loving you is a losing game

Eli wasn't going to make it.

Aesop could feel his heart beating faster by the minute, the purple glow just visible from his peripheral vision. Antonio had been chasing the seer around for a while, and there hadn't been any pings to indicate that the hunter had left the man behind in favor of an easier target. The best conclusion he could come up with was that Eli had unknowingly led the hunter over to where he was decoding.

He felt a pang of annoyance spike through himself as he watched the cat and mouse chase approach him, despite knowing it could not be Eli's fault. He shifted his position on the cipher so he could be a little more hidden and out of the violinist's sight, but he knew it was all for naught. The white of his outfit practically glowed in the dim atmosphere of the Lakeside Village.

The survivor was breathing heavily as he got closer to the wooden, run-down shack. Aesop knew he was running out of stamina, and he couldn't continue running forever. Eventually, Antonio would catch up to him, but it was nice to think he could hold out just for a little longer. They were down to two ciphers, with Luca being eliminated and Naib steadily decoding on the other side of the map. However, the embalmer was only halfway done with his own cipher, and the mercenary was horrible with machines and was desperately slow.

He watched as Eli clung to the side of the shack, making it clear of his intentions to vault the window. The hunter was so close to him, though, almost within hitting distance. It was like time had stopped, and Aesop realized that Eli was never going to be able to make it over the window without getting terror-shocked. Brooke Rose had already blocked a hit by Antonio twice- each time his owl protected him or another, he became physically weaker. He was going to be terribly slow going over the window, to a point where he would never be able to evade a blow from the violin.

The embalmer was not one for sacrifices. He did not like to take hits for others, and was horrible at body blocking at the most dire situations. That was what made what he did so strange, and so out of line. He knew he held Eli in a higher light than others. He was aware of his own feelings, but he didn't know how far they extended until just then. Ultimately, it was going to be his downfall.

He rushed forward, just as Eli grabbed the wood around the window. Eli didn't know he was there- if he did, he would've turned his head around to look at him. Brooke Rose noticed him, though, and peered at Aesop with those brilliant blue eyes of hers. No doubt, she understood more than he ever could dream of.

Antonio lashed out, intending to slam Eli to the ground as he struggled over the window. The violin bow crashed against Aesop's head. Crimson sprayed on top of the seer's white clothing, a mixture of the embalmer's and the dried blood of Eli. Lunar Phase had always looked so beautiful to Aesop. He clutched his head and ran off to hide in the tall grass to recollect himself, sparing only a moment's glance to see if Eli made it out okay.

He did, in fact, make it over the window. He was able to put some distance between him and the violinist as well, since he brought the west-side persona web build with him. He mentioned in previous matches that he was terrible at kiting if he didn't have Broken Windows- Aesop was thankful that he brought it with him for this match.

—•—•—

Soft footsteps approached Eli from behind, coming to settle beside said man to look out across the balcony. The pair leaned against the railing, not saying a word to each other for a moment, just to relish in the silence they could share. Many thoughts swirled through the seer's head, questions spilling one after another.

"I know what you're going to ask." Aesop spoke for him. Eli turned to look at his friend, who was still staring out at the horizon. "I still ask myself why I sacrificed myself like that, when I didn't do the same for Naib or Luca." His mouth was set into a frown, the edges curled into contemplation.

The seer looked away. "You shouldn't have. The game would've been over sooner if you had let me get caught and chaired. You and Naib could've escaped without a problem." He had had terrible rumination for the past few hours, his mind circling the same thoughts and scenarios in his head just to make him feel terrible about it. It was somewhat satisfying to be able to talk about it.

"I would've embalmed Naib and forced him to rescue you. Either way, we were getting out with a tie. Naib may not love losing, but he would rather have that chase than be the one to escape."

Eli tapped the railing momentarily. There was tension between them, something that was being left unsaid that was driving both of them mad. If Brooke Rose was with him at that moment, she would've already clawed his ear off to just say what he really wanted to say, to ask the question that had been in his mind for the past few months.

Aesop made no attempts to continue their conversation. It was down to Eli to release the two of their suffering. "There is more to it, though." This time, it was the embalmer that gazed at the seer. He hoped that the other man would get the prompt to speak.

"There was always more to it. However, you know the rule as well as I." Eli met Aesop's eyes head-on, even if the other couldn't see it behind the blindfold. "I truly do not wish to die at all." The rule was the only one on interpersonal relationships between survivors. Two must never formally be together.

Aesop turned away first, and then Eli followed suit. Together, they stared at the land they could not traverse, not until someone won this godforsaken game. Slowly, Eli moved his hand to intertwine it with the embalmer's. The survivor did not fight it, instead returned the gesture readily.

Eli sighed softly. "The moon looks beautiful tonight, doesn't it?"