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'Ah, I can't even count the times I've tried,' Naib Subedar started wondering, counting every instance of failure. How many times did he actually try?
Truth be told, the very moment that the profiles of the newcomers were flashed on the screen, Naib Subedar had already claimed one of the newcomers to be an additional member of his group called ANEW. ANEW was the acronym made from the first letters of the names of the following survivors: Aesop, Naib, Eli, William. Naib had brought them together and in a match, they were unstoppable. Everyone had their roles securing them a win in almost every match. And with Aesop being the most valued member, as per the mercenary, he was treated like The Mind's Eye. The boys would protect him so he could focus on decoding. Aesop didn't specifically hate this kind of special treatment but he was bothered by it. That was until the reason for being 'most valued' was explained by the mercenary. He told him that he was the hardest to recruit. True enough, Aesop started distant, unfriendly and very anxious around people. This explanation had the embalmer just nodding at the mercenary.
This title didn't last long in the hands of the embalmer though. His reign as the title-holder for hardest to recruit was about to be taken away by the new guy that stood before the survivors gathered in the dining hall. As they say, first impression lasts, or does it now? From the picture on the profile displayed days ago before the new survivors' arrival, the new guy had a small smile on his face. The survivors automatically assumed he was a sociable type. But today, the look of gloom on the new guy's face was accentuated by his downcast eyes, turned down corners of his mouth and dark aura in general. This guy had little to no emotion at all. He stood there in silence as the other newcomer was accommodating enough to answer some of the questions from Vera and the others.
"I'm Patricia Dorval. the enchantress. I can place a curse on hunters and stun them for a couple of seconds. But be aware, that healing me might take time. I would be doing my best to assist you, fellow survivors in the upcoming matches." The enchantress made a short introduction to her debuff and abilities. This survivor looked powerful and seemed quite approachable. She looked over to the guy beside him, who was next in line at introducing.
The dark-colored eyes' view shifted up and looked beyond the survivors that stood in front of him. For some reason, the halls looked more interesting to stare at than a bunch of strangers. A deep breath was released before saying, "I'm Norton Campbell, the prospector."
William and Naib exchanged looks just as Aesop and Eli were left blinking at the very short statement from the prospector. Like the other survivors, they were expecting a bit more information. But it was obvious that Norton did not intend to give follow-ups. It was simple to tell especially after seeing the prospector walking up to his rightful seat for the match. This situation had reminded Eli and William of Aesop's first day in the manor. He was also kind of distant and only spoke very few words during his introduction.
'He's just like you Aesop,' William said to the embalmer in the form of a whisper.
Aesop was not exactly sure how to respond to that plus, Eli's fingers intertwining with his caused him to become even more distracted. The seer let out a contented sigh as he turned to the embalmer with a smile. “Glad those anxious days are over now.”
Aesop, all flustered, kicked the seer on the leg. Eli was the type to always express his feelings regardless if there are people around.
“You guys are just so cheesy, does ANEW allow this?” William teased the two, poking the founder of the group.
Naib's attention was on the prospector then. A flinch came when he felt the forward's finger, poking at his shoulder. Naib dropped a safe answer of “Maybe,” even though he didn't understand what William was talking about.
Aesop finally uttered defensively, “My introduction wasn't -that- short.”
"Guess he is just a shy guy," William commented then elbowed Naib, "We know what to do, right?"
Naib was like in a trance, letting his eyes observe the new guy, who was now sitting down next to three players' seats. Because Naib couldn't help but stare, his eyes met the prospector's for a very quick second. It was such a short time but somehow Naib started feeling something odd in his chest. His heart kind of skipped a beat. Odd.
He decided to ignore this, finally responding to William's comment with a small smile and a cheerful "Yeah!"
Though Naib had successfully ignored the weird feeling, his finger might have had a different plan. It did decide for him, pressing the volunteer button. His title automatically flashed on the screen, granting him a seat next to the prospector. The shock at his actions had caused a bit of delay with taking his respectful seat. He was so confused that he just stood there for almost a minute shooting a glance on his hand then the prospector.
'What was that all about,' Naib asked himself. Although he always made the first move to make friends with the new survivors that came to the manor, it was surprising for him that his hand kinda moved on its own without him knowing it. He was surprised. And even though he had volunteered to get close to the distant Aesop Carl before, he was so sure he was in control of his actions then. This situation was just plain weird. Why was he volunteering out of nowhere when he can just talk to the new guy after the match?
"Dude, go sit down already. You okay?" William shook Naib, placing a hand on the mercenary's shoulder. Naib was still blinking confusedly at the action he had done himself. He was in desperate search of the answer as to why he did that. He shouldn't be doing this at all too. After all, he recalled his promise to help out with the chores. This sudden decision had earned him a look of disapproval from some of the girls. He mouthed a sorry to appease the wrath building up in their eyes.
William was the one to explain in his friend's behalf to the girls, "He just wants to get to know the new guy. Like what he did with Aesop, remember?"
"Hm, the prospector does remind me of Aesop's first day in the manor," Emily told them, looking for someone with a similar opinion to agree with her.
"Yeah!" Emma agreed with violent nodding, shifting her gaze from the girls, then to the filled seats for the upcoming match.
"Too early for us to assume anything of him. Let's give him time to adjust," The reminder came from the perfumer as she pulled one of the seats and sat down to watch the match.
As seen on the screen, the all-male team of Norton, Naib, Servais and Kurt were all scattered around different areas of the map. Moonlit River Park was a very wide matching area. Kurt and Servais were on the side of the circus tent then. The same spot where the hunter spawned. As for Norton and Naib, the position of their spawning areas weren't too far from each other.
Favorable... at least for the mercenary.
If the goal was to observe the skills of the new survivor, Naib wouldn't have any problem doing that because he was conveniently near Norton Campbell right now. He could see him from where he had decided to decode. As he did start decoding, this extreme desire to get to know the prospector grew in him. Naib was so determined to complete the cipher so he could run off to the prospector. But of course, that wasn't happening because decoding isn't his forte. In fact, he hated it so much that it took him a long while to pop a single cipher. Also, miraculously, even when he was so focused on checking out the new guy, he wasn't messing up calibrations.
As the survivors watched the mercenary, this behavior Naib was exhibiting of looking so determined to make friends wasn't new to them at all. They knew Naib had the skill of keeping everyone together. He was a guy of camaraderie, one to speak of teamwork and its importance in matches. It was a good thing having the mercenary in the manor so they allowed Naib to do his usual get-to-know antics at the newbies. Nothing about the screen showing Naib following Norton around was fishy for everyone because of this known fact.
Fast forward to the late game, the survivors were quite lucky. Michiko was rather friendly during this match, even after getting stunned when the magnet pulled her toward the wall. She was kind of forgiving or she was just also learning of the new guy's skills. Nobody knew the motive of the geisha's kindness that night. She did get to hit all of them at least once so she shouldn't be getting unacceptable scores.
When the prospector ran to the next cipher, the mercenary came running after him. It was smarter to use the elbow pads to catch up, but Naib allowed himself to be several steps away from the prospector. For some odd reason, Naib's eyes were just glued to the back of the prospector, memorizing every detail about him. His stare went from the funny hat that Norton wore, down to the view of the guy's burn marks on the forearm, then down to the prospector's bum. This was the part where he stopped, cheeks burning red instantly. Despite the staring, Naib wasn't completely spacing out at the marvelous view of Norton's built. In his head, he was focused on practicing what he wanted to tell the prospector as they were nearing the next cipher. He had to think of something clever to say, something that would initiate a good conversation.
--1--
'So you throw out magnets to stun the hunters, huh? That's very cool! You should've shared that detail about your amazing skill earlier,' was what Naib planned out to say in his head. Because sending out praises might trigger the guy to talk. Sure, if this was the normal Naib, these words would've been said out loud already, but today, that just wasn't the case.
Everything that his mind and body were doing, were somehow beyond his control. "So uh, wow magnets,"
'Shit, what am I saying,' Naib wanted to hit himself hard on the head for saying something that isn't even going to spark a conversation at all. He didn't know why he was so nervous when he had been doing this rapport building with survivors ever since he entered the manor. What was so different with this Norton Campbell guy?
Norton stopped in front of the untouched cipher machine. He didn't turn to the mercenary plus, didn't waste his time to respond. After wiping off the sweat that had formed on his forehead with the back of his hand, he started decoding the cipher before him.
This got Naib anxious. Now, he had to think of something else to say. But what is there to say anyway? What if Norton doesn't say anything again? He had an inner panic building up in him. This wasn't similar to his situation with Aesop. At least Aesop was talking and being rude to him during their first few matches together. Being rude still counts as a better response than none at all. Because the embalmer gets angry and can convey his feelings then and it made things easier to make him a softy. Thank god for the existence of Eli Clark. Things were different this time. With no one to assist him with this 'friendship goal' of his, he might fail at recruiting this guy. Norton didn't seem to be the type to say anything rude but would rather choose to keep silent. It was going to be hard to get through him.
What was the mercenary so worried about anyway? This was merely his first attempt. As he had always told himself, he needs multiple attempts before he would decide to give up on something. Beyond that was being pushy. Luckily, survivors give in to Naib's effort by the fourth or fifth time. Maybe this was the case for Norton too, who knows?
--2--
So he pushed through with his next line, with a bit more confidence this time, "Can I help you or should I just--"
"Sure," Norton cut the statement off and gave a one-word reply, eyes fixed on the machine rather than the person he was speaking to.
The new guy was a higher level of unfriendly. This was going to be challenging for sure. For a moment there was a bit of silence, a silence Naib tried to enjoy a bit. That time, the sound of the cipher machine dominated the area. Naib hated this beeping sound more than anything but he didn't seem to mind it right now. Both were now focusing on decoding rather than talking. By the time the cipher was beyond the middle mark, the mercenary was tempted to stare at Norton's face again. Was that an effect of the magnets?
Without realizing it, he indeed had started staring at Norton's face, accidentally making a failed calibration and making the machine explode.
"Focus on decoding," Norton told him, eyes still on the cipher, giving it a bit of a tap. He sure was one to practice what he preaches. He was focused alright.
"S-sorry!" Naib apologized, rubbing the back of his neck, all flustered at that mistake. It was so easy to just give that machine a few hits and shakes. They'd been doing that for quite some time now. Focus on decoding was a message that Naib had heard every survivor saying, not to him specifically, but for the ones who specialize in that. Now he made himself look like a fool in front of the new guy. What should he do? There was no means to redeem himself, especially when Michiko is being friendly and doesn't seem to want to chair anyone. How can he display his cool skills before the prospector?
The cipher popped with Naib just standing there and not contributing anything. The sound of gates being ready to be open sounded throughout the map.
--3--
Norton started running to the direction of the gate to open it.
“N-Norton!” Naib called out. Oh boy, the mercenary was again doing something he wasn't intending to do. Why did he call him out when he hasn't planned anything to say yet? Wrong move.
The speed of Norton's steps slowed down until it was put on a halt. His final step still left his back facing the mercenary, waiting for whatever he wanted to say.
Naib was having another round of panic in his head, throwing out random things to say in his head, like asking Norton more details about his skills, or informing him that the hunter was friendly and they can earn a few more points by trying to play with her. He had lots of clever topics in mind but the one he chose to say wasn't the brightest one for sure, “A.. am I... AM I ALLOWED TO PICK UP THE MAGNETS?!”
Norton sighed silently, trying his best not to shake his head. He was expecting that the valuable seconds he wasted waiting for what this survivor would tell him would be equally as valuable. Apparently, it was a senseless question.
“You can, but why?” Norton said coldly then started continuing his pace to the gate.
That was until he felt a hand grab his forearm.
--4--
“I'm Naib Subedar!” The mercenary announced shamelessly. His stomach started to hurt for some reason. He didn't understand why he just won't quit trying to befriend the prospector even though he was so sure that this guy just didn't care about him at all. The response was bound to give him another twist in the gut.
The response... what response? There was nothing.
Should he try again?! Should he just try again right now? He had wasted all four attempts. He usually wouldn't go on using all his four attempts in one day. Back then with Aesop, he needed five days, with the fifth day needing the assistance of Eli. Now, he had no one to rely on but himself and he wasn't having a good time being turned down consecutively by this guy.
It made him question his decision of being too pushy on the first match. Maybe what he did would just make the prospector distance himself from him more. That was what he had always wanted to avoid which is why he had proper timing with the other survivors he tried to befriend.
Norton pulled his arm off the grasp and attempted to run off again but was stopped for the second time. The prospector was feeling annoyed with the situation he was in. His face, though Naib can only see the side view, was showing a scowl.
When Naib felt that Norton had violently yanked his arm off the grasp again, he started feeling irritated too. What was up with this guy? This guy wasn't going to cooperate at all. He probably is the worst guy to recruit after all.
Why was Naib acting so dumb and stupid right now?
--5--
Dumb and stupid. He had already thought of those words and yet he decided to push through with another attempt.
“Why are you so anti-social?! I'm just trying to be friendly with you! And all you do is give me one-liners to dismiss conversation! Ugh!”
Oops, shouldn't have said that, Naib.
“I don't need you,” Norton replied as he went to the gate leaving the mercenary in a state of shock at the prospector's very harsh response.
–
Five attempts were wasted that night. Five attempts before he gives up, right? Should he give up right now? This guy could've been a great addition to the group's chances of earning wins. The prospector had great skills and could decode and heal quite fast. He was just an admirable candidate in general. Naib blew his chance when he lost his temper. Since when did he ever lose his temper like this? Even Aesop's cruel words didn't get him but why did this guy manage to tick him off so easily? If only he was able to control himself at that time, then maybe after the match, William and Eli could have their shot at trying to recruit the guy.
Seemed far fetched now that Norton looked displeased upon his return to the manor. He went straight up the stairs without acknowledging the greetings of Congratulations coming from the survivors that watched the match. Patricia was the one to apologize on his behalf, telling everyone that Norton is normally a quiet type.
“He is just really not the type to enjoy conversations.” Patricia turned to Naib and bowed before him, “Sorry if he might have said something horrible to you during the match.”
“H-huh?”
“He said something horrible?!” William's voice was a mix of curiosity and also a bit of protective.
“N-no! He just told me that he wanted to open the gate!” Naib lied to them. Placing the prospector in a bad spotlight would just completely diminish the goal of making Norton a part of ANEW.
“The face you made doesn't look like you heard him ask for permission to open the gate at all,” Aesop pointed out. He sounded so sure too and it had placed the mercenary in the hot seat.
“But that's what he--”
“Nu-uh,” Aesop smirked at Naib, “I am sure he said something horrible. You were taken aback.”
“He didn't!” Naib was out of ideas.
“What did he say?” Aesop quizzed the mercenary, stepping closer and closer to him.
“Eh, how come you insist that Naib's expression was weird during that time? I've noticed something else!” Eli joined in the conversation, index finger up as if knowing something worth noting.
Aesop raised an eyebrow at his lover, automatically forgetting his question that was directed toward the mercenary. “What is it, Eli?”
“Naib blushed when he saw the prospector's butt,” Eli stated with a smile on his face.
“W-what?” William and Aesop said in unison.
“ELI!” Naib panicked, blushing deep red. “I wasn't staring at his butt! I was looking at the cipher! UGH!”
“You guys are something else,” Patricia giggled at this. “Anyway, just forgive Norton. He will adjust. Best leave him alone for now. Maybe he will open up soon,”
Quiet types are manageable, Naib believed that. They can still turn soft and Naib was fueled with a stronger determination this time. At least now he knows that there is a chance. Patricia did give him that small percentage of hope he needed. That gave him the extra push to try harder next time.
Next time.
Next time.
Next time.
Days were quick to pass by and it had been almost a month since the prospector's arrival to the manor. Five attempts turned into twenty-five attempts so quickly without Naib noticing it. This guy just won't budge. He was a total loner.
Norton preferred to eat alone, skipping the scheduled meal times to eat on his own. Naib had watched him do this all the time. He had learned that Norton finishes his soup last, and would push off the carrots in any meal and would barely touch the dessert unless it was a doughnut. The prospector also ended up doing something habitually during dinner time. Because he didn't want to eat with the others, he ate his meal during late hours after matches. This had caused him to feel sleepy every time. Naib noted just how calm Norton seemed to be when he was just like that on the dining table, resting his head on the backrest of the wooden chair then almost falling off by the time he reached dreamland. It was odd to say it was adorable but, that's what echoed in the mercenary's mind repeatedly.
During matches, Norton was pretty helpful at least. He wouldn't say anything but he did come to people's rescue when needed. His anti-social behavior didn't get in the way of his in-game plays. He was contributing well to the survivor side's pool of points for the season.
When he wasn't in a match, he would be in the weirdest spots in the manor, places that no one visits like the far end of the gallery, or the grassy area just below the huge windows of the manor. He didn't intend to talk to anyone at all. What was interesting though, is he spends most of his day time, staring at the sky for several hours. Naib was sure that Norton was contemplating about his life, otherwise, why would you stare at the sky for hours without falling asleep?
Another odd thing about the prospector was that he is willing to help with the chores. Being unfriendly didn't stop him from cleaning the halls. He would wash the dishes or set-up the table, always leaving his spot on it plate-less and utensil-less. Naib's hope, though constantly fluctuating drastically due to the prospector's unpredictable attitude, was still on a high level. After all, summarizing Norton's behavior, it was easy to say that he just wasn't comfortable with making friends but he had a strong desire to help out. This gave Naib his endless determination to keep trying to get Norton to talk to him.
Naib felt like a stalker for knowing every tiny detail about the prospector as he followed him around in the manor and even in matches. His attempts at friendship were unmatched. Eli and William had already given up on that when Norton told them that he didn't want to have friends. That statement was enough to stop the two-- but not Naib Subedar.
Five attempts can't be enough. He might go for one hundred fifty-five.
–
--55--
Today, Naib had just renewed his courage to speak to Norton again, even after embarrassing himself last night. Norton was probably going to avoid him today. He needed William's help so he can use team effort to corner the prospector into talking. Pushy? He thinks not.
He excitedly searched the manor around for William first before trying to approach Norton. Using his elbow pads so as not to waste time, he roamed around the first floor, searching the dining area, kitchen, lobby, and even the garden area. He wasn't around. The forward would always hang out on the first floor during this hour so he made a final check at the backyard.
Finally, he found the brawny guy he was looking for. He had his head tilted down the marble sink. He was... washing his face, Naib guessed. After letting a few huffs out to catch his breath from all the running he did around the manor, he sneakily walked toward the forward's location, making sure that he doesn't end up stepping on the crisp brown leaves that had fallen on the ground. That would make noise and alert William. He wanted to get back at the forward for surprise-attacking him the other day.
At the very moment he ended up making noise on the final step, Naib did his revenge of surprise-grabbing the butt of the person before him. Naib announced proudly then flashed a toothy grin, “HAHAHA! GOTCHA!”
Naib's smile was quick to melt into a gape of the mouth as the guy before him lifted his head and turned to look at him.
Nope.
Not William.
Norton Campbell.
He was grabbing Norton's butt.
'Shit,' Naib cursed at himself as Norton's shocked face met his own shocked one. His lips quivered out of nervousness, but his hands remained in position as if they were frozen.
“What are you doing?” Norton finally spoke, voice not sounding dead like his usual tone. This question gave Naib the signal to release his hold of the prospector's butt cheeks. He obviously should've done that earlier. What was this idiocy all about?
“I.. uh... I was just... I thought...” Yep, it was fun to stare at that droplet of water that trickled down slowly from Norton's damp hair down to the bridge of his nose, rolling down those partly open lips. Fun for Naib. He felt like his chest was going to explode at that time. His cheeks were feeling hot and are probably on the shade of red now. None of the words he intended to say would ever come out right if he continued to look at Norton's face this way. It was hopeless.
Norton quickly turned his back at the mercenary and grabbed the towel to wipe his face. There was that silence again. Naib should be used to this awkward silence. He was probably the only one making it awkward anyway. Norton probably didn't care at all. After giving his bangs a few pats with the towel, he grabbed the toolbox carrying gardening materials, passing dumbfounded and embarrassed Naib by like he didn't exist. Norton made his steps real quick too.
Naib was troubled. That was by far, the most embarrassing thing he had done. That could be the last attempt. He couldn't face the prospector ever after that. As his speeding heartbeat began to slow down gradually, his curiosity about something else had lifted him from the humiliation he had put himself into. Naib now wanted to know why Norton was at the backyard and was carrying a toolbox. He didn't get to see all of the toolbox's contents but he did see a shovel in it.
His desire to know had his legs bringing him around the spacious backyard. The area was covered in green maintained grass. The length of the grass told Naib that Norton was probably coming here at early times in the morning. Times that Naib would still be snoozing in his room. The prospector probably had the grass cut but why was the shovel placed on top of the toolbox. That meant he had recently used that.
Naib makes a final turn on the side of the backyard and discovered a patch of soil with flowers growing in them. The flowers were white chrysanthemums, there were lots of them. They had just been watered cause the petals did have water droplets on them. Norton must've been taking care of these.
Norton was a softy, Naib automatically confirmed just by seeing the healthy flowers growing in the backyard. This attempt wasn't going to be the last, Naib told himself.
--56--
Out of all the times, Naib had failed, he still hasn't learned of proper timing. He previously knew how to handle things like this but his head was now in shambles when the prospector came to the manor. Naib's actions were out of control. And as if he didn't shamelessly grab Norton's butt earlier, he attempted ONCE AGAIN to corner Norton into a conversation when he found him alone at the gallery. The boy was just looking out the window, seemingly in deep thought like always.
“N-Norton!” Naib chimed in and Norton got ready to leave the area, avoiding eye contact with the mercenary.
“L-look! I'm sorry okay.” Naib gulped as he tried to continue explaining. “I thought it was William! I swear to god I didn't mean to harass you like that. I am very sorry.”
Naib wished Norton would've just replied rudely but he didn't say anything at all. He just turned his back at the mercenary, both hands in his pockets.
With extra determination, Naib tried again. He was back to his usual self. He was desperate to make the talk work this time. “I... Uhm... saw the chrysanthemums at the backyard. Th..they were pretty.”
“...” If only Norton said dot dot dot, at least that would kill the tumbleweed moment in the gallery. Norton still refused to speak. He just wasn't' going to talk about anything at all.
“Emma would love... em. You took care of them well...” Naib tried once more.
Nope. Nothing.
Naib deeply sighed at this. Maybe that was it. Norton simply just isn't going to open up. The number of times he had felt like he had given up should have been enough to tell him that this mission was impossible. He just wasn't going to be friends with this guy. No matter how many times he had seen the guy's soft side, it was pointless if he wasn't the one that Norton considered as a possible friend. Norton probably hated him a lot.
But why does it hurt so much to let go of the idea of trying to get Norton to be close to them? Is it because this was his first time giving up on anyone? Staring at Norton Campbell always gave him a weird feeling in the stomach, probably out of the embarrassment, he didn't know. What about the intense pounding in his chest and the heat on his reddened face during talks with the prospector? What was that all about? Was it because of the embarrassment too? Was he just nervous because he was sure that Norton would never respond? He didn't know the answer to all the questions that flooded his mind right now.
He might as well leave. Naib smiled weakly at Norton, who wasn't facing him anyway. “I'm sorry. I'll just go.”
His final hope of Norton speaking up right when he leaves, was crushed when he had reached the door of the gallery. Norton didn't stop him. He didn't even try to give out any comment and just remained standing there, looking at the view outside the window, which would probably just be a view of trees and nothing else.
Naib walked away when he felt a piercing feeling on his chest. He grabbed a handful of the garment that covered his chest then, trying to clutch onto it and make it calm down a bit.
Distressed Naib was found by Eli. Miraculously, Eli was alone and not walking hand in hand with Aesop. The two were almost always seen together.
“What's the matter?” Eli had always been straightforward like Naib. He must've learned this from the mercenary. Naib didn't think that it would be used against him.
Naib had to stray away from the topic by asking the question back at the seer “What the matter with you? Why isn't Aesop with you? Didja fight?”
“Nah, Aesop wanted to spend time in the library and I have to go help with the kitchen in a few minutes.” Eli explained and Naib was so sure he got away with not being asked until Eli started again, “What's the matter with you? Why does your face look like you're hurting?”
“Must be the tummyache!” Naib managed to think of an excuse quickly as he held his stomach, faking his hurt facial expressions to make things convincing.
It wasn't working on the seer.
“Doesn't seem like it. What's bothering you? You can tell me.” Eli smiled at him. Eli was indeed a guy he could trust but he didn't want to open up about something that he, himself, didn't understand in the first place. The confusion was consuming him. Probably, that is why his chest started hurting.
“I don't know what it is so I can't tell you.” Naib started.
“Well, I can help you sort it out.” Eli offered, reminding Naib of the kind gesture the mercenary did back then for him, which was being his confidant. “You did help me understand my feelings for Aesop. I'd want to help you out too.”
“Errr... well, I did help you by simply saying 'maybe you like Aesop back' without any basis to it. You understood it yourself.” Naib contradicted the statement of the seer.
“Still needed the push though,” Eli told him.
Naib was in thought. Maybe it won't hurt to ask Eli some questions. At least that won't be directly about himself but rather would be questions out of curiosity. “Okay... well... here it goes... How do you usually feel when you see Aesop?”
“Huh? Why is it about me and Aesop?” Eli scratched his head.
“Just tell me!”
“You all know how beautiful he is so, of course, looking at him makes my heart race. It's almost like it wants to explode inside my chest.” Eli smiled as he recalled the way his lover looked like. Aesop's face was beyond beautiful. He might have lacked the descriptive facts but he didn't want to kill a friend because of his cheesy words so he kept that to a minimum.
Naib nodded and subconsciously moved his hand from his stomach to his chest. “W-what about when you talk to him... did you find it hard to speak?”
“Yes!” Eli nodded dumbly. “It's like I have something prepared in my head but when I'm about to speak, my words get flipped around. Sometimes I even mess things up, saying senseless things instead.”
“Ah...” Naib bit his lip.
“Then you start doing things that you didn't think you'd do,” Eli added.
“Like your body does things on its own.”
“Uhuh,” Eli confirmed. “And you want to be with that person all the time, subconsciously watching him. I thought I was a creep, but I still ended up knowing lots of little details about Aesop whenever I watched him.”
Naib couldn't react but he felt like his mind was screaming in agreement. He had felt that sure.
“And of course, your cheeks will feel like they're burning hot. You'd think it is because you're embarrassed but...”
“But?” Naib felt nervous as his checklist of feelings was slowly about to be completed.
“But it is just your heart telling you something through your body's actions and reactions.” Eli heard quick steps approaching behind him.
“Eli!” Aesop called out, a bright smile was on his face. One that no one had ever imagined seeing in the embalmer's face. He was doing this expression a lot lately. It was very heart-warming and contagious. Before the seer and mercenary knew it, their lips were pulled on the sides, forming the same smile.
“Hey, Aes.” Naib was smiling as he waved a hand at the embalmer.
“Hello, Naib,” Aesop bowed a bit. “I just need to talk to Eli please!”
“Sure sure,” Naib pushed Eli to Aesop. “You go, lovebirds.”
Aesop blushed as he pulled Eli with him. “Let's go!”
“Later, Naib.” Eli winked at him as if implying something but Naib didn't catch up with whatever that was. He just watched Eli and Aesop being sweet towards each other as they walked off. Eli was forcing a kiss on Aesop, but the embalmer had a palm over his lips to stop him.
It was cute.
Naib wondered if anyone would ever – He stopped his train of thought when he remembered that the things Eli mentioned to him were the same things he felt when he looked at Norton. Was this really about making friends? He couldn't control himself. He wanted to see Norton every day. Even if the prospector replied with barely two words or none at all, he still wanted to hear his voice. Watching him eat, play the game, do his daily activities were things Naib couldn't stop. The warm feeling his chest, the fast beating of his heart... what were all these?
'Was my heart telling me that this is love?' Naib asked himself as he tried to convince himself that it wasn't the case. He should be giving up now, right? But he wanted to go back to the gallery. He wanted to talk to him once more.
–
'Is it my fault that I am bad at expressing myself?' Norton asked himself as he stood by the window, eyes fixed on the two birds that had perched on the branch of the dead oak tree outside.
The prospector was confused about the mercenary's actions. Everybody had already understood that he didn't want anyone's company. He didn't need friends. From the first day, he hadn't shown any sign of actually wanting to be close to anyone. He didn't even go near Patricia that much so the others won't get the wrong idea. But for some reason, this mercenary never gave up on him. He'd always try to force a conversation even at times that Norton refused to answer or even he had said something rude. This guy just won't leave him alone.
At first, it was very annoying, but somehow, the prospector had gotten used to seeing Naib around all the time. ALL THE TIME. He found it funny that Naib thought he was good at hiding behind cabinets or that no one would discover him when he peeped from the pallets. Norton was so amused by this. He had always seen Naib observing from a distance whenever he ate his meals. It was during late hours too, even he couldn't help but fall asleep. Why was this guy so persistent?
Naib surely was a character that Norton had subconsciously watched back when he realized that this guy was dedicating himself to being his friend. He learned a lot of things about Naib when he watched him back discreetly. Naib was well-liked, a team-player, a reliable friend. He would always sacrifice himself for the good of others. It was admirable, a complete opposite of himself. If only he could undo the things he had done to become someone like Naib. This thought had always crossed his mind whenever Naib attempted to talk to him. This stopped him from giving Naib a chance. He felt like he could never be like that and someone as nice as Naib would never understand the past he had hidden from everyone. His scars made the survivors think he was a victim of an accident, not knowing that the accident was something he had caused himself. The death of the people in the mines was the true representation of the scars in his body. If only Naib knew, maybe he'd stop.
How could someone waste so much time watching him? He would always ask himself. He hardly does anything interesting and yet, Naib would be tailing behind him every time.
This one-sided conversation was probably the last they would have, as the glass on the window reflected the shock on the mercenary's face. Norton had decided to tell him the truth.
“I caused several people to die because of my selfishness,” Norton said, trying not to make it sound like he regretted it. He wanted his words to reflect of confidence, something that would push the mercenary away. This kind of person needed to leave him alone. Anyway, Norton had always felt like he wasn't worthy of the title 'friend'.
Naib didn't speak. For the first time, he was the silent one.
Norton added, “They were innocent people. They trusted me. I let them all die because I was greedy.”
Norton went to the mercenary, cold eyes staring directly at the mercenary's. He leaned forward very close to the other boy's face, “These burn marks are here, forever reminding me of my sins. And it makes me uncomfortable that you keep staring at my face, Naib Subedar. Keep your kind eyes away from me because I'll never be your friend.”
He placed his gloved hands inside his pockets as he walked out of the gallery. This should have been a winning moment cause he did see Naib's disappointed face. But why did it hurt him to see the mercenary that way? Was it wrong to have told the truth? The heavy feeling in his chest should've been lifted but it felt heavier now.
–
It remained heavy for the next few days. Naib wasn't watching over him anymore. Norton had expected this, right? Who would accept such a sinner like him? Not even the kindest in the manor can, so he shouldn't have kept his hopes up. Now, eating didn't seem to be that important. He hardly ate dinner and just proceeded to his room to sleep every time. Quite frankly, he was staying up to eat late night before because he knew Naib would come. But now that the mercenary had kept his distance, it felt pointless to stay up. He might as well get his energy by getting enough sleep. Not like he ever did get enough sleep.
His nightmares wouldn't let him.
He hated how he felt like he wasn't himself since the day he confessed about his wrong-doings to Naib. It made him feel like he was the incarnate of the devil. Remorse, self-blame, and self-hate started filling him again, affecting his performances in matches. He was just too distracted by his negative thoughts that he couldn't focus at all when in-game. It was difficult, most especially when Naib was in a team with him. Every single time he saw Naib's eyes avoid his glances, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He was confused. Before, all Naib gave him were rapid heartbeats and now this? He didn't understand what his heart was telling him at all.
“Your scores are plummeting in a span of a week. What's wrong?” Patricia asked in a worried tone. She leaned against the walls of the backyard, watching the prospector pull out the weeds growing around the blossoming chrysanthemums. As usual, Norton didn't turn to the person he was speaking to, but was polite enough to give out an answer.
“Something bothers me.”
“Naib Subedar?” It came in a form of a question but when Norton turned to Patricia, she had this knowing look on her face. It was either Norton was being too obvious about his emotions or Patricia just knew him well enough to read through his actions and expressions.
Norton had nothing to hide. If anything, he wanted to get his answers and if the enchantress could give him those, then why did he need to hesitate? He returned a direct question at Patricia then, “Why is Naib making me feel odd in the chest?”
“Odd how? Explain it.” Patricia knew but he wanted Norton to be able to express it. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any acceptance. He had to sort out these 'odd' feelings he spoke of before Patricia could feed him the details on what was going on.
“At first, it felt like he was judging me when he stared at my scars but when he kept on doing it, it started to make my heart flutter.” Norton's brows furrowed in thought, accompanied by a very deep sigh.
“What about now that he isn't doing that?”
Norton's expression switches into a hurt one as he sadly looked at one of the withering flowers. “There's this piercing pain in my chest and I just don't get it. I've never once felt these things before.”
“You want him to stay with you,” Patricia said with a smile on her face. “You're afraid of having him farther away from you. That is all I can say. The rest, you have to find out yourself.”
Those words from the enchantress burdened Norton's mind up until the matching period. Of course, that was it. He kind of knew that... but why? Why would he want Naib to stay with him? Why couldn't he take the idea of being farther away from him? Naib wasn't important. He was just some guy who loved to stalk him, a guy who dedicated much time and effort to force him to talk, a guy who cared about him, a guy who valued his existence. Wait--
'Was my heart telling me that this is love?' Norton asked himself as he tried to convince himself that it wasn't the case. He should be giving up now, right? But he found himself pressing the volunteer button to sit next to the mercenary, who was already sitting down. He wanted to take a shot. He wanted to talk to him.
Naib had made Norton's mind a mess, made his heart go in chaos. And now, seeing him looking away made things worse.
'I miss looking at him but he already pushed me away. I should give it up,' Naib told himself as he tried to go for the rescue mid-match.
The rescue better be a success cause they still had four ciphers to decode, he wondered what Freddy and Norton were up to. They should've focused on decoding as he did his part of kiting Leo for almost a hundred seconds. And as he did block the attack of the Phantom of Resentment directed supposedly at Tracy, he had expected to have at least two ciphers down.
Injured and already close to faltering, he had no choice but to run to the abandoned factory, with Leo following him closely behind.
This was it, he was going to get chaired.
But the fear in his heart started to slowly fade. Leo must've found another survivor to run after. As he crawled to the far end of the factory so he could heal, he was weirded out. The floors looked shiny for some reason. He tried to smell the greasy liquid on the floor that was now on his hand. This was kerosene. He didn't remember this place having that on its floors before. He crawled to the area where the floors aren't wet with kerosene. But there was one thing he needed to do before he investigated what was up and that was, to heal himself. Anyway, the floors being greasy was just a minor detail. As he was self-healing, he heard running steps against the floors of the factory.
“Ahh, Leo,” This statement was accompanied by laughter. It was a familiar voice.
Naib was curious so he peeped a bit, seeing Freddy standing directly in front of Leo. Leo was not attacking him but was in fact, looking like he was scared. Hunters get scared, Naib was puzzled that he didn't get to continue healing and was just watching Freddy and Leo.
“I am so sick of you hitting me like you won against me,” The lawyer shook his head showing a look of dismay. “How's about I punish you with a bit of a memory from the past? What do you think?”
Leo grunted and stepped back when he saw the lawyer pull out a match from a matchbox.
“Now, now, what's a dummy like you so afraid of?” Freddy mocked the hunter by flicking the end of the match against the side of the matchbox, producing a flame.
Leo made a cry of fear as he fell on the ground, shaking his head. Freddy walked up close to the fallen hunter, waving the lit match before him. “I wonder what would happen if I accidentally drop this. Hmm..”
The evil smirk on the lawyer's face was impossible for Naib to see since his back was turned at him. But he could tell that the lawyer was up to no good. He probably wasn't able to make Freddy change. The lawyer was just being pretentious the whole time he had cooperated with the other survivors. Maybe this was his ultimate plan.
Naib bit his lip and hoped that he could heal in time to stop whatever Freddy was planning.
“Ciao, Leo! I've always thought you've died in the factory. But you can still die another day, right? HAHAHA!”
The match dropped, with the flames quickly following the trail of kerosene on the floors. In just a few seconds, the factory was on fire, smoke filling up the place before Naib had the chance to self-heal. The mercenary found himself stuck in the middle of a hot raging fire. Even if he manages to complete the healing process now, the smoke was filling up his lungs. It was so hard to breathe at this point.
There was no escape.
When he attempted to stand up, he had ended losing consciousness. Falling onto the dry floors, head bleeding a bit from the impact.
The last of what he'd heard was a voice calling out to him.
'I can't die here, I haven't told him how I felt,'
The thick smoke didn't stop Norton from entering the factory until he was stopped by Freddy.
“Are you stupid?! Why would you go in there! The fire is only for Leo!” Freddy yelled at the persistent survivor, hoping that this could stop the insane attempt of entering the factory that was in flames. Freddy couldn't let any survivor die cause that would give him a big punishment. Killing Leo, wouldn't because after all, he had requested the host to allow him to do it, and he got his approval letter of it. His smirk disappeared right when he got his collar grabbed and a fist was ready to punch him the face.
Norton was so enraged.
“YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!! NAIB IS INSIDE THAT BURNING FACTORY!” Norton growled as he hit Freddy square on the chin before running inside without a care for his safety.
Memories of his past bitterly play before him as he entered, the smell of dusty smoke and the burning feeling on his skin had him terrified.
Second thoughts.
He was having second thoughts if he could save Naib at this point. His fear started to grow as he was reminded of the devil he once was.
How could he save him, if he couldn't save himself?
As he was about to go back out, he finally saw Naib's unconscious state. He was hardly breathing. The smoke must've caused him to pass out.
Norton gritted his teeth, running a hand against the burn mark on his face. He was evil. He let people die. The screams of help ghosted on his ears. They sounded so real that Norton started feeling weak on the knees.
That was until a flash of a memory blocked the negative thought.
An image of Naib Subedar's curious expression entered his mind.
His mind started to calm down somehow. He was reminded that there wasn't much time. The fire could swallow him and Naib both, killing them.
He endured through all the flash of bitter memories as the flames somehow touched his skin during this rescue. The back of his elbow was burning but he didn't really have time to bother with that right at this moment.
Naib had saved him before with every effort that he had. It made him feel like someone cared. Now, it was his turn to save the mercenary.
“Naib,” Norton called out to him, shaking him a bit, he wasn't responding. So he quickly carried Naib in his arms as he tried to protect Naib from burning materials that were starting to fall down the ground, blocking the main passage he passed through earlier. On reflex, his body assisted him, when his mind was just on the verge of giving up. Norton was able to find an alternative path, which was out the window.
Naib only manages to get his eyes half-open, vision blurring from the smoke. He didn't know who it was who was carrying him, but he sure felt safe in this person's arms.
Norton was able to bring Naib out safely as rain started to conveniently pour out on them, the raging flames inside the factory started to reach a calm. The droplets started killing the flame that was eating up the sleeve of the prospector too. For some reason, he didn't feel the burning pain at that time. He was so focused on keeping Naib safe that nothing ever really mattered. He ran onto the opened exit gates. The emergency must have alerted the gates to have had them opened with four ciphers left. Norton speeded up so Naib could be treated right away. The mercenary needed urgent medical attention and Emily wasn't with them.
Anxiety coupled with extreme levels of fear enveloped Norton's mind then. He indeed was scared of losing Naib. What would he do if Naib didn't wake up anymore? This question had him thinking and at the same time, he couldn't believe it but he felt warm liquid run against his cheeks, mixing with the rain.
He was crying.
He wasn't a big fan of drama because he had never felt emotions like this for others. But right now, his mind was just not taking the idea of Naib leaving him forever. He wanted him to stay. Naib could go on living and hating him. Norton would chose that option anytime. As his feet had reached the gate, eyes staring straight at the escape path, he felt a warm hand hold his face.
“You saved me,” He heard Naib say. “Bad guys don't go saving others.”
“No,” Norton finally lowered his head to stare at Naib's face, eyes filled with tears, lips quivering but forming a small smile as he said, “You saved me.”
A smile from Norton Campbell. He didn't think that would give him life but it did.
'I think about that night, every time I see the burn marks on his arm. I was reminded that I caused that,' Naib stared at Norton's arm without him realizing.
“You're doing that again,” Norton commented as he threw his palm over Naib's face, shoving Naib's face away playfully.
“Hey!!” Naib complained as he removed that hand.
“I told you to stop looking at it with that sad face of yours.” Norton reminded him as he pinched Naib's cheek.
“I still feel guil---”
Norton placed his index finger on Naib's lips. “Shh, it's been months. I told you, I don't regret saving you that night.”
Norton smiled at him sweetly. Back then, Naib felt like the world stopped before him whenever Norton smiled. To this day, it still felt like that. The smile wasn't rare anymore cause he'd always be looking at Naib with lips curved up. But it was still surreal. It made Naib feel so happy. He, too, was smiling then.
He flicked his tongue over Norton's finger.
“Wha?!” Norton was surprised by this, a blush crept onto his cheeks.
Naib chuckled and even if nothing was funny, Norton ended up laughing with him. This scenario wouldn't have ever happened if Norton hesitated that night at the arms factory. Actually, none of this would have happened if Naib didn't rescue him from the monster that lived inside him. He was so glad that Naib was able to get through the walls he built up around himself. No one would've bothered. But Naib did, he saved him.
When the laughter had died down, Naib's pause came, followed by, “I love you, Norton.”
“Wow, after laughing hard you say that,” Norton shook his head but felt his cheeks caught in between Naib's palms.
“Say you love me back, Norton.”
“I told you not to mingle so much with Carl and Clark.” Norton raised an eyebrow at him.
“Say it!” Naib squeezed Norton's face tighter.
“Arright, arright!” Norton rolled his eyes, rubbing his cheeks after Naib released them.
Naib was pouting as he waited. He looked very adorable. Norton couldn't believe someone like Naib would ever fall for him. But he was his now. How could he not tell him he loved him?
“I love you, Naib,” Norton said with his sweet and deep voice. He leaned forward to press his lips against Naib's sweet ones.
It was a just a sweet and innocent kiss. Much different from ones they shared on nights when they were both topless but, Naib still couldn't help but feel insanely happy.
'Ah, I can't even count the times I've tried, but that doesn't matter. He is mine now,' Naib smiled as he repeatedly reminded himself that Norton was here to stay. Finally, both of them aren't going to feel so lonely anymore.
'