#and i think naib's manor game was already out when i left

[jils-things]

how have i NOT SEEN THIS INTERFACE YET!!!!!!

IM ALSO AGGRESSIVELY STARING AT THE "SOLE SURVIVOR" LABEL. AINT NO WAY THEY SURVIVED THEIR MANOR GAMES WHAT 😭😭😭😭😭

[fuxuannie]

* pairings : orpheus de ross x gender neutral reader

* prompt : a novelist is left to write about his feelings for the person who he loves dearly, surely he couldn't struggle doing that, right? (wrong.)

* authors note : i love orphy sososos much <3 first fic,, reqs r open ♡.

ORPHEUS was a man who could express himself better with a pen and paper rather than use his own words. He was more than capable of doing so, but some things tend to leave him tongue tied. And there was someone that he wanted to have them untie it for him.

You were someone who shared unconditional kindnes to Orpheus, at the time, he really didn't think much of it. He appreciated your kind gestures, but never reciprocated. It was until one day, you had written him a good luck note, and given it to him before his games would start within the day.

It wasn't much, but the little gesture left an impact. The next day, he had approached you with a small smile and a letter in hand, an expression that you didn't often see from him. Nevertheless, you smile and give your due thank you.

One letter turned to two, two into three and three to a box-full of little notes and letters that the two of you were exchanging in the span of a few months.

Orpheus had grown fond of you in that time, he'd never admit it, but he'd often miss you dearly, and would read the letters he collected in your voice while you're gone. and those of the manor knew it.

"Confess to them already!" Suggested Emily,

"Man up and tell them before someone else does." said Naib,

"Just take your time and confess when you're ready." Patricia sighed.

None of those ideas he was a fan of, mostly because it involved actually telling you how he felt. Which in truth, he didn't want to do, nor was it any of their business to be snooping on his love life.

But despite believing it was for the best to stay friends, his evergrowing feelings were getting harder to control, as the simple brush against your fingertips made him ever so quietly flustered.

snap snap.

The sound of fingers snapping caught his attention.

"Orpheus?" Alice, his dear friend called out. "You're usually not so lost in thought, do you have something in mind?" She asked, snapping Orpheus back into reality as he now recalled he agreed to meet her for tea. So currently, they were in Alice's room. She sat on her chair, while Orpheus sat on her bed across to her.

"Well, it's more.. someone." He replies, clearing his throat as Alice couldn't help but smile. "Oh? Have you found someone you're interested in?" She teased, but Orpheus remained quiet. His silence speaking much louder than the words he would never admit.

"You have?!"

"You of all people, should have been the last one to know."

Alice was immediately overjoyed, "I thought you would die alone and sad! Oh my gosh, who is it?!" she questioned eagerly. "One, rude. Two.. its (name)." He admitted honestly, not bothering to hide his feelings or anything of the sort.

Alice's eyes practically lit up. "(name)!? I knew it! You two have been spending an awful lot of time together, and the way you couldn't help but cover your mouth after speaking to them was such an obvious sign! You do not simply like them, you are inlove with them!" She accused him of his love crimes, and admittedly, he pleaded guilty. Hanging his head down low as he hid his red cheeks.

"Yes, I may or may not be inlove with them. But I.. I don't know exactly how to tell them. Actually, I'm not even sure if i want to" He puts his cup of tea on her desk. Almost mumbling that entire ramble as Alice puts her index over her lips, as if she was in thought.

"How about you write a letter? You seem to be good at it, and it'll be sweet! Sure, theres a difference using your voice in a confession compared to a letter, but at least they'll be able to keep your words and preserve it forever. It's almost like that the paper is a promise to them! As long as those words are written by you, for however long they last, you promise to stay true to the words you wrote." She suggests with a snap of a finger and a small smile.

Though the idea sounded really corny, Orpheus couldn't deny that it would've been easier. He was always better on paper than in person, and he couldn't deny that he could write a novel long confession for you. Cause thats how you made him feel, with a simple gesture of kindness, you had even the most stoic and calm man stumbling over his words. So surely, it wouldn't be the hardest thing to do.

If only he knew how badly he'd eat those words later. Cue to the fact it's 11pm, Orpheus' usually tidy and organized hair turned to a mess as he pushes it back for the 10th time. Crumpling the 16th paper and dumping it in the trash, usually Orpheus wouldn't mind a Writers Block, but the fact he asked you to meet him in the Dining Room tomorrow made him really stressed.

"Maybe I should call it off.." But even before he could finish that thought, he could already hear Alice's nonestop scolding about being afraid of his own feelings. But maybe he was, maybe he was afraid of his own feelings, very specifically the fear of losing you because of it. He's read it a thousand times in several novels, the guy confesses to the person they love and boom. They lose them. He didn't want that to happen, especially not with you.

However, Orpheus didn't want to be a man filled with regret. So he emptied his mind, grabbed a pen and he focused on one of the very few things that mattered in his life. You.

It's 6AM, the manor was playing classical music on it's exact cue. You sat in one of the Dining Room chairs, humming to yourself while waiting for Orpheus to arrive. While the man himself was having Alice tell him for the 100th time that his hair looked fine, but put his pants on backwards.

"(name)?" He calls out for you from behind, a hand on your seat as you turn around and smile. "Orpheus, good morning." You greet him as usual, his gaze on you is so soft. So warm and welcoming, he pulls the chair to your side and turns it so it can face you properly. "So, I wanted to tell you something." He began, trying to maintan eye contact with you as he avoided the urge to look away.

"(name), for the longest time, I-"

"I like you too, Orpheus."

He's not allowed to get another second in, and you look at him with the most serious expression on your face. "I like you." You repeated. His entire composure that he tried to build up all night melted. You smile a little at his reaction, watching him scramble to cover his mouth as a tint of red glows on his face.

You gently take his hand away from your face, and hold it in your own. "I'm sorry if I ruined the moment." You apologize, squeezing his hand as he's now left to show his entire world his very flustered expression. "No uh, actually I'm glad you did. I spent 5 hours trying to uh.. plan a confession and.. was left thinking of you and nothing else that I forgot to write something." He confessed, laughing to himself as his gaze was originally you and his hand intertwined together, but was pleasantly surprised to see you slightly blush.

"You.. were thinking of me?" You asked, "The question should be, when do I not think about you?" He answered.

There was a comforting silence, before Orpheus lifted your hand up to plant a kiss on your knuckles. Just incase that the lips was something you weren't ready for yet.

"Actually, I think that the question should be.. What now?" He said softly, and you quite literally pull him into a hug. "Take one step at a time. We'll figure things out together, right?"

He smiles, returning the embrace. "Right." He pulls away for a moment, looking you in the eyes and carressing your cheek before you gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Hah.. Thank you. For everything."

Maybe confessing wasn't such a bad idea after all.

[fishermanshook]

Dying In your Arms (mercenary x gn!reader)

aloemarket on Pinterest

⚠️ YOU DIE! + grammar and spelling warning this fr sucks ass you guys a

INTRO

Your not usually supposed to actually, like, die in the manor games.

But it seems you upset the owner, or bloody queen was just especially pissed off today and couldn’t handle the fact there was only 2 chiphers left.

So neither or you guys really expect it when she impales you.

What was born from confusion turns quickly into pain, as she only jabs the shard of glass deeper into your stomach. Pulling a scream from your mouth that only shakes the ground and pierces the air.

There’s nothing you can do but bleed out onto the snowy floors of Leo’s Memory and pray to whatever god there is to put you out of your misery.

—

He was in the match with you, and as much as he’d like to help you he understood that you were more than capable or defending yourself

Oh how he wish he could be right.

It happened while he was decoding, usually something he isn’t doing to be completely honest. In most matches, he’s either going off to save someone, or being targeted for the 3rd time today.

Your scream none the less catches him off guard, and he immediately thinks that you’ve just been terror shocked. So he’s not super duper completely insanely worried, but yeah he’s scarred and fucks up his collaboration.

But it doesn’t matter cause he’s already moving to your direction.

It just confuses him why the Hunter hasn’t picked you up yet, especially when he’s running half way across the map. Shouldn’t you at least be ballooned right now? Or maybe someone’s distracting the Hunter. Or maybe-

Or maybe your just lying a little more still then he would like you to be right now.

Your deathly unmotionless body is what he noticed first, quickly followed by the ever growing pool of blood that your body is seemingly drowning in.

“Oh shit, y/n?” He mumbled, quickly dropping onto his knees and flipping your body over. Your eyes slowly flicker to light as you stare at the Mercenary.

“Hey, um,,,,” is all you can mutter out without tears dripping down your face from the unfathomable pain the queens blade of glass has left you. All Naib can do is stare at you in utter shock and horror, but quickly snapping out of it and gets to work. Trying to push down the ever flow of tears pooling in his eyes, and the running mess his nose is making.

Naib starts taking off his jacket while sprouting phrases among the lines of “Your going to be okay” and “We’ll get you to Emily as soon as this match is over”. Your not to sure whether he’s saying these for your comfort, or for his.

But you slowly fade in and out of consciousness, the only thing you can say before everything goes dark is a small I love you Naib before the curtains close.

The brown haired man picks you up bridal style, but it’s no use. There’s no light behind your eyes anymore, as they remain open and lifeless. You body has gone limp in his arms that it takes him a few minutes to realize what just happened.

Naib has been in this game for far too long now to know that no one can ever escape the clawing hands of death himself. He only fears that something worse might lie beyond these wretched games, that the baron has deemed you unfit for this level of hell.

He only wishes that what awaits for you is some got damn rest.

(2023)©️fishermanshook — do not steal, translate, plagiarize, or repost my work on any other platform

[storyoffracturedstars]

Protect (Naib Subedar)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Your eyes fluttered open, seeing the familiar ceiling of the Manor's medbay. As to how you got there, you can't quite recall. You slowly sat up, flinching when you felt the familiar pain you always feel. 'The match must have ended.'

The door opened, revealing the manor's very own doctor, as well as Mechanic and Gardener, who were with me in the last match. Emily looked at me, her usual cold front visible. However, it seems as if it is softer than usual. "(Y/n), Good to see you awake. You've received quite a few injuries, a bit more than usual if you were to ask me." She quietly approached me, checking to see if my wounds opened. When she saw that I was all good, she sighed in relief and gave me a small smile.

"You're all good. Just make sure to get plenty of rest before the next match."

I nod, smiling thankfully at her. "Thank you, Emily."

With that she left, leaving Emma, Tracy, and I alone in the medbay.

I glanced at both of them, whose eyes seemed to be full of worry. I opened my arms, signaling them for a hug, as to which they immediately complied. I heard Tracy's small sniffles and this made my heart warm. It's understandable, really. She's one of my closest friends here and in the last match, I protected her from the hunter. Thinking about it, it made me wonder what happened. I couldn't recall what had happened, seeing as I blacked out at the near end.

I felt someone remove themself from the hug and hit me in the head, making me flinch at the impact. "Ouch! Calm down Emma, I'm injured, remember?"

"No, you deserve this much. How reckless are you that you taunted Undead?" She glared at me, "You know the guy's heartless right?"

"I know but I couldn't just leave Tracy alone, you know?" I giggled, "I'm a faster runner than her and we need our little decoder." You ruffled her hair, making her look at me. The rim of her eyes was noticeably redder than usual, making me smile softly.

"Don't cry, Tracy. I'm fine, see? I'm still alive."

She sniffled, before whispering softly. "You wouldn't have been if Naib didn't get there in time."

This made me look at her curiously. "Naib?"

"Yeah, you told us to leave you but the guy is stubborn. He didn't want to leave you behind." Emma sighed, "I know that you guys are reckless but please, don't scare us like that."

I could hear the sadness in her voice, making my heart ache a bit. I softly removed Tracy's hold on me before reaching for Emma, hugging her as well. "I'm sorry, I'll make sure to take good care of myself. I promise."

I felt her sigh in relief. It was understandable as to why'd they act this way. Everyone in this manor had gone through something that changed them entirely. Something that made them fear life in itself. It just becomes a bit bearable with someone by your side.

I soon broke the hug, wondering where the last member of our team was. "Where's Naib?"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know. Probably in his room, why?"

"Lead me to him? I just need to thank him."

Tracy immediately nodded, while Emma follows, albeit reluctantly. You stood up, following the two girls, chatting along the way. You quietly watched them, looking around the manor. You couldn't deny that it was beautiful if it weren't for the fact that you were trapped in here while the game ensued.

While you were walking, you couldn't help but notice a familiar tuff of hair outside the window. "Emma? Tracy?"

You called the two, making them stop their talk to look at you. "I think I see him. I'll see you later?"

"Are you sure?" Emma asked, concerned for your well-being.

You nodded, a smile present on your face. With that, they left you as you headed for the window, opening it once you reach it.

The sudden sound made the mercenary jolt in surprise, sending a glare towards the sound. Once he saw that it was you, his expression softened, turning to face you.

"Rather cold to be outside, huh Naib?"

He leaned his arms on the windowsill, meeting your gaze and you fail to hide the blush that's slowly creeping up your cheeks. You thanked the heavens that it was a cold night.

"I'm used to it. How about you? Why are you already up? Last I saw you, you were unconscious."

While he tried his best to hide the worry in his tone, you could sense it because you have been on so many rounds with him. You giggled as you leaned your chin on your hand. "I'm okay. I'm a strong survivor, after all."

He scoffed, "Sure you are."

"I am!" You smiled playfully as he let out a small chuckle. You took this time to stare at him. He had sported a new bruise, present on his lips. There were also quite a few littered here and there, and this made you frown.

Noticing your stare, he sighed, flicking you in the forehead thus, making you flinch. "Hey!"

"Don't worry so much kid. These injuries were caused by Undead, not you."

You rubbed the spot where he flicked you, "I'm not. It's just..." you gave him a sad smile, "I feel like I always give you troubles, you know. I'm always giving you inju--"

"One more word and I'll kiss you."

You shut up, making the mercenary in front of you chuckle. "If you hated being kissed by me, you should have said it." His chuckles died down as he stared at you seriously. "I'm going to clarify one thing here kid. You don't give me any trouble, not as much as the other people here do, and you are NOT the one giving me these injuries. The hunters are the ones giving me these, NOT you." He drilled his pointer finger in the middle of your forehead, "Remember that kid."

You swatted his finger away, glaring at him for doing so. "I'm not a kid you know?"

"Could have fooled me." You playfully hit his shoulder, making him laugh. You slowly stopped, smiling at his expression. It was rare for him to be this way, only doing this in front of you. You found it endearing that he'd let his guard down when with you. It must have been all the times you were together in the matches.

He seemed confused by your staring, waving his hand in front of you. "You there, kid?"

You nodded, before giving him a soft look. "Thank you."

"For what, kid?"

"For always being there for me. You didn't have to but you continue to do so anyway so thank you." You could have sworn that you saw a light blush on his face but you quickly dismissed it as being too cold.

He scratched the back of his neck, coughing to ease his awkwardness. "No problem kid."

You tiptoed as you reached his cheek, giving it a quick peck, making him look at you in shock. You giggled before slowly going back inside, "I wouldn't have hated it, you know?"

With that, you closed the window, allowing the mercenary to be alone with his thoughts. He sat on the ground, eyes staring into nothing. Once he realized what had happened, he covered the lower part of his face, hoping to hide the creeping smile on his lips.

"Cheeky kid."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[cooliofango]

Hey can you please write a margnaib letter (margaretha x naib ) you can ignore this request if you want to and have a great day/night!!!<3

An Unexpected Bond

Naib Subedar x Margaretha Zelle

—————

Documentation #X

The following appears to be a love letter written by the Mercenary to the Female Dancer found within the dancer’s affects. It also appears to be written before the Mercenary’s execution.

—————

Dear Margaretha,                                           June 12

        I’m not good at letters, especially the kind of letter I’m writing now. However, I am better at letters than I am with speech when it comes to what I’m about to say to you. In all honesty, I was never going to say anything at all, but this may be the last thing I will get to say so you. I figured that I should get this off of my chest while I still can.

        In my time here, I have done rather impulsive and senseless things to our groupmates within the manor before the game was even able to start. I killed them without much thought in order to achieve the goal that had been set within my mind. I thought of nothing but myself. And it is because of this, that I do not expect for these words to be returned in favor.

        I will admit, I intentionally had planned to eliminate you as well. I sought out to rid of every obstacle in my way which, in turn, ended the game before it even began. And yet for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to end your life. For the first time, I hesitated. I despised myself and you for the duration of what was left of the game before I had finished off the last of our remaining groupmates- simply because I was unsure of what to make of it.

        I think I now know why I couldn’t kill you no matter how many times I had come close to it. It feels shameful to feel this way, however, because of what I had done to your friends and what I had almost done to you on multiple occasions. I love you, Margaretha, as hard as it was for me to admit it to myself. As stated before, I do not expect these feelings to be reciprocated in the slightest, nor will I be able to be granted your answer no matter your feelings on the situation at hand. 

        I’m on the run, Margaretha. The ones behind these horrible games that you had been through once already have sent an executioner after me for my actions. I’ve broken the rules of the game, and so they’re going to dispose of me. I do not intend to go out easily. I’ve looked death in it’s ugly face once before, and I will do so again and again if I need to. Whether we will see each other again or not is out of my hands. I doubt you’d even want to see me after I’ve gone anyways.

Stay safe. Stay alive.

Yours truly,

Naib Subedar

        —————

Edit by me! Official art from the IDV game itself.

For a tad bit of context, I decided to do a mix of Naib’s experience in the manor as told by the lore within the wiki and then a bit of an AU where Margaretha didn’t get eliminated in the last round and was put into the next one which, according to order of the serial numbers given to the test subjects, was the one where Naib had been apart of.

[overlordofawesomeness]

A Man for Himself (Norton x Eli)

Genre: Romance, Thriller, Horror, Fantasy

Rating: R-18

Pairing: Norton x Eli | Prospector x Seer

Chapter Trigger Warning/s: N/A

Chapter 2

"Good job on your first match!" A tall, dark-skinned man gave Norton's shoulder a smack. "I heard you contained the hunter all throughout the match. And it's not just any hunter. It's the Ripper! Bloody Jack the Ripper! It's never easy to go against him. But you, my friend, managed to buy time for your teammates and get a four man escape! Truly amazing."

It was dinner time. Most of the survivors had gathered around the long table to feast on the variety of delicacies served by the owner of the manor. It's a small reward for winning most of the matches for the day.

Norton was sandwiched between a burly man named William and a buck-toothed lawyer named Freddy. He preferred talking to the former despite the smacks that he's constantly receiving from the big guy. From what he'd learned, William was a rugby player, and it showed. He had the built, the energy and the charisma. He seemed like the type that could guarantee the victory of his team—a real team player. Norton needed a man like William on his side.

"I honestly had no idea what I was doing back there," Norton responded in an almost timid manner and shrugged. "It's mostly thanks to Eli. If it wasn't for him, I would've been caught by the hunter."

"Ah, yes, Eli." William nodded, picking up a glass of wine and taking a sip from it. "He's the best. I may sound like I'm exaggerating, but words can't describe how good he is as a teammate. You've witnessed it yourself, haven't you?"

Norton picked up an apple from the bowl of fruits at the center of the table and bit a chunk off of it. "I have."

He had to admit that the stunt Eli had pulled was outstanding, although he's still slightly pissed about the time he'd missed a calibration because of the owl.

"So how's your stay in the manor so far?" William continued, picking up a grape and popping it into his mouth.

How was it? Norton let his eyes wander around the room. He saw different faces and personalities. He hadn't yet spoken to most of the survivors, barely interacted with them. This was merely his second night after all. It's too early for him to tell whether he would get along with everyone or not, whether the challenges would become harder or not. But, of course, he would make it so things would work in his favor. He's in a game, but he wouldn't let the game play him.

"So far so good," Norton replied, taking another bite off of his apple. "It's challenging, but I have amazing teammates; and I'm sure I'll get to know more incredible people like you in my future matches."

"You're flattering me." William laughed and stood up from his seat. "Anyway, nice meeting you, Mr. Campbell, but I have got to go now. Enjoy your stay, and I hope to be on the same team with you soon. Have a nice evening."

"You have a nice evening as well." Norton grinned. "But I'm not flattering you. I know an exceptional person when I see one."

"Thanks."

Waving a hand, the rugby player made his way out of the dining chamber, leaving Norton with the company of the people whom he barely knew. These people chose to live in the moment despite having full knowledge of the situation they're in. They laughed as though their lives wouldn't be taken from them any moment. Norton wished he could be like them, but all he could see was the overwhelming false camaraderie. These people were like him, and it's sickening.

After gulping down the remaining wine in his glass, Norton got up from his seat and left the room. He hadn't explored the rest of the estate yet, so he decided to go and visit the garden, which he figured would be at the back of the manor.

The garden could be considered a tranquil place. There was a fountain at the center of it and a few wooden benches where one could sit on to admire the view of the sky while being surrounded by a collection of various shrubs. It was a perfect place for Norton to contemplate on his next moves. However, as he was making his way to the fountain, he spotted two people at the far left side of the garden. He quickly took a few steps back and hid behind a column so as not to let his presence be known.

One of the men was crouched over a shrub as if examining its flowers while the other was standing with a cigarette in hand. They seemed to be having a little argument. They were Eli and the guy with the elbow pads. Norton hadn't had the chance to ask the latter's name yet. Not like he's planning to do so.

"You don't have to like him," Eli sighed. "I think he's pretty good. He'll be a great addition to our team."

His buddy didn't seem to agree with him as he clicked his tongue, took a drag off of his cigarette and huffed. "I'm not saving your sorry bottom if you get in trouble because of him."

"Naib, please." Eli's tone dropped. "We're done with this. Just go and check on Emily. See if she can make it tomorrow. If not, we might need to ask Fiona to come with us instead."

Naib clicked his tongue yet again, but he obliged with his partner's request and turned to leave after flicking the cigarette butt into the bushes. Seeing as the male was coming his way, Norton put on a straight face and acted as though he'd recently entered the garden and hadn't heard anything. A look of surprise crossed Naib's face upon seeing Norton, but he didn't say anything and continued on his way out of the garden. He got dismissed again by that punk.

"Good evening, Mr. Campbell."

Norton turned to see that Eli was already sitting on a bench by the fountain. It was hard not to notice the absence of the blindfolded man's owl. It must have been badly injured from the last match that they'd had.

"I'm sorry about Naib," Eli continued in an apologetic tone. "He's always been like that to newcomers."

Norton froze. He didn't think Eli would know that he was eavesdropping earlier. Feeling a little tinge of embarrassment, he waved his hand and laughed it off as he made his way to sit by the fountain. Denying it wouldn't make him look good either.

"It's fine. I don't blame him," he replied, lightly rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm new after all. It's not easy to trust someone you just met. But enough about me, I'd like to know about your owl." He'd rather not talk about himself. "Is it badly hurt?"

"She's recovering. Thanks for asking." Eli gave a polite smile, probably appreciating Norton's concern for his owl. "She should be fine for tomorrow's match. How about you? How are you?"

Why were people so curious about him?

Norton took a deep breath and leaned back a bit, turning his gaze to the canopy of vines above him. "I think I'm doing great. Still adjusting. But I'm sure I'll get used to it in no time."

Silence fell between them. Norton had nothing more to say, but Eli's stare was still trained on him as if he was expecting more answers. Or, at least, he looked like he was staring at Norton. This made him a little uncomfortable. He was so used to getting a lot of attention, but this was different. It felt like he was being silently judged.

"How can you see when you have a blindfold on?" Norton heard himself ask. It didn't come out as smoothly as he thought it would. Honestly, he wasn't even expecting himself to ask at all.

Eli was quiet for a moment as if wondering if Norton was serious about his question. Then he laughed, a soft laugh that didn't sound condescending. Just out of pure amusement.

"I don't," he answered once he's finally settled. "At least, I don't see what's in front of me." He stood up and started to pace around the garden. "I only see what my owl sees. Unbelievable, right? It's like choosing to be blind in order to see beyond what normal eyes can see. Does that make sense?"

Norton nodded. It was indeed unbelievable. After all, one doesn't normally get granted with vision like of Eli's. It's something out of fantasy.

"I thought you sent that owl to distract me, to be honest," he admitted. Yet another statement that he didn't expect to disclose.

Eli stopped pacing and looked at him. "Sorry about that," he said. "It's just my owl's way of marking your locations."

"I see." Norton dipped his head in understanding. "Thanks again. I owe you one." As if.

Eli smiled. "Like I said, no one gets left behind. It's a teamwork. But if you insist..." He turned around and started to walk off. Then he looked over his shoulder. "Repay me by surviving."

By that time, he was already at the door, ready to get back inside; but Norton stood up fast and ran after him.

"Hey, Eli!" he called out.

Eli paused. "Hm?"

Norton took a deep breath, catching the one he'd lost from running. "I'll do my best when we get teamed up again."

The blindfolded man smiled yet again. Norton wished it was Eli's way of mocking him, but it looked so genuine.

"You'll be fine," Eli spoke in a reassuring tone. "And it won't be long. We'll meet again soon."

With that, he turned and continued on his way back inside. Norton stood there and watched him leave until he's finally out of sight.

He's an eyesore.

Eli's great, but his ideals sounded ridiculous. They could pretend to look out for each other; but in the end, the only thing that mattered was escaping on one's own.

As soon as Eli's gone, Norton began to find his way back to his room. He's sharing it with someone, but he'd never met his roommate since he moved in. Until now.

When Norton opened the door to his room, he was welcomed by a gray-haired male who was wearing a white surgical mask. Probably due to surprise, they both stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"You..." the man muttered behind his mask, his brows furrowing as he stared at Norton. "You smell of death."

Then, as if nothing happened, he walked past Norton and disappeared down the hallway. It wasn't the best first impression that he was expecting from his roommate.

What a weirdo.

Shaking it off, Norton continued into his room and plopped down in his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, thinking how he would make a progress in his mission. The game was interesting, yes; but the treasure wouldn't wait for him forever. He had to make a move.

Taking off his boots, he decided to call it a day.

>>

[gentlyquietly]

Let’s Go Home

He should have known. He should have known things were going to take a turn for the worse the moment the hunter glared at him after the match. It was so obvious, the way the hunter threatened and growled, practically seething with hatred every time he saw Aesop. If it weren't for the fact that the manor did not allow violence outside the manor, Aesop was sure the hunter would gladly rip him to pieces.

Aesop didn't pay much attention to him, there were a lot of people who didn't like him. That hunter was simply one of the many fish in the water. Of course, that seemed to anger the said hunter even more.

Eli however, was very wary of him, making it clear to everyone around them that if Aesop was in a game with that specific hunter, Eli and the rest of the group (being Naib and Norton) were bound to be in the same match. He told Aesop that his predictions had shown him it would be bad if Aesop were to be matched against that hunter alone, so it was best that he didn't go anywhere alone.

Eli’s intuition was never wrong, so Aesop knew it was better to stay away from that hunter, despite the fact that Aesop thought it wasn’t that big of a deal. At least not to the point where he needed 3 bodyguards to be with him at all times, and the times they weren't with him, a certain, much more dangerous silver-haired individual was with him.

However, that thought soon changed when they were placed up against the hunter for the last round of the day.

It had already been a long day, and everyone was ready to go back to their rooms and just rest. All of them not being in their best shape. Most hunters even go friendly for the last round since they’ve met their requirements for the day, and the fact that it was just too exhausting. Michiko and Mary being the most regular ones, earning themselves the affectionate nickname of ‘mama geisha’ and ‘mama Mary’ for the number of times they’ve gone friendly.

The familiar sound of glass shattering was heard before darkness overtook their senses. When Aesop opened his eyes, the cold air from the map of ‘Leo’s memory’ greeted him. The snow-filled factory was one of Aesop’s favorite places to be matched to, since the map had many good places to hide his coffins, not to mention the beautiful white scenery that came with it. Seasons never seemed to change at the manor, it always seemed to be constantly a certain temperature, rarely raining, so it was a nice change to see something other than sunny days.

Spawning inside the factory, Aesop could see that Eli was closer to where he was, so he quickly ran towards him and memorized his appearance, giving him a short nod as a greeting. Naib and Norton had spawned on the other side of the map, so it would be harder to get their appearances. Placing the coffin down behind some ruins, Aesop ran towards the nearest cipher when Norton messaged that the hunter was near him. Eli and Norton immediately messaged their cipher progress, Aesop doing the same seconds after.

The familiar sound of the hunter’s first level skill being unlocked was heard throughout the map as Norton’s image went from full blood to half. Eli quickly sent his owl out, giving Norton extra protection to kite him a bit longer.

At the same time, Eli finished his cipher and messaged “don’t move! I’m coming!” Aesop finished his cipher seconds later and went to embalm Eli just in case he were to be downed by the hunter. Norton has been kiting the hunter for 60 seconds now, and both him and Eli were at half-blood.

The hunter's second-tier skill was unlocked as Eli was downed, Norton following moments after. The hunter placed peepers all around Norton while he went and chaired Eli, preventing Norton from healing too fast. 

Naib quickly messaged that he was going in, telling Aesop to focus on decoding. Eli was currently being resurrected while Norton was being chaired. They still had 3 ciphers left.

Naib managed to rescue Norton without a scratch, even blocking a hit for him while they ran. Aesop quickly finished the 3rd cipher and rushed to heal Eli who came out of the coffin near him.

Not long after, Norton was hit once more, and Naib was also hit. This time, however, the hunter didn’t chair Norton, placing peepers around him once again. Instead chasing after Naib, who collapsed not far away from where Eli and Aesop were. The hunter made no move to chair Naib, instead just stood there waiting for him to heal himself. Norton managed to self-heal and got up, running away from the hunter so he didn’t get downed again. At this rate, everyone knew that the hunter was up to no good, yet they couldn't do anything about it since they were in a game.

Eli quickly thanked Aesop for healing him before running towards Naib, hoping he could somehow heal him and kite the hunter for a bit. Aesop focused on deciphering the machine in front of him, wanting to be of help to his teammates. There were still 2 ciphers that needed to be deciphered in order for the gate to be open, and he was already half-way done with this one.

Luckily, after being hit by the hunter, Eli managed to heal Naib when the hunter was recovering. Thinking that the hunter might go after Naib again, Eli gave the bird to Naib, only to be terror shocked while flipping a pallet. Eli was close to where Aesop was, and Aesop could feel his heart beating faster. Instead of chairing Eli, the hunter went for Aesop instead. The feeling of the machete tearing through his back was not pleasant, holding back a pained cry, Aesop managed to heal Eli as the hunter got ready to attack once more. Norton messaged out that he was 56% done with a cipher, while Naib was working on the one Aesop abandoned.

Another hit, and Aesop was down, he quickly sent out a message telling the others to focus on decoding. The hunter smirked at him, not moving an inch from where they were are he starting to hit Aesop again and again, the crimson staining the snow beneath him. Silently taking in the pain, Aesop bit down on his lips so he wouldn't cry out in pain. He didn't want to give the hunter the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. He glanced at him with his gray eyes, silently daring him to continue. Seeing that Aesop didn't seem to be affected by the pain, the hunter scowled and pulled him up by the hair. Aesop couldn't help but cry out as the burning sensation lit up his scalp. His hands grabbed onto the hunter's wrist, hoping to ease some of the pain of being held up in the air.

"Acting tough are we?" He growled at him, malice dripping off his every word, "pain doesn't affect you?"

Aesop managed to open his eye through the grim and blood, not saying a word as he stared down the hunter.

He grinned, "We'll see about that." With that, he set Aesop down again, occasionally hitting him once or twice as he waited for his teammates to come.

Naib finished the cipher that Aesop worked on, messaging that he was coming to help Aesop. Eli healed himself and summoned his bird to protect himself so he didn't need to worry about being hit as he ran towards Aesop. The hunter had placed peepers all around Aesop, making the healing progress slower than ever, he didn't have enough time to heal him. Norton messaged that the cipher machine was primed, and as soon as Eli was hit, the cipher machine was opened. Norton, Naib were both at full blood, while Aesop and Eli were at half.

Ignoring that pain signals his brain was sending every time he moved, Aesop ran straight for the exit, the hunter chose to chase after him, ignoring Eli. Aesop messaged the others to not save him and leave, knowing fully that the hunter was going to do whatever it takes to make Aesop stay. Aesop pulled down a pallet, trying his best to kite the hunter for as long as he could. Before he could do anything, his injured leg gave out a little, making him trip. The hunter immediately downed him, turning around and going for Eli who tried to block a hit for Aesop. The door was open, and Aesop messaged Naib and Norton to leave, not wanting them to land in the hands of the hunter. Sending out a "The hunter has detention!", hoping to deter them from coming.

Unfortunately, Naib and Norton were not about to leave them here, knowing the hunter was doing his best to make them suffer. Norton threw his magnet down, repelling the hunter as he reached for Eli. but the hunter wasn't going to let that happen so easily, using his skill to stun Norton momentarily and down him in one go. Naib was almost finished with healing Aesop, his breathing heavy as blood leaked from his wounds. Naib gritted his teeth as the hunter hit him, using the recovery time to finish healing Aesop.

Naib was downed by the hunter, and Aesop ran for Eli, trying to heal him as the hunter recovered. Out of the corner of his eye, Aesop saw the hunter throw something at him, hitting him in the corner of his eye and disrupting his healing.

"Hn!" He fell back, holding his eye in pain.

"Aesop!" Eli gasped, "Your eye!" The rock that the hunter threw at him hit his temple and eye, blocking his sight.

"You! You're not allowed to do that in games!" Naib angrily roared at the hunter, blood dripping down his forehead. Norton didn't say anything but was glaring daggers at the hunter, holding his magnets in his hands tightly.

"Except I did." The hunter sneered, knocking Aesop down with one hit. He pulled him up by the hair, "Now, let's see how you like it when your friends are hurt."

Aesop's eyes widened, "Stop! You can't do that!"

The hunter threw Aesop down on the ground and walked to where Norton was, raising his leg.

"Watch me."

Crack.

Norton screamed in pain as he tried to cradle his broken leg, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Naib was throwing every curse he could ever think of at the hunter, eyes red with rage.

Eli also shook with anger as he glared at the hunter, cursing him. The hunter frowned and walked to Naib, who continued swearing at him.

"I'll remember this you son of a--"

Naib's words were cut short as the hunter slapped him across the face, slamming him onto the ground.

"If you don't know how to talk, then shut up." Naib struggled to push himself up, spitting out blood and a tooth, glaring at him.

He turned to look at Aesop, "Still unaffected?"

Aesop shook as he watched the hunter walk to Eli, "...Stop..!"

He grabbed Eli by the throat, ignoring the weak struggles of the seer. "I guess we'll have to continue with the games then." Eli choked, his legs kicking as he struggled to breathe.

"Stop!" Aesop screamed, "Stop it!"

It felt like a scene in a horror movie...blood stained the once pristine and white snow, taking down evidence of the horrors that were happening. They were left to bleed out. Norton was the first one to go, his grip on his magnet loosening and finally falling.

Eli was second, he had been left to bleed out before so it was unavoidable that he would be next.

Naib was third. The hunter didn't want Aesop to bleed out before his teammates, he wanted him to suffer. So he kept picking Aesop up, knowing that Aesop didn't have any more strength in him to struggle. Aesop could only watch his friends bleed out before him, unable to hold back the sobs. Naib had taken one last look at Aesop, as if telling him that he was sorry he couldn't protect him before those green eyes never opened again.

Satisfied with his work, the hunter dropped Aesop down on the ground, hard. Watching him crawl towards the bodies of his teammates. A sick idea came to mind, and the hunter was quick to put it to test. Every time Aesop was a bit closer, he would drag him back, repeating the process over and over as a form of sick self-entertainment.

Aesop could feel the cold slowly invaded his body, his consciousness slipping. It wasn't the first time Aesop had bled out in a game, but Aesop could never get used to it. The feeling of bleeding out...it was like slowly sinking under cold water, no matter what you did, there was a bone-chilling coldness that could not be filled...as if there was an emptiness inside of you that was crawling out and dragging everything in.

"...I'm sorry." Forgive me.

.

.

.

The sound of snow crunching under boots was heard as he slowly approached his lover. Gently moving a strain of gray hair out from his pale face, Joseph ever so slowly picked up Aesop in his arms. As though the slightest bit of movement could hurt him, Joseph caressed his lover's cold face, not minding the blood that stained his clothes. He watched as the others picked up their respective lovers, walking towards the exit.

"Let's go home, Aesop."

.

.

.

The manor owner soon found out about what had happened that round, immediately punished the hunter for his actions. He was forbidden from attending any games for 2 weeks, and never all repercussions caused in that time would have to be covered by himself. He was also forbidden from getting close to Aesop, Naib, Eli, and Norton, having to send them a formal apology letter.

The hunter sighed and shut his door, falling into the couch. He picked up the letter the manor owner had given him regarding his punishments, and the multiple warnings sent by anonymous survivors and hunters. He scoffed, throwing them down on the table as he rubbed his neck. He didn't care about those warnings, hell he'd do it again if he could.

Thinking back to Aesop's crying form, a twisted smile appeared on his lips, "I should've taken pictures..."

"Oh? Photos you say?"

The hunter whirled around to where Joseph was standing, glaring at the uninvited guest. "How the hell did you get in here?!"

Joseph smiled, but it had no emotion to it, "monsieur, I really do not appreciate it when someone touches what is mine...not to mention breaking it." His slender fingers toyed with his sword, walking closer to where the hunter stood. "you see, I'm...quite possessive of what's mine."

"When someone touches what's mine...I have the urge to...break them." With his last word, Joseph's sword slashed out, cutting deeply into the hunter's hand.

He screamed in pain, holding his wounded arm. "What the hell?! It's against the rules to attack someone when you're not in a game!!"

Joseph ignored his screams as he elegantly wiped the blood off his sword, taking another step towards him. The hunter gritted his teeth, knowing that he was no match for Joseph, eyeing the door, he quickly threw the nearest item at Joseph then ran for the door. Joseph grunted, slashing the vase the was thrown at him easily.

The hunter reached for the door eagerly, rushing to report this to the manor owner. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, it was sliced away with a sharp claw.

"Oh, monsieur, I never said I was alone did I?"

Jack appeared next to the door, his eyes glued onto the hunter. "The hand that slapped Naib...which one was it?"

The hunter gritted his teeth, looking between Joseph and Jack. "Are you seriously going to do this just because I toyed with a couple of survivors?" He scoffed, "Come on! They're survivors! We're hunters! We are superior to them!"

Out of nowhere, a tentacle sprung out and grasped the hunter tightly by the neck. Choking and gurgling, the hunter glanced down at the otherworldly being,"I do not disagree that I am superior to those beneath me," Hastur's tone was cold, sending shivers down his spine.

"But that does not give you the right to touch what is mine." He dropped the hunter down onto the ground, ignoring his coughs. The hunter gasped for breath as he pulled himself up, only to notice a dark figure looming before him.

"..w-what-"

Crack. "Gah!!" He screamed in pain, his leg twisted in an abnormal way showing the tremendous amount of pain the owner is in.

Luchino grinned to the howling hunter, "You stepped on Norton with this leg right?" Without another word, he broke the other foot as well. "Oh, I think it was this one, sorry, my bad."

"Monster! You're all monsters!" He cried out, "Just wait! Just wait till I report this to the manor owner!"

Joseph scoffed, "You really think the owner is going to help you?" forcing him to look up with his sword, Joseph smiled, "Don't you think it's too late to be causing such a scene?"

The hunter's eyes widened, that's right. All this noise should have drawn someone in by now...yet there hasn't even been a squeak.

"You...the owner...they're allowing this?!"

Luchino clicked his tongue, "You oughta thank your usual behavior for that."

"purposely bleeding out survivors, not following the rules, use of bad language...didn't you know that the owner hates people who don't follow the rules?" Joseph added on cheerfully, wiping his sword as if it touched something disgusting.

4 pairs of crimson eyes filled with malevolence greeted his own, terrified ones.

Joseph laughed.

"Don't worry. This time, I won't forget to take pictures."

.

.

.

There was the familiar scent of cologne that lingered in the air when Aesop woke up. The bed was comfortable, warm, and most of he was next to him.

"Hm? You're awake." A low, rich voice sounded next to him, placing a kiss on his temple, he rubbed Aesop's head.

"I was worried, mon cheri."

It was sudden, abrupt, but Aesop couldn't stop the tears that kept falling. He snuggled closer to Joseph, grabbing onto his shirt.

"Joseph."

"I'm here."

"Joseph."

"Hm."

"Joseph."

His only response was to hug him tighter, sapphire blue eyes gently gazing into Aesop's clean, gray ones.

"I was so scared."

"I'm here."

"It hurt."

"You were brave."

"It was so cold."

"I know."

Aesop sniffed, eyes red from crying, "I wanted to see you."

Joseph cradled his lover in his arms, tenderly kissing his face. "I wanted to see you too. You don't know how worried I was." He lightly wiped away the tears in Aesop's eyes, kissing the corner of those watery eyes.

"Everything is okay now, I took care of it."

.

.

.

"Welcome home."