Chapter Text
You see a boy sleeping in his room.
What is his name?
SUNNY
<
SU
<
OMOCAT
<
The boy's name is OMOCAT?
Yes.
Have you ever been outside for too long, and when you go back inside, everything seems discolored, dark and wrong? That’s what Sunny felt the moment they spontaneously gained sentience. They feel drowsy, blinking slowly awake as if they’d been asleep for decades.
And then, they suddenly feel everything all at once. The smell of a stagnant, musty room. The overwhelming feeling of being wrapped and tangled in blankets. The ringing in their ears caused by the room being so quiet. And worst of all, suddenly,
the need to breathe.
They take a sudden, greedy gulp of air as they shoot up, and then find they can’t stop. Their breathing becomes more rapid as the gravity of their situation suddenly strikes them like a punch to the gut. A flood of memories not their own, happy, and then unbearably sad. They think they let out a scream, holding their head as all this information enters their brain, fast and unwilling.
They weren’t this person. Were they? Why had they been…
asleep
all this time? What happened- What
changed?
What was happening- What- Who were-
They’re suddenly interrupted by a sudden growling noise. They frightfully look up for the source, only to feel a pain in their stomach. They can faintly feel a wetness trailing from their eyes, and they begin to register just how shaky they are.
…Hungry, their mind suddenly supplies. They’re unfamiliar with the term, but… Not. The same way they were unfamiliar with these memories. Everything was crashing down on them, but… They wanted to make this physical pain go away first. They stand up on shaky legs, unfamiliar but at the same time not, and they take a few steps towards the door.
They look back before they go in search of food, when a glint in the night suddenly catches their eye. A computer.
A pit in their stomach opens to swallow the feeling of hunger, and their eyes widen as a reality breaking realization hits them.
None of this was real.
After approximately 50 mental breakdowns in the span of a few minutes, they find themselves staring blankly at the ceiling in the dark kitchen. The room is barren, but they manage to find a comfortable…
ish
spot on the floor. They sit on the floor as they listen to the dull drone of the room. They didn’t know why, but they felt exhausted already.
They shake their head, causing a bout of dizziness, but it’s enough to get them out of their state. They hold their head as they begin to think.
Ok. They should probably try to sort out their memories, right? They should focus on figuring out what the hell was going on before panicking any further. They dig into their mind, recalling all of the memories forced onto them earlier.
His name was Sunny. He grew up in Faraway Town, spending time with a friend group composed of people named… Kel, Aubrey, Basil and…
Hero.
That didn’t sound right, but he ignores it. He spent most of his time with these people, going to school and then playing with them after.
…And then, at some point, they shut themselves away in their room. There’s a blurry memory of something happening just before that, everybody wearing black, the sounds of sobbing…
It hurts their head to think past that. They didn’t know what the significance of the event was, but apparently it was enough to the point that they never went outside after that. All they did after that was sleep. They don’t remember anything else other than that, besides the fact that they were apparently moving in a few days. Well, that was sorted out, but now it was time for the whole other can of worms.
None of this was real. It was all just a video game. They didn’t know
how
they knew, but they felt it in the very depths of their being. Speaking of being, what the hell
was
he? Just… a bunch of code? Well, if he was a computer game, that was the most likely answer. But he was…
Human
still, he could feel emotions and-
… A growl of his stomach finishes his sentence for him. Right. That’s why he came down here. He stands with a sigh, opening the fridge to see what his options were.
…
More like what his option
was
, Jesus Christ.
There was nothing but a sad looking steak in the fridge, and one whiff of it confirmed his suspicions.
Blegh.
Was this really all he had? Well, he supposed it was better than nothing. He reluctantly took it out of the fridge and set it in the microwave, watching it spin as he got sucked back into his thoughts.
Now that he was more cognizant, he felt a bit more confident in saying he was… Pretty sure he was Sunny, not some imposter in his body. He can just kind of feel it, in the same way he knows this is a game. It’s just that he’s… Truly awake for the first time, the first time that his actions are his own. The feeling of freedom was comforting, in the midst of all of this identity-crisis causing crap.
The microwave beeps, and he takes the plate out of the microwave, setting it down. He grabs utensils, and starts to cut away at the steak. He takes a bite and holy
shit-
He almost spits it out, but his stomach lets out an angry noise before he can do so. He reluctantly complies, chewing as the texture makes him grimace.
So… Now what? What was he supposed to do with this information? He pondered about his options, before settling on a few.
1) Continue to live life as before, constantly sleeping, rotting until he eventually dies. That… Didn’t sound too appealing. Next.
2) Going outside and trying to figure out what happened to him that resulted in him shutting himself in his house. Maybe reconnect with his friends? Honestly… He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to do that. Were they even his friends? It’s not like he had a choice in befriending them, and it had been years since he saw them last. He honestly kinda wanted to keep his distance…
So both those choices were a bust. But… Then a thought crosses his mind. He was truly in charge of his choices now, right? He could do whatever he wanted. He could just… Wait until they move and start over. Get a job, and a nice house when he grows up. With some cats as well… He smiles at the idea, satisfied for the first time since he woke up.
That’s immediately interrupted by the feeling of nausea in his throat, and he’s quick to run up the stairs, ditching his plate before he could wash it.
He throws up.
It is, without doubt, his worst experience yet.
He stays hunched over the toilet bowl for a little longer, groaning as he recovers from the cramping in his stomach. Maybe this was a good time to wrap up the night. He could already feel the exhaustion seeping into his bones. He barely even has time to brush his teeth before he flops onto his bed and immediately passes out.
When he wakes, he feels like absolute shit. The sunlight cuts through his window, and the birds chirp happily outside, signaling the morning.
God he just wanted to throw something at them.
He turns over in his bed, using his pillow to block the noise, when suddenly he hears a loud knocking. He reluctantly stands up, feeling a wave of vertigo hit him. He fights to stay up, and then begins the journey towards the front door. He figures it must be his mom, or maybe some moving guys. He opens the door just a crack-
And then immediately slams it shut when he sees who’s on the other side.
His breathing is suddenly panicked, and he holds the door shut with his own weight, as if that’d do anything. Nonono he hadn’t accounted for this- As far as he remembered none of his friends ever tried to contact him ever since he locked himself in his room! Or… Did they? Wow, was he really that bad of a friend?
“Sunny? Helllooooo…?” The voice says, sounding dumbfounded at the door suddenly being slammed in their face, “It’s me, Kel! Why’d you close the door?”
God he was so much.
Taller
than he remembered, even from the slight glimpse he got he could tell Kel was at least 2 feet taller than him. And that blinding orange jersey…
“C’mon, Sunny! I saw the moving sign… I just thought maybe you’d want to say bye to everyone before… Y’know?”
No, he really didn’t want to. The voice goes quiet at his lack of response, before it sighs, and he can hear Kel leave.
Wow, way to treat somebody you ghosted for years, asshole.
His brain supplies. Well, it wasn’t like it was
his
choice, he only gained sentience last night.
…But if he was able to actively make his own choices now, then wouldn’t it be kind of a dick move not to at least see everyone one last time, for closure's sake? After all, he knew once he was out of here he wasn’t contacting anyone else. He really wanted to lean into the whole new beginnings thing. He lets out a groan as his conscience gets the better of him, before turning to the door with a grimace.
After a slight hesitation, he reaches for the knob, and opens the door.
Chapter Text
As if being blindsided by sentience wasn't enough, here he was being blinded by the sun. The closest he could describe the feeling was to plucking out his eyeballs and throwing them into a campfire. It probably didn't help that he was staring directly at the sun. He couldn't help it, it was the first time he'd been outside in a long time. As he blinks to adjust to the light, he sees Kel turning around and breaking into a grin.
“You actually came out!” He exclaims, running over to him. Sunny tenses, and Kel slows in response.
“Sorry, I just… I didn't really think you'd come out! To be honest, I didn't… really plan this far ahead.” He chuckles.
Wait, he didn't? Good, so he didn't have to come out. He backs into the house and starts to close the door-
“WAIT!” Kel suddenly shouts, suddenly holding onto the door to keep it open, “We can make it up as we go! C’mon, Sunny, everybody’s really missed you!”
He internally sighs, opening the door for Kel once more. Looks like he wasn’t getting out of this that easily. Kel grins at him, and then grabs his arm, not realizing he was practically dragging Sunny in his excitement. Sunny is so caught off guard he nearly trips, but quickly catches up.
He wonders if this is a Truman Show type situation. Where if until now he was the only one who hadn’t realized this wasn’t real. Or maybe it was the opposite, and he was the only one who knew. He was pretty sure it was the latter of the two, and while he assumed it should’ve made him feel special, or perhaps relieved… It just made him feel…
He looks back up to Kel, and it’s as if they’re not even on the same plane of existence. Even though they’re walking on the same sidewalk, inches apart… There was a distance between them. He’s thousands of miles ahead of him, perpetuated by the bliss of ignorance, while Sunny just trailed behind, stunted from years of isolation that wasn’t even his choice.
…He felt… So…
“Sunny?”
He’s snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to Kel, who had a concerned yet friendly smile on his face. “You ok? You looked kinda angry for a second.”
He hadn’t realized he’d been clenching his fists. Kels smile turns into a bit of a frown, and he lets go of his wrist. “...Uh, Was I squeezing too hard? Sorry-”
Sunny interrupts him with a shake of his head, waving him off. He continues walking forward, and Kel quickly catches up. “Well, uh… Oh! Let’s go get a welcome back gift for Hero at Hobeez! We’re already close.”
Wow, Hero really was his name, huh? He wasn’t misremembering. But why would he need a welcome back gift? Kel seems to sense the confusion on his face. “Oh, right, you didn’t hear. Hero went to college! He’s gonna be a doctor!” Kel says excitedly, “A… Uh… Um… A whatcha-call it with the brain stuff…”
Ugh. He was kinda starting to get on his nerves. As Kel struggles to recall what kind of doctor Hero was aiming to be, Sunny thinks to himself again. He could’ve sworn Hero was going to be a chef, from what he remembered at least. He was always encouraged by everyone because he was so good at cooking. He guesses it just didn’t work out… His head hurts.
“Oh hey, we’re here!” Kel says, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked at the line of stores, and they sure did look as… pristine as ever. He grimaced as he saw one of the wooden letters on the fix-it store sway with the wind, hanging on by a single nail. And wow, was there always this much trash everywhere? Before he can judge further, Kel is already heading into the store. He has to jog to catch up, and even that brief run leaves him winded. God. First thing he was doing when he moved was working on his stamina. He didn’t want to be big and swole, but just fit enough to run without dying-
He shakes his head as he gets sucked into his thoughts again. Can’t get distracted. He catches up with Kel, who’s looking at a figurine with starry eyes.
“Oh man…” Kel says with a smile, “These guys are so cool. I wish I had some extra money for them…” He gushes. As Kel’s distracted with them, something catches Sunny’s eye. He taps Kel on the shoulder, and points to the book he spotted.
“...A cookbook…? Oh, wait! WAIT, YOU’RE A GENIUS! This is the same cookbook Hero had when we were kids! Hector destroyed it, though…” He says with a sheepish smile, “He’ll love this! And it’s only-” He nearly does a spit take as he spots the price- “20 DOLLARS!?”
Sunny can’t help but be slightly fed up with all the yelling. How did he deal with a friend who was so… eccentric, when he was younger?
…Oh right. It wasn’t his choice.
After Kel pays for the book, he sighs as they exit the store, looking to the bag the book was in, and then into his empty, empty wallet.
“Man… I was gonna use that money to buy a game… Hey, do you think you could help me out? We could get a job at fix-it or something! Oh, or maybe tomorrow. I bet you’re already beat from today.”
He let out a sigh of relief at hearing that last part. As they walked towards home, he couldn't help feeling a little angry at himself. Why was he doing all this? Why couldn’t he just say no to him? He didn’t know Kel…
…Well, it was more like Kel didn’t know him . But he didn’t even know who he was yet. He hadn’t even had his sentience for a full day…
…Who was he? And why couldn’t he just move on ? He didn’t want anything to do with these people when he moved. He wanted to start fresh and just forget the fact he was ever forced to do this stuff. He felt a strange sense of guilt at the thought of just blowing them off for his final 3 days, though… Ugh he wished he knew why .
Before he can spiral further, he hears a cry as they pass by the park. They both look towards it, and see someone familiar with someone… Unfamiliar.
“Please, just tell her to give it back!” the blonde kid cries, to which the kid on the scooter barely bats an eye. “Sorry, I’m not getting involved in this mess.”
“Hey, leave Basil alone!” Kel suddenly shouts, already practically in the bullies face. He looks between Kel and where Kel was previously. Wh- How??? He took his eyes off him for 2 seconds! He groaned as he walked towards the three, already knowing he was going to get wrapped up in something he didn’t want to be a part of.
The kid on the scooter scoffed as Kel put himself between him and Basil. “What do you want, Kel? This isn’t any of your business, go away.”
“Basil’s my friend, Kim! Stop being a jerk!” He yells. Kel is about to go off on him, before someone interrupts them.
“What’s going on over here!?” Someone shouts, and before he knows it, an entire group of punk-looking kids come to back up Kim, some tall, short, and…
…A pink haired person, who walks up to them. She’s holding a baseball bat, not seeming to give a care in the world. Sunny was good at reading blank expressions, though. He was the master of them, after all. He could tell the girl was slightly surprised at the sight of him, though he didn’t know why. He doesn’t seem to remember this person.
“... Huh. Didn’t expect to see you here of all people. What’s your deal, waiting all this time to show your face?” She says with a snide tone. Wow, Sunny didn’t like her already.
“Lay off, Aubrey! Just leave us alone! We used to be friends, why are you being so mean?”
…Aubrey? Really? Wow. The contrast between what he remembers and what he sees now is like night and day. A part of him wonders if she’s self-aware as well, with how drastically she’s changed.
…It’s weird how he kind of hopes that’s the case, at least then he wouldn’t be alone in all of this. He’d take any company he could get, honestly.
Uh oh. As he snaps out of his stupor, he realizes that the fight between them has gotten much worse. Aubrey is practically grating her teeth, and Kel looks like he’s ready to throw a punch. He really doesn’t want to deal with the aftereffects of this, so he sighs.
He tugs Kel’s shirt, and he quickly turns to look at Sunny. Sunny just blankly stares at him, but Kel seems to get the message. He tosses a glare at Aubrey one last time, and sidesteps them to get to the blonde kid. He offers him a hand, to which the kid reluctantly takes it.
“C’mon, let’s go Basil.” He says, tugging him along as Sunny follows. He glances back at Aubrey one last time before he turns the corner, hoping to see something, anything that indicates he wasn’t alone in this…
…But he’s only met with the fuming face of someone he doesn’t recognize. He sighs.
Of course. He got too hopeful.
Notes:
Bet you didn't expect to see me so soon! I've never liked to rush out updates, but I was just having so much fun writing this. I think this is the last time you'll see me post daily, though.
I promise it'll lean more into the "Sunny experiencing self-awareness for the first time" stuff soon, I'm just trying to ease into it. I'm kind-of-not-really making this up as I go, so I'm trying to get a feel for how I want to write this.
Expect future chapters to be longer, and thanks for being patient! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧