Archive of Our Own

It was a humid night out. Summer had only started about three weeks ago, but already it was far too unwelcome. Now, maybe for people with straight or buzzed hair, it would be a lot easier to handle. Unfortunately, this could not be the case for Max.

Walking home at what must be either ten or eleven at night with his hair put up has now become a common occurrence. Slouched with one hand hidden away in his hoodie pocket. The other held a soda that he'd bought from a nearby gas station. The perfect thing for a bored teen to do on a night where he was virtually useless to anyone and everyone.

Ever since David got his new job, he's been staying out later and later. Nowadays the poor guy didn't usually get home until around two in the morning. While it was sure as hell upsetting to see someone work so hard for so little pay, it left Max with plenty of time at night to do whatever the hell he wanted.
Besides, it's not like him protesting or saying anything about it will change David's mind and make him find a different job. It never has before, so he might as well just let things be.

Now, if only it could stop being so damn hot outside, he could actually manage to find some enjoyment in this all. He could feel some loose strands of hair matting to his forehead and grimaced in disgust. He was almost home, so he didn't bother putting them back into place. His mind was already moving onto other more important things. Things like why the hell he decided putting on his hoodie was a good idea at all (even though he already knew the answer was because he wanted to), and namely: Whether or not he had his apartment key on him. That was kind of something he needed to know.

He was already coming up to the complex, so now would be the perfect time to check his pockets. Luckily, he hadn't screwed up and forgotten it on his desk or something. One quick investigation of his left pants pocket rewarded him with what he was looking for.
It would be a pain in the ass to have to sit or stand just outside his door for hours on end just to be let inside by either David or-

That thought was stopped dead in its tracks the moment it reared its ugly little head. No way in hell was he even going there. Not tonight. That creepy little fucker could just mind his own business and stay three thousand fucking feet away from him.

God, he swears he will never understand the shit that goes through David's head.

"'Yeah, Max, let's invite a serial killer into our home'," he muttered irritably under his breath as he made his way inside the complex. "'That's a good idea'."

For all the dumb shit Max has had to put up with in these past years, this has got to take the cake. He knew that David had remained naively oblivious of the cultist freakshow's intentions for the entirety of his short stay at camp, but he'd HOPED that he'd be able to put two and two together after having some time to dwell on it.

Apparently not, because Daniel had become their new roommate not even three months ago.

Yep. The child murdering bastard that just SCREAMS 'psychward' has been actually living with them for a while now. Long enough for him to surely be on his bullshit behind their backs- slaughtering innocent people and torturing or mind fucking kids just to appease his made up god.
Long enough for him to have devised a plan to murder them both, at least, if not anything else. Just thinking about the lunatic got Max's skin crawling. There hasn't been a calm moment in the apartment since, and he doubts it's going to be any other way until Daniel finally LEAVES. Or gets arrested. Or dies. Or fucks off back to Hell where he belongs.

Preferably the last two options combined. Beggars can't be choosers, though.

Sluggishly dragging himself up the stairs to the third floor, Max couldn't help but to let out a long sigh once he reached the top. Irritably taking a sip of his soda, he had to admit that all of these sudden thoughts about the freakshow had him riled up, surely, but for a new reason entirely than the obvious. He never liked discussing Daniel's situation, in his head or with anyone else, because truthfully?

He really didn't know what to make of it. Until he could get any actual beef on the guy, the only thing keeping Max awake at night was all of the uncertainty surrounding him. As much as he fucking HATES to admit it, Daniel is a goddamn enigma.
Either the dude has some kind of personality disorder, went through some insane shit in his life after he left the camp, or- or SOMETHING, but he is nothing like he used to be. Well, no, not nothing. He's still creepy and gives off pedophile vibes.

But he's quiet. He's more closed off and broody than happy smiley salesman. He's plastic and fake- not manipulative and insane. Honestly, he just reminds him of a fast food worker trying to keep up the facade until they can finally go home and flip people off without getting fired.

And it's getting on his fucking nerves.

Never in his life would he WANT a bastardized version of a Jehovah's Witness breathing down his neck while trying to get him to join a cult, but god would that be preferred over what he's gotten now. Hell, Daniel hasn't even mentioned anything about 'Xeemug' or whatever the fuck for as long as he's been staying over.
Almost like it's a sore spot for him, or something...

David kept telling Max over and over that he'd spoken to Daniel and cleared up a few things with him before he let Daniel move in, so clearly David put some thought into this all.

Just not enough.

Rolling his eyes absently just to blow off a bit of steam, Max felt his shoulders slump as he shoved the key into the lock and opened the door. He hadn't seen David's truck in the parking lot before he walked in, so he highly doubted he was home early for once.
However, he also didn't see Daniel's weird fucking white truck either. Didn't even know the fucker had one 'til he moved in. Wonder why he never saw it at camp all those years back.

Whatever. Not something to get caught up on. With all of these recent conspiracy theories surrounding the has-been mental patient, he was starting to sound like Neil. Despite himself, he had to smile a little at the rampant thought.

Entering the seemingly empty apartment left him feeling numb. Being greeted by nothing but blank encompassing darkness had been no different than what he experienced outside, so he really took no time to process it. He just stepped inside and closed the door behind him without a second thought.
Swishing the contents of his cup around to see just how much he had left, he shrugged to himself out of habit and took a step towards the living room.

"Welcome back," spoke a voice in the dark. It made Max's heart jump out of his chest, freezing him to the ground the moment he placed the voice.

It took everything in him not to grit his teeth and just keep heading straight to his room. It really fucking did. In fact, that's what he should have done. But no. What did he do?

He turned his head towards the kitchen he'd been passing and squinted to try and make out the figure of the smug-sounding demon. Though it was ungodly dark in the apartment at the moment, Max's eyes didn't need long to adjust.
Startlingly enough, the first thing he noticed was that Daniel was staring right at him. Sitting at the kitchen table with a hand leaned against his face.

Just. Staring. Eyeing him up like some kind of fucked up 'meal', he supposed.

Max had been about to open his mouth to question him on why in the fuck he was just sitting there in the dark, but then he saw something that distracted him for a second.
Daniel was holding something in his free hand. A familiar looking bottle that sent a trill of fear through him though he knew it was irrational.

"Why the fuck are you drinking in the kitchen with the goddamn lights off?"

Daniel shrugged nonchalantly. No cares in the world.

"Didn't see the need to waste electricity. Especially since David won't let me help pay for any of the bills around here." He took a swig as soon as he finished his explanation.

"Yeah. He's dumb like that," Max replied robotically. He slowly placed his soda on a nearby side-table and turned on the lights, eyes remaining trained on Daniel like the sicko would pull a gun or a knife and strike at any minute.

As always, Daniel stayed calm and nonconfrontational. Either not wanting to, or not willing to add anything else to the conversation. He'd been following some kind of 'speak if spoken to' mentality lately, and it's driving Max up the wall.

His heart was hammering in his chest. Palms sweaty for a reason aside from the heat. He couldn't move even if he wanted to. Not until he came up with a solid plan.
His room was right across the way from where he was standing. He could either grab or forget his soda and beeline it with no consequences. Daniel wouldn't give two shits if he left or not.

Daniel couldn't gives two shits about anything. He's a heartless psycho sociopath. The only reason he moved in at all was to mooch off of them both and then eventually kill them.

It has to be.

Mouth gone dry, Max licked his lips unthinkingly before choosing to say the first thing that came to his mind. An icebreaker, if you will.

"David's not gonna be happy if he finds you drinking in his good Christian household."

Daniel snorted at that. He fucking snorted. Literally die.

"This is barely enough to get me tipsy. Calm down. Besides, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Fucking smartass.

"Oh yeah? What if I tell him you got drunk off your ass and slit a guy's throat by the coffee shop?"

Oh, that got him hesitating. Finally something other than the 'I'm better than you in every conceivable way' attitude.

Daniel frowned a bit and looked down to his drink in contemplation. He gave it a small shake in his hand before offering another shrug and looking away from Max.

"Go right ahead. But I can assure you, that won't be the thing that makes the headlines."

He's fucking smirking, isn't he.

"Go to Hell," Max spat without stopping to really think it through. Daniel responded by raising his beer and nodding his head towards him.

"Love 'ya too, buddy."

"I'm not your fucking 'buddy'." Max felt himself practically bristling with anger, taking a few steps towards the son of a bitch.

"Look. I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing, but you're gonna quit it and you're gonna quit it fast." He wanted to throw up. "I wouldn't think twice about throwing your sorry ass into a fucking fire and feeding your goddamn ashes to a cat, you slimy scumbag."

"Well, that's not very nice to the cat."

"Shut up."

"What?" Daniel questioned rather indignantly. "I'm being honest. What did that poor cat ever do to you, huh? It's not the one who attempted to stab you when you were ten-"

"I said shut up."

For once, for fucking ONCE, Daniel did as he was told. He still looked up at Max like he was an eight year old throwing meaningless curses left and right, but at least he was listening. That had to be a plus.

Fuming, Max all but slammed his hands onto the table and crouched down to get on proper eye level with Daniel. He wanted the motherfucker to know just how much he hated him being there.

Hated him still being alive after all the shit he's done.

"I don't give a shit about what David says. You haven't 'changed'. You're just lulling us into a false sense of security so you can fucking gut us open like fish and sell us on the Black Market. I'm not gonna fucking fall for it, so drop the goddamn act."

Daniel's voice was soft. Quiet. Like he didn't want Max to hear it. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Max."

"Save it," he snapped back. "I told you that shit's not gonna fly with me. You don't get to apologize your way out of this and make everything you did magically disappear."

"That's not what I'm trying to do. Again, I'm sorry you feel that way, Max."

"Then what are you trying to do?! Because it sure looks like you're doing a heck of a lot of NOTHING! Y-You- You go to work, you're gone for like MOST of the day, and then- then you're just. HERE! DOING shit and BEING A PERSON!"

Max hadn't meant to explode like that, he really didn't. But it all needed to be said, because he was about to tear his goddamn hair out. He knows that this is no way to get a cultist murderer to admit to their ulterior motives, but he's gonna lose it. He already is losing it.
Any second longer without getting this all out in the open, and he's going to be the one gutting Daniel open and throwing his body in a river.

Throughout his explosive little tirade, Daniel's expression hadn't changed much. He hadn't really moved. Maybe taken another drink from his beer, but that's about it.
He was judging him. Silently judging Max and deciding how to proceed from there. Weighing his options and wondering what he should pull next from his hat of 'A Million Ways to Manipulate a Person'.

Daniel was at a loss for words. Clearly. Max could see it in his eyes now that it wasn't dark as shit and that he was closer to the madman. He was looking up at Max as if he was a puzzle that was exceedingly difficult to decipher. For lack of a better word, Daniel looked lost.

But it didn't last. The man didn't appear to enjoy the silence any more than Max did, as he closed his eyes before long and gave a miniscule shake of his head; tired sigh escaping his lips.
It took Max off guard. It had been the exact opposite of what he'd been expecting. He'd been anticipating bravado. Some fast-talking bullshit to trip him up and get him an exit from this tense situation.

He'd been waiting for walls, and instead he got vulnerability.

Max leaned back. Afraid of this just being a different tactic to get him right where he wants him so he can strike.

It couldn't have been more than a minute, if even that, before Daniel spoke up again. It felt like an hour, and despite that, what was said was so quiet that Max had barely caught it.

"Am I supposed to be something else..?"

"Wh-"

"Were you expecting me to be something else? To be a robot with only one goal and a one-track mind?"

"Uh." Max didn't know where Daniel was going with this. "Fucking obviously?? That's all you WERE back at camp!"

"Six years ago."

"Still-"

"That was six years ago, Max. You're saying people can't change?"

"I'm saying that you're NOT a person."

He hit something. And he hit it hard. The blonde freak wasn't even looking at him anymore. Something in his steady gaze changed. His eyes had lit up for a split second before he lowered them again.

"You're not a person," Max repeated again. "You're a monster. You think you can manipulate me, bitch? You've got another thing coming. And if you even THINK about laying a goddamn finger on David, I'll fucking rip your throat out."

Daniel stayed adamantly silent. Must have hurt the fucker somehow.

Good.

"You need to learn your fucking place. You can't just fucking waltz up into our lives and be all 'heya guys, it's me' just because David told you to. We both know one thing, and it's that David doesn't think things through. He doesn't look at the bad. All he sees is the good."

Max had to take a breath and pause. Glaring down at Daniel, he halfheartedly gave a vague gesture towards the man before abruptly dropping his hands.

"Even when there is none."

His own words had him mentally stumbling over himself. Though he knew all of this shit needed to be said- to be ingrained into Daniel's brain- Max knew that that last one had come from personal experience.
Who the hell knows what David sees in a piece of shit like him. Who the hell knows what David sees in anyone who clearly isn't worth the effort.

It wasn't his place to tell David what to believe and what not to believe, because God knows he won't listen. He just had to protect him when his decisions got him in hot water. Like he always has.

Daniel's just another one of David's mistakes that he has to clean up.

"Just get with the fucking program. No one wants you around."

He took his sweet fucking time, but Daniel eventually did glance back up at Max. Annoyingly enough, with a small grin on his face.

"I can assure you that I'm very well-versed in that program already, Max."

"Then why aren't you fucking following it, you creep?"

"I think you'll find that I am. Or. Was. Until David came around."

"I JUST fucking told you-!" Daniel shook his head before Max could finish yelling at him again.

"Why don't you have a seat? I think I need to maybe... explain myself...?"

"Wh- NOSHITYOUDO!" Max exploded, trying to get the words out of his mouth faster than they physically could. They all came out in a shrill jumble that made Daniel's shoulders shake with silent laughter.

Oh, that motherfucker...

Forcing himself to stop before he punched Daniel's lights out, Max took a deep breath and roughly yanked one of the chairs out so he could sit down. He would do as Daniel asked, but only because this is just going to keep eating at him until he clears a few things up. Or at the very least gets some semblance of the serial killer's true intentions.

Isn't he just playing into his hands by even continuing this conversation? Sure. But what other choice does he have?

Complain to David some more? Like that'll do anything.

And so, Max sat. He was glaring a hole into Daniel's skull as he did so, but he sat.

"What," he started slowly, "do you want to say?"

"What do you want me to say?" Daniel countered, leaning back into his chair and inspecting his beer briefly.

This is all just so many shades of wrong. For some reason, Daniel seemed much more relaxed than usual, despite the situation calling for the exact opposite.
Max's eyes trailed to the man's drink for a second, wondering if alcohol was the reason behind the jarring openness, but he quickly told himself that couldn't be the case. Daniel wasn't acting intoxicated in the slightest, and the bottle wasn't even half empty.

Max longed to just get himself as far away from the white-clothed piece of shit as he could. He yearned for the sweet release of solitude. To know that he was completely and entirely alone so he didn't have to be so acutely aware of his actions and his tone of voice.

He shook his head to get back on the job at hand.

"Where the hell are you even from?"

"Dagger's Pointe," was the immediate response. And he does mean immediate. Daniel had coughed up the information like he had it in his back pocket this whole time. Just... waiting.

"The fuck is that? A town? What fucking state? You- Be more specific than that, asshole."

The bitch scoffed. It was an empty sound, though Max knew it was meant to hold some humor in it.

"Sure, yeah. 'Compound' is the word I'd use, but go nuts. Town fits. As for the state or location, well..." He shrugged for the third time that night. "Couldn't tell you."

"I'm not playing your fucking games, Freakshow. There's no fucking way you don't know where your HOMETOWN is."

"I'm not playing any 'games'. I'm just telling you everything I know. Unfortunately, you asked a question that I don't know the answer to. Next?"

Max was left flabbergasted for a moment or two. He couldn't fucking wrap his head around any of this- not one fucking bit. Daniel HAD to be fucking with him just because he could. He HAD to be. That, or he just doesn't know basic goddamn geography.

Biting back a bitter insult, he shook his head in one quick frustrated motion as he raised up his hands; halting any further words from the man across from him.

"Okay. Y'know what. Fine. I'll believe you on that one. Fuck it. Just... 'Compound...?"

"Yes."

"Wh-"

"It's not a town, per-say. You can't just walk in and out as you please, Max. There has to be more order to it than that."

O... kay...?

He's not really sure of what else he was expecting, there. The freakshow did come from a cult. This much was already established.

"So, what? There were like, how many people kept in the compound against their will and brainwashed into murdering kids and drinking poisoned Kool Aid?"

Max's logical conclusion was met with a sudden bark of laughter. Max had flinched back at the sound of it- genuine and amused.
He had to admit that seeing Daniel being so human and less stiff and unfeeling made the tension between them lessen. Not by a lot, but Max could feel himself calming down some.

Oh, he was fucking pissed off, but when is that never the case?

"N-Not exactly, Max," Daniel admitted through his chuckles, a hand over his mouth. "The- The last time I checked, Dagger's Pointe had about one hundred and sixty residents; including myself. I can safely say that not a single one of them has been brainwashed into 'murdering kids and drinking poisoned Kool Aid'."

Daniel's voice cracked at the end of his sentence. He'd started laughing to himself again and it was getting on Max's nerves more and more.

He worked through it.

"Then explain your little stunt at camp, huh? The fuck was that all about?"

Daniel shook his head yet again and cleared his throat.

"Now, now. I never said that they've never murdered before with Kool Aid. Just that that's not the whole story. It's not as simple as you're making it sound."

"Then what's so funny about it, you giggly bitch?"

"It's not really 'funny'. Just... cute."

"I'll cut your fucking tongue out."

"Hey, now-"

"Continue."

"Okay, okay. Um... How do I put this..." Daniel hesitated for a moment, eyes scanning the table for some reason Max couldn't understand. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though, as the man was snapping his fingers and pointing to him as if he just got a cool catchphrase idea.

"Empire. That's the word I was looking for. I'd call it all an empire, really. See, look." He lowered his hand just below the table for visual effect as he spoke.

"Regular citizens of Dagger's Pointe are down here, alright? They're like regular working class citizens of any country, really. Do most of the work... Seen as meaningless regardless... Pretty miniscule little things."

The way Daniel was describing people, even cultist freaks like himself, made Max want to strangle the fucker. But he let him talk without interrupting.

Daniel moved his hand back up to level with the table again. "Up here are the people they see as the leaders. The important people. The guys who seem to make the rules and pull the shots. Unbeknownst to everyone below them, those guys are actually just following orders from-"

"Xeemug?" Max butted in incredulously.

Welp. So much for being 'polite'.

"Ha. No." The way Daniel said that sounded so fucking dry and condescending. "But that's what everyone needs to THINK. They need to think what the one big leader wants everyone to think for everything to work."

"O-... Okay... That's... That's just how EVERY fucking place works, Daniel. I don't see what the fuck you're trying to get at, here. You honestly just sound high as fuck."

Max immediately regretted opening his mouth, because Daniel's grin only grew wider from there.

"Yeah. It's great. Isn't it?"

Nevermind. He wasn't relaxed. He was fucking terrified of this man. Max felt himself grip the edges of the table as he began to slowly stand up. Unfortunately, he soon saw that that was also a bad idea. Before he could react, Daniel stood up in one quick blur of motion.

The only thing Max had truly processed was the squeak of the chair as the calm and collected sociopath before him growled his next few chilling words.

"It's GREAT. And I fell for it. I just- believed whatever everyone else wanted me to believe! I followed someone else's lead; I let them tell me what was right and wrong.

"And I FELL FOR IT. I- I let them corrupt my worldview, and now- now... Now I can't take back what I've done, but I can certainly express myself. And I need to tell you, before you run off, that I don't care."

Max felt like a deer about to be hit by a speeding car. He didn't know what to say- what to do. The only thing that he was really able to focus on were Daniel's hurried words just barely veiling his formerly unspoken contempt.

"I don't care about what you think of me. I don't care about how many threats you make, Max. I've heard so much worse. I've built my life on a money obsessed monopoly without ever even stopping to think about it until recently. I've been on your equivalent of Death Row so many times that I've lost count. You don't scare me. You're all talk and no show, and honestly it's getting on my nerves. I'm sorry. It is. Get upset if you want, but I'd suggest you just listen for now, because I don't plan to say any of this again."

Surprisingly enough, Daniel was being the opposite of a comfort right now.

"I didn't come here to make anyone's life any worse than it already is. I didn't intend to even see either of you again. Heck, I'd completely forgotten about you both until a couple of months ago. When David came into my workplace and started his casual conversation, I wanted him to LEAVE.

"I wanted him to just forget I even existed, grab his things, and go."

The amount of force in Daniel's voice made Max swallow involuntarily. He wasn't quite sure why.

"But he didn't," Daniel continued. "He kept stopping by for visits. He kept asking me how I was. He kept- He kept being David. And I'll admit that it was sweet. But that's all I thought about it. I never considered the fact that he'd try to actually be my 'friend'." He actually used air quotes around the word.

"I never expected him to take pity on me and my current living conditions. Sure, a cabin with no running water or electricity in the middle of the woods isn't the best, but-"

"Jesus Christ, what-"

"- it's a long story. But what I'm trying to say right now is: The ONLY thing I'm doing by living here, is making David happy. Alright? Believe me or not, but I don't have-" He paused. Almost a stutter, actually. Like he was either unsure or embarrassed of himself.

"I don't have a plan. I don't intend to hurt anyone. You have every single right to be afraid of me, Max, but believe me when I say that I don't want you to be. I left the compound for a reason, y'know."

Max opened and closed his mouth so many times during that long-winded rant that he felt like a goddammned fish. Every time he tried to butt in, Daniel just kept talking and talking. Really, most of it was just wasted air. He knew the cultist was a talker when he was trying to sell a guy something, and he'd definitely had his ears talked off just now, but...
There was something different about this all. It was just as fucking irritating, yeah, but aside from the unexpected outburst and the clear anger Daniel was expressing, Max didn't feel physically threatened.

For some ungodly reason, he truly didn't think that Daniel was going to do anything to hurt him. So. He slowly eased himself back into his chair. Watching him with a more calm air to him, Daniel did the same with a huff.

Even though Max hadn't really gained that much new information about the guy, it seems they at least gained a shared understanding. Of what? Fuck if he knew.

Purely to buy himself some time to think, Max dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. It was currently going on 11:40 P.M. They'd been talking for a while, now.

Neither of them knew what to say. Daniel had gone back to paying more attention to his beer than to Max. Max was just left watching the fucker, trying to formulate any coherent thought he could from the jumbled mess he'd just been fed.

There's still so much more he needs to know about Daniel.

There are still so many things that he needs to make sure of before he'll ever start feeling 'safe' in his own home again.

"You..." Max swallowed nothing to give him a second to think. "You're giving me a lot of mixed messages here, Freakshow. You- You seriously can't expect me to believe that you only moved in with us to get David off your back."

Again with that damned shrug. "Okay. Nothing I can do about that. Sorry?"

"Don't- ugh, don't fucking apologize. Just-" Just what? Just what, Max?

"Just fucking explain why you left the 'compound' in the first place. You weren't crystal clear about that." About anything, really. "All you did was rant about how every basic society works- which is a big fucking mood, but not really fucking helpful."

Daniel's gaze unfocused slightly then- likely from something Max had said. Maybe he was thinking? Or maybe he was just confused somehow. It's a reach, but can you fucking blame him? Daniel's like a mixed bag of marbles at this point.

"'Big fucking mood'," he can hear him mumble under his breath.

It's then that it hits him that he'd been using fucking internet slang without even realizing it. Fucking great.

"That," Daniel whispered, "is so freaking excellent, oh my god."

"Daniel."

"Max, your language is so so perfect, oh my god-"

"DANIEL."

"I left the compound because revolution against my captors was a REALLY big freaking mood at the time-"

"DANIEL I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD."

He can't believe it. He can't believe his fucking eyes. Daniel, a grown ass man who has killed dozens, possibly even hundreds of people, is smiling in complete and utter awe over a goddamn meme.

He- no. No. Society is dead. He's fucking done here. He's not fucking watching a serial killer find real honest to God enjoyment out of something as stupid as 'big fucking mood'.
He is not backing down on his previous statements. Daniel is not a person. He should be in jail. He should be dead.

He should not be this fucking amazed over a goddamn meme in his kitchen at twelve in the morning.

He's the one who needs a beer right about now. And he is NOT paying attention to the fact that Daniel had chosen to censor himself the other two times he repeated himself. Nuh-uh. Not today.

"No, Max, you have no idea how amazing that is. Is- Are there other phrases like that in your language???"

"Get back on the topic, Daniel, and maybe I'll answer that." God, the fucking way he says 'your language' as if they don't both fucking speak English.

"Hmm." Daniel gave a dissatisfied hum at that response, but he relented regardless. "Fiiine. I'll just do the research on my own later."

"Oh please fuck no."

"Now, where were we?"

"You being a fucking prick who needs to die."

"Ah, yes! I was quite a prick in my younger years, so we must be talking about the compound, then."

"Go die."

Daniel's smile is just downright teasing now. "Well... I left my home because I wasn't exactly being treated.. 'right' there. I don't know if you noticed, Max, but I'm not exactly what you'd call 'the norm' when it comes to how people function and behave."

Through his bitter agitation, Max forced himself to play along and raise a brow to elicit more information from Daniel.

"The whole, y'know, murder thing."

. . .

Wait what.

Fucking W H A T ?!

Daniel must have seen the look on his face before he even said anything, as he was rushing to explain himself.

"Yes, yeah, members of the society kill people pretty regularly. But they don't know that they're killing people. They don't know that they're killing at all. They think they're saving people.

"Members of the society- of Dagger's Pointe are taught at a young age that everyone outside of the compounds, of the loop, are not people. They are aimless, hopeless animals. Cows or sheep to be wrangled and put into a pen for their own safety."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders to add further emphasis to just how concrete and simple his former society saw the world.

"Abhorrents. We call them what we see them as."

Finally. SOME fucking semblance of sense. It was a fucked up kind of sense, but sense and logic nonetheless. Of course, Daniel could be lying. He very well could be lying about all of this. Masterful deception is an art that Max can certainly appreciate, but would think that he'd be able to pick up on.

Daniel checked out.

For now.

So he simply nodded along and let the man speak.

"We 'kill' them in order for them to be brought before Xeemug so that He can assist them. Usually, at least. Sometimes they are integrated into our society and our ways, but most often than naught, they are forced to reach ascension before they perhaps should."

"Okay... So... What-"

"-What does that have to do with me and being abnormal?" Daniel already beat him to the punch. "So glad you asked.,

"See: They may not process it as killing. I do. Didn't always used to, but I do. And not only that, oh no. I found joy in doing it."

Alright. Now he's going back to being the creepy, dangerous motherfucker who desperately needs to be locked up. This is both much better and much worse than him laughing at memes.

"I liked killing people- not for the reason that my peers did. They enjoyed setting people free. I just enjoyed senseless murder because I found that it was a fun pastime. Why? Your answer is as good as mine. But long story short, when my folks found out about this.. Well."

Daniel's smile turned sinister. As he thought it, Max knew that it didn't sound right, but he had no better words for it.

Daniel's smile was just bitter and resentful. Sinister.

"Let's just say that they weren't very happy about it."

Max almost didn't want to ask. "What'd... they do? About it?"

"Oh, many things. They tried auditing, physical abuse, verbal abuse, shunning, isolation- honestly the list could go on and on. I think you get the idea."

Max nodded. He did get the idea.

And he didn't like it one fucking bit.

He didn't like seeing other sides of Daniel. He didn't like what he was hearing, even though it's what he'd actively been seeking for. He'd wanted answers, and it had taken a while, but now he was getting them.
And he hates them. He hates them all so fucking much that he can't stand it.

Imagining Daniel in a violent household was nerve-racking. Imagining Daniel being punished for something that he obviously had no real understanding of or blame for was downright making his blood boil.

Seeing Daniel as anything but a twisted, fucked up serial killer who needs to rot in a psych ward is unfathomable. It's fucking ridiculous.

There is no ounce of humanity whatsoever in people who get off to fucking murder. None.

He knows this. A toddler could fucking understand this, he was sure of it.

So, why, then, was he unable to even LOOK at the man now?

Why was speaking so difficult? Why was he being such a little pussy after hearing one sob story?? Daniel's lying. He has to be lying. And, fuck, even if he's not, what does any of this change?

Nothing. It changes nothing. This is getting Max absolutely nothing. He needs to switch gears. Focus on something else. Get some information that pertains more to the present. He already knew Daniel was fucked in the head. Never really needed an explanation for it.

"So. You left. And you lost faith in your shitty religion? You stopped killing people? Sounds like bullshit if you ask me. And if all you said is true, then why didn't your parents fucking 'ascend' you the moment they realized they couldn't 'fix' you?

"Fuck, WHY would they be so upset about you getting your rocks off to murder so goddamn much?! They're fucking-"

"Hypocrites." They both managed to say it at the same time. Max cringed but chose to ignore it.

"You're right. My parents are hypocrites who I think understand what they're doing and just don't want to accept it. I don't have a concrete answer for their actions. Heck- I'd asked them the same questions you are now. Many times. Never quite got a good answer.

"But to answer your other questions: I'm still... half and half on the whole religion thing. I'm... starting to see its flaws. But. At the same time. I don't know anything else, really? I. I don't know what to make of it all, Max. That's just it. I've been trying to ignore all of this ever since I left."

Max's frown deepened at that. He wasn't okay with letting the topic change or drop right there. He needs one last answer.

"So you're not still killing people." It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"People? No. Animals? Yes."

That's slightly better. "Fucking figures."

"Hey, I'm trying, okay? Cut me some slack. None of this has been easy."

What a human response from such a soulless prick. It made him sick to his stomach. Admittedly, animals were much better than people, but not by much when that shows that Daniel still wants to hurt.

Daniel still wants to kill.

Daniel is still dangerous.

Not really a surprise, but if the man is being honest, then it's confirmation. Confirmation for what he already knows, and definitely useful to his cause. This conversation hasn't been a total bust, after all.

Still... There's one last huge bandage he has to pull off before he can call it quits here and go fuck off to his room.

One last VITAL thing that he needs to know before he can at least begin to regain control over his life.

"I'm guessing you didn't just tell them you wanted to leave the compound and they let you, then? You ran? Does that mean they're still after your sorry ass?"

Daniel didn't seem at all surprised by his questions. In fact, he looked like he expected them. With a smile much less menacing than his previous one, he looked Max in the eyes and bluntly responded with:

"No. I faked my own death."

"Damn," was the first thing out of Max's mouth. He hated the fact that he was genuinely impressed by Daniel's tact in escaping his abu- his shitty situation. He wasn't 100% trusting of Freakshow's stunt to be enough for his folks to not get suspicious and go searching, but he had to admit that he'd likely do the same thing in Daniel's shoes.

"I had a bit of.. help with my escape," Daniel added, smirking to himself. "I'm certain that they think I'm among Xeemug's ranks, now. I've been free for a little over a year, now, and I haven't heard a single thing. I'd say you're relatively safe, Max."

He'll take him up on that. The way Daniel hesitated and seemed to laugh at an inside joke set him off more than just a bit, but he quickly decided it wasn't worth pursuing. Daniel's a freaky fucking enigma. Let him be a giggly asshole all he wants.

"Was there anything else you wanted to know? I feel like I've covered pretty much everything. Not in as much detail as I could have, but..."

He didn't need to finish that sentence. Max understood that if he let out every single detail for every single question that they'd be there all night. Honestly, what Daniel gave him could suffice, anyway.
Either the bastard had lying down pat, or he'd been pretty much completely truthful for the majority of their conversation. He didn't have enough information to refute most of his claims, anyway, so he would just have to go with his gut instinct.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Max stood from the table with a drained look on his face. Social interaction to this extent was beyond exhausting- regardless of who he could have been talking to. The fact that it had been Daniel of all people just made it ten times worse.

"No. I think my curiosity's been pretty much quelled. For now. But don't think this means I'm letting you off easy, dipshit. I still hate your fucking guts, so don't forget that."

"How could I?" Daniel teased, smug fucking smile on his face as he took a drink from his bottle.

Fucking creep. He should just strangle him unconscious right now and save himself the future trouble.

Rolling his eyes, Max stepped out of the way and began to push his chair back into place so he could finally leave. He's had enough of Daniel to last him a goddamn lifetime.
He'd just been turning on his heel without so much as a goodbye when he heard something he didn't expect.

"Wait. Max. Could you do me a small favor and... not tell David I said any of this to you?"

Aaaand the aggravation is back tenfold! A new fucking record!

Sharply turning his head back the blondie's way, Max couldn't hide the utter disgust on his face. Couldn't stop himself from being an absolute douchebag to the pile of trash behind him.

"Why the fuck would I do that?! I don't owe you a goddamn thing, asshat. Fuck off."

"I know. I know." He was a bit too quick to reply, there... "Of course. Go ahead and do whatever you want, it's fine. I just.."

Max turned halfway to face Daniel at that unfinished sentence. He didn't bother to stop himself.

"I just didn't want him to pity me anymore than he does now, that's all. I realize that I was mostly just.. rude, but.. I don't need him knowing about my parents or anything like that. I won't hear the end of it, and it's bad enough that pity is the only reason why I'm here right now."

"Why the fuck doesn't he know all of this shit already? He told me that you two talked shit out."

"We did. But I gave him the simplified version and glossed over a lot of things."

"Why?"

"Because he didn't pry. He seemed content enough with the information I gave him. I knew you wouldn't be, though, so I went more into depth for you. But even so, if it can be helped, I'd just. Rather not deal with him and. All of that. Our relationship is already rocky enough. I don't even know what he really thinks about me at this point."

Un-fucking-fortunately, something inside him broke. Instead of telling the bastard off one last time for the night, he caved. Max broke down laughing.

This is it. He's finally fucking gone insane, hasn't he. This is what true madness feels like. Fucking end him.

He wasn't looking at Daniel, too busy laughing his fucking ass off, but he just knew that the man was giving him the stare of a lifetime. Fuck, he'd be doing the same exact fucking thing if someone he was talking to just suddenly had a goddamn cackle session right in front of him.

Practically keeling over, Max had to steady himself on the nearby chair in order to avoid from falling over.

GOD, what IS it with David and people looking like David being complete and utter MORONS?!

"Y-You fucking idiot," Max wheezed in between breaths. Oh, this was just golden.

"David didn't let you live with us out of fucking PITY. He has a fucking CRUSH on you!"

The moment Max was able to get the not-so-secret out was the moment a metaphorical bomb dropped in the room. He didn't see it, but he could hear Daniel quickly standing like he had before. Likely panicked and beyond confused, and it was all so fucking perfect.

"Wh-What?? M-Max.. Max, come on, quit clowning. That's not funny."

"I'm not joking, you asshole! Are you fucking BLIND?! I-I mean, yeah, he might pity you or whatever you were you talking about, but he thinks you're hot, you oblivious fuck!"

Daniel made a noise that sounded like a mix between a gasp and a squeak. Max didn't even know what to make of it all at this point. The novelty of it had lost most of its humor by now, but their conversation must have fucking broken him, because he's still laughing.

He even laughed as he watched Daniel lose his grip on his beer and stumble clumsily to catch it. He succeeded, but goddammit was his face red and eyes wider than he'd ever seen them.

"I-I- Y-You- He- No-" Daniel stuttered and stammered and fought for some semblance of coherence, only to end up a fucking babbling embarrassed mess. In literally any other situation, Max would be amazed. It was something akin to watching a stone statue suddenly start moving.

However, right now, he was all emotioned out. After a good laugh like that, he needed to get some fucking sleep. It was probably way past twelve by now, and David would be home before long.
He kinda wanted to stay up just to see if Daniel would still be around to confront David about his 'newfound' feelings for him.

He also found it pretty disgusting, though, so he really would rather not know what goes on behind closed doors between those two. So long as there are no knives, no stabbing, and no sex, he's good.

"I won't tell him shit if you don't tell him I told you anything. There. We're fucking even, now. Now shut up."

"Wh- Bu- But Max-"

"No fucking buts. Go to bed or something, Freakshow. I'm done here."

And with that, Max walked over and scooped up his lukewarm soda before making a beeline to his bedroom. He was way fucking past exhausted, and as such, couldn't fucking deal with a blushing fumbling serial killer in his kitchen.

He couldn't deal with seeing Daniel be anything but a monster. Anything even remotely like a person. Who has feelings.

And insecurities. And a fucking conscience.
It was impossible for him to associate Daniel with people in general- let alone with David or with himself. So, one could imagine seeing more than one side of the same old coin was a dissociative experience in and of itself. And that was only putting it lightly.

Hitting his head against his door, Max let out a low groan as he sunk down to the floor. His soda cup had been discarded into a nearby trash can without much care. All he wanted to do right now was forget about Daniel. Forget about David. Forget about emotions and morality and what he did right and what he did wrong.

He was beginning to understand that, regardless of how he sees the one man circus sideshow, Daniel is a person, too. A person that's fucked up and been misinformed and controlled all of his life. A person that had just expressed remorse on some level for his fucking fucked up acts, only to turn around and admit that he saw them as a waning habit akin to smoking or drinking.

A garbage fire of a fucked up mess

Daniel is far from a good person. Hell, far from being someone that Max could even consider an acquaintance at best.

But he's also human. And deceitful and manipulative or not, he's a goddamn puzzle and a half.

David sure knows how to pick 'em.