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It was a day like any other.
Well…nearly any other.
For one, they had a surprising free day. No one could figure out exactly why it was a free day at first, only for it to slowly tick together.
Valentine’s Day.
It was strange that The Spectre declared it enough of a holiday to be a free day, especially considering what it normally fed on, but Noli wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had much, much better plans.
Plans that involved dragging a certain being of hatred out to the frozen-over lake with barely even an explanation.
The other killers were doing whatever they wanted to be doing, mostly probably sleeping in and trying to ignore what day it was, so Noli and 1x1x1x1 were left completely unbothered.
The two of them stopped at the snow-covered shore, looking far out across the lake, the other side just specks in the distance. It wasn’t snowing at the current moment, but it had been recently, and the ice on the surface of the lake was thick, with Noli estimating it’d probably even be able to hold Sixer. After a moment spent staring, Noli slipped out onto the ice, perfectly balancing on the strange almost hoof-like feet of his vessel. 1x stared at him, feathers looking stupidly puffed up from the cold.
“...Is your plan dragging me to go ice skating?” 1x blinked at him.
He stopped in his tracks, tail flicking so hard in excitement that the strange star-like charm on the end was leaving chips in the ice. He could have just said yes, leaving her to most likely rebuke the idea and turn away, but instead, a grin crept its way onto his mask-face.
“Wh47,” he started, a small laugh to his voice, “Y0u 5c4r3d?”
He watched the way her expression shifted into momentary bafflement and then light anger and mild amusement at him knowing exactly how to get under her skin. With something like a grumble or a growl, she slipped out after him, talons clacking against the ice. She nearly immediately almost slipped, wings flinging out as an awkward balance. Noli hesitated a moment, reaching out his hands to offer them to her rather than outright going to grab her. She stared at his hands for a moment before twisting her expression into what appeared to be the meanest snarl she could muster, only for her to instantly grab onto him when she slipped again.
“We don’t talk about that,” she demanded. Noli responded with a laugh and pulled her further out from the shore, making sure she wouldn’t slip too badly as they went.
“I d0n’7 b14m3 y0u f0r 51ipping,” he hummed, “y0u’r3 n07 u53d 70 7hi5.”
“Considering our most recent addition to the group, I have to get used to it,” 1x was focused ever so clearly on how she was moving, trying to not fall over as she was dragged along, “I’m bound to get thrown into a duo round with him eventually.”
For as long as Noli had been here, there had on occasion been a round where two killers were chosen at once rather than just one at a time. The killers would have to work around each other, picking off the survivors, who got unique buffs during the round to help them fight against two killers at once. No duo rounds had occurred in the time since ITrapped arrived, but everyone knew that sooner or later they’d have to deal with the iced-over patches that Trap never seemed to have any issue with.
“I h4v3 f4i7h in y0u!” Noli responded with a smile, taking a moment to readjust his stance as he went sliding backwards.
“That’s not the only reason you dragged me out here, is it?” 1x’s crimson gaze narrowed, “Is this supposed to be a date?”
Noli nearly let go of them as he shrank into himself, making the closest approximation he could make to pursed lips.
“W0u1d y0u…b3 up537 if i7 w45?” he tested, fully prepared to skitter away from any perceived wrath.
1x stared at him for a moment, their wings flicking somewhere between relaxed and a threat display as they clearly thought things over, making a grumbling humming noise.
“...I do not appreciate being tricked,” it finally settled on, “But I suppose I can let it slide.”
Noli made an ever so strange trilling noise as he continued backwards, pulling 1x along, making sure she didn’t lose her footing as he went. Every movement was a careful mix between being quick to get out onto the ice and being slow to make sure that neither of them ended up falling over.
Eventually the two of them made it out near the middle of the lake, just close enough to the barrier that it was beginning to grow foggy. The fog was clearer over the lake than it was on land, but it was still notably foggy enough to be a warning that you were approaching the barrier. At that moment, 1x made another grumbling noise as a sort of warning as she released her grip on Noli, wordlessly telling him to do the same. He obliged, skating a bit away from her and staring as she tried to balance herself.
“Y0u 5ur3 y0u’v3 g07 i7?” he asked, tilting his head.
“I have to figure it out sooner or later,” it snipped back, “You don’t have to baby me, I can figure things out.”
Noli watched it flounder about like an ungraceful newborn deer, wings splayed out to try to balance itself and keep steady. Its talons scrabbled against the ice, and Noli could see it focusing hard on how he was moving, trying to replicate the same movements.
“W47ching m3 i5n’7 g0nn4 w0rk,” Noli hummed, “Y0u h4v3 7410n5, I b45ic411y h4v3 h00v35.”
“Shut up,” it hissed, “I’m figuring it out.”
He watched them nearly fall over again before they reached out for him again, a look of annoyance on their face. He grabbed back for their hands, pulling them closer.
“...Y0ur f4c3 c47ch35 7h3 1igh7 0ff 7h3 ic3 in 4 r3411y pr377y w4y,” he breathed out. 1x stared at him, gaze wide, clearly trying to figure out exactly what to say in response.
“...sssssame about your mask, I suppose?” she tested, clearly dipping into unclear waters. Noli paused before laughing and, without thinking, thunking his head against her neck ever so carefully, grabbing her in a hug. Once he realized what he had done, he nearly tried to pull away to correct his perceived mistake, only for her to wrap her wings around him. Noli peered up, mask-eye wide.
“...We’re far enough away from everyone,” 1x hummed, “No one can see this. Don’t mention it.”
…If he ever had any doubt she cared about him in her own little way, there was the death of it.