE AN IDIOT.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, can it already, metalhead.”
The other three demons in the room all look back and forth between Curiosity and Coil as the banter subsides. After a moment, Slingshot is the first to speak up. “So… why did you bring an Omegagraft to Playground?”
“‘Cause they ain’t just a regular Omegagraft, I mean, look at ‘em!” Coil gestures at Curiosity, who blinks before giving a small, awkward wave. “They got no power crystal, but here they are! And they talk like a demon! Right, Curiosity?” He looks over at them, grinning.
Curiosity’s eye narrows, unimpressed. “I’M NOT A TOY YOU BROUGHT FOR SHOW AND TELL, DUDE. AT LEAST TALK ABOUT ME LIKE I’M HERE.” Coil rolls his eyes, looking back at the others with a look like he was saying ‘ see? I’m right. ’
A beat passes, then another, before Boombox speaks up this time. “So, uh- Curiosity, was it? Do you like music?” Slingshot gives him an exasperated look from where he sat on the floor in front of him, but Curiosity doesn’t mind the question. “YEAH?”
Boombox perks up, tilting his head. “You got a favorite artist?” Curiosity hesitates, suddenly hyperaware that a lot of the music (and everything, really) they liked does not exist anymore. Cruel world. “UHH. NOT REALLY.”
The green demon hums in response. “Gotcha.” Before he can speak again, though, Skateboard jumps in. “You any good at video games?” He nods at the TV, where the game they’d been playing prior had been left on the main menu.
Now that gets Curiosity excited. “HELL YEAH, DUDE.” The skateboarding demon slides to the side on the couch, making room for the hulking Biograft to sit down. Right, they’d forgotten how big they were until now, towering over Skateboard despite literally just sitting next to him.
They’re handed a controller by said demon as the trio begin to argue over what track to play, while Coil simply watches from behind the couch contentedly.
—
Later that night, Curiosity sits by the window alone. The moon shines softly through the curtains, illuminating the pile of sleeping demons scattered around the living room behind them and clinging to their metal edges, leaving them with a silver glow.
A wave of melancholy washes over them, and their head spins. It was comfortable here, but they couldn’t help but feel a pang of homesickness in their chest.
They stare at the moon through the window, pressing a metal hand against the glass with a clink. The moon stares coldly back.
Slowly, they rise to stand in front of the window, eye never once leaving the moon. In one swift movement, the curtains are drawn shut. Curiosity turns and walks back to the impromptu slumber party in the living room, resigning themselves to the floor leaning against the couch.
They would be safe here. They were so small and afraid They were fine. Everything was going to be fine .
—
“That’s Louigi's over there, and– oh, this is my café!”
Curiosity looks over to the building where Slingshot was pointing as they wander Crossroads. It was much grander in person than they had expected, and since they didn’t know their way around the ragtag group of demons had offered a tour.
Skateboard leaned forward excitedly. “Sling’s café is the greatest! We gotta go in!”
The cat-like demon chuckles at the praise, but Boombox raises a hand to stop Skate. “But Curiosity is a Biograft. They can’t eat.”
Skateboard visibly deflates a bit. “Oh, yeah.” Curiosity, however, hums softly. “I DON’T MIND, I’D BE HAPPY TO VISIT REGARDLESS.”
Coil smirks from where he’s walking behind the group, striding forward to give Curiosity a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Let’s go then, you big ol’ bucket of bolts.”
“I’M NOT A BUCKET OF BOLTS, DILLWEED.”
“You are too! Big ass hunk of walkin’ scrap metal. Scrap metal with a hell of an attitude, I gotta say.”
“SHUT UP, CRYSTAL BOY.”
The other three all watch them fling insults at each other like kids watching their parents fight, collectively looking back and forth when they speak as if it was a very amusing tennis match.
Curiosity huffs dramatically, rolling their eye and walking toward the café as Coil fires another several cheeky insults their way.
As they go to enter the café, though, they look over their shoulder to give Coil a playful glare. What unfortunate timing, however, as they immediately bump into someone on their way out. Curiosity stumbles backward, grabbing the cafe door for support. “SHIT- SORRY, SORRY.” They apologize quickly, only realizing who they had bumped into after the fact.
An average height demon, with long white hair tied back and teal, antler-like horns, an eyepatch, and a crystal floating between his horns. Oh, they were so fucked.
Medkit steps back as well with a grimace, rubbing his face with his free hand while the other clutches a cup of coffee. He stares up at Curiosity for a moment, eye narrowed and frowning as he looks them up and down. After a moment, he asks curtly, “What is an Omega model doing entering a Crossroads cafe?”
Curiosity blinks down at him. “…VISITING WITH FRIENDS?” They nod over their shoulder at the four demons that had been trailing behind them, now all frozen and gawking at the interaction, occasionally looking to share glances with each other.
The teal demon narrows his eye further, brow creasing. “Friends?” He takes note of the assortment of Playgrounders and one Thieves’ Denner behind them, gaze conflicted. “...how the hell did you lot end up with an Omegagraft like this?”
“Found ‘em waking up after I beat them real good in Blackrock, they seemed chill so I took ‘em back with me.” Coil explains, calling over Curiosity’s shoulder after a moment’s hesitation and fidgeting with the bandages on his knuckles. “I took their power crystal already, so I have no clue how they’re even awake right now—”
Medkit’s infuriated expression immediately dissipates at the second half of Coil’s statement, eye drifting back to study the Biograft once more. “How…?” He looks them up and down again, grip on his coffee tightening as he hides his fascination at such a mystery. He straightens his posture, turning to the side to cough into the back of his hand awkwardly.
"Is it alright for me to request you come to my office later? I would like to study this phenomenon further, and in a quieter environment." The doctor glares past Curiosity at the quartet behind them, who are now bickering over something trivial they couldn't quite hear.
The Biograft watches Medkit's face for a moment, but knows he is trustworthy. So they nod. "SURE. WHEN DO YOU WANT ME TO COME BY?"
"Is this evening acceptable?" The older demon tilts his head ever so slightly. Curiosity nods again. "I'M FREE BASICALLY WHENEVER, SO YES."
Medkit hums in reply, stepping to a clear table nearby to pull a slip of paper and a pen out of his briefcase. He jots something down, then hands it to Curiosity. "Here is the address. When you arrive, knock three times and wait."
Curiosity holds the piece of paper in their hands delicately, then looks back at the doctor. "OKAY." They step aside as Medkit once again begins to move for the door. "I'LL SEE YOU TONIGHT, THEN."
The only reply they get is a low hum, and then he's out the door, walking at a brisk pace down the street.
The other four demons who had been waiting for them outside after they'd followed Medkit inside bounced over, talking over each other nonsensically. The Omegagraft's gaze is caught on Medkit still, watching the shapes of his teal horns slowly grow smaller before they disappear around a corner. Despite the warm air and comforting babble of their friends, they couldn't help the tingling twist of dread they felt in their core.
As the group continues their adventures, Curiosity watches the sun in the sky begin its descent, and silently bides their time until evening. They eventually find themselves on Medkit’s doorstep, double checking, then triple checking the address. A shaky metal hand slowly raises.
Knock, knock, knock.
One foot slides back, then the other. They stand back, and can now only await the fate that lies beyond the door. They are not afraid. Everything is going to be fine.