Chapter Text
Bot was sat in their room until the front door opened. They were going to run out and hug their father like always before they heard instant shouting. "You always do this! Why can’t you make good decisions for this family? ..Or for me? Is it so hard to not touch a slot machine for one day!?" Test tube and Fan were arguing again. "Test tube, I love you but recently everything's fallen apart due to your decisions because you’re always looking for solutions to things that don’t need answers" Bot had cracked the door open, watching their parents bicker back and forth. Bot closed the door and sat down, sobbing silently before distracting themself with a coloring book. Scribbling over everything, not paying attention until it looked like a colorful mess. Suddenly, their mother knocked on the door. "Bot? Sweetie, are you still awake?" Bot stood up, rubbing their eyes and wiping away their tears. They opened the door and looked up at their mother. Test tube looked down at bot before sitting them on the bed. "Bot, me and your father are going to spend some time apart, do you want to stay with me or him?" Bot looked up at Test tube "Why are you guys leaving?" Test tube looked away before sitting up. "We're going through some issues right now. They'll probably just fix themselves." She lied, more to herself than Bot. She left before Bot could respond.
When Fan awoke, he was lying on the couch. The first thing he noticed was the lack of his wife and child. All he could see were divorce papers. "Yikes...I might've forgotten about those...for a year..." Fan monologued to himself. He sat up from the couch and walked to the sofa, making some instant noodles and sitting at the table, eating whilst scrolling on his cracked phone. He scrolled down to Test tube's contact and tried messaging her, demanding an explanation but was met with several notifications saying his texts failed to send. "Sighhhh, either the WI-FI is bad or she blocked me....why would she block me, I did nothing wrong??" He turned his phone off and sat up before pouring out the leftover hot water into the sink and trashing the small paper container. "I always wondered why they made those out of paper instead of plastic" A sound came from his phone, he turned to look at his notification
Suitcase 08/02/09
Hey wanna come over
Fan 08/02/09
can't rn
got to watch bot
Suitcase 08/02/09
I can always help if you need it!
Fan 08/02/09
idk
maybe some other time
Suitcase 08/02/09
Oh yeah, well, tell me if you need anything!
Suitcase 09/02/09
Hiya!! there's a new slot machine at Scasino
Fan 08/02/09
wdym
scasino?
Suitcase 09/02/09
The new casino Nickel opened?? With Baseball???
Fan 08/02/09
oh ok
wanna go
Suitcase 09/02/09
I did mean to ask that so of course!
Suitcase shared a location. “Scasino (GRAND OPENING)”
Fan 08/02/09
ok see u there
Suitcase 09/02/09
See ya!
Fan turned off his cracked phone and placed it on the counter beside the trash can before going to his room and showering and then dressing in the nicest clothes he has. He met Suitcase at the Scasino. Immediately peeking inside, he looked at all the fancy slot machines and roulette games. His gaze drifted to the bar, his interest spiked drastically. Suitcase was explaining the small details until she noticed his lack of attention to her words. “Hello? Earth to Fan?” Fan nodded dismissively “Yeah, yeah, lets hurry up” Suitcase seemed irritated, but it wasn’t too bad. Probably. They both walked inside, Fan following after Suitcase before she led him to the new slot machine. “Do you wanna go first?” Fan perked up and nodded, he sat down on the stool. He quickly loaded 50 cents, pulling down the lever and watching the symbols. He was on a losing streak, evidently. He always knew his luck was bad after getting struck by lightning but he didn’t think it would be THIS bad. Suitcase nudged Fan after five minutes. “You’ve already spent 15 dollars here, maybe it’s time to call it quits, you don’t have much money..” Fan shook his head “No, I’ll win soon, I’m sure of it”
10 minutes later, he stood up. He earnt around 45 dollars. His gaze drifted back to the bar, Suitcase’s gaze followed. She wiggles her way under Fan’s arm to get his attention but he dismisses it and walks towards the bar. He sat on yet another stool, the bartender, Baseball, looked at him the second he sat down. “Oh, Fan! I haven’t seen you here for a while! Did anything new happen?” Fan held his head in his hands and huffed as Baseball gave him a drink “On the house, since we’re sort of buds, right?” Fan nodded in gratitude and swirled his drink around before quickly drinking it all. “Test tube left and took Bot with her” He sighed and fidgeted with the glass. “Oh..sorry..” Baseball awkwardly looked at the floor. What was he supposed to say anyways. Suitcase ran over “Fan! You shouldn’t be drinking so early, you have a job interview, remember?” Fan groaned “I don’t want to” Suitcase shook her head in disapproval. “You need to. Unless you want to go homeless, move.” Baseball watched the two. “I agree with Suitcase, if you have an interview, go. You need the money if Test Tube left you” Fan complained about something incoherent before Suitcase dragged him out the casino.
“What’s wrong?” She asked. Fan looked to the ground instead of responding. She always seemed to understand everyone’s problems. She was always empathetic and sympathetic. Fan wondered if she was like this before or after what happened on the island. What if it was all an act to gain trust? What if she’s continuing the act and making him feel needed. He’s not needed, not if Test tube’s gone. “Fan?” He looked up at Suitcase. “Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine.” He dismissed Suitcase and walked to the train station alone. Suitcase thought it was best he spent some time alone and walked home.
The train station was loud to say the least. He tried to tune everything else but someone sat next to him. “Hey” He said quietly. The other object looked at Fan before grabbing him and covering his mouth with some kind of rag, it made him tired. That was the last thing he could remember.