Ladders

Attendent

Lin Yi-Vietnam
Mei-Taiwan
Leon-Hong Kong
Yao-China
Hien-South Vietnam

Leon scream and punched a wall. His older sister grabbed his arm "Leon you getting angry won't make Emil any better!". Leon's eyes watered as he stared at the phone on the floor he just threw. He had just ended a call with Lukas, as Leon called asking where Emil was. Leon was completely heart broken "he didn't even tell me he was feeling this way!". His sister tried to reason with him "Leon I'm sorry. Depression is a quite killer". Leon pushed her away from him "you don't know what I feel!" He shouted. She glared and regained her posture "and what about when our brother killed himself! He never told me what he was going on!". Her eyes watered thinking about it.
His sister was talking about their brother who was adopted from South Vietnam, while she was adopted from North Vietnam. The only reason Yao's sister adopted them was because they were both malnourished and in need of a new home since both their parents couldn't afford them after the war. Till she got cancer and Yao had to take them in. Yao was also forced to take in both Leon and Mei as they were her biological children.
"Well I love Emil! He's supposed to tell me everything. We are supposed to be in this together!" He shouted. Li looked surprised "You love him..." it took her a moment to process what he said "w-what? You're gay?". Leon hit his wall again out of frustration with both himself and Emil "god damnit! Don't tell Yao! I-I don't know what I am. All I know is I love Emil and he's on his death bed as we speak!". Big ugly tears streamed down his face "this is all my fault! I-I should've gotten him out of there!" He fell to the ground and sobbed. Li Yin kneeled down and held him close "I used to blame myself for Hiens death every day. It never brought him back though. Leon you can't blame yourself". He clutched onto her "yes I can...I let him stay in that damn brothel even though I could've kept him out". Li Yin grabbed Leon's chin and forced him to look up at her "Leon, Emil is a prostitute? Why didn't you go to the police?". Leon breathed in roughly "because Emil told me not to. He said that the police are under his bosses finger. Emil said if he ever told anyone that they would die". Lin Yi shook thinking of what Emil went through, during her trip through Vietnam trying to find her birth parents and on a college trip at the same time, she saw a multitude of girls forced into the lifestyle of hell just to survive. "Leon...". She was honestly lost for words. Her mouth felt dry, so much has been put upon her. She just held Leon while he cried instead of trying to reason through everything. "I-I want him back...I just want us to be together!". Li cringed, it was hard to accept something that her entire life she's been told to go against. She loved Leon with all her heart, but his lifestyle she just couldn't fathom him being with another man. "Y-you're disgusted by me aren't you Li?" Leon asked looking in her eyes. She quickly shook her head "n-no Leon, that's not it. It's just that I...I don't understand it. But I want to, I don't want this to tear us apart...but give me time". Leon nodded slowly and went back to hugging her.

Berwald held Matthew close. They both had just finished a sinful act, but not in the brothel. Berwald brought Matthew into his house, and into the bed he shared with Tino. He stopped caring, he already knew Tino was cheating on him with Eduard. "You're thinking about him again, aren't you?". Berwald nodded "we use to be perfect together, we even imagined having kids together. Two boys". Matthew put a hand on his chest and closed his eyes "nothing ever works out the way we plan". Berwald kissed his forehead "Matthew I can't do this anymore". Matthews eyes widened as he sat up and looked at him "w-why? Berwald please rethink". No matter how much Matthew wanted to deny it, he loved and relied on Berwald. Berwald was gentle and he always paid Matthew the best. Ber sat up as well and grabbed his hands "I need to put my money towards important things right now...and maybe me and Tino can fix things" Berwald didn't want to talk about what happened to Emil to Matthew or that he was planning on talking to Tino to stop sleeping with Eduard and to marry him. It was too painful to both talk about Emil, and finally cut everything off with Matthew if him and Tino work things out. Matthews eyes widened "so I guess I'm not important! All these free booty calls, listening to your problems, and for what?! For you to just dump me after sex! Fuck you Berwald! I can see why your boyfriend cheats on you!". Matthew quickly got up and put on his clothes. He rushed out with tears in his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have gotten attached but Berwald was the only constant in his life. He was the only caring person in his life. Alfred was always leaving for his boyfriend and Emil wasn't answering his calls anymore. He was now completely alone. He sniffled as he wrapped his arms around himself, it was starting to snow and Berwald had picked him up from his apartment. "I'm such a goddamn idiot" he kicked some snow as he walked. He put his hands on his cheek feeling them start to hurt from the cold. He laughed a little "god damnit Matthew you knew this would happen". He wiped his tears only for more to come and take their place. "God...I'm ready. I want to come home". He looked up at the sky and clutched his chest. "Put me anywhere. Heaven, hell, I don't care. Just take me off of this wretched Earth".