#lcb x reader

MEURSAULT ends up kissing you so long as you don't pull away and lose the game, and unless you pout about losing and ask him to lose once for your sake he'll continue winning or earning kisses from you. He doesn't care much for how this game turns out, but he will prioritize your happiness no matter how small.

HONG LU bites onto his end with an innocent smile like he isn't planning anything. His nibbles are both slow and small to urge you into making a move, be it pulling away and losing or closing the distance between your lips and kissing him. Regardless of what you choose to do, it's a win for him.

HEATHCLIFF thinks it's stupid at first before becoming competetive about it. His bites are hesitant at first but it isn't long until he's impatiently nibbling closer to your end of the pocky stick. If you pull away, he'll gloat about it. If you kiss him, he'll ask for another round until you lose.

ISHMAEL gets flustered early on. She takes bites hesitantly, her embarassment growing the closer your faces get before she pulls away and she mutters about how stupid this is. She tells you to just let her know when you want a kiss next time before cupping your cheeks and pressing her lips against yours.

RODION is more interested in the pocky sticks than she is in kissing you. She happily takes big bites, barely giving you the opportunity to even considering pulling away when she kisses you; both as an additional treat and an attempt to distract you while she steals some pocky sticks for herself.

Since DANTE doesn't have a mouth and can't properly participate in the game, the two of you come up with an alternative of sorts: they'll hold up the pocky stick while you nibble it all the way. Whoever gets flustered first loses and more often than not it will be them.

SINCLAIR wants to kiss you, he really does. The only reason he agreed to play was because of how bad he wants to kiss you and this game was the perfect excuse for him to do so. Unfortunately, just when your lips are about to touch it dawns on him that he's about to kiss you, causing him to chicken out and pull away.

OUTIS is both reluctant and disinterested in playing at first. She thinks that if you want pocky and a kiss then you should just say so and she'll give you both, but eventually agrees to play. The first few rounds she still thinks the game is stupid, but after a couple of kisses she can maybe be convinced to play again.

GREGOR stammers when you first offer, unwilling and unsure of how this would even turn out but eventually accepts it for you. His bites are small and hesitant, and while there are a few rounds here and there where he ends up kissing you, he'll pull away and lose more often than not.

一 YI SANG　#01

He's not that hard to sneak up on, considering he's usually in thought. 

Gets surprised when you initially wrap your arms around him, but quickly relaxes once he realizes it's you, a small smile blossoming on his face as he lets you hug him while asking if you want anything from him. 

If you just want his company, he's more than happy to oblige, although he would be a bit flustered as he returns to his train of thought with you leaning against him. He's also happy to tell you about what he's been thinking about or working on if you ask, explaining himself with a gentle smile. 

If you just wanted to hug him or check on him, he tells you he appreciates it, though he would also let you know that if you ever wanted a proper hug from him, you could always tell him.

Overall, Yi Sang enjoys it, provided you don't interrupt and try to pull him away from a line of deliberate thought, though he never gets genuinely annoyed at you for it. 

一 FAUST　#02

Good luck even trying to sneak up on her.

I don't know why, but I just see her as the type that'd be impossible to sneak up on. You can try, but she turns her head around before you so much as even step near her vicinity and asks you what meaningless tricks you are trying to pull.

If you wanted a hug, you could simply ask her (also, there's no guarantee she will oblige, but you have a better chance than by attempting to sneak up on her). But no chance she'll ever let herself be ambushed by a surprise hug, not while risking losing her dignity in front of the Gesellschaft. Faust has already heard enough berating from them. 

Although if you somehow, somehow successfully sneak up on her and manage to hug her, she will stiffen up for the slightest second before realizing it's you and gently pushing you away, then acting like it was a sin that you dared to even go near her genius presence. The audacity!

In truth, Faust does not hate it. Although the feeling is pretty foreign to her, she doesn't even dislike it (well, she might be a bit irritated that you snuck up on her to do it). She just really has to hide those feelings to protect what honour she has left in the Gesellschaft. 

一 DON QUIXOTE　#03

Lets out the most comical squeal if you manage to sneak up on her. On that topic, she's on the harder side to sneak up on, just because she's usually upright and energetic, and also seems to have an uncanny sixth sense for things.

Quickly relaxes and laughs when she realizes it's you, returning your hug eagerly while complimenting your skills. "Oho, it appears you have launched a sneak attack most ingenious!" 

Expect her to return the favour soon. Once you start the war, she only believes it's right that she treats you the same! You will be seeing many surprise hugs from her. Sometimes she purposefully exaggerates her footsteps so you anticipate her, but when she wants to be, she can be decently sneaky. 

Don sees it a bit like a very light-hearted, playful game. She looks forward to your hugs and does the same thing to you.

一 RYŌSHŪ　#04

Another one who's hard to sneak up on. I just get that feeling from her. 

Most of your surprise-hug attempts will be immediately foiled as she turns around with a "Don't even try" expression before (playfully) insulting your stealth skills. 

Though if she knows you better, or she's in a more teasing mood, she'll walk over, grab you, and give you her version of a loving embrace while still insulting your terrible stealth skills. Now you're on the receiving end. This is what you wanted, right? No complaining. Her hug is solid enough not to necessarily hurt, but enough so that you have no chance of escaping. Ha.

If you do successfully sneak up on her and manage to hug her, she instantly stiffens before she realizes it's you. She might let you have a few seconds of your glory before she pushes you away. "S.T.B."

Like Faust, if you wanted a hug, you can just ask her for one, and she's more likely to oblige. 

一 MEURSAULT　#05

Also similar to Faust in the sense that he will be able to just... miraculously tell when you're trying to sneak up on him. But in all seriousness, he's pretty watchful and active, so managing to surprise-hug him successfully is a very hard feat. 

Nine times out of ten, he will turn to look at you and ask you if there's anything you need, just as you thought you really got him this time. If you just ask him for a hug, he'll do it with some blunt statement like "Commencing hugging."

The one time out of ten, he overall seems unbothered about it; you may feel a slight pause when you wrap your arms around him as he processes the feeling, but that's about it.

He quickly recognizes it's you and accepts the physical contact without so much of a flinch, though he does ask you about the hug's objective or if you needed something from him. He doesn't mind receiving them, though he would appreciate it if you were direct about the hug in the future. 

一 HONG LU　#06

Relatively hard to sneak up on. He might catch you in the act of attempting to, but he's more chill and perceptive about it and will likely deduce that you want some sort of affection from him and tease you about it, though he does eventually give you the hug you wanted. 

When you do, he's surprised at first but eases into it very quickly, teasing you and reciprocating it smoothly. He's happy to keep you there and let you look at whatever he was doing, or just chat with you. 

Like Don Quixote, you can expect that he will absolutely start initiating surprise hugs for you, too. He's very playful about it and might do those things where he creeps up on you and covers your eyes, pokes your cheek, or goes "Surprise!" and laughs when you squeak in surprise. (Though he's pretty considerate and makes sure he isn't catching you at a bad time)

You have no idea what you started. He will do this a lot to tease you from now on. 

一 HEATHCLIFF　#07

Do not do this to him. Listen, he's fine if you want to ask him for a hug (though he will absolutely be very awkward and shuffly about it), but he's just too on guard to be receiving a surprise hug. 

If you manage to sneak up on him, and you're lucky, he'll just quickly push you away and tell you not to do that, and that you can always ask him for a hug next time. If you're unlucky, you're getting shoved or punched out of sheer muscle memory.

Obviously, he feels bad about it immediately, though after obviously making sure you're okay first, he'll tell you that you should ask him in the future. 

There are a few ways you can work around getting this bad reaction. If you're chatting or beside him beforehand and move to hug him out of nowhere, he'll be caught off guard and will pretend to dislike it, though he really does enjoy it, even though his body language doesn't necessarily show it (he's either shuffling around like crazy or as stiff as a board). He's still getting into this thing, so give him some time, okay?

一 ISHMAEL　#08

Hard to sneak up on, since she's pretty down to earth and alert. If she catches you, she'll just squint and ask what you're trying to do. 

If you do manage to surprise her, Ishmael stiffens up immediately. If she's in a good mood or somewhat anticipated it, she kind of relaxes when she realizes it's you, but keeps the hug very brief since she's really, really not used to affection like this. Otherwise, you might be quickly getting pushed away (lightly). She really, really, prefers it if you tell her that you want a hug beforehand and will let you know that.

She doesn't dislike affection from you; she's just one of those in the list who would dislike getting surprise affection in particular. I can see her as the type to be a bit irritated, scolding you before quickly dismissing herself for some time.

She cools off fine enough, though she might give you a few suspicious side-eyes the next few times she sees you approaching from her peripheral vision in the future. 

一 RODION　#09

Gets a little surprised when you first hug her, but Rodion is Rodion: she's super smooth and gets into it very easily, reciprocating the hug with ease. 

Assuming you hugged her while she's in her usual good spirits, she's a tease about it; she will poke light-hearted fun at the initial action before dropping a cheerful and familiar nickname, before playfully asking about what you've been up to or engaging in some banter with you. 

I feel like she generally prefers it if she could anticipate your hugs, but she never gets irritated at them unless you choose to hug her during those moments where she's more gloomy, though during those times, she's more likely to push you away, then act as if nothing happened or avoid the subject when she feels better again.

I can definitely see her as the type to get into them. Might teasingly sneak up on you and hug you, just to see your reaction.

一 DANTE　#10

Very flustered. It's easy to sneak up on them if you can catch them at the right time, like when they're focused or muttering away at some work they have to do.

As soon as you hug them and catch them by surprise, they let out an erratic burst of nonsensical tick-tocking and flustered words, flailing their arms a bit before they process what is happening and slowly ease into it. They're super awkward about it, but will eventually, although gingerly, reciprocate it and stiffly pat you on the back a few times. 

Afterwards, Dante asks you if there's something you wanted from them or what the entire purpose of that hug was. They might scold you with no real weight behind their words, reminding you that you should ask or let them know next time, as they could be busy or dealing with something important. (They're happy you gave them a break)

Dante, truthfully, enjoys the hug and the affection, just not the surprise part of it. They're very hesitant about it, but to be fair, it's been a while since the poor manager felt real fondness, like the hugs you give them. 

一 SINCLAIR　#11

Very flustered 2.0. 

Like Dante, it's also pretty easy to sneak up on him successfully, given that he's in thought or concentrating on something. 

When you land your oh-so-evil surprise hug, he yelps, freezes up immediately, stutters, and his face begins to heat up like a tomato the more he processes that Oh, it's you, and you're hugging him. He's so flustered that he can't even move his legs to run away. What did he do to ever deserve this? (He likes the hug, he really does, but... just take it easy on the poor guy)

Once he regains his senses, which takes a while, he manages to stutter through asking you what you did that for, face still steaming red from embarrassment, only to turn even redder once you tell him you just wanted to be affectionate with him.

Like Ishmael, he'll give you a few distrustful side-eyes when he sees you approaching him from the side in the future, though he's more flustered about it. Just thinking about the moment will get his cheeks warming up. 

一 OUTIS　#12

Probably the hardest to sneak up on. She's very guarded and vigilant and will spot you coming.

When she inevitably catches you on an attempt, her head snaps around, and she begins to berate you, asking you what kind of immature tomfoolery you are attempting to pull on her and scolding you on the professionalism of the working environment and how it is highly frowned upon to sneak up on someone like that. 

Look, if you ask her for a hug, she might seem reluctant, but will eventually let you do so, assuming there's a good reason for it; though under no circumstances would she ever allow herself to fall for such cheap, childish pranks like this one.

If you somehow do it successfully, she stiffens up, responds immediately and pushes you away in a blink, and begins to berate you again, reminding you that you can just ask her instead of resorting to such juvenile acts. So no matter the route you take, you're getting scolded. 

一 GREGOR　#13

Do not do this to him 2.0. Really, this is a bad idea. He's already hesitant and stiff with physical affection as it is due to his bug arm.

Regardless of whether or not he processes that it's you, he pushes you away almost immediately, hesitantly stepping back a few paces before telling you not to do that again. He won't act extremely angry or lash out in front of you, so he leaves as fast as he can for a smoke.

He's willing to forget about it as long as you understand that it's not a good idea to try that again. He really wants affection from you, he truly does, but that paralyzing fear and disgust for himself will never let him properly accept such sudden affection from you. 

–★★★–

No Sinner warmed up to you as quickly as Dante. Well, excluding Meursault.

But to say Meursault "warmed up" to you would be quite the overstatement. In fact, he merely accepted his position and continued on as per usual. He was under the Manager's command, but- by a technicality- the Manager was under your command. Therefore, you were his true superior here.

He was willing to tolerate you and follow through on your commands. While some of your remarks were more questionable, he was willing to turn a deaf ear and continue his duty as long as you were there to give it to him. As for his real "warming up"… well, that comes later. Far later. And no one even notices when it does.

Outis as well accepted her position. Her little remarks weren't tolerated when you experienced the stories of the Sinners (she had received enough reprimand from Dante for attempting to slip a snide remark you immediately clocked and grew confused on), so all she could do was grit her teeth and go along with whatever order you issued in battle and listen to you be so foolish she wish she simply could—

…It was no use. Clearly, someone in a position like yours was better off blissfully unaware they were essentially a god looking in upon a world of dolls sat prettily for them to watch suffer again and again. Even if you were, kindly put, an actual idiot often, you were capable of slight strategy at times. Often scraping past bosses in the first few attempts if they were deemed a challenge and doing what you could to ensure fights ended in the favor of the Sinners (even if the story often turned around and said they failed).

And while certain things could improve, she wasn't going to break the orders given to her and say anything.

Ishmael, meanwhile, had to such qualms.

Specifically after her Canto, to be precise. Her confrontation with the fake woman who ruined a false life wasn't what she yearned it to be the moment she started going down this path, yet you treated it as if it were real. Being horrified at the things she suffered through and cheering as she speared through the Whale's heart with her snag harpoon.

She wanted to scream it was fake. That it didn't matter and was pointless. But you… you made it had a point. Somehow, someway, you forced it to be real. Real to her, at least.

But, by the name of the Head, your team building skills were pathetic. These passives won't work well with this character- This isn't even a keyword for the central team comp and offers no support- Did you just attempt to put Sunshower Heathcliff onto a team you want to use to complete Canto 7? What is wrong with you?

While she isn't allowed to directly intervene, she is going to make comments in the story. Slight, missable things. Hints to what keywords to use for an upcoming boss, recommendations for IDs and EGOs… all carefully crafted to keep you as oblivious as possible as she drills this information into you.

Of course, the wiser of the Sinners catch on to what she was doing. Yet, Faust has no complaints. Being the way she is, it hadn't taken her especially long to catch onto the fact that she- being the primary ID of all Fausts- was the most real one. The others barely existed outside of IDs or EGOs you'd cycle through for each team comp you struggled to compile- even with a certain Sinner's help- and yet she, and only she, would be the one found in each Canto. Returning in each story, central to the plot.

Not to mention, you clearly had a soft spot for her. Specifically her, as the LCB Faust. She couldn't necessarily place it's source- perhaps relating to her role as a shunned figure in the Gesellschaft and connecting it to your own life- or simply finding her to be specifically likeable. Either way, you seemed to listen intently to her lectures. Often complimenting her or something akin to that.

And to say she didn't enjoy it would be an utter lie. She relished in your praise, almost blooming in it like a flower under the sun. It was the first genuine praise she constantly earned in her life, real or fake. And she'd much prefer if it stayed, flowing around her in a constant veil she wanted to wear on her day in and out.

And she was Faust. She was wise enough that, if you stopped enjoying the game, you would leave. Therefore, to regulate success in the form of viable teams was immensurable in ensuring you stayed. Thus, Ishmael was permitted to continue her hints and Faust did what she could to tweak the rates of Extraction in your favor. Especially if the newly released character was something you want.

Furthermore, making her base ID appear in your pulls regularly surely wouldn't bother you. You may question how you acquire so many of her EGO shards, but she knows you will care little about the constant Fausts as you see the chains shine gold.

Yi Sang doesn't miss Ishmael's actions either. He's simply unable to truly comment on it in a way that feels as if it truly meant something. Out of each Sinner, he is one of the most devastated his entire history was a lie. Forced to time and time again witness people he remembers as friends tear themselves and others apart by a past that was never real. Even at the end of his Canto, he felt like he had only slipped deeper into the shell of who he was.

Even your joy didn't make him regaining his wings feel real. Merely a scripted event he was made to undertake. He felt rather pathetic, in a sense. Even his current compatriots were more capable of coping than he was. But he could not.

And when you noticed he continued to behave similarly to how he did pre-Canto. Noticing a few missing lines here and there and slight alterations anyone could've missed. But you commented, and you worried for him.

Perhaps it was simply a worry stemming from an issue with your game, but Yi Sang noticed your murmurs of concern. And to say it didn't warm his heart would be a lie. Constant encouraging, sweet worry, almost delusional behavior on your end… You made him want to use those wings he regained, to fly once more. To reach you so high up in the sky and thank you for the love you gave him.

A part of him regretted he never truly could. Never could thank you, or feel your warm skin, or hold you in his arms. Never could utter so much as a new sentence without your experience being warped and you'd leave in fear. But that didn't matter to how his feelings of you changed.

You went from the being that proved it all to be fake to the being that made him feel a genuine warmth he'd never feel again. Perhaps that's why he was the first to admit his love for you.

And his admission wasn't necessarily popular. By this point, out of every Sinner, only about a third of them felt positively about you. To the others, you still were the personification of their ruin.

Of course, though, their attachment grew as you watched them through each of their stories. Encouraging and watching them move forward. Perhaps that was how the seeds of obsession were planted. Perhaps it was because others heard little snippets of what you said and assumed you to be a divine being. Perhaps that was why they started to believe it too.

Don Quixote became one of your most reverent followers by the end of her Canto. Not only had you bore witness to a past she herself wasn't aware of existing (unlike the others, her devastation over the fact her life was nothing but fake fizzled away rather swiftly) and your perception of her barely changed (leave her blissfully unaware you always knew, will you?), but you had listened with rapt attention when she spoke of her beloved Fixers. You deemed each word she uttered as meaningful, and she would do all she could to repay you in whatever way she can.

When you were gone- oh it was painful when you were gone- she was your greatest defender. Any snide comment against you was quickly retorted with a quick yell and charge from her. How dare they slander someone as kind as you! You did not mean to shatter their worldviews! No. After it happened for a second time, she understood you quite well. You only meant well.

You were a truly just figure—the very thing Don would picture when thinking of such a thing. And she would do all she could to ensure your name remained untainted with foul lies and remarks! Alas, she could not speak to you. Could not lead you about her room and show you each memorabilia and merchandise she has collected for every Fixer she could find merchandise of. She could not see you listen with rapt attention, seeing you nod along from the corner of her eye. Could not hold your hand in hers and usher you about, shield you from those who wished you harm, could not sing your praises to your face…

But she would be your knight for as long as you were unaware, and for long after.

Heathcliff was in a similar boat to Don. However, at first, he absolutely despised you. Was his love for Cathy even real? Why was he forced to recall suffering that never even existed outside of pieces of code etched into his being? And why did you have any right to saunter about and act as if you…

You're lucky the others held him back from screaming his head off at you. You're also lucky to be safely behind a screen, separated from him and the bat he would love to use to split your skull in half.

But then came along his Canto. It wasn't something he was looking forward too, not feeling ready to go back to Catherine—not with all these doubts of his love you sown in him. But this wasn't something he was allowed to change.

So he went through it. Listening to your words that made him want to pop a blood vessel, deal with the bastards who didn't even truly exist, and find out she was dead. He had to confront his other self, distort, and then fight the Wild Hunt until the Red Gaze stepped in.

But as the Canto started to creep to its end… he couldn't muster that hate for you anymore.

Maybe because you didn't leave. Maybe because you let him rest on that moment with the memory of Catherine. Maybe because you mourned alongside him as she was deleted.

He remembered, he was forced to remember. Him and only him.

But you remembered too. Of course you did, you weren't in the bloody game, but…

It was nice knowing someone remembered her alongside him. That, even if he nor she were real, their love was. What he felt wasn't something that could be forced into him, he knew it.

It grew harder to stop him from saying lines that weren't supposed to be in game. Specifically regarding Catherine. Constant comments about her, confusion from the Sinners, but sympathy from you. He wanted you and him to talk about her. Someone who recalled her to hear all the stories he remembered having with her. And you were that someone. You were someone he wanted to walk and reflect with, the real journal he wanted to keep.

You became his new Catherine. The two of you separated, but in love. And he refuses to mess up like how he did with Catherine. There will be no Erlking when it comes to you.

But with Gregor, the Ungeziefer Kaiser is inevitable. Not out of malice—no. The fight was something he couldn't prevent, as much as both of you wished he could.

It wasn't a pleasant thing, first having everything he knew uprooted and then suffering through… That. He already felt lowly enough, with his arm and past experiences. He couldn't understand why you seemed to… like him?

You were sweet, appearing unbothered or regularly forgetting about his arm. You thought of him as entirely a human, not the pathetic bug he knew he was. He didn't resent you for forcing him and his coworkers to learn they were never real. He didn't resent you for not leaving and constantly reminding them again and again they were just bits of code in a device. But he couldn't understand how you thought so highly of him.

In all honesty, he didn't think you were half-bad. He didn't get too attached to you or despised you too much. You were alright, and he was alright with you. Then came the Ungeziefer Kaiser fight.

After that, it was like a switch flipped. He was horrified to realize he could be forced into becoming a brutal boss-fight you'd helplessly grow stuck on or struggle past. He was miserable to be left out of the plot for a long time after, alone from everyone.

Being unable to hear your voice for the first time after growing so used to it felt off. He just felt entirely off. When alone with only his thoughts, that's when his opinion of you spirals. And it does moreso when he gets back.

Hearing the relief in your voice… overjoyed to see him return and using the new IDs you acquired for him with utter glee… He came to realize you loved him. You had to. Why else would you be so glad to see him okay? He couldn't see any other reason for you feeling like this. And, in a way, he supposed he loved you too. Couldn't understood what you saw in him, but… A part of him enjoys your love. He'd rather it didn't disappear.

Unlike the others though, he wasn't particularly skilled at hiding his newfound infatuation with you. And Rodion would relentlessly tease him, as if she hasn't been in love with you since Time Killing Time.

Was it something she'd simply fess up to? Oh, absolutely not. She's not that gutsy, after all. She simply knew that, by the end of that Intervello, she had decided she loved you. There was no big build-up like Heathcliff or sudden change like Gregor. She simply decided you were no longer annoying and instead were rather cute.

Funny, how thin a line annoying-ness and cuteness is. And it was simple enough you crossed the line and became a harmless crush. But, having a crush that you can't act on and merely grows as you don't leave, well… It went from harmless to so, so much worse.

And unlike the crush, she was well aware of how wrong she was. What kind of woman began to view someone as a possession? But in a sense, you weren't truly a thing to her. You existed outside of her world as a voice who could control the actions taken during combat at most. She saw no physical body of yours, no eyes or skin or anything. She already wasn't entirely sure you viewed her as a human, and she wasn't able to entirely humanize you.

Well, you were doing the same thing, weren't you? Just listening in, thinking of her as just a beloved PNG with text in a box below… Maybe making some things for her or admiring her, but not thinking of her as real, no? She was sure you'd make some fucked up shit about her, wouldn't you? So how wrong was she really? You're just as bad as her…

Oh, don't worry! She doesn't hate you for it, no. You're both shitty people with how you think of each other. What's the harm in both of you being shitty together? Shame there's that screen separating you two, and the others on this bus thinking the same as her… Wanting her winnings? She'd be offended if she didn't understand why. And at least some of 'em are cute about it, like Gregor or Sinclair…

And speaking of Sinclair… He is the most wet, sad, pathetic thing when it comes to you. Already you cooing over him flusters and embarrasses him. But he can't see your face when you do it. And he is so lucky there doesn't exist a sprite of him blushing for you to see…

It also took him quite awhile to fall for you. Mostly due to what you did for him and… well… his trauma. He sometimes wondered if he was as good as a prosthetic user because he isn't real. He never was. Does he even count as a human..?

Yet, by the time Canto 7 ended… well, he was used to your kindness. You wormed your way into his mind until almost every thought involved you. How would you react to this..? Would you enjoy this kind of thing? How would he protect you if..?

There were many what-ifs for someone he couldn't truly interact with. Someone the mere thought of made him tremble. He wondered so many things about you, but feared he'd never get the answers he wanted. He'd never talk face to face with you. He'd never hold your hand. He'd never…

Hong Lu, though, wasn't as caught up by these what-ifs. To be quite honest, he was rather apathetic to you before his Canto. Oh? So your arrival came with worldview shattering realizations? Oh well, it is what it is.

Then came his Canto. Where he finally learned how to express his opinions on things. Where he finally figured that he didn't like you due to what you made him realize. Sure, you were kind, but you destroyed any semblance of existence he thought he had. But a part of him wasn't sure, so he kept thinking. Trying to formulate just what he thought of you.

And by the end of Canto 9, he came to the realization he actually liked you. Sure, the realization that his life was never real was not something enjoyable, but it wasn't your fault. You didn't mean any ill will by trying to play a game you enjoyed.

And on the contrary, you were quite a likeable person to hear. Made a good few humorous jokes, took serious moments as solemnly as you could, and served as more of a guide than Vergilius did. What was there not to like? Shame he's forbidden from speaking with you… he'd like to hear more about what you think on a wide array of random topics.

Ryōshū, meanwhile, could genuinely care less. She already forgot pieces of her life, already had the trauma from the Nursefathers, already had suffered so much. What was one more thing on the pile? S.H.E.E.T. (She had expected everything, thickhead).

If she had her way, she'd S.Y.N.C. you. You quite honestly annoyed the hell out of her. She'd want you to S.T.F.U. constantly. But you wouldn't, and she couldn't, so she just had to begrudgingly deal with it. And all she could do to resist was make Faust withhold her IDs and EGOs from you in Extraction.

Then came her Canto and her change of heart. Maybe it came from forgetting Araya. Maybe it came from your warmth now truly directed at her. But she didn't want you to B.U.R.N. anymore (break up, run now). She didn't know why herself, but all she knows is she—like the others—fell to your whims. Impressive, T.B.H.

Though her interest manifested in the worst forms. Notably, with how she wanted to turn you into A.R.T. (Absolutely relentless torture). Your body would be soft and malleable under her, a perfect canvas for whatever suffering she wanted to paint on you. She wanted to see you powerless, looking up at her in fear, and understand how she felt below you. And after, she wanted to nurse you back to health so it could start all over again.

She was one of the latest to fall, but the quickest to spiral into complete utter obsession. Almost ironic, in a sense.

And then there were the others on the bus.

Vergilius was perhaps the most affected by your presence. Unlike the Sinners, he would get no Canto. He would be given no opportunity to see those he remembered and move beyond his past. He wasn't even a playable character, merely a playable NPC who's join a fight or two now and again.

Yet, he tolerated you. Begrudgingly, of course, after all, you annoyed him as much as Don did, but he tolerated you nonetheless. You weren't something he could get rid of, not without fuss and the worry that—without you—they'd eventually cease to exist.

He watched the others fall to your apparent spell with faint disgust but hesitant acceptance. He could not control the others, just as you could not control him in battle. He also wasn't particularly inclined to tease anyone like Rodion or grow angry with them like Outis—well, not that they had any right to make fun of anyone when they felt the same way…

He doesn't even realize when he falls. He doesn't even realize he did fall. There isn't even a specific point where he does fall. It takes a long time, yes, but it comes. And he only realizes when Charon comments on how happier he looks when he hears you finally log on and progress the story, or do a Mirror Dungeon run, or anything of the sort.

Charon herself isn't bothered by you. In all honestly, she always knew this was a game yet didn't care as long as she had Verg and Mephi. Though, now she has you too. You make Verg perk up slightly when you finally show up, and Mephi likes you… well, she guesses she likes you too then. Disappoints her you aren't here, but she copes better than the others do. Anyways, with the rate they're going, their work at getting out of the game to meet you will be finished in a little while. So, she, you, and Verg can all be a family soon enough.

She wonders who's going to wear the wedding dress in the marriage. Probably Verg.

–★★★–

If they were only a little more patient, everything would've probably ended in their favor. But no.

The well of content had run dry. All current story? Completed. All current events? Completed. IDs? EGO? All you wanted that were out as gathered as you could get them (your newfound "luck" was instrumental to that), and leveled up and threadspun too. So, outside of dailies and MD, there wasn't much to stick around for.

And they started to panic. Sure, every few weeks new content would drop for you to play for, but you were appearing to lose interest. Not in the series, no—they hear how you consume fan content (it isn't the same as spending time with them), but in the game. If you were gone, they'd be…

They didn't want to know what would happen if you left. If you deleted them. If you suddenly stopped being there. They didn't want you to go. Even nights without you were almost unbearable now. What would happen if it became a week? A month? Forever?

So they came up with a plan. A very stupid, very rushed plan. They'd get access to the rest of your device.

It was hard enough to dig into the code—their life blood—to find the permissions. It was even harder to alter them, change what the game was allowed to access. Especially when they realized they needed you to tap the little button and approve them accessing these things.

But they were in too deep to give up now.

When you logged on, you were startled to see, "'Limbus Company' would like to access Camera," as a pop-up. But when you clicked, "Don't Allow," the pop-up came back. Every time you tried to deny it, it kept popping up.

Then the text read, "Just let us see you," and you nearly chucked your device through the nearest window. But curiosity overtook you, and you allowed it.

Then the next pop-ups came. Location, Contacts, Storage, Call Logs, Gallery, Memory, Personal Information, other apps…

And when the Microphone came up, all the text next to it said, "We already hear you." You nearly went and uninstalled the game right there. By this point, you came to the realization your game was hacked and you made a horrible mistake, or…

Then there was Dante's sprite standing in a blank, empty void.

<Sorry about that…> The textbox read, <We couldn't get access to what we needed to otherwise.>

And then they confirmed that, yes, they were aware of you. Always were (at least since you showed up). They wanted to finally reveal it to you, but you weren't given a reason. The text continued, growing faster over time, until you just shut off the game and buried the device in a drawer somewhere.

You checked it again the next morning, and found it open on your Notes app.

"Don't do that again. We can make you regret it."

And then came the slow, painful process of trying to change everything. Your email, phone number, important information like pins and passwords… all when the aggressors causing this came from inside the very device you now tried to get rid of.

It was a hard, delicate balance. Especially when the characters would lull or pressure you into opening the game, into chatting with their sprites and silent voice lines because they didn't know how to artificially create voiced lines for you to listen too. Especially when they inevitably noticed and did all they could to destroy your progress.

But it was too late. You were able to change it all, let everyone know you changed it all, and throw the device far, far away. You accepted you never could risk playing Limbus again, stuck solely to watching others enjoy this game. But it was for your own good.

But you should've known you weren't safe.

–★★★–

Living alone came with benefits and losses.

The most notable loss, though, was there was no one to help protect you when they showed up.

It was late at night. Sun set, hour past ten, and you were relaxing alone in the safety of your general living space. There was something small playing on the TV, mindless background noise as you folded laundry. It was still warm in your hands, and smelled just like your favorite soap. A bit of mindless comfort that got your mind off things.

Your hands had finally stopped shaking now. The thought of your strange game was far in the past. Months have gone by, anyways, with nary an issue in sight. You had many plans going forward, especially for the upcoming weekend. But for now, all you focused on was laundry.

Then there was a knock at the door. At this hour? Naturally you checked, why wouldn't you? But the sight you were met with… How were they here?

"Open the door." Vergilius ordered simply. His voice speaking in a non-Korean language was… jarring. You heard ticking, probably from Dante, but you couldn't understand it. You just moved as far from the front door as you could.

"We know you heard us." Faust told you, "The lights in your home are activated, strongly indicating you are here."

You started to lose track of who was saying what when they spoke again.

"C'mon bud, let's just make this easy and open this door…"

"Attempting to resist is futile, Player!"

"Open this bloody door already! Before we just knock it down!"

"Mine dearest player, I implore thee to welcome us into your abode!!"

"Y.I.B.H.A.N."

"I- I agree-! Just… please let us in..!"

"What do you hope to get out of this? We know where you live."

"Aww~ Look at your home! I hope ya got enough room in there to fit all of us~"

"I understand if this intrusion startles you, but-"

"Is it really that hard to open a door? Perhaps they work differently here."

"The Manager has requested I-"

The sudden banging on your door made your head spin, and you realized—in horror—they're trying to knock it down.

So you fumbled to unlock the thing and swung it open. Your chest heaved, and you stared at the fifteen people standing on your porch, illuminated by it's light and the glowing bulbs from the inside of your own home.

You couldn't muster up a word to say as Charon moved to the front of the small crowed.

"We're home now. Charon wants to go inside."

–★★★★★–

Final Note: A tier list summarizing when each Sinner starts to simp (Featuring the Driver and Guide)

like hed do so much corny shit i believe. but he does so with with the stupidest cutest grin on his face whilst looking all flustered and nervous oh how could you NOT kiss him stupid RIGHT WHERE HIS ASS STANDS

i can see him call you the british versions of terms of endearment aswell (like hun or luv or whatever you may think of)

okay whatever lets get into the stuff i think he would do for his partner (or you😉didyou read that😉i saidyou😉his partner is you😉wink)Ok

i think heathcliff is the type of guy who would hold your hand while youre on the loo 🤗i was about to go further with this but i wont ill say things i wont be able to take back anymore

gift giving i think is something he would like ... not necessarily buying stuff but making it himself and giving it to you. you both think it holds more value that way, and he adores seeing you light up by something he himself made with his own two hands

another one of his love languages is physical touch!

youre that hallway couple everyone hates.

no im playingBUT LIKE hed definitely like holding your hand whilst youre on a date (i mean like if your man didnt i think you should snipe him) and especially in private he likes cuddling or just touching you casually

in private a bit more though hed be more confident and comfortable touching you there. he gets a bit nervous doing it in public.

not in a bad way or anything! its just that his co workers are lowkey better professionals at making light hearted comments about his relationship to him and teasing him about it than they are at their current occupations in limbus company.

see its because it almost always manages to fluster or piss him off

laying his head on yours or yours on his or on either of your shoulders, lying on the others lap, wrapping your hands around his arms are all gestures i think would make him blush

for some reason i feel like hed like books or writing. i mean he literally keeps a diary too (definitely writes about you in it too oh my god what a whipped loserNo im sorry i didnt mean that but dear lord)

the concept of library dates with heathcliff..💆cynthia what are you doing here

hed definitely also always tend to your needs . hes a very protective guy in general, too. if he thinks something is wrong, he wouldnt hesitate to come to you about it

ergo i think hed be an awesome boyfriend dude.

🔮 𐐪𐐩 : HONG LU . . ♡

im envious that you bagged the physical manifestation of the bag tm

trust that you will be pampered and spoiled. NOT in a dom sugar daddy way though sometimes hong lu buys you very questionable stuff solely on his own accord

like man okay imagine hong lu goes on trips regularly (like ie how he does in the lcb world with the bus) and he just purchases you the weirdest shit ever.

"hong lu what in the corporations am i looking at." you'd ask him, "i bought you some time from t corp.!" he'd answer, "and what am I supposed to do with it exactly?" you reply, "...give me a kiss as a thank you?" he smiles.

...you suppose you can give that to him.

hong lu the type of guy to just NOT gaf about pda

and by that i mean he just touches you whenever the hell he wants where the hell he wants. 😪

is it bad etiquette? kind of. has he been taught better? probably. does he care? not really.

i think your reactions are what amuse him and make him do that fuck ass face with the gigglyesque smile and the blush and the closed eyes and the "ya allah i want to punch your face" expression and

your relationship with him is just bickering/teasing and pampering eachother. among other things.

if he bombards you with gifts, you can bombard him back with physical affection! which he loves a lot.

i think as opposed to heathcliff, hong lu would like to be more public with you, and comments by others dont really bother him.

infact i think he would use them to his advantage to show you off more😭

whether you mind or not is up to you!

but something tells me you dont.

well in any case, hong lu being your other half comes naturally to him! he doesnt really have to "try to be a good boyfriend" or anything if that makes sense, your relationship is like in the permanent flow state and both of you just always know what the other needs

speaking of that i think as his partner you would be able to read him best too. like YES this motherfucker is cryptic DAMN but its little things you pick up throughout your relationship that makes his nature more transparent to you

maybe its the way he says a particular word or sentence, maybe its his facial expressions, maybe its his body language... its for you to know and find out!

i was in the flow state writing this too bruv. i hope you liked them dear anon... my bad for the delay<//3

“I was sure that I saw someone pass through here...” Three slow knocks resounded throughout the worn halls. 

“Hello~ Anyone home?”

Clamping both hands over your mouth, you tried your best to make yourself as quiet and small as possible. 

Don't move, don't breathe. It’ll pass soon. 

“Excuse me, may I come in?” Another knock came, followed by another, and another. With each knock, his pleasant voice became increasingly laced with an unmaskable animosity. 

You could feel your legs go numb. In an attempt to alleviate your discomfort, you shifted slightly—barely lifting your feet. But, he heard it. Every subtle hitch in your breath, every shiver and shudder—they were all taken into account.

An eye filled the worn keyhole. Jade. A strikingly beautiful yet frenzied jade. Darting wildly from ceiling to wall, and then finally settling onto your hunched figure.

A soft laugh could be heard from the other side of the door.

“Hm...” He paused, as if contemplating his word choice. “If you won’t open up for me, then...” his voice brightened, followed by a loud thud. “You leave me no choice but to let myself in~!” 

In an instant, shards of blood and wood alike lay scattered across the floor. You shrieked in horror as that terrible hunter stood before you, strolling over with unsettling glee. As your back collided with the stone flooring, you were finally able to get a closer look at him. A young man, he was, carrying a gentle, almost soft look in his eyes. One that starkly contrasted with his brusque clothing and the vicious hammer he wielded. He was drenched from head to toe in a mixture of blood and gore, some from his comrades; the rest from what remained of your family. With each and every step—you could hear the screams of your fellow Kindreds echo. Had you met your untimely end..?

“Finally...” His breaths came out in ragged huffs. Rapidly, his hands shot out toward your collar, nearly tearing through the fabric. For a moment, his fingers dug into your neck, hard enough to bruise. “I finally... caught you~” 

Ah, you were sure your clothes were filthy now... each and every delicate lace of your robes had either come undone or tore prematurely. The rest of your clothing had been reduced to mere tatters. 

He blinked, as if he had only just realised the strength of his grip. Casting his gaze elsewhere, he loosened it, not entirely letting you go either. “I had been so kind to you earlier, yet you insisted on running... If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had to do this, you know~?” His smile was sickeningly sweet as he crouched over you. It pissed you off. He was far too smug for a human in the presence of a Bloodfiend of your caliber. Did he not know who you were? How powerful you were?? 

In a fit of rage, you prepared to materialise a hardblood dagger—

“Uh-uh. Can’t have creatures like you harming any more humans, now can we?” 

He promptly shoved you back onto the ground, a piercing screech echoed throughout the room. Hastily brushing away speckles of dust that clouded your vision, you felt a dark shadow overtake your figure, and—

Splat.

You didn't feel your blade materialise, instead your hand felt... strangely numb. Turning to look at it, your eyes widened slowly. 

It wasn't there.

In its place, a heap of scattered flesh.

Just as you were about to scream, he forced his hand over your mouth. “What right do you have to scream? If anything, I should be the one screaming at the sight of something as repulsive as you.” While looking you over, a scoff slipped from his lips. “Or maybe I might've if you weren't so...” he lightly tugged at the shrivelled ends of your sleeves. “pathetic.” 

Only after assuring that he'd silenced you, he raised his hammer again. You knew you had to act quickly. In an instant, you put your other arm out.

“W-wait uhm...!” That definitely didn't come out as confidently as you wanted it to.

“Hm?” He lifted his head, a gesture too innocent for a man of his cruelty.

“There’s been a clear misunderstanding!”

“Oh really?”

“M-mhm...!! I haven't drunk blood in ages actually, in fact I only drink blood from corpses!!” A solid lie, if you'd say so yourself. 

However, the man before you clearly didn’t agree. His eyes darkened a fraction, tightening his grip on the handle of his weapon.

“Well then, maybe this will jog your memory.” Leaving his hammer to one hand, he rummaged through his pocket with his freehand, pulling out an old picture of a timid boy. He had blonde hair and was of small stature, reminding you of a newborn chick. He laid in bed as a figure cloaked in velvet towered over him. Honestly you were rather taken with their fantastic fashion sense. Perhaps when you got back you’d ask—

Oh. That was you.

“In my defense...” you started, “he’d offered his blood willingly.” Surprisingly enough, that wasn’t a lie. In fact, the ‘victim’ in question begged for you to feed off him. It was honestly quite cute.

Your attempt at a rebuttal didn't work as intended, his eyes narrowing sharply. 

“I'm aware.” The warmth vanished from his eyes, crinkling in disgust. But it passed in the blink of an eye as he resumed his calm smile. “All your victims do. You see,” Reaching into his opposite pocket, he revealed a hastily put-together notebook. Pages were disjointed, some tumbling to the ground—each layered with conspiratorial scribbles. Some were portraits, others were maps. To your horror, you caught a few photos of you. They kept falling, one by one. “...I've been keeping track.”

“And I don't appreciate dishonesty.” He hummed an unsettlingly upbeat tune, abandoning his notes. With an eager grin, he raised his hammer over your shoulder this time. “So, how about you make it up to me, hm? I might even consider sparing your worthless life~” The sadistic gleam in his eyes didn't escape you. Fuck, why'd you always catch the attention of the weird ones? 

“Fine then... what do you want from me?” 

“A kiss. like last time...”

“....? Excuse me??”

“Unless of course,” interrupting you, he slammed his hammer down, earning a pained gasp from you. “you can't do that for me.” He took great joy in the sight of your shuddering, humiliated figure. Covering your mouth with a trembling hand, you refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing you scream.

“Y-you dare...!? I vow to you, w-when-” your voice betrayed you, quivering as if it were fearful. Hah, you, afraid???  The notion itself was enough to have you cackling for eons. 

“When father hears of this...!!” you shuddered beneath him, casting a quick glance to the demolished door. But he quickly grabbed your chin, focusing your gaze onto him instead. Now knelt by your side, his cold eyes raked over you hungrily.

“You bloodfiends and your talk of ‘family’...” He sighed to himself, seemingly wishing to continue before abruptly cutting himself off. “Anyways, you’ve yet to make your decision. I won't mind it either way, really~” You wanted to strangle that slender neck of his so terribly. You'd make him pay tenfold for humiliating a 4th Kindred...! But of course, you wanted to live more than anything. As much as it’d hurt, you’d have to abandon your pride for a few moments. Let him lower his guard.

Weakly sitting up, you flexed your now only partially damaged fingers before placing a hand to his cheek. Lightly tracing over his porcelain skin, you paused. Retracting your hand for a brief moment, something flicked in your eyes. You then drew away from him entirely. He remained eerily still, a patient smile drawn upon his lips. 

In an instant you raised your hand, this time, lacking its prior hesitance. 

Your pointed nails slashed at his cheek without a hint of mercy, a small yet weighty act of defiance.

He didn't flinch, instead his hand briefly rose his newly formed wound. Letting the blood free-fall from his face to his clothes. You gulped nervously, eyeing those precious droplets of blood. Trembling slightly, you tore your gaze away from him, as his eyes crinkled with mirth.

“Let's try that again, shall we?” 

He leaned in closer this time, his cheeks dusted a faint pink. What the fuck was wrong with him...? 

You inched forward,  brushing your lips against his as he eagerly wrapped his arms around your waist. You wouldn't dare close the distance though. His breathing was laboured and he hardly blinked. Fucking creep.

“Mm...? Taking your time?” He chuckled in his flustered haze. “If you won't do it then—” he pulled out a silver vial, its gentle swish sending your head spiralling.

You knew that sound. 

You couldn't believe it. 

“I'll have to resort to— m-mph!” Instantly, you pressed your lips against his. Again and again and again until it made your head spin. Your positions had reversed, you now looming over him, boxing him in from either side.

“H-hngh... i-is that enough?” You shuddered, hyperfixated on the small tube in his hand. 

Water. “Please... put that away.” 

He, however, was much too drunk on your sudden compliance. Lightly pressing his gloved fingers to his lips, he leered at you. Savouring the taste of you on his lips.

“Cute... a harmless drink like this could reduce you to a trembling mess. What's so scary about it, hm? It's only a bit of water.”

You shivered, trying your best to pull away from him but he rose, straddling your hips. With a condescending purr, he eyed the vial. “You don't like it very much, do you?”

Dumbfounded, you nodded rapidly. “Are you stupid...? O-of course I hate it! Get it away from me at once...!” He didn’t budge. Clenching your fists, you tried to quell your boiling temper. “Please...?”

His simple smile turned to a sly grin as he downed some of the vial himself. “Here, I'll drink it all for you.”

Initially, you weren't too bothered, nodding wordlessly. That was until he began leaning in, inching closer and closer towards you. “Though, you surely wouldn't mind a little taste, hm?” Just as you were about to protest, he pressed his lips against your parted ones, transferring that horrid plague from your mouth to his. You could hardly breathe, the searing pain rang throughout your mouth, you couldn't spit it back onto him, he wouldn't let you, kissing you oh so tentatively. Scratching and clawing at his back didn't deter him either, instead he delighted in observing your pained reactions. His tongue explored the ruined planes of your mouth. You were sure flakes of tissue were torn off along with your burning tongue. You couldn't take it, you really couldn't. As you felt the life drain from your body, your mind trailed off. It wandered aimlessly, circling from past to present. From the present to your nonexistent future. To your father who saved you from those dingy backstreets, who chided you for your recklessness, yet still cared deeply for you. To your sister whom you both cherished and loved, even though you didn’t always get along. To the rest of your family, now slaughtered by those merciless brutes.

Where did all that time go? 

You were half-dead, being tortured and humiliated by some no-name fixer. Nobody of importance. Nobody worth noting. He was nothing, yet he was oh so eager to strip you of everything. You should kill him.. you could. If you'd just—

As you felt your head becoming light, a weight was lifted off your shoulders. He finally pulled away. 

Gasping for air, you spat out all of the water pooled inside of your mouth. You coughed and writhed and screamed and wailed. 

“S-sick...” you could hardly speak, clutching your burning throat. “Sick... bastard.”

He simply hummed in response, far too pleased with himself.

“Please, that hardly compares to the dozens of people you've drained to quench your thirst.” Tilting your chin, he pressed his thumb against your lips, parting them to inspect the inside of your mouth. “See, your mouth is still intact. Your tongue is just fine too~”

He tugged at it, inspecting it with barely suppressed amusement. “Such an overreaction~”

You tried to squirm away from him, but noticed. Finding humour in your struggle whilst holding you closer.

“Why...? Why are you doing this...” You shivered in horror, embracing yourself with trembling arms. 

He scoffed, cocking his head towards you. “You’re seriously asking? Hah... that’s-” He hesitated, contemplating something before ultimately shaking his head. “Because you're a Bloodfiend. What other reason do I need?” 

Your eyes widened. 

That was a death sentence. You were going to die here because of this crazed lunatic. You—a proud fourth Kindred, slaughtered to further motivate some sick agenda...? Absolutely not.

“So what..?”

“Hm?”

“So what if I'm a Bloodfiend? Yes, I’ve had my fill of blood. I'm a Bloodfiend... a fourth Kindred for goodness sake...! It's only natural that I would. But you—!” Raising a trembling finger, you cast him an accusatory glare. “Humans kill one another all the time, don’t they? Without being ailed by our disease, without reason!! You people kill each other for sport and somehow we're vile monsters?? There’s nothing I could do to one of your kind that’s worse than what you already do to ea—” He tugged on your tongue with enough force to tear it off, his gaze turning cold.

“Hah... this is why I hate your kind, spewing all sorts of nonsensical jargon.” Upon releasing your tongue, he instead settled for grabbing your collar. “Maybe I should remind you who really holds power here, hm?” Instantly, you felt a sharp pain to your cheek, and then your lower lip, and then your eyelid. Again and again and again he hit you till you could hardly see, your face bloodied beyond recognition. By the time he had finished, you shook violently, not daring to look him in the eye.

“See? Look, you've made me ruin that pretty face of yours...” he tuts quietly to himself, wiping some of the blood smeared onto his cheek. “But it's okay~! This time, I think I'll try a new approach.” He hummed, taking something out of his pocket. All you could do was shudder in fear, shielding your face from him. But the sight only seemed to arouse him further. He held out a small dagger, carefully raising it to his lips.

“How about this, if you can behave yourself, my blood is yours to drink.” His hands gently rested on your neck. “But if you don't listen to me, well...” he eyed his massive hammer, discarded somewhere nearby. “I don't suppose you're really in any condition to oppose me~”

Glaring at him, your eyes wavered, travelling to his neck for a split second. An insatiable greed festered within you at the sight of his veins. “So impatient...” he chided you softly, before raising the dagger to his tongue. “All you have to do is kiss me, and my blood is yours.” He slowly dragged the blade along his tongue, searing the image of that scarlet trail into your retinas. 

“I'd rather—" you gulped. "I'd rather die than be humiliated in such a manner.” Despite your bold proclamation, both of you noticed the way your gaze lingered on the red of his tongue. 

“You'd deny yourself this?” His smile widened. “Wow~ I'm almost proud of you!” He leaned in closer, his voice lowering. “But, we both know what you really want...” A lone finger trailed downward, from your neck to your chest. Right over your heart. Its beating grew erratic. He must've known. Known how terribly this tormented you. How much you wanted it... no you needed it. His blood, him, it hardly mattered as you viciously slammed your lips against his. Eagerly lapping up his blood, you explored every inch of his mouth as he moaned against your lips. “Mhmn... s-so pathetic.” He'd whisper between kisses. “You really can't help yourself...” But you couldn’t care less, hungrily—disgracefully indulging him. You had no witty comeback to offer him, overcome by your own gluttony. It felt so good, the tang of blood on your lips again, you felt completely rejuvenated. You eagerly nipped at his lips in an attempt to sate yourself, he pulled away just before you could break skin, sighing in ecstasy. “H-hah~ my turn.” Before taking control of the kiss, biting down on your tongue as payback. 

“F-fuck's wrong with you...” you whined against his lips but he continued on anyway. It was a disgusting dance, swirling blood and saliva, love and hate, Bloodfiend and human. Yet, you couldn't stop, latching yourself onto him like a parasite. His blood, his hate. You'd take it all. The filthy yet pleasureful haze of a kiss was brought to an end as he pulled away. Unconsciously, you leaned forward, trying to catch that singular string of bloodied saliva. Instead, he broke it. Regaining possession of his hammer, he rested it on the lower half of your arm.

“Now... tell me,” you fell silent, unable to face him as the realisation of what you'd done washed over you. This was shameful. Intermingling with your hunters of all people. But, what choice did you have, this was life and death..! Wasnt it? “Come on,” he tilted your chin to face him. “Humour me~”

With a sigh of exasperation, you met his gaze. “...What?”

“Of the 54 people you've drained for fleeting moments of passion...” he carefully pressed it down against your arm. “Who tasted the best?” 

…??? 

“Are you... serious??”

He tilted his head “Why wouldn't I be?” Grabbing you by your collar, he leaned in, pressing your foreheads against one anothers. His eyes were blown wide and frenzied, searching yours. 

“Out of the 54—no 55, whose blood do you favour most?” 

The only other person who'd been keeping track was you yourself... Why? Maybe self assurance? Confidence? You didn't know. But why did he?

“How do you know that…”

“[Name], I know everything about you.” He pressed a kiss to your healed cheek, a bitter laugh escaping him as he pulled away. His eyes, now drab and dull. “You really don't remember, do you?”

At your heightened confusion, he sighed wistfully. “I'd spent years trying to forget you… and you,” His smile didn't quite reach his eyes “can't even recognise your first victim?”

You shoved him off of you, skittering to the other side of the room in horror.

“You sick fuck… That's a terrible joke. I'll have you know that my first attempt to feed was a total f—”

“Failure? Of course.”

Getting up, he smoothed out the wrinkles of his gloves, walking over with a relaxed gait. Again, he raised his hammer.

“You ran away. Hah... you're just as pitiful as you were all those years ago.” He scoffed, his jade eye twitching. “Unlike you, I could never quite let go of that day though. You moved on, fed off others. But I've always been here—scraping for any traces of you.” His smile hollowed, slamming his hammer down onto your weakened legs. “This is your fault, you know? Take some responsibility.”

“Y-you're insane...” Blatantly ignoring you, he continued.

“Imagine how disheartened I was when our time together was cut short.” For once, his eyes trembled—his eyebrows knitted together in utter contempt.

“You’d promised me an eternity of pleasure..." He raised his hammer up again. “Only for you to back out like a coward. To have shooed yourself out of my quarters in the dead of night.” He sighed wearily to himself. 

“Could you imagine the excitement I felt, finding that you were still very much alive, still active and moving.” His eyes darkened. “Just for you to use all the seduction you'd saved for me on desperate fools.” For what felt like the billionth time, the dull pain of his hammer returned, a sickening squelch resounding throughout the room. “Can you imagine how horrid it was...? Seeing the bodies of men and women alike. All being people you'd thoroughly… enjoyed, after me.” Sweat trickled down his forehead as his hammer slipped, smashing through the wooden floorboards. 

“But, I'll forgive you." His hands stilled. "I'll forgive it all. Just as long as you answer me honestly.” His hollow eyes bore into yours. “Who's blood tastes best to you...?”