Absentmindedly, Figure hummed to himself. Aside from the occasional tapping on the hotel walls or the echo of Seek's screams, he didn't hear much inside of the hotel. For an entity with impeccable hearing, he believed himself to be sick when he wasn't bombarded with a cacophony of noise constantly.
He wasn't complaining at all - the others have him an earache when they thudded through the halls, blowing each and every bulb on their way. He heard it every single time and grew irritated.
But, for once, he heard no such noises. Rush and Ambush were preoccupied, leaving a lovely silence in the library, interrupted occasionally because of Seek's scream.
He really loves to scare them..I wish I could scare them like he does.
Turning on his heel, Figure walked in the opposite direction, his arms sluggishly trailing. His loose wrists scraped the crimson thread carpet, the friction not being enough to discomfort him.
The distanced slamming of a door caught his attention in a heartbeat; someone had finally surpassed Seek. From the library, he heard Seek's desperate slams on the door, his fists pummeling the wood three times as he usually did.
Now, he had to hope that Rush or Ambush wouldn't swoop in and take his kill as they typically did. Their immature spats made them competitively hunt the players which left none for the rest of them.
Disgruntled growls slipped from his perpetually open mouth as he headed towards the upstairs extension of the library. He needed to prepare the lock after the previous player fooled him and picked it.
Clasping the lock, he closed it. A click signified his work was done, and he got to work picking up the books scattered by the exit.
The human arrived earlier than he'd anticipated, slamming the doors behind them in a frenzy of panic. Their breathing was ragged, an unlining fear evident in every breath.
He heard the sound of the human brushing against it, assuming them to have slipped into a sitting position. Their back was to the entrance, knees to their chest as they sobbed. Butter tears flooded their flushed face as they tightly curled into a ball.
Never had a human displayed such a range of negative emotions. Most tended to be a bit shook up in the library, maybe scared, stunned, shocked. Never cried until they were about to die, though.
It occured to him they might not have caught sight of him, as he was lingering near bookshelves, arranging the novels according to their titles.
"Afraid, are you?" He mused, asking them the question as he remained out if view,"What's got you so down, human?"
(Y/n)'s teary eyes shot open, frantically glancing in every direction they could,"W-.. Who's there..?!"
Their exclamation hurt his ears, and he covered where he imagined they would be if he had any,"Not so loud, my ears cannot take it. Please, tone your voice down in the library."
Their choked sobs ceased, and they mused,"Oh..I'm so sorry."
"Not a problem, human. Now tell me, what bothers you? You slammed the door very loudly upon entering the room. What is it that's 'bugging' you?" Figure questioned, trying a more informal way of speaking.
"W-Well.." They couldn't form the words, each syllable repeated by their stutter. Their shyness had them speechless, and they pitifully mumbled to themself,"..I..I can't.."
Their voice was low, quietly uttered but still caught in Figure's ears,"Human,.I know I may appear unsettling but I have no intentions of harming you."
Shaking in fear, (Y/n) felt so small against Figure as he approaching, rounding the bookcase and appearing before them.
"Human. I can sense your heart beating erratically. I know my appearance may be unsettling to you, but I mean you no harm." Figure assured, his stature looming tall above them.
Extending a hand to affectionately pet them, he felt something else aside from locks of hair. Fluffy.
Cat ears.
(Y/n)'s teary eyes were unmovable, focused harshly on Figure leaning toward them. His hand moved along their scalp, his fingers extending as far as possible so he could pet them better.
Why am I sympathising with a human of all things? What's different about this one?
Unintentionally enjoying the contact, (Y/n) straightened their slouched posture. His fingers scratched the base of their ears, leaving no marks or damage.
"Now tell me, what is it you're afraid of?" Figure cooed, continuing to pat their head as a comforting distraction.
Opening their mouth, they found the courage to speak,"I-.. Seek, he.."
"What did he do to you, human?" Figure pressed on, crouching to appear less threatening and more engaged in their conversation.
Gripping their knees, (Y/n) directed their view to Figure; he wasn't much of an expressive entity facially, but his voice was capable of showing everything his visage could not.
Tightening the grip on their knees, they dug their nails into themself,"I don't..I don't want to talk about it. It was nothing..why do you care anyway.?"
There was a momentary silence and Figure knew (Y/n) was feeling the solitude getting to them. Cat ears or not, they were miserable.
Unwarranted, Figure took (Y/n) by the waist and lifted them up, keeping them stable against his chest,"You're safe within these walls; consider the library our sanctuary, where nobody can reach you."
Being close to the entity's mouth had them on edge, but the warmth of his embrace was enough to set their mind at ease.
"I'm sorry the other entities treated you poorly. I assure you I won't subject you to such treatment." Figure's words were so softly spoken, sounding genuine.
Still unable to force the right words out, (Y/n) leaned in to his chest, their forehead leaning on his collarbone,"..Thank you.."
He knew humans did a specific gesture to demonstrate their affections; it often was done to reassure or comfort humans when they needed it most.
Bowing his head, he kissed (Y/n) on the cheek, which they whimpered at. His grip on them locked, and he cradled them in his arms.
"You're safe in my library, human."
