𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄 ♡

⁺ ‧₊ 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐈 ♱˚ ₊

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖..." 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐒 trailed off. "I never thought you'd have an inclination towards undertaking risks for someone else's sake. Much less someone who probably doesn't even exist! But upon... deeper reflection, I find myself a bit... in awe of the layers of that mask you wear, sweetheart."

"A shame, really. If not to be oblivious to it, I was hoping you would at least keep my veneer away from your discerning gaze," the (e/c)-eyed woman intoned forthwith, her own gaze now cloaked with the perennial element that had unfailingly upheld the semblance she wore for her facade -- an indiscernible entity to the man before her.

"Well, how could I? There it is again..."

(E/c) eyes shifted, the focal point of its gaze moving towards him, fixing resolutely on the man's form for a few seconds -- a brief act that completely encapsulated the woman's cold temperament but nothing else of her.

But this time, Vivamus didn't think of flinching, even after the aforementioned female raised one eyebrow over the other.

When (Y/N) saw this, she blinked ever so slowly, and turned around once more to walk out of the labyrinth --

Though an arm cold to the touch reached out for hers, one that belonged to the golden-eyed man.

"H-Hey! Wait just a sec, sugar... I get it if yer in a rush to umm... y'know, leave? But we gotta have a plan, don't we? Just because we found a way out of this freaky labyrinth don't mean we got a ticket outta hell," the man reasoned.

"Are you suggesting that the exit laid out before us has no certitude of safety for us to egress?" (Y/N) murmured thoughtfully.

Vivamus opened his mouth and froze with that expression for a few seconds. "I mean... yeah. I'm willing to bet that people consigned to this darn place are damned to stay ensconced until the very denouement of their lives. Like... the way in can't be a way out -- not because of some sort of construction error, but because some sadist likes giving people the slowest possible death."

"Do you... have, per chance, a clue of who at least participated in the making of this place?"

"No... but now that I think about it--"

"Did you only started thinking about it now?" the (h/c) woman blurted out.

"H-Hey... my brain doesn't have room for brain cells! But uhh... well... It's all starting to make sense."

"What?"

"That Necare never found me. I mean, I always found it strange, given his remarkably heightened olfactory and auditory acuities... But maybe he knows I'm here and all along has just been waiting for me to die," the golden-eyed man mumbled.

"...Shit," (Y/N) cursed abruptly. "Do you think he is aware of our... cooperation thus far?"

"...Probably. I... I know it's risky, but we should still stick together," Vivamus spoke softly.

"I... disagree with that proposal," the female muttered with little hesitation.

Golden eyes opened wide at her words.

"H-Hang on, what? S-Sugar, you can't just automatically go with that rationale--"

"Do not act that surprised... A collaborative alliance between such disparate beings, like a nocturnal denizen and a ḣ̖̻͛̓ư̡͕̭̇ḿ̬̏ͤͅā̤̓̍͘ṇ̤͛̒̍ such as myself, has always been destined for a transitory tenure..." (Y/N) mumbled. "It would be... judicious for us to part ways here."

"...No. No way," the golden-eyed man spoke under his breath. "I-I know we kinda just met and all but I... I..."

(Y/N) tilted her head as the man stammered, struggling for sentences.

"To say I like you would be a little bit of an understatement, a-and, for that... What I'm trying to say is, I--"

(E/c) orbs narrowed and looked away. "Whatever it is you want to say can be saved for another time -- shall fate decide that we'll cross paths again."