𝐆𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 (𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙! 𝐟𝐟)

𝙲𝚑. 𝟸𝟸 ☯︎︎ 𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕

♊︎Year 5067, Month 5, Day 23, Time 10:15 pm♊︎

☯︎︎

A loud gasp escapes her lips and her eyes widen in shock as a subconscious reaction to seeing the chairs on the balcony facing the rest of the darkened city below them.

The small sound alerts the man sitting on the left chair and he speaks up without looking back at the tattooed woman.

"You're too early." His voice comes out monotonously and with a bit of a rasp. Kurenai doesn't give the man an answer as she watches him take a swig of the champagne glass in his hand, the bottle resting on the small table between the two chairs on the balcony. "Guessing by the lack of response and you're early arrival, you're not Seonghwa. And I know no one is reckless enough to snoop through his private mail besides Kurenai and Wooyoung, so which of you is it?"

She doesn't respond once again and the Meister sighs, siping his drink some more before he sets it down and swivels around to face her.

"Hello, Kurenai." He smiles politely as best he can with his half-deformed face. Traces of his prior attractiveness remain on the left side of his face which was the least affected side during his lab accident. The other side was completely scarred and ruined. The muscles on that side seem to be struggling to hold his face together, it makes her pity him.

"Fancy meeting you here." She finally responds to him and he looks at her in confusion.

"Well, what were you expecting? I'm sure that you read the letter I sent Seonghwa, which would explain why you're here." He pauses as they both look at each other, trying to read each other's faces but failing because of how well constructed their poker face is. "Here, come sit down with me while we wait for Seonghwa to arrive--."

"I don't have much time." She glances down at her watch and sees that she only has 15 minutes left before 10:30.

"Oh, does that mean you're here to kill me? If it is then I suggest you do it before my subject gets here. He can be quite temperamental, but I'm sure you know that by now considering how he left you last time." The Chemist's eyes wander to the ground as he reminds her of the incident, watching her grow angrier by the second.

"Don't forget what I did to him in return." Kurenai grits through her teeth and the Meister giggles maniacally, turning back around to face the view of the balcony.

"That was quite the surprise, My Dear. It's to be expected of the Queen of Spades." He continues to laugh. "Well, my offer still stands. You can take a seat or do what you need to do, just make it quick."

The tattooed woman struggles with herself for a moment, deciding to take a seat if she's going to ask him the questions she needs answers to. Setting herself down on the chair adjacent to Max's seat, she slumps down on it, ignoring the stare directed at her.

"So, you've decided not to kill me? How delightful!" Max taunts. Kurenai scowls at him, still refusing to look at him out of pity and fear of what he looks like.

"Not yet, at least." She huffs. Max hums in amusement, picking up the champagne bottle to fill up the extra glass on the table. "You planned this didn't you?"

"Have a drink." He ignores her question.

"I asked you something."

"And I offered you something. Now drink and then I'll answer." Slowly taking the glass with champagne and sniffing it, Kurenai thanks the deformed man in front of her, drinking the liquid and feeling the bubbles as they go down her throat. She finishes it quickly, setting it down and turning to look at Max with a pissed-off expression.