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Sending Lufel away might have a stupid decision but Nagisa was certain that there were many other decisions that made him an idiot.
Like even considering talking to the maniac that stabbed him.
But seeing him in the real world–and it just had to be him because who else would wear clothes so reminiscent of Metaverse attire despite being regular items of clothing and also share Nagisa’s face–was something that Nagisa just never expected. In his mind Wonder only existed in the Metaverse, the same way Marthym did.
Yet there he was, sitting on a bench under a tree near Shibuya Station. His hood was up and he was watching, just watching as people passed by, continuing on their way.
“Wonder?”
White Mask looked towards Nagisa with a casual sort of boredom that melted into glee when seeing Nagisa’s face. “Nacchan!”
Nagisa glared, causing White Mask’s smile to grow. Though his face was devoid of the namesake, it felt weird to think of White Mask as anything else. Nagisa wasn’t Wonder at the moment but he was in the past and will be in the future and White Mask wasn’t him.
But now Nagisa could see just how… similar their faces were. Every little detail, including the few misplaced freckles that came from staying out in the sun too long, in the same places they always were.
Nagisa sat down on the bench next to him and frowned. “You stabbed me.”
“That I did.” White Mask nodded. “And yet here you are, alone, with me.”
“We’re in public.” Nagisa pointed out, “There are people everywhere.”
White Mask snorted. His nose scrunched in the same way Nagisa’s own did when he laughed. “You think I care about them? The only person here that I care about…” A step forward, softly, far too softly, White Mask grabbed Nagisa's chin. “Is you, Nagisa."
A shiver trailed down Nagisa’s spine, he avoided White Mask’s eyes but couldn’t bring himself to get rid of his touch. "Didn't seem to care that much when you stabbed me!”
“You’re going to hold that over me forever, aren’t you?” White Mask sighed, taking a step back and letting go of Nagisa. “But how could I ever resist, you bleed such a pretty shade of red.”
Nagisa cringed, remembering exactly how White Mask reacted to Nagisa’s blood. “You’re a freak, you know that? Is your obsession with my looks why you look like me?”
White Mask barked out a laugh, “A freak? Me? When you're the one who’s constantly getting flustered, some may even say you’re into it.”
Nagisa sputtered, denying it incessantly and trying to ignore White Mask’s grin all the while. “That has nothing to do with what you look like!”
“Doesn’t it?”
“It doesn’t!”
White Mask hummed, still grinning. “If you say so.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” Nagisa decided to bite the bullet and ask his original question.
“What, you think I live in the Metaverse? It’s not very hospitable.” White Mask booped Nagisa on the nose. “I come out of there every so often to restock supplies and such, get out in the sun for some vitamin D and all.” White Mask bopped him on the nose again, giggling as he did it.
“Stop that.”
“Sorry not sorry!” White Mask practically sang. “I can’t help it, you are simply too cute.”
Nagisa scowled. Just what was White Mask? Nagisa doubted that he was human, there were plenty of things in the Metaverse that looked human but weren’t, just a matter of finding out what exactly White Mask was. Though if White Mask was a cognition, Nagisa would like to know who exactly had this impression of him and why.
“You know anger is a good look on you.”
Nagisa was going to kick his fucking teeth in. He took a breath, desperately trying to school his expression into one of calm. But he could see from White Mask’s amused face, it wasn’t working.
“Why are you here today?”
“Dunno, just felt like it.” White Mask shrugged, "But it was good that I did.”
“So you could harass me like some kind of personal stalker?”
“Sorry to say that you share me with the others in your little merry band of Thieves, you are by far my favourite though.”
Nagisa blushed, he could feel his face burn into oblivion and could see the smug look on White Mask’s face to confirm it.
“Besides,” White Mask continued talking like he hadn’t just said something incredibly embarrassing. “You approached me.”
That… was true. Nagisa did approach him but he honestly could not think of a singular reason why he would do that. Maybe because it was safer to probe for answers in an area he could not be so easily assaulted? Nagisa made a face as he scrounged for a possibility to satisfy himself.
“Don’t know?” White Mask guessed, pinching Nagisa’s cheeks with a faux scowl, mimicking the one Nagisa had earlier. “You’ve become far too trusting, I should stab you again and fix that. You think just because Marthym and Merope and Lufel haven’t hurt you yet, that means you can trust every strange face you meet?”
Nagisa swatted “…You know about Merope?”
Something about White Mask suddenly turned sharp, predatory and dangerous. There was no joy or annoyance, no emotion fake or real. “I know everyone you know, everyone you have known, everyone you will know. You keep no secrets from me.”
“Wonder…?”
Silence continued on.
A moment passed, then two.
“I’ll know if you tell.” White Mask said finally, standing up from the bench but pushing Nagisa down when he tried to do the same. “I’ll see you around.”
It was so clearly a threat. More so than the last time White Mask said it.
And yet Nagisa could not bring himself to feel threatened, nor could he bring himself to stand up or reach for White Mask. Though for what end, he still couldn’t say but the longing was there to say something.
Anything.
Nagisa watched, just watched as White Mask walked away, down into the subway.