#i am getting closer and closer to needing to get gas tho. that’s evil

[wkiwf]

life is beautiful when my grocery list looks like this. i’m gonna walk out of publix having only spent like 30 bucks and im gonna feel so good about it

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

Eden-6!!

I am. so fucking tired. but I’m also late asf for Eden-6 stuff to the point it got its video release, so here I am playing catch up.

tl;dr: swamp planet!! we get some cool shots of Alitair and Aurelia, i, surprise surprise, still do not trust mr. wainwright, i tried to form an argument that these ruins we see across the planet are abandoned Atlas facilities/ships, but ~who knows~. also i would (and probably will) die for the saurians. i love them so much. one of them has a funky bone hat. it’s great. also also “stop the CoV before they gain control” [looks at trailers and behind closed doors intro] ... uh oh gamers...

“A backwater swampland of a planet, and family home of the Jakobs clan. Eden-6 is covered by lush greenery and stagnant waters, dotted with occasional settlements and the rusted hulks of crashed spaceships. Civilization has never fully taken hold here, and indigenous dangers including ravenous Saurians and semi-sentient Jabbers effectively rule the planet. As if you didn't already have enough to worry about, the Children of the Vault have a presence here as well.”

im excited for the abandoned spaceships, those things look fucking bad. ass.

Ambermire I am guessing is one of the more swampy areas? Jakob’s Manor is obvious, and Fort Sunshine I’m guessing is that abandoned facility we’ve been seeing around the trailers. unfortunately we don’t get too good of a look at the fortress (shakes fist at gearbox) but we do get some other stuff!

im gonna go over the instagram video first because the pics are a treat so we’re saving them for last.

sorry for the progress bars btw lol

i fucking love that gas giant. so much.

swamps are one of my least favorite biomes, but i know gearbox is going to make me love it.

also a look at one of the crashed ships! (i assume) looks like Atlas to me. Or old Hyperion, but tbh idk why Hyperion would be on Eden-6. so Atlas it is.

a look at one of the settlements. i really love the contrast between this planet and Promethea and Athenas.

those gross pod things on the right? idk if they’re egg sacs or plants or what but i both hate them and love them. also whatever that is glowing on the bottom left. i wanna touchy

Jakobs manor!! honestly a lot less extravagant in the front than i was expecting. also now we know this one shot

is definitely not in front of Jakobs Manor. could be the back entrance or smth tho. looks like it leads into a garden-y area.

my question is, is it a Jakobs thing to enjoy hunting? because it seems like it’s a Jakobs thing to enjoy hunting. also i don’t trust Jakobs. I know I’ve said that, like, a bajillion times, but i don’t. and those metal cowboy-lookin’ robots are totally theirs.

im just surprised the Hammerlocks are living in the Manor. I assumed they were like... visiting. now im pretty convinced mr. wainwright down here is evil because only Alistair is on Sanc-III and we’re all assuming that the Sanc-III demo (not the more recent one) takes place after Athenas, right? 

and OMG YES lilith’s tattoos aren’t visible in the newest video on sanc-iii!! im hoping that means she gets her powers back!! im giddy to look over it 30 times i cannot wait. but one post at a time.

evil. evil man.

he either dies or he’s evil i don’t trust him and hammerlocks eye shouldn’t be red in the We Are Mayhem trailer i just... im so suspicious of this man.

AURELIA i love her so much. she was great in TPS, one of my mains. her new outfit is popping, i love the boots.

also she has 2 ice diadem shards now and im terrified yet oddly happy for her.

ALISTAIR. i legitimately thought he was on Promethea at first, then i realized this is probably part of the abandoned facility/fortress. shame we don’t get a closer look at it.

also look who’s eye is back to being not-red again!

also the writing on the back there makes me even more convinced this is Atlas facility. on Promethea, the parts of the Meridian city are labeled with these unique symbols (so far i’ve seen blue and red) and this red one looks like it fits the mark perfectly.

these look like the same canisters from the mine on Pandora. whatcha pumpin eden-6?

more red plants. i like how different this can look from athenas, yet still have very similar foliage. outstanding move, gearbox.

is that another crashed ship in the background??? yes pls. also this dude’s face paint is giving me huge Mask of Mayhem vibes, I love it.

the inside of Jakobs Manor

i hate to tell you this mr. gearbox sir but im pretty sure they do

yeesh. 

also that one scene of troy in the manor as well

dis one

is that the globe in the background? anyone know? im trying to remember where the fuck ive seen that shot of the library/globe. hmmmmmmmmmm

it is not the globe whump whump. i am excited to explore this library tho. 

what looks like fishing net on the right? wild

also car!!

no wings/fins like in the Mask of Mayhem trailer tho, that sucks.

i like this dude. especially his face paint.

i like this glowing crystals even more tho

purple crystals that mimic troy’s red ones? me likey.

eridium? maybe! slag to chug when u need more power? maybe! i don’t know!

j̷̧̭͙̹̭̀̽͆̕͘u̸̦͌̃͛̕̕s̴̡̰͙̣͊̂̔t̴͇̪͐ͅ ̸̭̐́w̵̧̯̲͊̀̃̄̕a̵̢͓̎́̏̓t̷̪̓̑̎͜c̶̢̢͔̀h̴̥̬̪̫̫̿ ̶̪̬̞̼͐̾̉͐̒ơ̵̼̋̍̓̕u̵̻̪̞̞̺̐̾̀̚͠t̶͉̠̟͉̪̋̈̿ ̶̢̗̗͑f̵̰̫͇̈̾ọ̴͑r̶̢͕̺͈͎̃̌͘ ̸̩͆̏̅a̸͈̙̪̋̏ǹ̷̮͚͍̽͜ģ̵̠̀̍̋̔r̴̪̦̾̇̕͠y̷̘͖̜̿͑̅̀ͅ ̷̬̱͉̗͌̇j̵̹͇̽͗̕ā̸̳͇͈̠̺b̴̰̏͜b̴̘͗̔e̷͖̓͊r̸͍̫̻̊͆̊s̸̛̙̳͔̗̋̓͝ 

also check that glowy light in the background. totally Atlas.

also also i like they have little hanging nest/house things. those are really cute.

this motherfucker is coming at us with a sledgehammer ffs

i like their tiger stripe designs. they blend in with the leaves, which i guess is an evolutionary advantage all things considered.

I LOVE THESE FUNKY LITTLE MOTHERFUCKERS

LOOK AT THIS DUDE!!! HE’S GOT A BONE HAT! I LOVE HIM!!!

AND THEY FUCKING BREATHE FIRE??

GLOWING YELLOW EYES!!!

A SPLIT JAW! WHO DOESN’T LOVE THESE LITTLE DUDES???

i fucking love Saurians holy shit

okay okay okay okay

picture time 😎

i love the skybox on Eden-6, holy shit it’s beautiful. also, those sacs/plants/fungi or whatever are definitely volatile.

look at that one glowing red one. that’s totally going to deal some fuckin fire damage to whatever touches it and i for one am ready

also.

can we get an F in chat for Eden-6? lmao i remember being like ‘oh look a gas giant’ in my analysis of every museum of mayhem piece and COMPLETELY FORGETTING that eden-6 has a gas giant directly beside it. big brain fart there.

holy shit i love the color schemes for these things. i know there are blue ones as well, but these orange/yellow/red ones are FANTASTIC. i especially love the shiny yellow ones. they’re so pretty!!

we also get a mostly obscured window in the back there

possibly part of the abandoned facility? but more than likely just part of a crashed ship.

like (im assuming) this one!

the doors match up to Sanctuary-III quite well. also the bones on the ground. i love the regrowth aesthetic they’ve got going on here.

also apparently ratches have made their home here. these things are fuckin everywhere. they’re like the new rakk holy shit

MY BEAUTIFUL BOYS

look at the one on the bottom right! those blue markings are fuckin stunning and i love the little fins on the sides of his head

and that giant skeleton in the background? that’s some good shit right there! im hoping those are fireflies/some sort of glowing insect around the front there. so we can have pockets of glowing orbs dancing around the map as we explore.

oooo

i really like the hulls of the ships, the one on the far left and the one in the back right.

im mostly interested in this tree. i wonder if it just regrew around some debris or if this is making the stuff on this planet grow wildly out of control. I’m always down for science gone wrong! and with atlas, pretty much anything could go horribly wrong. that’s just their way of doing things.

anyway it is 4 in the am and i am tired, so im gonna pass tf out now and hopefully do Fl4k’s trailer, and a few other posts i gotta catch up on, tomorrow! so hyped for fl4k info!!

[panticwritten]

Unbind Me? (for whoever you want)

OKAY I FINALLY DID IT!! Sorry it took so long, and thank you so much for sending this!

This takes place August 2017. There’s not a lot of context here, but tbh it would take more than 1500 words to give anywhere near enough context to make some things in this make sense.

Content warnings: Unreality, implied memory loss, implied suicidal ideation.

—//—

I know Connor will have a great big I told you so waiting for me when we get back. I told you, he’ll say, that you can’t just ignore trauma. There’ll be a whole thing, and everyone is gonna agree with him even though no one else deals with their bullshit either.

“What’ll you do with him when we get back?” Jarie tugs at the rope between the two of us. She walks a step behind me, but I still feel the pointed look she aims at Jordan.

I tighten my grip on his wrist. Some might say it’s unnecessary, considering he’s also tied to me. I don’t trust him not to use the memories to wiggle away. Not for the reasons the Master thinks, but because of one trait I know he shares with Connor.

He doesn’t think he deserves forgiveness for crimes he never even committed.

“Figure out what’s really going on.”

“We know!” she snaps. “Do you think I’ve been running around with someone else in my head for fun?”

Guilt throbs from Jordan. He doesn’t say anything, still, and I wonder why. I wonder why he doesn’t defend himself, why he doesn’t tell her the truth. Doesn’t tell me the truth. He obviously thinks I think he did this if his insistence he stay out here means anything. 

The lonely boy trapped in the memories, stuck in a hole in the darkness and surrounded by both my nightmares and his own. Jarie led me right to him, only a trace of what really controlled her left in her head by the time I tracked them both down.

Still. There’s something else.

Something, something, something doesn’t taste right around here.

“It’s just like you to stop with the easy answer,” I mutter around the buttery feeling in my mouth. “It’s all horses to you.”

A bolt of confusion lances through her irritation, through her anger. She doesn’t have to ask her question. Not here, not in a place as personal as the memories.

“I’m on a zebra hunt.”

Really, it’s so familiar. I’ve felt this before. The quality of those remnants in Jarie’s head, the vague taste of late nights and this feeling. It’s right on the tip of my tongue. It’s there, and whatever it is makes me much more nervous than the idea that Connor’s missing half might be secretly evil.

“Oh, great.”

The blank slate of the Memories shifts. A baby blue wall slams down in front of us, the floor now a ratty green carpet. The single window only shows inky darkness, no sign of what really would have been outside my room in…

What year would this have been?

I ignore both Jarie’s demand for an explanation and Jordan’s nervous protest when I drop his hand and twist around to assess the room.

Pictures up on the walls, a camping mat instead of a bed. Most of the furniture against the one wall, but that desk… next to the door…

“2013? No, no.” I snap around again, only limited by the rope still tight around my waist. Laptop on the dresser, the old one, the one I kept stealing from the living room. “2012. That summer, the good one.”

Jarie immediately stops her complaining. “That summer? What are we doing in 2012?”

“I was thinking, trying to remember.” I tilt my head and look out the window. Sharp, shifting red and blue. An easy assumption, but it wasn’t a real-life thing. No sirens, nothing out of the ordinary in the real world. “I’m so close, what is that taste?”

“What taste?” Jarie demands. “You’ve been weird since we picked him up.”

“Ugh, shut up!” I groan. “There’s a taste, like—like—“

I stop because we’re not alone in the room anymore. Based on how close Jarie shuffles to me, I’d say she feels it too. The memory itself isn’t tampered with, it’s normal even with the red and the blue that I only really saw through someone else’s eyes.

The lights! That red and blue wasn’t even here, I was trying to do something at—and that taste! It’s like—

“You would expect memories to be different, wouldn’t you?” a voice, a familiar voice, muses. I don’t need to look to see those eyes, for the growl of a smile to sink into my skin and root me to the floor. “But, then, you never go-ot the o-opportunity to really feel it, did you?”

Blank, blank, my brain turns to nothing but faint static and false clarity.

Jarie lunges toward the voice, still behind me. The rope keeps her from actually attacking. That’s good. Even a memory of Tchaikovsky could ruin us if we let it.

Jordan, on the other hand, stumbles in the opposite direction, away from the threat. He ends up where I can see him, red eyes wide and scared and anything but an enemy. He focuses on me, a plea.

It takes the purr of a laugh from behind me to really shake me out of it. It rubs the situation wrong, a thorn in the fabric. It’s just a memory, but this doesn’t fit.

I turn, too stiff, too mechanical. This fear, nothing more than the remnants of a horror movie. The big, bad monster stands in the middle of my old room and I know he can’t do a single thing to hurt me.

The victorious, smug glint is right. The line of the shoulders, the hungry touch in the air. The confidence. All of that’s right. The chuckle fits what I’m being told.

I narrow my eyes. That’s not a memory. That’s something else, and it’s lying to me.

“Jarie.” I flex my hand and curl my fingers around the newly-arrived map back home. She doesn’t answer with more than a frustrated agreement in the air. Good. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Don’t be so sure.” The specter shifts on its heels, as if it’s going to take a step forward. It laughs again when Jarie skitters back to stand just barely behind me. “Does your brava-ado hide the sa-ame cowardice?”

Jarie growls at my side and snatches the map from me. It takes less than a thought to reconfigure the ropes. I don’t even have to look away from the boogieman. From the fake.

The door slams shut out of sight, Jarie and Jordan both gone.

This is so familiar, why don’t I remember? That affect to its voice, I know I’ve heard it before!

“Tchaikovsky wasn’t here for this.” Might as well start with what I know for sure. Wary, tired, but at least I can keep a lie of control here. “Who are you, really?”

“I tho-ought you knew everything in your Cube.” It sneers and loses the characteristic poise of the face it wears. It does nothing to dispel the tension in the air. “You certainly believed so o-on this day, my fa-avorite interloper.”

Ah.

I shift, and in a blink I have it backed against a wall. I didn’t expect it to back up on its own, though it certainly makes this easier. White hot sparks fizz over the hand I raise toward the throat it stole from a man I’d love nothing more than to wipe from the Cube’s history.

“You,” I growl, my voice strange under the force of electricity I hold. “Don’t belong here.”

It breathes out a nervous laugh, and it really did choose the wrong face if it didn’t want me to be tempted to crush it like the worm it’s masquerading as. It shouldn’t be here, I haven’t even talked to Brennan in at least a year! It can’t be here!

“If you ever ca-ame to visit, you’d know I’ve been here for nearly five years.” It presses back against the wall, its voice strained and seething. “But then, you a-alwa-ays neglect to fo-ollow up o-on your little ga-ames, don’t you?”

It flinches when I raise my hand and a spark lands on its neck. Tchaikovsky’s milky skin fades there, just for a second, into the scratched plastic that it was hiding.

“You disappeared.” I shift just a little bit closer, close enough that I can really see through the illusion. Just a broken mannequin, full of a thing that doesn’t belong anywhere near my head. “I was thirteen. Why would I even think to look for you?”

“I stole ha-alf a-a summer from you!”

Now that I can see both its illusion and the blankness of its true face, it’s both less intimidating and more disconcerting. So close, though, I see something else. Something that speaks volumes more than anything it could say to me.

I step back, though I don’t take the sparks with me. They hang in the air, a simple enough threat, just beside its throat. It doesn’t relax. In fact, that same something only twists and shakes the air around those sparks.

“AA.” I dip into the voice I try to avoid. The voice of a leader, I suppose, or a commander as Jay’s described it. The voice of someone who expects their orders to be followed. I hate it, though it does get the attentiveness from AA that I’m looking for. “Why reveal yourself now?”

It doesn’t answer. I wait longer than I probably should, and I know what I have to do. I’m gonna get hell when I get back. I hate this slimy little monster, but I can’t feel that and see it in the air and still bring everyone the blood they’re going to want.

I’ll already be getting a trial for Jordan. I may as well get one for the thing that I’d be willing to bet is really behind all of this. Especially when I’m almost ninety percent sure it lured me out here just to kill it.

[sleepyau]

slow wave ~ park seungjun

genre: sleepwalking!au, fluffity fluff

word count: 2634

prompt: sleepwalking can be dangerous, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing

warning: *boa voice* eobs-seubnida (aka there are none and i’m extra)

author’s note: i wrote this pretty late at night and intended for it to be something else but then it was this! and it’s kinda random and sorry to tinkerbells if i didn’t get seungjun’s personality right, i’m still a newbie stan haha but no really tho i love knk they’re so good

Your parents’ house was in an unfortunate area. It wasn’t necessarily isolated, because there were more houses a little ways away; it was just that the entire neighborhood was too far from the rest of the city to be practical. The closest store was little more than a candyshop, the hospital was hardly close enough to actually aid in an emergency, and if one wanted to order in Thai food, they would only find themselves hungry and disappointed.

Your own apartment was a good hour away, and the drive home after family night was all too stressful, thanks to the limited amount of gas remaining in your tank and the seemingly unlimited distance still remaining between you and the nearest gas station. You had only been driving for a little while, so you could hypothetically turn around and get help from your parents. Though it was the most practical solution, you already knew exactly what your mother would say:

“Why didn’t you fill your tank before coming? Of course we’ll give you more, but not right now. Right now, you’re going to sleep in the guest room. There’s no way you’re going back out there so late at night! Don’t argue with me, I’m your mother. Honey, tell her.”

This would then lead to a completely unnecessary but drawn out argument that would last well into the next morning. In the end, you figured upsetting her wasn’t worth it; your best bet would be to pray that your gas would last for the ten more minutes you needed until you reached the gas station.

The plan was going as well as it could, and you could just barely see the neon lights of the gas station when something appeared on the road in front of you. You let out a strangled shriek and jerked the wheel to the side while simultaneously slamming your foot down on the brakes. The world seemed to slow down as your car swerved to the side of the road; with your eyes shut tight, it was impossible to tell when one spin around ended and another began.

You immediately began to picture the worst: glass all over, going to the emergency room, and, heaven forbid, your insurance rates hiking up. However, as your car skidded to a painful stop, you couldn’t feel any pain. You cautiously opened your eyes and gasped at the sight of your body - and more importantly, your car - fully intact.

“Thank you,” you whispered to whomever was watching over you, then removed one hand from the steering wheel to place your car in park. You removed the keys from the ignition and opened up the pepper spray attached to your keychain.

Stepping out of the car was even harder than opening the door, but you managed to stand up and scan your surroundings. The gas station was within view, but it was horror-movie empty. The street was lined with a multitude of trees that were restrained behind a wire fence. Finally, and most importantly, there was a man standing in the middle of the road.

The first thing you noticed about him was that he was worryingly stoic for somebody who was almost run over by a car.

“What the heck? Are you insane? I could’ve killed you!” you yelled.

The second thing you noticed was that he wasn’t wearing shoes. It was odd, considering the chilly weather. One foot was positioned on top of the other in what could’ve been discomfort, or maybe embarrassment.

“Are you okay? What are you doing out here, in the middle of the road?” you asked with a more collected tone.

The third thing you noticed was that he was crying. His tears must have been reflecting the gas station lights, because they were a deep red color - almost the color of blood.

Unless...

“Oh, God! I’m so sorry, did I actually hit you? I tried - I thought I avoided you but - are you okay? Please respond!” you started to beg, taking a single step closer. At the action, something must have registered in him because he shot forward with a gasp and reached out to you. You stepped away and held up your pepper spray threateningly, “Don’t come closer.”

“Where am I? Who are you?” he asked, looking around frantically.

You narrowed your eyes at him and raised your arm higher, “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“W-what?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know anything right now - I won’t lower my guard.”

“I’m-”

You were quick to cut him off, “Answer my question: what are you doing out here?”

“I...” he trailed off for a second, then sighed, “I was sleepwalking.”

“You- what?”

“Yes. I sleepwalk. I know, it’s weird and uncommon - trust me, I know. I must have accidentally walked all the way... out here.” When you didn’t respond, the stranger in front of you continued, “My uncle usually locks the gate outside of our house so that I can’t get out but I guess he forgot to tonight. Thank goodness I’m okay, though.”

You were still a little out of focus from trying to remember everything you knew about sleepwalking, but his words sparked you back into real life, “Okay? I almost ran you over!”

“You did?” Now it was his turn to be confused.

“Yes! You need to be more careful if your sleepwalking can put you in danger - or even worse: my car!”

“Sorry, I’m sorry!” he replied in a rush. “Was there any harm to you, or to your car?”

“I’m fine, but I don’t know about my car,” you answered, wanting to turn to look at it but not wanting to take your eyes off of the mysterious stranger in case he attacked you or tried to make a grab for your keys.

“Do you want me to take a look at it? As an apology for nearly killing you?” he asked, stepping forward again. You straightened your pepper-spraying arm and shook your head in response. “I know my way around a car - I promise, I won’t hurt you or steal your car.”

“As if you even could,” you scoffed, but nonetheless stepped aside so that he could get a closer look.

Once he completed a full circle around the car, plus a quick check under the hood (though you really didn’t think it was necessary), he brushed off his hands and nodded to you.

“I think you and your car will both be okay,” he said. From a distance, it was hard to gage just how tall he was. Now, as he was standing closer to you than before, you had to crane your neck just to make eye contact.

“Thanks,” you responded. “I, uh... sorry for almost hitting you.”

“Don’t worry about it, that was my fault,” he excused. “I should probably be getting back home now, so...” he awkwardly bowed his head, then started walking in the direction of the gas station.

You stared after him for a few seconds, debating whether or not you should offer him a ride home. At the thought of him being a serial killer, you shrugged, then hopped into your car and plugged the keys back in. You were all too ready to go back home, but one glance at your gas light reminded you of your previous problem.

“Great. Just great,” you grumbled. You shifted into drive and pulled back onto the road, passing the strange stranger on your way to the gas station. By the time you pulled in and had started filling gas in your car, he was still slowly walking up the road.

Maybe it was because of his downcast gaze, or because of the way he was hanging his head, but you suddenly felt a tug of pity for him. You trailed your gaze from his messy black hair down to his bare feet; he was only in a short sleeve t-shirt and what seemed to be thin flannel pants. Given the weather, you could only imagine he was cold - and tired, judging by his droopy shoulders.

“I’m so gonna regret this,” you sighed to yourself. With one final groan, you walked the short distance to the side of the road so that he would see you in his path.

When he finally noticed you and looked up, he stopped walking and tilted his head in confusion, “Is everything okay?”

“How far do you live?” you asked in response.

“What?”

“How far do you live? How long will you be walking for?” you repeated.

He looked up in thought, then answered, “About twenty minutes.”

“That’s a long way away.”

He shrugged, “It’s not that bad.”

“Wait right here, okay?”

“Why?”

“Just... trust me.”

You waited until he reluctantly nodded his head, then turned around and walked into the small gas station mart. It only took you a minute to find what you were looking for, and when you stepped back outside you found the very tall man standing next to your car.

At your curious expression, he quickly stammered, “It- the thing beeped! I wasn’t gonna steal it!”

You rolled your eyes, “You think I’d leave my car alone with you without taking the keys?” You walked towards him and passed over the bag in your hands. He looked down in shock to find the newly purchased pair of slippers and a Twix bar, then looked up with what was quite possibly the softest and most thankful expression you had ever seen in your entire life. To hide your blush, you turned to the gas pump and pulled it out of your car, “Don’t start crying on me, now. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Thank you...”

You looked up as he faltered, then said, “Y/N. My name’s Y/N.”

“Thank you, Y/N,” he repeated sincerely. He pulled the cheap flip flops out of the bag and carefully placed them on the floor, then slid them onto his feet with gentleness you would imagine one of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters using to try and make the glass slipper fit.

“It’s no problem, stranger.”

“Oh, I’m Seungjun! Park Seungjun!” He held his hand out for you to shake, and you looked down at it hesitantly. Though reason was telling you not to trust somebody you just met, your gut was telling you that he didn’t mean any harm.

You sighed again, then leaned forward and grabbed his hand. Not even a second later, however, you dropped it with a hiss, “Oh my lord! Your hand is so cold!”

“Is it? Sorry! That’s just because...” he trailed off, though you could already make an educated guess as to why.

You unlocked your car, then reached into the backseat to grab the spare blanket you kept for emergencies. When you stood up and held it out to Seungjun, he merely eyed it in confusion. You rolled your eyes, “What? I take a lot of naps, okay?”

“I’m not judging,” he said in a tone that told you he was most certainly judging. “Are you sure it’s okay if I use it?”

“You’re gonna get pneumonia if you don’t.” You opened the blanket and threw it haphazardly over his shoulders, which was really the best you could do considering his height.

“Thank you... again,” he whispered. Seungjun repositioned the blanket around himself nervously, then quickly pulled the Twix bar out of the bag, “Let’s eat this right now!” Before you could respond, he tore open the plastic wrapper and handed one half to you and took the other for himself. “I haven’t had one of these in so long.”

You turned to him with wide eyes, “Seriously? How have you been coping?”

“I don’t know myself,” he sighed. He took a cautious bite, then returned your wide eyes.

“As good as you remember?”

“It’s a whole different world,” he whispered. You both laughed a little at your short-lived drama. It was the closest you had been to him the entire night, and you suddenly found yourself admiring his bright eyes and contagious smile. Clearly, it didn’t take much to spark some life into him, but you were glad you had done it. You continued eating silently after that, stealing quick glances every now and then as you both leaned against the side of your car. After a few moments, Seungjun continued, “So, do you live out here too?”

“No, I was just visiting my parents. I live in the city,” you replied vaguely.

“I see, I see. So... the chances of me seeing you out here again are pretty slim, right?”

“Well, I certainly hope so! I’d hate to almost run you over again, Seungjun,” you said. He looked down with a large smile on his face, even though you didn’t think your joke was that funny.

“Ah, that’s a bummer,” he whispered.

You choked on the bite you had just taken, completely taken aback. Not even ten minutes before, he had been walking around like a zombie, and suddenly he was coming onto you? Safe to say, you were shocked.

Seungjun reached out to hit your back, but you stepped back and waved a hand in front of you as your breath came back, “It’s fine, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” you straightened up and took a few deep breaths, then levelled a glare on your company, “That’s the second time tonight you’ve almost killed me.”

“What? How was that my fault?” he asked defensively.

“You’re way too forward! If you’re gonna start flirting with me then at least give me a warning!”

“Who says I was flirting with you?”

Admittedly, you hadn’t considered that, but you decided to keep running with the argument now that you had already started the race with it, “‘That’s a bummer’? That was so flirting!”

“I just wanna see you again, how is that flirting?”

“It was your tone, Seungjun,” you huffed. You were prepared for another comeback, but instead you were met with a smiley boy all over again. “What the heck?”

“Okay, I admit it: I was flirting. Is that bad?”

“Well, we did just meet,” you reminded him, “On an abandoned road. In the middle of nowhere.”

“So?”

“It’s kind of a creepy setting to be flirting in, don’t you think?”

“No,” he replied quickly, “I think it must be fate that we somehow met each other in such an unlikely place.”

You bit down on your lip to hide your stupid grin, which rose up partially because he was funny and partially because he was cute. Even though you were 95% sure he wasn’t, you still asked, “How do I know you’re not really a serial killer?”

“Would a serial killer have let you live this long?” he rebutted, and you nodded.

“Yes, if it was part of their M.O.”

“Touché, Y/N.”

He looked down despondently when he seemed unable to convince you, which encouraged your next words, “I guess, the only way you could get me to believe you aren’t a serial killer...”

“Yeah?”

“Would be for us to meet in a better setting,” you finished. The remaining 5% caused you to quickly add on, “With more people.”

Seungjun started to laugh shyly again, “Okay, it’s a date.”

“No, it’s not a date,” you corrected, “it’s a meeting.”

“A meeting?”

“Yes. We will be meeting again... properly.”

“How is that not a date?”

You scrambled for something reasonable, “Well, because, if you don’t make a good impression, I’ll just walk out on you.”

“You can do that on a date, too.”

“I could also just do it right now,” you said, jokingly turning around and unlocking your car again.

Seungjun stood up straight and reached an arm out to you before you could open the door, “No, no! It’s great! It’s a meeting!”