Photographic Memory

Bad Mood Match

This is NOT a one-shot. More chapters to come. ♡
English is NOT my mother language. If you find a typo or something that doesn't sound right, please warn me. Suggestions are welcome too. ♡

Enjoy~

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Aesop was decoding. Alone, as always, and his heart had just started to beat faster. That's suspicious, he thought. He had just embalmed Naib, the mercenary, but his embalmed body hadn't moved a single muscle since. He ran to his coffin, carefully, trying not to make too much noise, checking if he had made a mistake somewhere. Of course not. Aesop had always been a perfectionist, he would have noticed if his work wasn't good enough. Besides, he had an incredible photographic memory that would make you jealous. He knew the faces of the hunters and the survivors like he had known them for years.

Embalmed Naib looked perfect, just like the real one. Aesop gave up on trying to find errors and proceeded to grab his makeup kit. The sound of his heartbeat was ringing in his eardrums as he ran and hid inside the nearest red metal closet. There was a high probability of being discovered there, obviously, but Aesop wouldn't have had time to run away even if he wanted to.

The light shining through the closet hit the Embalmer's curious eyes. Who is the Hunter anyway? Not that it really mattered, but knowing that could change his tactics throughout the rest of the match.

First, he heard footsteps. If they really were the Hunter's, at least it meant it wasn't Geisha, since she floated.

Then, the famous red light started to cover the rock and walls, the cipher and the coffin.

And finally, the identity of the Hunter was revealed to the Survivor. Aesop would have snorted if he wasn't scared to death because of that nightmarish sword.

The hurry of the hunt made the blond, long and tied-up hair fly a little bit, as well as his coat (which looked more like a cape).

Joseph was known in the manor for being the most forgiving among the Hunters. However, he could be really dangerous when he was in a bad mood while you're in the match. Just like this one. And all of the ones this month.

The Photographer turned to face the cipher machine, then the coffin. He knew the Embalmer was close. Aesop knew he knew.

Surprisingly, the Hunter left without looking back, but the boy didn't dare to leave the closet. He had lost enough matches to know Joseph was everything but dumb. Also, his heart was so agitated, there was no way he was gone.

And sadly, Aesop was right, he wasn't.

Joseph came back and approached the closet rapidly. He made eye contact with the poorly hidden Survivor and sighed. He looked bored, unwilling to make effort. His eyes rolled. The Embalmer let out a nervous laugh. He made him question if he should just step out of his hiding spot and surrender, but his body froze at that very moment.

The awful sound of the rusty metal doors opening was torture to Aesop. He closed his eyes in fear, waiting. The Hunter lazily tied his balloons around his waist and pulled his victim out. Gravity was questionable here. Aesop knew he wasn't heavy, but floating when balloons were tied up on him was ridiculous, he hated it.

With fear left aside, he struggled with all the strength he had. Joseph looked like he just wanted to let the ties go so this Survivor could float away.

"Don't make this more difficult than it already is, dear."

Aesop was bright red. He was extremely confused, embarrassed, scared, all at the same time.

Survivors regularly pleaded to Hunters. Said things like "Let me go!", "Please stop!", "Get away!", but they never responded. They never talked back. They never talked at all. And not only Joseph spoke to him, but he also called him dear.

What the hell is going on?!

Like he would actually have said that. He didn't even have the courage to continue struggling.

The rocket chair was right in front of them. At this point, the Embalmer had started shivering, feeling like he could cry at any moment. He was placed in the chair delicately, eyes opened wide.

And when he thought things couldn't get weirder, Joseph sat on a rock near him.

He was camping. Joseph was camping.

This wasn't normal. He was probably the only Hunter that didn't like doing it.
Aesop looked at the man with astonishment. He searched for words to express his feelings but it was useless.

The time seemed to fly.

6

5

4

3

2

1

Match's over for him.