#basil’s ‘everything will be okay…’ thing and trying to seem fine and kel not letting himself be sad

[crowbasils]

havign cactiflorwer thgouhtrs……..

[aubreysheadspace]

Can you do Real World! Omori gang hcs (separate&romantic) that likes talking about their interests a lot? I have like 20 things im fixated on rn and i love talking about them but apparently it’s annoying when i tell my friends about stuff i like!! so i would really like to see this . thankss and love ur writing!! :]

MAIN CAST WITH A READER WHO TALKS ABOUT THEIR INTERESTS A LOT

I’m so thankful that ppl enjoy my writing sm..!!! I like when ppl talk to me abt their interests >:) and OFC, hope u enjoy!

SUNNY

SUNNY is a really good listener according to BASIL, so it’s no surprise when he likes to listen to your interests! he stays quiet when you start to talk about them, sometimes you think he ain’t even listening, but he for sure is!

if you like to hold his hand while you talk then that’s perfectly fine, he’d be so HAPPY that you wanna hold his hand close to you!!

he simply nods and listens as you explain absolutely ANYTHING about your current interests, whether it’d be something he didn’t really understand or like some sort character you grew fond of

you couldn’t help but throw all of this completely new information towards your sweet but shy boyfriend, who was currently listening to everything you were saying and trying to process it all. he didn’t seem to be uttering a word so nervously, you looked to see him actually giving you his undivided attention. it made you feel happy knowing that he’d listen to you always no matter what

if your interest was something that required creativity of sorts, SUNNY would definitely be a little interested to hear a lot more about it

he actually has a creative mind under all that shyness and stoicism he shows most of the time

he might as well learn more about your interests and see if they’re his taste. if they are, then he’s gonna surprise you one day when he quietly mentions a few things about your interests

AUBREY

okay yeah sure, AUBREY would already know you like your favorite interest by simply talking to her about it

but if you keep talking about it multiple times, she’s gonna get a tiny bit annoyed, especially if she’s busy with something else

she’ll apologize if she tells you to tone it down a bit, she’s very short-tempered and can get a bit frustrated easily, so please forgive her if she does

"jeez— [READER], could you like, i dunno, let me talk for a second please??" AUBREY lightly snapped, seemingly a bit frustrated, which caught you by surprise. you show a guilty look on your face as you apologized to her, making AUBREY feel a bit worse for snapping at you like that. "sorry, sorry AUBREY..! I can’t really help myself sometimes.." AUBREY huffs out a guilty groan and hugs you awkwardly, "it’s— not your fault at all, i just get pissed off sometimes, sorry. you could uh.. continue if you want."

she knows it’s not your fault, she knows your friends find it annoying as well and gets pissed off at them a bit.

AUBREY will at least try to calm herself down and listen carefully to the things you like and ask a few things about it that caught her interest here and there

she wants to be a good girlfriend, so please accept her apology if she snaps a tiny bit and tells you to be quiet, she can’t help and be easily frustrated

KEL

KEL would LOVE to hear what you like!! he’ll do the exact same and tell you a lot about basketball and many comic books!

despite this, he might talk over you a tiny bit. he tries not to, but he’s not sure when you might speak up suddenly

please forgive him if he ever does this, he’s not even trying to be a jerk, he just also wants to talk about his own interests as well!

"oh, there’s also—" "oh yeah, i also scored many times during a game of basketball with my pals! i think around.. 5 or 4 times!" oh, looks like your boyfriend KEL spoke before you did.. it’s fine though, you thought to yourself. "oh hang on, were you gonna say something, [READER?]" KEL asked, as you simply nodded as a response. "oh jeez, my bad, [READER], i had no idea! okay, what were you gonna say?" KEL asked with his usual dorky smile and his full undivided attention on you.

he’ll ask a few questions about your interests and maybe, just maybe, you can get him interested as well!

if you do get him interested, oh boy you guys will NOT stop talking about it for minutes, maybe even hours

KEL is a very nice guy who’ll will love everything about you, including your favorite stuff! he could go on and on how you really got hooked into one of your interests and how it made him smile to HERO

HERO

HERO is the most lovable guy in the entire universe, he’s universally loved! so it was no surprise that he didn’t stop you when you started talking about your interests to him!

he’s a very patient person when he’s not stressed out or depressed, so he could just listen to you for hours with a small smile on his face

HERO LOVES your voice, absolutely LOVES IT, even if you don’t. he thinks your voice is music to his ears and absolutely loves hearing it when you’re talking

you started to ramble about one of your interests to your lovable boyfriend HERO. you went on and on how much you loved it and way, but it was really quiet. you turned to look towards HERO, who’s actually looking back at you. "uh-huh, go on, what’s next, [READER]?" HERO politely asked with a smile on his face, eager to learn more. you felt really HAPPY that HERO was paying attention to you and your rambling about certain things you liked. HERO was deep down enjoying your amazing voice as you kept rambling.

HERO loves that you can share anything about yourself towards him, it’s like he learns something about you every day and is dying to know more!

like KEL, he’ll ask a few questions and ask for some facts about whatever current interest you have

with enough convincing, maybe you could get him interested too!

BASIL

BASIL isn’t that much of a good listener like SUNNY is, but will definitely try his best!

BASIL is more used to talking about his own stuff rather than listening, so it might be a bit complicated for him at first

he’ll definitely get the hang of it and once he does, he’ll love to learn more about your favorite things/interests at the time!

BASIL was just staring at you with a nervous expression as you started to ramble about your recent interest and how much you love it. he really wanted to talk about his own stuff, but felt bad if he told you to at least let him speak for a second. you looked really excited to talk to him about your interests, so he didn’t want to steal your thunder!

at least let him talk about his own thing as well, BASIL would absolutely appreciate it

his special interest is photography and obviously plants, so expect him to give you a plant fact every once in a while

he’ll also take a photo of you if you’re talking. he likes that you’re so in-the-zone about whatever you were rambling about, he thinks it’s cute!

MARI

being good listeners runs in the family, because MARI will always listen to you when you need to talk about absolutely anything!

you two could just be having a special picnic with just the two of you and you could just be rambling about absolutely anything you liked recently, and MARI would always listen to you

but if she’s practicing the piano, it’s not a good idea to make her stop focusing on it by talking so much, especially since she wants to get even better at the piano. she loves you, really! but she just needs to get this part of the song correctly without fail

you were currently resting your head on your amazing girlfriend MARI’s lap, taking about your current recent interest. occasionally, you’d get a simple "uh huh", "mhm..", "really now?" from her, implying that she’s definitely listening to you. it made your heart flutter knowing that she enjoyed spending time with you and listening to whatever you said.

MARI wouldn’t tease you for talking so much, she knows you didn’t really have anyone to dump all this info into because your friends found it annoying, but she didn’t!

she likes that you can practically talk to her about absolutely anything on your mind, as she thinks proper communication is the key to having a healthy relationship

she’d occasionally ask a few questions about your interests and it made your heart jump in joy. she seemed really interested and she could even get into it herself!

[alex-just-vibing]

Hcs on Solar System finding Kel crying by himself? (With him obviously denying the claim and telling them that he's fine)

ooh, I actually had a fic idea in my head kinda like that! (not solar system, but baseball bat. but I can change a few things)

This is less headcanons and more just word vomit/a pseudo-fic lol (under read more for the benefit of everyone here lol) Cuz I know I wouldn't be able to rest until I got this out of my head now (thanks a lot anon /lhj)

Sunny, Basil, and Aubrey were walking through the streets of Faraway Town, looking for the last person they needed to complete their group. They were hoping to find somewhere to just hang out at, whether that be one of their houses or somewhere else, like the park, Hobbeez, or maybe Gino's, but they didn't want to do it without Kel.

He wasn't at his house, and when they asked his mother where he was, she told them that he'd just gone for a walk. They thanked her, and she said to them, as she always does when they stop by, that they're welcome there anytime.

After stopping by his house, the three of them decided to check the park to see if he had stopped there while on his walk. He wasn't there either. Aubrey suggested checking their secret hangout spot, and the other two agreed that it wouldn't hurt to try.

None of them were particularly expecting him to be there, but when they walked past the trees into the area, they saw Kel sitting on an old picnic blanket. He was hugging his knees to his chest, and his forehead was pressed against his knees. His face wasn't visible from where the three others stood, but it was obvious something was wrong.

Aubrey was the first to approach him. She walked up to him and kneeled next to him. He didn't seem to notice her.

"Is everything okay, Kel?" she asked. She then saw the tears streaming down his face and facepalmed mentally. Of course he's not okay, what kind of question is that? She can't recall the last time she saw him cry...

Kel turned his head to look at her, before smiling weakly. "I-I'm fine!" He brought his hand to his face and wiped at his tears. More fell, replacing the ones he wiped away. "Don't worry about me!"

Sunny and Basil had also walked over to him. Sunny sat down next to him, as did Basil. Sunny gently grabbed Kel's hand.

"No, Kel." Sunny's voice was firm, but caring. "You aren't 'fine.' And that's okay." He squeezed Kel's hand slightly.

Basil cautiously placed one arm over Kel's shoulder. He leaned his head slightly against Kel's shoulder. "We love you Kel. A lot. We want to be here for you, the same way you always are for us."

Kel shook his head at their words. "I'm... I'm fine, really! You don't need to worry about me..." His voice was shaky and broken up by sniffles. He continued trying to wipe away his tears, but they just kept flowing.

Aubrey pulled him into a hug, not saying anything just yet. She let his head rest against her chest, and she placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

Basil moved closer to Kel, leaning against him to hopefully be a comforting presence for him. He turned to fully hug Kel, and he buried his face in Kel's shoulder. Kel in turn moved his face to rest in Basil's hair.

Sunny scoots closer, so that he could be sitting right next to Kel. Sunny didn't let go of his hand while moving, and once he settled into a comfortable position, he squeezed Kel's hand again.

"I'm sorry." Kel's voice was barely above a whisper. "I... I didn't mean to worry you guys..." When he spoke, his voice broke, then trailed off into a near-silent sob.

"It's okay, Kel," Sunny reassured him, and he rubbed his thumb over Kel's knuckles. "You're allowed to cry. Just let it all out. We aren't going anywhere."

The four of them sat in a comfortable silence, which was only broken by the occasional sob from Kel. After a good few minutes, Kel's crying seemed to slow, then eventually stop.

Basil noticed that Kel had stopped crying, and he was the first to speak. "Kel... Would you want to talk about why you were upset..?" His tone carried genuine concern and love.

Kel paused for a moment, before shaking his head. "No... Not right now..."

Sunny nodded. "Okay. We'll be here for you whenever you're ready." The other two nodded in agreement, all three of them smiling warmly at Kel.

"Now, weren't we planning to hangout?" As she spoke, Aubrey started to stand up, and she extended her hands to help the other three up. Basil and Sunny stood up first, then all three of them pulled Kel up.

Kel smiled, chuckling lightly as he was pulled up. "That sounds nice... How about a sleepover at my place?"

[mitano-omori]

SUNKEL WEEK: Day 3

This is definitely a little late, but... For SunKel week (on Twitter and Instagram), I'll be posting some oneshots for our Mitaño Mod!! These writing snippets are canon events for our mod, it's just typically behind the scenes! Eventually, I'll be posting these oneshots to an ao3 fic to keep them all together, but for now... They're here!!

Anyway, Day 3: EARLY MORNINGS / LATE NIGHTS

Sunny walked back and forth across his room, picking up pillows, blankets, and various objects to put in the center of the room between his and Mari's beds. When was the last time he made a pillow fort like this? It had to have been before they lost Hero. After that, the group of friends never really hung out together. So it felt kind of right to be doing this again after all this time.

The dark-haired teen glanced behind him when he heard the door open, expecting to see his sister. But instead, it was Kel. The corner of his mouth twitched up just a bit. It was a bit jarring to be around Kel at first, what with how different he looked and how much he was clearly trying to emulate his past self. It was fine for him to be different now. No one was expecting him to be okay after losing his brother like that. But despite that, Sunny was getting used to this new version of him. He may be different, but he was still Kel.

"You're already starting on the fort, huh?" Kel asked as he approached Sunny, who nodded in response. "Mari's still talking to your mom by the way." He grabbed some of the random objects Sunny accumulated to use as support beams and started to put together the frame for the fort.

Sunny quickly walked up to him, grabbing his hand to stop him. "Wait, you're the guest. You don't have to help with this. I can do it," he told Kel, who only grinned in response. It lacked the light it used to have.

"Yeah, but you never liked putting together the forts," Kel retorted. That may be right, but things were different now. Kel and Hero were usually the ones to built the forts, and now... Things were different. Besides, it was just Sunny, Kel, and Mari this time. That meant a smaller fort, and Sunny was capable of taking care of it. That didn't mean he liked it, but it was worth the effort for Kel.

The taller teen must have noticed the hesitation still remaining on Sunny's face, so he spoke again as he continued to work. "Look, you're not gonna be able to stop me, so might as well let me help you, right?"

Sunny sighed, but he finally gave in. The two then worked on the fort together quietly. Being near Kel of all people and working in silence was still a very strange situation to Sunny. For once, it made him want to fill the silence, just as Kel would have done when they were kids. But Sunny didn't know what to talk about, so he didn't say anything. At least he could still enjoy Kel's presence.

Today was difficult. If Mari hadn't arrived when she did, Sunny might've shoved Basil into the water himself. And Kel and Aubrey... Sunny tried not to think about that. What mattered was the fact that Mari did show up, and she fixed everything just as she always does. At least with Sunny alone with Kel, he felt his earlier rage towards Basil slipping away. He didn't like being furious. He didn't like feeling any particularly strong emotions, actually. It felt nice to just be calm.

"Do you think Aubrey's okay?" Sunny asked, finally finding something worthwhile to talk about.

Kel seemed to stop for a moment as he thought about the answer. When he looked back at Sunny, he was smiling--Sunny wished he could see his real smile again. "Yeah, I'm sure she's fine. Aubrey's always been tough, right? She can handle anything."

Sunny lowered his gaze and sat down on his bed. "Aubrey's...different now," he told Kel.

Kel lost his smile and kept working, his back to Sunny. "Yeah... I know."

"I don't think she's okay."

"I know."

There was a pause between them, this silence much heavier than the last. Sunny was happy he was able to help Mari and eventually Kel out of their darkness, but Aubrey still pushed everyone away. He tried to be her friend again, but she didn't seem to want him. She wasn't alright... But now that Sunny, Kel, and Mari were together again, they could help her too, right? Then they could be friends like before. But... Could they really do that before Kel moved away? They'll have to check on Aubrey tomorrow. Maybe they could get her to join them like Sunny did with Kel today and the day before.

"I'm glad you came outside," Sunny said as he watched Kel.

"You already told me that," Kel replied as he glanced back at the shorter of the two.

Sunny fidgeted with his sleeve just a bit. "I mean it. It's nice to have you around again. I missed you."

Kel paused his work and turned to face Sunny. For a moment, Sunny could have sworn the smile that tugged on the edges of his lips was genuine, or at least a sliver of what it used to be. It made Sunny feel warm inside, seeing that smile. Kel may be different now, but Sunny really didn't mind that. He knew Kel was different. He just wished he was more open about those differences.

"I missed you too," Kel admitted. Sunny could tell that there was more to it than just that, something he knew Kel would never elaborate on. Who knew what went on inside his head? But that's alright. At least Sunny knew that it was genuine.

So, Sunny felt himself smiling just a bit back at his friend. Maybe Kel's sunlight was dimmer now, but it was still there. That's all Sunny needed.

[omori-aus-archive]

Chapter 27: Arc 8: Friends In Need: The Long-Awaited Conversation

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(Faraway Park: 4:30 PM)

About two weeks later, the group met in the park. They were thankfully alone with no one to bother them. Hikki and the demon’s activities have been extremely quiet too.

The best possible position to make this conversation work.

Per her request, Sunny helped Mari freshen up before meeting Hero, at least enough for her to feel presentable.

Sunny now had a dark haze over him….

Sunny, Aubrey, Basil, and Kel agreed to stand some distance away from the two to let them have privacy.

Mari and Hero looked at each other for an awkward amount of time, before Mari eventually asked, “How’s college…?” “It’s been fine….” Hero responded with a sigh. “Lots of late nights, but…it’s doable.”

“How’s Sunny…?” The man asked, before Mari took a deep breath. She then replied, “He’s…honestly struggling with something. But he’s…still trying to help, despite telling him to rest.”

Hero sighed, “That sounds like him.” The woman nodded, before eventually mustering up the courage to say, “I’m sorry…for ruining everything.”

Hero didn’t respond to that.

“I think…I should have been more honest.” The woman explained. “With what I was going through.”

There’s a little bit of awkward silence, before the man asked, “How are your parents?” “Are they still doing well?” He added.

Mari gave a slow nod….

She was still listening to Hero, though she was beginning to get consumed in her guilt again…. She hated this feeling…. This suffocating feeling that she made so many wrong decisions that she couldn’t salvage anything.

Still…she tried to make conversation. That’s better than her and Hero’s last conversation by far.

….

It didn’t take long for things to go south, though….

Mari began feeling lightheaded, but before she could comment on it, everything went dark for her as a feeling of worry and panic crawled into her veins.

For everyone else though, they didn’t seem to notice, except Sunny and Hero both noticed Mari’s shoulders going slack briefly.

The dead teenager took a few breaths. Why did he have a worrying sensation that something chaotic was about to happen?

It wouldn’t be long before Sunny’s throat tightened in fright as he watched his sister reaching out to wrap her hands around Hero’s neck.

The boy immediately pulled his sister away, who immediately attempted to fight against his hold. Mari was now under Hikki’s control….

The group looked on in shock, before Kel rushed over to keep the two adults at a safe distance. Aubrey helped Sunny restrain his sister, who eventually went unconscious, while Basil went to help Kel and make sure Hero wasn’t hurt.

….

There was a long shaky silence in the air….

….

“What…the hell was that…?” Hero asked in mild fright. Sunny sighed, “THAT…was Mari’s DID. Yes, it HAS taken a turn for the worst….”

Hero was, quite obviously, stunned.

The dead boy then stood up and gave a small bow, “I’m sorry I let this happen. This was…my idea. And you and Mari almost got seriously harmed because of it.”

Before anyone could object, he then added, “Kel, you and Hero should head home. Let me try and help Mari, okay…? Please.”

Kel whispered to Hero, “Henry…. Sunny’s right. We should head to Mom, Dad, and Sally and get some rest. Okay?”

The oldest of the group reluctantly nodded, before Kel told Sunny, “You two stay safe now. Alright?” Sunny gave a small nod, despite not being sure if he and Mari WOULD be safe….

Eventually, the brothers left, cuing Sunny to ask Aubrey and Basil, “Can you help me bring Mari home, please…?”

The two older teens nodded, helping Sunny carry his sister back home and to bed.

Sunny stayed in the living room, collapsing on the couch as tears ran down his face.

This was his fault, wasn’t it? That Hikki took control. That Hero almost got harmed. That BOTH Hero and Mari were in this situation right now.

Sunny let out a shaky breath as he struggled to stop sobbing.

It was his fault.

All of this.

….

….

The others would be better off without him….

-----------------------------------------------

(Meanwhile, in THE BEDROOM….)

Mari’s well aware that Hikki took control.

She had no idea what happened afterwards.

She’s alone in her little mental world now….

The woman sighed, curling up on the mattress in this decomposing mental fantasy she created….

In the end, Sunny’s idea didn’t work. For all Mari knew, Hikki possibly killed or harmed Hero and did the same to everyone else.

Mari knew that her brother seemed to be struggling, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

Just like every other time she knew her brother was struggling with his heart defect, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.

Not only was Sunny overly selfless, as his sister, Mari just wanted him to be happy.

….

….

God, she really couldn’t have asked for a better brother such as Sunny.

She really does deserve him….

Omori: My Only Sunshine (HIKKI/OMARI AU)

(Cover art by @leggyre and edited by me.)

—————————————————————

Prologue: Life and Death of Sunny Hinode Nisshoku

-----------------------------------------------

From his birth up to age 9, Sunny's life was as happy as he could’ve wanted it. He had amazing friends in Hero, Kel, Basil George, and Aubrey Qaletaqa. He has two great parents. And of course, he had the world's best sister, Mari Ame Shitsuren Nisshoku.

However, at age 10, he began to have....issues with his health. It wasn't too serious though. Just severe exhaustion. Though he wasn't the only one to notice them either....

So did his friends and family....

Mari tried to suggest that he should see a doctor, but decided not to argue with her brother on it. She knew how much he hated arguing. If it became dangerous, she'd immediately let their parents know.

The siblings' parents managed to convince Sunny to see a doctor, but found nothing abnormal....

This continued until he was 12.

Then during the fall after his birthday, while practicing for a recital, Mari began to notice that her brother was struggling. Not just with his practice, but his health as well.

He was feeling pain in his chest....

She tried to convince Sunny to relax, only to panic as her brother fell unconscious in her arms. Laying her brother on the couch, she quickly grabbed the phone and called for an ambulance.

She then called her parents about what happened....

Sunny was diagnosed with a heart defect and the doctors explained that he'll live to 18 at most, if he didn't receive a surgery.

And just like that, Sunny's life went downhill....

-----------------------------------

Sunny's bedroom was moved downstairs to help his heart....

At age 13, Sunny was recommended to use a wheelchair. He ended up having frequent visits to the hospital and Mari, in spite of the doctors' wishes, managed to bring Sunny outside to hang out with his friends.

Their parents were VERY proud of them, on the other hand. The siblings' father would start working from home, so that way he could help his son and spend time with him.

He felt like he was a poor influence on his children....and realized he needed to fix that....

Mari would follow his example and completely quit playing the piano and doing college prep so that she could focus on helping and spending time with her baby brother.

She hoped that, in doing so....just maybe, he could recover. And if he couldn't, would at least be able to do whatever he still wants to do....

Unfortunately, by the time he's 15 and a half years of age....and after new years, Sunny was then stuck at the hospital. His defect was getting worse....

Realizing that he probably didn't have much time left, he did the only thing he could do. He had conversations with everyone, spending as much time as possible before his time came.

In that early-January, Sunny spoke with Hero, making him promise to make sure that Mari was safe and treated well. In mid-February, he talked to Basil to let him know how much he meant to him.

He was somewhat aware of Basil's crush on him....but couldn't bring himself to break the blonde's heart.

In late March, he spoke with Mari. He immediately noticed that his dear sister was not doing great. She was beginning to become very anxious....and tired....

She had not been sleeping well....

Mari then brought up her idea to potentially donate her heart to Sunny, so that he may live....

Of course, Sunny was immediately against it, not wanting to live in a world without his sister. Mari, on the other hand, refused to live in a world where Sunny was dead.

The conversation was cut short as visiting hours were almost up for the day....

Mari and Sunny both felt awful, as they thought they only made things worse....

In early-April, he told Kel that he would always be a brother to him and pleaded with him to keep their friends safe. In late-May, he finally confessed his feelings to Aubrey....and shortly afterwards, agreed to having a heart transplant surgery.

Finally in June....and on his birthday, Mari and Sunny had more conversations.

Sunny could tell that Mari is scared of losing him. He was scared of not returning as well. He tried his best to reassure Mari that he lived a happy life, even though it hadn't been what he thought it'd be....

However, he knew that Mari was too scared and saddened to be convinced otherwise. The rest of the visit was spent with Sunny holding his big sister in his arms, whispering to her that this wasn't her fault....

That she was the best sister he could ask for, regardless of her flaws....

That he loved her....and was proud of her with everything that he was....

The two of them fell asleep at the hospital....

Mari was brought home in her sleep. Sunny was still asleep by the time he's brought to surgery the next day.

He realized that his last birthday present was he and Mari being by each other's side.

Despite everything, Sunny was content with it...

....

....

The next day, Mari arrived at the hospital in panic, demanding to know where Sunny is.

When she was told that her brother didn't make it, her panic turned to shock....that he didn't survive the surgery. Then into anger....that "nothing" could've been done. Then finally, heartbreak....that she's lost her baby brother.

....

Aubrey arrived some time later to return her feelings to Sunny....only to see Mari sobbing in the visitors room. She then cried with her after finding out what happened.

Basil, Aubrey, and Kel were 16. Like Sunny.

Mari and Hero were 19.

-----------------------------------

In July was Sunny's funeral. Mari's last gift to him was a moon necklace, so that a part of her would always be with him as he headed to the afterlife.

In August, the young woman began to go through a depressive process of creating a dream world and a doppelganger named Hikki, so that she could live in a world where she didn't lose Sunny.

For Aubrey and Basil, they talked about Sunny and their regrets....before Aubrey unintentionally revealed that Sunny confessed to her.

Basil left without a word, becoming jealous and cold towards her as a result.

Kel eventually became the brother-figure of the group while Hero and Mari were at college.

In September, Mari and Hero did indeed go to college. However, Hikki was mainly in control of Mari's body, letting Mari spend time in her dream world named Headspace.

As a result, their relationship began to strain.

....

....

Mari then remembered that she had been living a lie in her head.

In tears, she reluctantly said goodbye to her Headspace's version of her baby brother, hugging him one more time before he disappeared. Hikki didn’t stop her, letting her take control of her body once more.

Mari then took a look at the college calendar, finding out in shock that she had been living a lie for almost a year.

In the following April, Mari did her best to determine what she was going to do. Ultimately, she decided to return home to family. She quickly signed up for online learning in May, before talking to Hero.

They officially broke up....

Mari couldn't risk straining their relationship any further....

She couldn't continue their relationship when she wasn't herself for months....

Mari then returned to her parents, before explaining them to what happened. And in spite of everything, she was welcomed home in loving arms.

She then called Aubrey, successfully wishing her a happy birthday, before agreeing to meet up with Sunny.

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(Early June....)

"Hey, Sunny...." Aubrey whispered, sitting in front of Sunny's grave. "Mari will be arriving soon. I know you miss her." She tried giving a small smile, "She misses you too...." It had been one whole year since he passed away.

She couldn't believe it had already been a full year....

He would've been 17 now....

"I hope you're doing well....and staying safe, wherever you are...." The teenager said. She then lowered her head, letting out a sad sigh, "I'm so sorry....for not returning your feelings sooner...."

She still hated herself for not confessing to Sunny before he passed on....

She regretted....not sharing her first kiss with him....

She regretted not saying "I love you" to him....

"I....may be in a relationship with someone...." Aubrey admitted, before taking a deep breath. "But YOU....will ALWAYS be my first love...." She felt a few tears run down her face as she whispered, "My heart....will ALWAYS belong to you.... I....hope you know that...."

After a few moments, the teenager wiped her tears, before filling Sunny in on what had been happening since her last visit.

Mari soon arrived and joined her. Aubrey could tell she was miserable....but her eyes looked....far more clear.

It was like she realized something....

The young woman leaned against Aubrey, explaining what had happened last week. Firstly, she had broken up with Hero. The relationship was becoming strained....and Mari didn't want Hero to suffer more because of her....

Secondly, she had stopped trying to live a lie.... She explained that she had tried to create a false reality in her head.

A reality where Sunny was still alive.

Where he wasn't sick.

Mari stopped....because she realized that Sunny wasn't going to come back....

All Aubrey could do for her was comfort her as the young woman cried....

-----------------------------------

After an hour or so, Mari and Aubrey went back to Mari's house as a storm began to arrive. Aubrey called her father about the situation, before hanging up.

The high-schooler helped Mari get out candles and flashlights, before sitting on the couch. "I'm guessing....the break-up went poorly?" She asked, receiving a small nod from the college student.

"To me, yeah.... I feel guilty about it. Like I just broke Hero's heart...." Mari explained. She then sat next to Aubrey, curling up as she said, "I think he hates me for it....even though it was for the best...."

Aubrey nodded, before hugging the young woman, giving a remorseful expression. "I'm so sorry, Mari...." She whispered, rubbing Mari's shoulder to comfort her.

There was a few moments of silence as Mari leaned against the teenager, before asking, "Has Basil talked to you yet....?" "No...." Aubrey sighed. "Still giving me a judgmental glare...."

Mari nodded. She wasn't sure if she should tell Aubrey that Basil was jealous....

....

....

Maybe she should....

"He's jealous of you....because Sunny loved you...." The college student explained. The teenager blinked at her, before sighing, "I....figured.... He was very close to Sunny, so....."

She then rubbed her eyes, whispering, "I guess....Basil should hate me...." "Because I LOVED him...." Aubrey admitted. "I LOVED Sunny...." Mari sat up as she gave a shocked expression.

The teenager lowered her head, "I loved him....and I wasn't able to return those feelings...." "My heart....will ALWAYS be his...." She explained, feeling tears run down her cheeks.

Aubrey then felt Mari cup her cheek and wipe the tears away. She was smiling for the first time in a whole year....even though it was small.

"I'd be honored....to call you my sister-in-law...." The college student explained.

....

Without another word, Aubrey hugged Mari tightly, feeling the college student hold her. "Thank you for loving him...." Mari whispered. "Thank you....for being here for us...."

-----------------------------------

The next year after Sunny's death is....slow.

Mari was desperately trying to reunite with Kel and Basil, even while she and Hikki debated as to whether or not Mari deserved Sunny in the first place.

....

....

She always wondered how her baby brother was doing....

Ever since he died, Mari always hoped that Sunny was happy.

That he was safe.

-----------------------------------------------

So here's the prologue! I was told that one would be good, so here it is. This shows you what Sunny's life was like before his death and is told from a third person perspective.

[sunnysviolin]

Omotober Day Three- Picnics

If you want to read it on ao3 (now as one singular fic because I am a dum dum) you can do that here

When Hero suggested that the five of them get together and have a picnic, Basil was nervous, but excited. There was a part of him that would always be afraid, but more than anything he wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. A picnic could be the start of that.

But Basil should have known that things could never go back to the way they used to be.

“Forgiveness, reader, is, I think, something very much like hope and love - a powerful, wonderful thing.

And a ridiculous thing, too.”- Kate DiCamillo

Basil wasn’t really sure what to expect when their group decided to get together for a picnic again like they used to, but his first inclination wouldn’t have been that there would be a fist fight about to break out.

After the fight, and the hospital, and everything that came after, things had gotten surprisingly calm and quiet. The guilt that had eaten his insides for all those years was gone, and in its place was peace. Yes, he still felt awful about what they had done, but the secret was over, and he no longer had to hold all of that pain by himself.

Their friends had accepted the truth at varied rates, and Basil was sure it would take a long time before they ever even came close to forgiving him or Sunny. Aubrey was still quick to anger, Hero was still avoidant of the pain, but things had changed. Something about those last few days Sunny had spent with them in Faraway had changed them all, made everyone more open to trying with each other again. Even after they learned everything.

It felt good to be friends again, to be able to look at their faces without the self loathing threatening to crush him. He would take whatever halted measures of friendship they would give, if it only meant not being alone again. So when Hero suggested a picnic, Basil eagerly agreed without thinking twice.

He should have thought twice.

The planning had gone perfectly fine. Kel was a hundred percent on board, and he had even offered to help with making the food. The other boy seemed most pleased that it was Hero specifically who was extending the branch out. Basil knew that, of all of them, Hero was probably going to have the most mixed emotions about what he and Sunny had done. Still, Hero was Hero. Even if he hated them both, he would never reveal it.

Aubrey had seemed unsure, but Kel’s enthusiasm and the promise of getting Sunny back to join them had her agreeing. Basil knew she and Sunny talked on the phone pretty often, maybe even more than Sunny and himself. Aubrey was trying hard to make up for the last four years, and she spent most of her time with Basil or by herself. She said it was to ‘figure things out’ and he didn’t pry. He knew how hard it was to accept things in your past that you didn’t want to think about or the parts of yourself that you didn’t like all that much.

Then there was Sunny. They had all crowded together around Kel’s home phone to talk to Sunny about their idea. He had agreed to come and made plans to sleep at Kel and Hero’s house the night of their picnic. Logically it would have made more sense for him to stay with Basil, there was more room at Basil’s house, but it went unspoken between them why Kel and Hero had extended the offer instead. He would catch the train in and out and be back by dinner the next day, it wasn’t a far journey. None of them had seen Sunny since the hospital, at least not in person, and Basil wondered what it might be like to lay eyes on the other boy now.

The day came and they had split into natural groups. Most of the preparations were already done, but there were a few things to finish up on the morning of. Hero would take care of finishing the food, Aubrey would set up in their spot in the park, and Basil and Kel were going to go pick up Sunny from the train station.

Everything was good. The day was bright and warm with not a single cloud in the sky, Sunny’s train had arrived right on time, and Sunny had even greeted them both with quick but tight hugs and a small smile. He was still wearing an eyepatch (and apparently would always be from now on) but he looked a lot better. The bags under his eyes were gone, and the greying pallor of his skin had vanished. He held himself a little straighter, spoke a little more, and the air of fear that seemed to surround Sunny had dissipated into nothing.

Kel had grabbed both of their hands and swung them through the air as they walked towards the park, chattering about what he and Hero had planned for that day. Basil was content to let Kel do most of the talking and shared a secret amused look behind his back with Sunny. This was something that had happened all the time when they were kids, and the nostalgia of it was easy to fall into.

When they got to the park and saw Aubrey, things were awkward for all of two seconds before she punched Sunny gently on the arm and ruffled his hair, bringing them over to the set up she had created. The picnic blanket was a checkered blue, not red, but it was soft. There was the scent of flowers in the air from the bushes nearby in bloom, and a breeze twirled the pinwheels clustered in the distance. It felt so blissfully...normal. Like they could just fall right back into step where they left off all those years ago.

Basil should have hit himself over the head for thinking that.

It started so innocently. They were waiting for Hero to arrive and sighing about how nice their little corner of the world was, when Aubrey made an offhand comment about her friends potentially joining them next time. Before Basil could even really process what her words, Kel had said no. He hadn’t said it in a joking way or to tease her. Kel had snapped, and the tension in his shoulder and the hardness of his eyes told them all that he was deadly serious.

It was jarring. Of all of them, Kel had always been the friendliest. Hero may have been the most popular, but Kel wasn’t far behind his brother in natural charm. He was sweet and sincere, and almost always willing to get to know people. It wasn’t like him to shut down so quickly or with such force. Kel’s face was stormy and he was avoiding eye contact with all of them, keeping those hard eyes locked with the ground. Aubrey seemed livid, but she sat stony and silent, waiting for more of an explanation. The one that came only made things worse.

“I just don’t see why you would even wanna be around them anymore,”

Aubrey, loyal beyond words, had swooped in to defend the rest of her gang, claiming that they were good people who were great friends. This had only made Kel scoff, which infuriated her even more. Basil was used to Aubrey and Kel getting into arguments, he was even okay with the escalated fight that had happened at the dock (seeing as he blamed himself for causing it), but this was unlike any of those.

Normally it was Kel who kept fairly cool during these things, and Aubrey that went ballistic. Yes, Kel fought right back with her and gave as good as he got, but he had always seemed calm and collected, mostly joking around and poking fun at how red Aubrey’s face would get.

Now it was his cheeks that were tinged, and his throat that was raw from screaming, in a way that Basil had never seen before. He stayed silent and tried to keep himself small, hands clasping together over his chest as he tried to remember the deep breathing techniques Polly had been teaching him. They didn’t seem to be working. A quick glance to the side showed Sunny in a similar state of distress, watching their friends argue with a wide eye and clear panic etched into his features.

Aubrey and Kel’s argument devolved fast, going from something that held worth to just being insults hurled back and forth. They began to advance on each other, clearly done with words and moving past to blows, but a voice cut through, breaking the intensity that had caught them all firmly in its grip.

“What’s going on?”

The four of them turned around simultaneously, varying stages of guilt evident on everyone’s faces. Hero emerged from the brush, carrying a large wooden picnic basket on one arm, his mouth turned downwards.

He surveyed the moment and sighed, a tired sound that betrayed a weight that they all knew Hero carried but refused to let them bear with him. The eldest walked over and gently placed the basket down on the blanket, glancing at each of them in turn.

“You okay, Sunny?” Hero asked, and Sunny nodded. He seemed calmer now that someone was intervening, but fear was still there. Hero patted him once on the top of his head and peered around the youngest. “Basil?”

Basil nodded too, his own words caught in his throat. It wasn’t the same as when Something had been squeezing him too tight to breathe, it wasn’t that bad yet, but it was still pretty bad. Nothing he couldn’t handle though, and Basil knew that Hero needed to be focusing on the other two right now. With both of them checked on, Hero stood at his full height and stared at the others.

“Explain,”

Both teens burst into words, voices raising as they tried to shout over each other and interject to disprove what the other had just claimed. Hero listened to the cacophony for a moment and then raised his hands, yelling over them to quiet down. Once it was settled again, Hero turned to Aubrey.

“Aubrey, you go first. You can talk with no interruptions. Then Kel is going to talk with no interruptions, and we’re all going to listen to each other. I want each of you to explain to me why you’re fighting, okay?” Both teens nodded, and Hero sat down, gesturing for the other two to sit back down as well. They did, and then Aubrey began to talk.

“Out of nowhere Kel starts going off about my friends and talking bad about them for no reason,” Kel made a noise here and Hero looked at him. The younger brother rolled his eyes but stayed silent, and Hero waved a hand at Aubrey to continue, “I don’t get why he’s so angry, but I don’t care. He had no right to say all of those things. That’s why they don’t like you, you just assume the worst of them.”

Kel shot a harsh glare towards the girl, something fiery and fueled with a deep rage that was completely out of character for him. Then when he spoke, the oddities only continued.

“I didn’t start ‘out of nowhere’. You started this by saying you wanted us all to hang out with them. Like we’re all pals. Did you forget that the only thing you did when you spent time with them was bully people and act like none of us mattered to you? You keep talking about how you wanna change, but you don’t. You just want to act like nothing you did mattered. They bullied m- Basil for years! If you’re really our- his friend I don’t know why you don’t want to protect Basil from those guys,” Kel finished his speech with a huff, crossing his arms and curling in on himself.

“I apologized to Basil plenty already!” Aubrey replied, a glance to Hero when she began. When he didn’t interrupt her, she kept going, “He forgave me, and now we’re trying to get past it. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Maybe we should listen to what Basil thinks?” Hero suggested, trying to keep the conversation from riding off the rails as it had before, “If you’re both so worried about him, it seems like his opinion would be the most important thing here,”

Then all eyes were on him, waiting to hear what he had to say. Basil twisted his fingers in his lap and laughed nervously, his mouth filling with cotton as both sides of the argument clearly looked for his backing.

“I-I don’t know?” He finally replied, the words sounding small and useless, only making everyone madder, “I wouldn’t mind trying I guess. Seeing if if it works out, ya know?”

Hero perked up here, shooting Basil a grateful smile. Aubrey seemed vindicated and her anger began to melt. The tension eased out of the air, and Basil breathed out. It was all going to be okay now. It was just a regular Kel and Aubrey fight. They would hug the way Hero always forced them to at the end of their arguments, and then the five of them could enjoy the afternoon together.

“Kel, if Basil is okay with it then it’s fine. Why don’t you two hug and make up and then-”

“What if I’m not okay with it, Hero?!” Kel exploded, cutting his brother off, “What about that?!”

Stunned silence coupled with an even stronger tension surrounding the group. Kel and Aubrey fighting he could understand, even Kel and Aubrey dragging Hero in to play referee he could understand, but never before had Basil seen Kel yell at Hero. Kel worshipped the ground Hero walked on, his big brother could do no wrong, and Basil had never seen any evidence that he ever had.

But Kel wasn’t done yet, and he continued his yelling. It was like something had cut into him with those words, and now that something, dark and black, was finally getting a chance to leak out of Kel. Basil knew all about Somethings. About how painful it was to live with them, about how they always eventually burst out and demanded to be seen. He just had never thought Kel might have a Something too.

“It isn’t fair that they get to spend years being terrible people. and then just act like they never did any of it. It isn’t fair that I have to just pretend like they weren’t awful to me. Like I didn’t spend most afternoons crying on my walk home because of them. Like I didn’t have to second guess everything single thing I did because they made me think that I was a bully.”

Basil had remembered hearing them calling Kel that before, and it had confused him then too. Kel had never done anything like bullying to anyone, but Basil had dismissed it. It seemed so ridiculous to him, he thought Kel would have just let it go too. Apparently not

“All I’ve ever done is try to help. I smiled and laughed and pretended like nothing bothered me because that’s what everyone else needed. And what did that get me? A bat to the face and being told by my own bullies that I was the one messing with them. They’re the bullies. Mean, angry bullies who I never did anything to. Except try to be friends with you.” Kel finally pulled his eyes to Aubrey with this final word, cutting his furious ranting off with a half laugh half sob. He brought his knees up to his chest and put his arms on top of them. He wasn’t crying, but the pain in his eyes was enough to make Basil’s own chest ache in sympathy.

“And then you let them call me a bully. When I didn’t do anything except try to help.”

Kel dropped his head against his knees, hiding and breathing harshly. His shoulders rose and fell. Up and down and up and down as he panted with exertion from his outburst of emotion. None of them made a sound. Basil wouldn’t have known what to say after that, and he was sure no one else did either. They also couldn’t have been prepared for the final blow that was about to be dealt.

“You all just wanna pretend like none of it ever happened...like all that time didn’t matter.” Kel’s voice was muffled, but the words hit all of them like a punch to the gut.

It wasn’t just about this one fight, it wasn’t even just about Aubrey’s friends. It was bigger, stretching out for years and years of suffering that had never been addressed. Basil’s breath caught in his throat, and he could see the others were in a similar state of shock. He looked down at his interlocked fingers, his stomach twisting up in knots.

It was so easy to forget with Kel. It was so simple to just get lost in his happy go lucky personality and his endless bounds of optimism. He always had time for them all, always willing to go that extra mile to help out his friends when they needed him.

He hadn’t given up on them. He hadn’t stopped knocking on Sunny’s door, even when he never answered. He hadn’t stopped saying hi to Basil, even when he didn’t say hi back. He hadn’t stopped encouraging Hero, even when Hero had no encouragement left to offer in return. He had even still looked for the good in Aubrey, when she had nothing good to say about him. That was just who Kel was, someone who kept trying.

But Basil knew better than any of them that a person could only be pushed so far before there was a part of them that was cracked and bleeding and needed others to heal it. Kel was a nice person, a happy person, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have his moments of doubt. The times where he needed to rely on them instead of the other way around. He never pushed, so no one ever was forced to notice all the bad thoughts and emotions piling up under that sweet sunshine smile. It was just easy to forget that those things existed behind his joy and his upbeat attitude.

They were the people who should have remembered to look. They were the ones who should have known. They had all wanted things to go back to the way they were, but the truth was they couldn’t.

There was no way to erase four years, no way to let go of what had happened to Mari. It existed, it was real, and all of them had tried to ignore it. All except for Kel, who had done everything he could to hold them all together without so much as a complaint. He was right, instead of acknowledging his sacrifices, they had acted like none of it had ever happened. That was what was unchallenging, that was what took no effort. But that was also what was killing Kel inside.

He didn’t know what they could say that would even start to mend four years of their friend trying and failing and continuing to try against all hope. What could a person say to that kind of dedication? What kind of thanks could be given to someone who took on that burden without a word until it had nearly crushed him?

It turned out that Basil didn’t need to know the answer. There was someone else who did.

Aubrey rose up from her spot across from Kel on the picnic blanket and plopped down next to him, turning her head away from the other boy. Her hand moved to his, settling on his elbow and grabbing his attention. Kel raised his head, staring silently at her as she looked at him from the side.

Basil didn’t know what conversation the two of them had without words, but he suspected he would never know. Things like that were only ever meant for two people, and even asking about it was treading on something sacred. Whatever it was, it was enough for Kel to uncurl from the position he had put himself in. He sat on his knees facing Aubrey, and she turned to do the same. She took a deep breath and raised her head, meeting his gaze fully.

“I’m sorry,”

It wasn’t much, when it came down to it. It wasn’t a long speech filled with tears and impassioned pleas. Aubrey wasn’t on her knees begging for forgiveness, or making promises to be better. She hadn’t even said it in a special tone or in a whisper meant just for the two of them. It was an apology, nothing more, nothing less.

It wasn't really much, but it felt so big. They were all touched by her words, all impacted by the enormity of such a small but profound statement. Sunny edged closer and leaned against Basil, and the weight against his side was warm and grounding. He looked down at the top of Sunny’s head, and the vines looping around his spine eased away once more.

When he turned back, Aubrey and Kel were hugging, sitting up on their knees and clutching hard to one another. He wasn’t sure which one of them moved first, but it wasn’t something he had ever seen. Basil has only ever seen them giving each other quick little hugs, or the awkward side squeezes Hero demanded after their fights. But this wasn’t either of those. It was genuine and real, and they both seemed a little reluctant when they pulled apart.

Hero, ever the older brother, beamed and pulled the basket to the center of their group, changing the subject to the food that he and Kel made. To anyone outside of their group, it might have seemed like a callous way to change the subject, but the other four were grateful for something to switch their minds to.

With the moment over, Aubrey went back to her usual brusque, digging into the basket and pulling out a sandwich and bottle of water. She grabbed the food and Sunny’s hand, dragging him over to one of the corners and demanding to hear about his new house. Sunny obliged her, talking about his room and the renovation plans his mother had begun.

Kel drifted over to Hero, falling against his brother’s side and leaning his head against Hero’s shoulder. Basil didn’t interrupt, but he watched Hero wrap Kel in his arms and whisper in his ear, something that had to be comforting given how Kel nodded and snuggled closer to his brother. Hero squeezed Kel and turned to Basil.

“How’s the new garden coming along?”

[mussthemoose]

The Cast and Their Friends

So I was writing up a different Omori thing concerning an AU to procrastinate writing stuff but then I started writing this to procrastinate that so that’s where we are. Basically looking through the game, what we know, and a mixture of personal headcanons I decided to write a little thing concerning the crew of Omori and how they handle friends outside of the tight circle they all seem to have with each other.

Under a read more because oof, this got long.

KEL

Kel is perhaps one of the easier ones to look at. He’s nice, friendly, personable, and funny as all hell.

Hero might be someone who can befriend almost anyone with very little effort and seemingly just by being in the general area but Kel is someone who makes friends easily

There’s never a doubt that if you called him your friend, even if you hung out for a little bit, that he wouldn’t call you a. friend as well. He’ll believe in you, support you, and he might not give some uncle iroh level of wisdom but he’ll speak his mind and show you that he truly means everything he says

He makes friends easily, but it’s also...hard to find true friends

Everyone is fine with having the fun goofy kid as their friend, and he has some better ones that know him from the belief he has in them, the way he picks them up and helps them do better, but no one ever really gets close like the friend group does when it comes to both getting him and letting him feel so...relaxed at the same time

He never really realized until the friend group broke up and just...nothing stuck. Not the way it used to, not the way that made him feel the sort of happy that made his own shine even brighter

Every member of his basketball team wouldn’t hesitate to call him a good friend, and so would half the other teams in the division along with a good number of people in his school. Kel hasn’t been able to open up his heart to any of them

It’s part of why he tried so hard to never give up especially on Sunny. True friends are worth holding onto, and he’s never going to try to let go

AUBREY

Aubrey, of the group, is a bit more...complicated

It’s not that she isn’t a good friend, or that she can’t find friends, but from the dreamworld and hints in the real world we see that she feels a lot of her emotions

She’s a bright firework when she’s happy, she cries easily when she’s sad or overwhelmed, and her anger is loud and proud at the forefront, giving her a strong stubborn hardheadedness

And for little kids, it can be hard to find friends when you have an attitude like that, when you feel everything so much, when you’re quick to laugh or cry or argue or fight

And then she finds the group, where everyone is either willing to listen or and be patient with her, or enjoys playfully fighting back so nothing is ever too serious

It’s all she has for a time, but it’s all she needs...until the accident happens

For a time, she made friends with the hooligans, even becoming their leader, because she put her anger to the forefront and didn’t let any other emotions come through, and suddenly she’s the big scary person who doesn’t have an easy to find weak side (but who still can let her fun and loving side show, sometimes, if she feels it’s safe enough to do so)

After everything though, when she starts to hang around other people besides just her close group of friends she can manage, when she realizes that people outside of church gossipers and rude kids will appreciate you for who you are...

She still tends to stick to those she knows. There’s still a bit too much hurt in her heart to go out of her way to find people to let back into it

BASIL

Basil, of the friend group, is probably one of the ones who has the most trouble of them all making friends

Most of it isn’t really his fault, when it comes down to it; unfortunate circumstances that made a bad combo to try to make friends when he was young

At first glance he just seems like a very bright but shy kid, someone who’s quiet but still has that soft glow around them that feels like it’d be nice to relax with

But even before the accident, there was signs that Basil has been dealing with issues of anxiety, especially when it comes to the abandonment issues that stem from his parents never being around when he was younger

Most kids don’t understand why he’d be so nervous around them at times, having an unnerving jittering intensity, the way he’d get clingy at times

It all adds up into someone that most kids just don’t get or understand, and so he finds himself alone

Until he meets the group

Suddenly he’s with people who understand, who get him, who are happy and willing to help him through his anxieties when they crop up to be able to see the bright young boy shining behind them

And the one who helps more than anyone else is Sunny, who’s calm quiet presence seems to completely consume his thoughts and worries whenever he’s around

After the events of the game, Basil...he still has troubles making friends, always thinking back to the old friend group, but it’s not as bad as it once was before

He finds other people eventually who understand him, and think he’s worth putting the effort in to befriend. They might not ever be as close as the original group but, he finds companionship in others that he hasn’t in a long time

It might not be the same, but he thinks that that’s okay, everything is going to be okay

HERO

Hero is universally loved

There is not a single person who has met Hero that has not either wanted to be friends with him, or has developed a crush on him

Everyone who’s interacted with him could give you a story about how he’s either helped them or just was so charming in his interaction that they wish they could meet him again

It’s nearly impossible to meet Hero and not love him for what he brings to everything

Hero has very few people he truly considers friends

There’s acquaintances, classmates, roommates, co-workers, study partners, a variety of titles for the people he hangs out with and doesn’t allow to get any closer than he will allow

Before the accident, he threw around the title friend casually, because it made people happy and he’s a people pleaser at heart

After the accident and the events of the game, it just feels...hard.

It’s easier to focus on something else, anything else, than to try to let people in that could hurt him the same way

He’s very good at faking it, he can be the most amazing friend you’ve ever had who will be there to help you through a rough time in your life but you’ll also never see past the barriers he puts up around himself like an imposing fortress that stops you not because it’s intimidating and harsh like Aubrey’s, but because pushing through would just seem so rude

He does great at everything, he’s nice to everyone, everyone loves him, is it really anyone’s place to try to push him on trying to crack him out of his shell? would it be selfish or selfless to try to make him different than how he is?

The best disguises are those that the people you’re trying to fool never want to see taken off

So he has a lot of people he’s friendly with, a few other friends, but the friend group...he both loves and fears them a bit, because they know Hero better than anyone else, even if he still can hide so much from them. They’re some of the few people that want him to take off his mask and be himself, and it scares him, constantly

He’s the most afraid of Sunny

Sunny can read him like a book, can dig through every single layer he’s built for himself, lay him bare and open and exposed by just one knowing look, a hint of an expression colouring his eyes with something Hero doesn’t want to see

Hero thinks that it’s cruel irony, that the one person outside of Mari now that could likely break through his shell completely is the one he has the most conflicted feelings about

It’s a reminder of why he keeps himself distant. Sunny respects his mask, someone else might not

MARI

Hero might have been universally loved, but Mari brought love with her like had so much of it inside of her that it just radiated out around her

Not everyone loved her, or wanted to be her friend, but it was also hard to hate her either

Being around Mari in most situations could make you feel safe, like you knew there was someone around who wanted the best for everyone around her, putting her absolute best forward and never settling for anything less than perfect

She carried a different air compared to Hero. She didn’t seem like nothing could affect her, but more that she could carry herself and those around her through any dark time. A bright smile, a word of encouragement, and acknowledgement that things might not be okay right now, but that they’ll all get through it with just a little bit of effort

You just couldn’t hate her, how could you? She brought a positivity with her that wasn’t just blind optimism, it was an aura that made you feel like you were heard, you were acknowledged, that it was fine because she was here

The people outside of the original group that she called friends always felt lucky to know her, even when she got busier, because whatever the situation, she could make them feel loved, and sometimes that’s what a friend desperately needs

To know that someone out there cares

Even if sometimes she cares too much

Mari’s death did not leave waves of pain and despair, it left a hole in every person she touched, even lightly

She brought love to everything she touched, and now it was up to those people to try to fill it

Some have a easier time than others, some never find a way to fill it at all

SUNNY

Sunny is the universal friend

Some people might be confused by that looking at the quiet boy that tends to stare at people instead of talk, showing little emotion and even seeming off-putting at times. If people were asked, they’d say that Hero would obviously be a universal friend

But Hero is universally loved, and that is different, because Sunny could be friends with anyone he tried to be

Sunny went outside his house for three days, after being locked inside of his room for 4 years. In that time he managed to befriend half of the neighborhood that he was living in to the point that they all sent him get well gifts when he was hospitalized

Sunny himself does not care too much about other friends besides the original ones he had, they’re who he cares about who he wants to be

Everyone he interacts with though are probably just as surprised as he would be that he would even be a friend

Not everyone needs someone who brings love, or optimism, or even happiness, he brings something else with him

He’s calm, he listens, he follows more than he leads so he’s likely to be doing whatever it is you want to do, whether that’s a game or you need help with something (even if he doesn’t enjoy work all that much, he’ll still do it because he feels he should)

And he might not have an emotional read on you, but he will remember everything you said to him, will listen to every word if you’re talking to him about something, and will seem to figure you out and who you are faster than you’d ever expect

On a good day, you can drag Sunny along to do something with you. On a bad day, he’ll be there to listen, to nod, and to let you know in your own way that there’s someone here who acknowledges you and your existence, your problems, that you’re not alone

And on the days where you don’t feel anything, he can be there too, and just exist with you in a way that does not feel like intruding, but as if he can just naturally exist next to you like it’s the easiest thing in the world

He was in a way the glue of the original friend group. Everyone enjoyed his presence, everyone felt like they could go to him, he just...felt nice to be around because when you’re with Sunny he never seems to expect anything from you as long as you get to be with him

Sunny sees the world differently, and it just so happens to be that whenever he tries to, he can easily see the problem that’s bothering you, and will go out of his way to solve it like it’s a fun puzzle for him, instead of a bother at all

The only time he’s ever failed at that is when he broke the violin

He wonders sometimes, in the aftermath of the accident, if this is why Mari was so concerned with perfectionism

If one mistake can cause so much hurt, maybe it’s better to just give up instead

[arcadiaoaksusedbooks]

New Neighbors (working title)

Part 2

Small crossover chapters of ToA and Omori. Spoilers for Omori’s good ending.

Omori in general has trigger warnings for depression, anxiety, abuse, and suicide. Proceed with caution.

Once again, Sunny was left to his own devices at home. Despite being in a new state, in a new town, in a new house, Sunny is once again left alone at home during the day. His mother left a message that she was at the bank, securing a loan for her new shop and would be shopping until late. This didn’t feel different from any other day, and if Sunny looked around the room, it really didn’t feel like a different room at all. Well, there was no ceiling fan in his room, but this seemed to be the only difference. Things were different now, but everything still felt the same.

And he really wanted everything to feel different. The darkness was lifted from his soul, his conscience was clear, he was free from his past, and moving should have solidified that for him. He was free. He was his own person. But a quick glance to Basil’s photo album served as a reminder. One burden was replaced with another. The burden of the forgotten lie was replaced with the heavy truth. The lie felt heavier to carry, but now that his past and secrets were out in the open for all to see, the truth felt lonelier. And the toll for both was the same: loss of his friends and family. Nothing would ever be the same again.

The phone ringing startled him from his thoughts with a jolt. His old phone was also connected in his new-but-old room. As it rang noisily, Sunny considered to let it go to voicemail. But then he remembered that he had his own phoneline now. This phone call was for him! Who would be calling him after all that’s happened? After what he did?

With nothing better to do, and just wanting the loneliness to end, he took the two steps foreword to the phone and picked it up. And cautiously put the phone to his ear.

“Sunny?” A familiar voice asked, as if calling around the room.

“Hey.” Sunny droned into the receiver. The voice was none other than Kel. The one who always reached out.

“Hey, Sunny, there you are!” Kel cheered, sounding maybe a little too loud over the phone. Sunny was too lazy to turn down the volume just yet. “I just wanted to make sure you and your mom settled into the place okay. It’s a long drive, right? And you guys drove the whole way? How was the car ride?”

“...fine.” Sunny answered quietly.

“Great! I’ve always wanted to go on a road trip, maybe I’ll talk the guys into it. Going cross country sounds really fun, now that I think about it. Maybe we can visit when we do it!”

“Sure.” Sunny had just the smallest smile on his face. He could picture Kel’s large, goofy grin as his friend spoke. Sunny missed Kel and the others already.

“So, what’s California like? Are there palm trees, beaches, and girls all over the place? And surfers? ....Surfer girls?”

“...I just woke up.” 

“Oh. Well, you saw something like that on the drive over, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool, cool, California sounds like a lot of fun! It sounds like it has a little of everything. Beaches, and mountains, and forests, and beaches, and big cities, and little towns, and beaches...”

“You said beaches too much.”

Kel gave out a big laugh, and now Sunny will press the button on the phone console to turn the volume down a couple of notches.

“What can I say, the beach is fun! It’s never not fun! Anyway, once you check out your new town, what’s the first thing you’re going to do? You’re in a new town, and don’t know where everything is, so there’s gotta be something that you wanna do once you go exploring, right?”

Sunny was quiet for a couple of minutes while he thought on that. Kel patiently waited on his side for the answer. Sunny looked out his window and into the neighborhood beyond. Other than some older architecture, Arcadia Oaks looked pretty similar to Faraway. There didn’t seem to be much adventure to be had.

“Find some pizza.” Sunny decided.

“Awesome! Pizza sounds really great right now!” Kel answered enthusiastically. Sunny turned the volume down another couple of notches. But, he had to admit, hearing a friendly voice again after so long was nice. He felt much less lonely.

Sunny’s eyes turned to the neighbor’s house, where he saw those bright blue eyes staring at him last night. He hadn’t seen them again, so perhaps it was his imagination. He thought on them as Kel talked about all the fun stuff he would do in a new town (make lots of friends at the beach and play volleyball, eat some popcorn after, and nap under a palm tree), and waited for Kel to finish before asking.

“...how is everyone?”

Kel went quiet for a couple of seconds.

“Well, as normal as it gets. Hero went back to college, mom and dad are busy with Sally, and Sally is busy being a baby. Basil said he was being moved to another hospital, one that can help him better, he said. I haven’t heard from Aubrey at all, so... I dunno.”

Sunny’s hint of a smile vanished. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked.

“Hey, Sunny, I’ve got a silly question,” Kel tried to sound cheerful after the mood was brought down, “how are you doing? Are you holding up okay?”

Sunny didn’t know how to answer that. Putting his emotions to words has always been hard for him. In trying to find the right words to the right emotions, he accidently sighed loudly into the phone. Kel seemed to understand.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. You’re in a new place, no one knows anything about you. I bet you’re gonna make friends, no problem. Are you going to go to school, or stay homeschooled?”

“I don’t know.” Sunny answered honestly. “I’m... not ready for school.”

“Hey, that’s totally okay.” Kel insisted. “You go at your own pace. It’s your own life now, a brand new adventure, so you get to do what you want now, right?”

Could he? Sunny wasn’t sure. Mom let him do whatever he wanted, and he had a feeling he would have a lot more freedom to come and go. And this didn’t feel like a good thing anymore.

“Yeah.”

“That’s the spirit! Go get ‘em, champ!”

On Kel’s end of the phone, Sunny could hear a baby crying, followed by some shouting from Kel’s mom.

“Kel, keep it down! You woke up the baby!”

“...uh oh.” Kel squeaked. “Hey, Sunny, I gotta go, but we’ll call and chat again sometime, okay?”

“Okay.” Sunny agreed. “Thanks for calling, Kel.” He was about to add to that, but suddenly winced. Should he?

“You bet! Friends till the end! I’ll talk to you later, Sunny! Say hi to your mom for me! And to all the new friends you’re gonna make!”

“...bye, Kel.” Sunny hung up the phone first, and now felt regret he didn’t say anything more when he could have. 

“...I miss you all.”

Sunny hung up the phone back into its console, and looked out the window again. It was a new town. And there would be new adventures. But could someone like him make new friends? Other people had made friends for him. But he was grown now, not a little kid anymore. He’d have to meet other people, get outside more often, see reality for what it really is. And not retreat into his head when things got too hard or too dark.

Finally, Sunny ventured downstairs into the quiet house. Outside of his old-but-new room, the house looked very different. Most everything was still packed in boxes, but the furniture was arranged. It was so hard to feel at home in his new home. But he had to teach himself that new was good. No more of the old. No more dwelling in the past. Everything was new, and that’s a good thing.

He walked into the new kitchen, with all the old appliances, including the fridge and stove, all looked old and dirty. Old things in a new kitchen, the feeling was surreal to him. But having some familiarity in new settings was a good thing, right? It helped transition the old to the new, right?

Sunny opened the door and looked around for something to eat. The fridge was slightly bare, mom didn’t get groceries and just ordered takeout. Like usual. Waiting for Sunny in the fridge was a day old steak.

What was this feeling running through his veins, his muscles, his tendons, making his eyes grow fuzzy, making his brain grow fuzzy, leaving him numb and tingly and frozen and shaking and heaving and feeling like falling and crying and screaming and sho--

Welcome to White Space.

You’ve been living here for as long as you can remember.

--------------------------------

Balor watched through the safety of the kitchen curtains, protected from the sun’s rays, as the new boy next door slowly closed the refrigerator door, and seemed to shamble back upstairs like the living dead. Maybe he wasn’t hungry?

Balor couldn’t watch any more from there, and let the curtains fall before he headed back to his own room to fall asleep. 

This kid looked much older than him, but maybe they could be friends. He certainly looked like he could use a friend.

[krismatic]

so. let’s cover what I went through today in OMORI. I’m definitely getting close to the end now.

once again another tw for suicide mention

So I’ll go in chronological order here

Go to Basil’s house, he isn’t there, Polly says he’s at the hospital and I immediately panicked but then she said it was his grandma hospitalized and I calmed down a bit.... before realizing oh fuck it’s his grandma she’s probably going to die and that’s going to really. be very bad for basil.

Then we all go to sunny’s house and the treehouse and wow those scenes were emotional. Holy shit. They’re all happy they got to be friends again, even though Sunny will be leaving. But they wish that Basil could be there with them... ;w;

The photo that was missing was actually in the treehouse and not with Basil. But it had that message again “don’t forget it’s in the toy box” with the key attached. What is in the toy box. I think it’s more photos but I’m not sure.

Aubrey finally explains why she was mean to Basil... hhhhhhh she just wanted to have at least one of her friends back but when she saw the blacked out photos.... she got so angry at him because to her it was like he didn’t care anymore. She felt like everyone just moved on without her and without Mari. She does recognize that she was the one pushing others away, and that everyone was coping with Mari’s death in their own ways which is good!! Like Kel said, “we were kids, it was hard.” It was a lot.

And the tree. The tree where Mari died. It was on the day of the recital where she and Sunny were going to perform that and all of them still remember that day perfectly. They were all affected by it greatly, and that caused them to drift apart... Hero says later “We weren’t there for each when we needed it most, so let’s make sure we’re here for Basil.”

Also a side note the guy in the grave keeper has been saying that someone is going to die this entire game!! My buddy Basil please don’t die..... (jk he died in the bad ending I got to today.... more on that later......)

After doing more ~side quests~ They go back to Polly’s house to see if Basil is back and he is! Except he isn’t talking. At all. He’s not responsive to anything. Everyone agrees to stay at Basil’s house and be there for him which is nice!! Aubrey asks Sunny to visit Faraway Town every once in a while after he moves which is nice. He may be moving, but it’s not goodbye forever! They’re still friends, they’re family imo even after everything that’s happened.

Then. The truth. Sunny goes to sleep, Basil is suffering and it repeats the same text that I think was at the beginning of the game? It’s been a while- “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.” and then “Will you forgive me? My best friend...” which is a great lead up into the Truth.

Sunny and Omori are completely separate. And Sunny breaks the lightbulb which seems to shock Omori.

Sunny has to face his fears again. All of the versions of SOMETHING. And at the end it’s Mari’s body... he gets through all this. It’s difficult for him, but he learns how to overcome.

At the tree Basil says that he was always hoping that Sunny would come back and save him. He waited for him. He also tells him not to turn back from the truth anymore, and that he has to stay strong. I just feel really sad about Basil in general!! He’s faced nearly the same (but not exactly the same) things that Sunny did, but unlike Sunny he couldn’t retreat into a headspace or repress his memories at all. He was all alone for 4 years. Aubrey and the others bullying him definitely didn’t help either, as well as his grandma’s declining health.

Then the Truth. This entire segment was so difficult to go through because you grow so attached to all these characters and learning the truth just hurts.... but you have to face it. Sunny has to face it even though it is physically hurting him and making him bleed in this dream. The slow build up at the beginning that’s a bit confusing with all the photos... and then the photo with Mari and Sunny at the top of the stairs and that piano chord being played. That’s where it all comes together. That’s where you realize what happened. And the whole way it was presented was honestly amazing. It’s absolutely heartbreaking because you see how much Sunny loves Mari and how much everyone else loves Mari as well.

Sunny pushed Mari down the stairs by accident and it killed her. Basil saw it. All the photos are from his point of view. He’s probably the one that had the idea to hide Mari’s death by making it seem like a suicide. Sunny looks so broken in these photos and it’s honestly hard to watch...

So... that’s the truth. Sunny wakes up and. Well.

So!! The YouTuber I’m watching for this is experiencing everything blind and he also wants to get every ending and do the true ending last. So. Today I saw literally the worst fucking ending in any game I’ve experienced ever holy shit it was awful. The YouTuber was kind enough to put a trigger warning before it which is honestly so much more care than most other YouTubers have.

This part is really fucked up so trigger warning for suicide once again and just distressing & depressing topics in general. Seriously.

Anyways. This gets really fucked up. Sunny ignores Basil and goes back to sleep and guess what!!! This whole ending was so painful because these kids started to heal just a tiny bit and then Basil commits suicide. It’s so awful. I’m still not over it. Oh my god. Kel’s reaction stood out especially for me because he is crying. Always-cheerful Kel is absolutely destroyed by what happened. “Why does this keep happening to us Sunny?” That hurt so much. Hero’s still trying to keep everything together and tells Sunny not to look. He doesn’t have to look. And Aubrey is so sorry that she couldn’t help Basil. That she really wasn’t there for him and she doesn’t even know if he ever heard her apology.

And then you can choose to look inside Basil’s room...... and. well. you see that he stabbed himself and Sunny immediately represses it. The room isn’t there. Basil isn’t dead. Basil is fine. He goes immediately back to Headspace. He goes back to being Omori again. And then.... he stabs himself with the knife.

This ending really fucked me up I can not imagine that this game has an ending worse than this. What the fuck.

Anyways luckily that’s all not canon everyone’s fine!!!

So that was my experience today!! A roller coaster of emotions. Can I please get off this roller coaster. Please.

Anyways....... I hope that whatever the true ending is it is much better than this!! I mean it definitely is better than this. There’s no way anything can be worse than this ending.

Alsoo I’m doing fine in case y’all are worried about how this ending is affecting me. It is really heavy and it was messed up so I want to confirm with y’all that I am completely okay and I’m not in any sort of danger. It was a lot but I’m okay, I just needed to get out my feelings about it.

So. Uh. On that note. See you guys in the next post!

edit: to add on to this during the bad end and the moment I saw everyone in the hallway like that I immediately started saying “oh no” over and over again because at that moment I just realized what had happened. Also now I know that the sirens in the hikikomori route ending were for Basil.... not for Sunny. aaaaaaaaaa

edit 2: I completely forgot to mention the hug scene... that was wholesome and I really loved it. Can we please get a group hug with Basil too later? qwq