Months

11

"Why are you putting a mask on? I already know what you look like."

"It's not for you."

Kenton's about to ask more questions, but then he freezes. He knows. It's time for another video. His expression hardens. Nothing's going to stop Lavender from making that video.

"You don't have to," he tries to reason. "Just- just don't! You could just forget about it and-"

"Will you just let me get on with it already? We both know it has to happen." Lavender unfolds the tripod, nudging some trash away with her foot.

"No! No, it doesn't! You can put the camera away and leave!"

"If I let you choose how to be gagged, will it make this any easier?" She holds up some cloth and tape. Kenton sputters incredulously. She thought not.

"Look at me, you don't have to do this, please-"

"Kenton, shut the FUCK UP."

He does.

"We've been over this already. It's settled. This is happening. You can accept it or I can force it. Save your fight for the camera. I don't give a shit."

He lowers his head and shifts around. He glances at her once or twice. Finally, he nods dejectedly.

"The- the tape."

Lavender bobs her head and continues setting up the camera. Kenton doesn't say anything else, thank god, but he keeps watching her. Everywhere she moves around the room, he doesn't take his eyes off of her. She wishes that blindfold never came off.

Finally she's ready. Lavender motions for him to move over so he's in better light. A wordless grimace and he obeys.

The camera chirps and a little red light signals the start of the recording. Kenton glares straight at the lens. Lavender raises an eyebrow. He looks like he's going to try something.

He just shifts a little at first, jerking against his handcuffs, and then-

"My name is Kenton Emmett Wayne! My birthday is October 12th, and I swear to god, I'm getting out of here! Please help! I'm a student at-"

Lavender's hand over his mouth cuts him off and she tackles him to the ground. Still too late. That information is now recorded on film. That's exactly what she wanted to prevent. She needs a moment to seethe. Kenton looks a lot less smug now that he can see just how mad she is.

"You're a complete and total idiot. An absolute dumbass. What the FUCK were you trying to achieve?" she hisses. With her hand over his mouth, she doesn't want an actual answer. She just wants him to be afraid.

Lavender glances back at the camera, still recording, and narrows her eyes at Kenton. At least his outburst was at the beginning of the video.

She tightens her grip on his face and forces him against the wall. He squeaks in surprise, his eyes frantically scanning her masked face. There's no sympathy, no softness, nothing. Lavender uses her free hand to wrangle that roll of tape, but needs her other hand to rip off a strip. Kenton can't pass up a chance to talk-

"I'm sorry, I'm sorr-"

and his words are broken off into mumbles with the tape pressed over his lips. It doesn't do much to actually silence him- Lavender can still make out his half-assed apologies. With another rrrrip, she presses a longer strip over the first one, reaching across his cheeks and catching a hair or two in the glue. Kenton winces and cries out, just a little.

She stands over him, towering like a monster, and kicks him onto his side. The chains of his handcuffs clink together.

He's still trying to say something. Of course he is.