I FINALLY PUBLISHEDDDDDJSDJYSSHKORSDHIRW!!! *happy I-just-published-after-like-two-weeks dance*

In other news: new sunflower! I had ones planned for each choice. We have landed upon sunflower b. Will sunflower b kill everyone or save their lives? I guess we'll just have to see. (Sunflower b's names is Greg, for anyone who wants to know)

—~•~—

The non-prisoner faeries had set up the pieces of the parts of the plan they were needed for and able to do in advance. Now they had to wait seven painful days till they could set the plan into motion.

For that week John had gotten ahold of two shifts and successfully made no one suspicious about it, which meant he had three hours with Alex supervised only by Burr, who wasn't about to turn them in any time soon.

At the time this chapter takes place, John was sitting on the floor, Alex's head in his lap, the other two shrooms sitting around casually.

"What happened to the others?" John asked, pointing at the two other shrooms in the room, who were huddled up together on one of the beds, fast asleep.

"They decided to like the opposite gender." Cathy replied with her usual attitude. "Satan's gonna take their souls."

"Hey!" Burr exclaimed from the spot by the door he always occupied, being the only straight in the room (besides the two sleeping shrooms).

"Well I don't know how he's gonna take half of my soul but I'm sure he'll manage." Alex commented.

"Oh you're going to hell anyways." Laf replied.

"What? Me? No." Alex said, one hand on his chest in mock offense. "What on earth for?"

Everyone laughed, and Alex kept up his act of innocence, looking at everyone with wide eyes, brows furrowed together.

"Anyways, to answer your question properly, John, they gave up when the others died." Laf said when everyone had calmed down.

"That's... depressing." John commented.

"Eh, you'll get used to it Mr. Marigold." Alex reached up and played with John's hair.

"I sure hope not." John mumbled, untangling Alex's hands from his hair.

"Guess what?" Alex said after a pause, the question clearly aimed at John.

"What?"

"I found a kid. He's mine now."

John frowned. "There's a kid here?"

"Yes, and he's mine now."

"..." John blinked slowly. "Give me a second to process that there's a kid here then I'll react to the fact that you've adopted said kid."

"Got it."

John turned to Laf and Cathy. "So there's a kid here." They nodded. "Have you met this kid?" They nodded again. "Ok. What's it's name?"

"'It's'?" Alex shrieked indignantly.

"I dunno, it's a kid!" John replied. "I mean what I'm imagining is literally a small stickman!"

Alex and Cathy laughed while Laf looked at them in confusion.

« C'est quoi? » Laf asked Cathy.

« Un stickman? Bah, euhh... c'est un stickman, quoi. » Cathy shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Alex, who made a face indicating he didn't know either.

There was a few minutes of silence whilst everyone tried to think up something to say.

"Who wants to play a game?" Cathy offered at some point.

"Depends, what game?" Alex asked.

"Truth or dare?" Cathy shrugged. (I have succumbed to the truth or dare scene)

"Ok sure. Burr get over here we're playing truth or dare." Alex called, sitting up but leaning his head on John after doing so.

"Who starts?" Laf asked, moving aside to leave a place for Burr.

"Uhh... Cathy?" John offered.

"Sure." She frowned, tucking her hair out of her eyes. "Ok, John."

"Yeah?"

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth?"

"Was there anyone before Alex?"

Alex looked over at John, eyebrows raised.

"I don't think so, no." John stated then thought for a second. "Nope, no one." Alex beamed and took John's face in his hands, planting a quick kiss on his lips before snuggling back against him.

Cathy rolled her eyes playfully and nudged John with her foot from across the circle. "Your turn to ask someone."

"Burr, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Convince Thomas you're a Petalbasket."

"What?" He frowned, shock painted on his face.

"Next time we see him, I dare you to convince him you're a Petalbasket."

"He won't be that stupid."

"Oh please, he's the lovable idiot of the group, it's James who wouldn't buy it."

Burr stared at John, who held his gaze pointedly. Finally Burr looked away and groaned something that sounded like 'you win'.

"Remind me never to get in a staring contest with John." Cathy stage whispered to Laf, who chuckled.

"Burr your turn." John prompted the StraightFriend™️.

"Right. Umm... Lafayette, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Go give John a hug." Burr said, smirking at Laf, who grew pale and looked at Alex, who was now staring into his soul, arms and legs wrapped around his Petalbasket, every inch of his small body radiating with a challenge.

« Sérieusement ? » Laf glared at Burr, who just nodded. « J'vais mourrir. »

John was petting Alex's hair, trying to get him to let go of him, as Laf shuffled over. John pried one of Alex's arms off and Laf took the opportunity to give him a quick hug before retreating, Alex snarling at him as he left.

"Can you let me go now?" John asked.

"No." Alex wrapped his arm around John again. "My marigold."

"My mushroom gremlin." John chuckled lovingly, petting the redhead's curly hair.

"Ok, ok, we get it. You two are in love!" Cathy wailed. "Now keep the lovey-dovey stuff to yourselves, everyone else here's lonely and single."

"I'm not." Burr pointed out.

Cathy shot a sad look at Laf and fell back dramatically against him. "It's just you and me my friend. Such a shame we're both gay, isn't it?"

Laf nodded somberly, hand on his heart. The two French faeries stared at each other for a little while before erupting into a fit of laughter. At some point they lost air and their faces changed to an expression of slight pain as they kept laughing. Their humor was infectious and soon all the waking faeries were laughing together.

Sadly, such a joyous time can only last for so long, and theirs was about to end.