white eyes, blank souls (broken heart-strings sequel)

two

-:-:- third person -:-:-

Eli. Eli fucking Clark refused to wait to die. He chose himself to not wait for the new hunters, survivors, maps, and other things to come in. He never got to see it. When he was still alive, they would always talk about how crowded the manor was, but he never got to see the mess it became. 

Emily watches Xie from the dining tables she's setting for lunch. His bandaged up arms slam the knife down hard onto the cutting board, messy and way too hard. Afraid he'll end up hitting his fingers and cutting them off, she walks up to him, wrapping both arms around his waist from behind. He freezes up before speaking. 

"Emily, my dear, you know what I've told you. The new survivors still see us as the enemy, and we were warned to keep it that way. Please..." 

He stops, eyes watering. She squeezes tighter as he breathes hard. 

"Please, don't make this any harder for me..." 

Although she didn't want to believe it, he was right. The new survivors in the manor... they didn't even want to look at the hunters at this point. They're new, and maybe it's best to keep them like that. Everyone else has already been here forever, so there are groups and cliques. It wouldn't fit for them to be part of an already existing alliance. They'll learn to form their own among themselves eventually. 

Victor Grantz, Andrew Kreiss, Luca Balsa, Melly Plinius, Edgar Valden... (i know they aren't really new, i just never mentioned them before lolol so they're new HERE)

Emily would never consider the fact that they were of her kind. Those like them are a different breed. They don't deserve to be a part of this wicked game. They don't deserve the costumes. They don't deserve the rush of being chased for what feels like hours, and then the excitement when you live. They won't be able to take the pain when you lose. 

Letting go, she tries to calm her own nerves, looking around at the surroundings. Mike is walking into the kitchen. His neck is wrapped up completely in a bandage, large circles under his eyes. Even after Norton forced him to the top, and he won the season, he seems more beat up than anyone. I guess it makes sense. 

The more work you put into something, the worse it hurts you. 

"I... Can I help you cook at all?" 

Xie only gives a small nod, motioning towards bread and materials to start making sandwiches. Mike jumps right in, working on them with shaking hands. He seems scared that something is going to pop out and hit him at any moment. 

He seems afraid. 

Of something here. 

Something that he can't shake no matter how hard he tries. 

The girl lets out a sigh, just looking down. 

No one is ever going to be okay again, huh? 

-:-:- Fiona -:-:-

Agreeing to this was a bad idea. I mean, I guess they all did ask nicely if they could meet in my room and ask questions about everything, but it's a hard time for everyone. It's a hard time for me. I think I have the right to be a little selfish. 

No-

I have to be polite. 

All of the new survivors sit around my room, the door shut neatly behind them. There are five, all scattered amongst my floor and bed. Sitting there beside the only other girl in the room, I give a small smile. 

Fuck... I can't look any of them in the eye. 

"So, uhm..." the postman, Victor, starts, wringing out his hands in his lap, "it's kind of depressing around here, huh?"