Identity V x Reader

Aesop x depressed!reader || fluff

"It's ok. It might make me feel better, like Emma suggested." You weren't lying, you had to remind yourself. You remember all of the times you had to tell yourself to believe something for the sake of convincing yourself of a different outcome. If you kept telling yourself that being responsible for someone would help you with your feelings, it was more likely to be true. Emily seemed to understand this, as she continued preparing the almost finished meal.

Though you told Emily you were fine, she still made sure you didn't have a load of work on you for the rest of the day. Still wanting to distract yourself from the inevitable occurrence of your unpleasant thoughts taking over you, you made your way to the library, dreading the thought of people, but hoping to read something to help you to make the new survivor feel welcome. As you walked in the room, you thanked no one in particular that the room was empty, save for the group in the corner chatting noticeably. After searching around for a few psychology books and maybe a self-help book, but that was between you and no one else, you found a corner and began to read. Then, you stopped reading. Your eyes were on the page as you mind wandered elsewhere, forcing you to regain attention and to read the paragraphs you skipped again. You couldn't count how many times you had to repeat the same actions, and frankly, you were getting annoyed. So annoyed, that you set down the book you only got halfway through and left the library. As you pushed open the door, your eyes were met with a blinding darkness, leaving you to feel your way back to your room. Stimulated by your frustration, you were unable to fall asleep, though this was nothing you weren't used to. You lay awake, trying not to fall into the trap of self-deprecation as you thought about the new survivor. You don't know how long it took for you to fall asleep.

When you awoke, an unusual occurrence energized you. For the first time in a while, you woke up with no problem, feeling well-rested. It was almost enough to put a smile on your face in the morning. You wouldn't have any matches today, either, as you were to show the new survivor around. You took the shower that you neglected to the night before, content that you wouldn't be forced to wallow in self-pity as you tried so hard to avoid the previous day. As you made your way to the dining room, you managed a few "good mornings" to the other residents of the manor. The world chose a good day to give you a break.

Next to your normal spot, an extra seat with an unfamiliar face in the chair sat. You took in a deep breath, released it, and went to introduce yourself.

"You're new, right? I'm (y/n)!" You held out your hand, only to seemingly be ignored. The mask wearing man's eyes were fixated on the table as his hands stayed in his lap, gripping the hem of his jacket. You smiled sadly and sat next to him, scooting your chair farther from him. "It's alright, I'm not a 'talker' either." You finish, getting up to fix the both of you breakfast. He finally looked at you as you set his plate in front of him. You noticed him looking back and forth, from you to the table, a few times, before taking in a shaky breath.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to, I understand." You say before he could start, giving him the opportunity to stay comfortable or go a little out of his comfort zone.

"Thank you." He mumbled, pulling his mask down to rest on his chin to eat. As the other survivors filled the room, the two of you ate in silence, occasionally glancing at the other in interest. You dreaded all of the talking you would have to do to explain everything to him; you hoped he wouldn't get annoyed by you. When you finished breakfast, and cleaned your dishes, you began the tour. You lead him across the manor, describing where everything was and what the limits were for each area, which basically boiled down to 'don't break anything.' You had a feeling that wouldn't be much of a problem with him. You explained to him how each match would go, and that his first one would be the following day, and how you would be there to look after him. A curt nod followed each of your explanations, him taking in and processing the information quite well.