Photographic Memory

Like Romeo and Juliet

An hour had passed since the survivors had lunch. All of them were using this time to prepare for the first eight versus two match of the day, and soon, the gates opened to the Moonlit River Park.

Aesop ran into a corner and started decoding straightaway.

A camera, he noticed as soon as he turned his head to the side. The embalmer smiled to himself, confident with his decision. He was going to stay in a dangerous area, right beside a working camera. He was just asking to be found.

Since he started to decode quite early, the machine was almost complete. And just when he was about to lose hope of meeting with the photographer, Joseph got out of the photo world, materializing right in front of the cipher with his sword up above his head. In less than a second, Aesop crouched behind the cipher and heard the weapon hit metal.

There was silence for a moment from both the survivor and the hunter. Aesop peeked at him.

"Well, someone has been working on his reflexes, am I right, dear?"

The embalmer couldn't help but smile, flushing behind his mask. He remembered vividly the first time Joseph talked to him. "Don't make this more difficult than it already is, dear." That nickname still gives him shivers.

He got up and ran as fast as he could to the nearest pallet. The hunter arched his eyebrows. Aesop wasn't one to kite, and Joseph had gone against survivors like the forward, the perfumer and the mercenary. This would make an easy win. What was going through his head?

The Photographer walked up to him, and Aesop ran way giggling to another kiting area.

But Joseph was faster. Before he could reach another pallet, he swung his sword in the air and hit the survivor, who immediately went down.

Joseph stopped breathing for a moment. All other survivors could take two hits and still walk around. Aesop went down with just one.

Joseph, what did you do...? he asked himself while approaching him with his heart on his throat. Joseph got down on his knees and reached for the survivor's shoulder.

And with that, Aesop got up as fast as lightning and pulled the pallet down right on the hunter's head.

It took some time for the hunter to recover, and some more for him to understand what had just happened. "You cheeky little bastard." He chuckled. "Just wait until I get you."

The embalmer had already disappeared when the photographer raised his head. It's alright, he thought, I'll find you sooner or later, dear. He turned around and chased the magician instead.

Meanwhile, Aesop ran to another aimlessly trying to find another cipher machine but mainly lost in his mind, thinking about how much fun he was having now that Joseph wasn't just a rival anymore. Whatever he was, anyways.

In fact, Aesop was so entertained in his new world he didn't mind looking back. He felt something grabbing onto him, then dragging him across the ground. Not only that, but he felt like his arm was being ripped in two. The wound, it had opened. All the pain he had gone through while Emily stiched his skin with no anesthesia whatsoever, all that for it to open a few days later. When the dragging stopped, he only had to time to look up to Bane before he brought his chain to his head. He didn't know what happened after that, didn't know if he passed out, lost his senses, brought to the rocket chair. His memory was just a big black hole.

"Ready to do this all over again, Aesop?"

"No, but I have to." The doctor had entered the room with her medkit. Aesop had been waiting for her in the main hall, along with her assistant of the day, the magician. He was trying to calm the embalmer down. He might act strong and unafraid on the outside, laughing in the face of death all the time, but no one is ready for a needle tying up your flesh.

"I promise I'll try to make it as fast as possible." Emily was noticeably apprehensive. Her hands were trembling and she was making a mess out of her medkit. "And you will stay in the manor until that heals a bit more so you learn to be more careful."

"Emily, it wasn't his fault." Servias said, empathetic.

The doctor brought her hands to her head. "I know, I know!! It's just, this is a dangerous procedure, and this happened two times, Servais, two times!!"

Aside from all the dizzyness Aesop felt, he could also fell blame. He didn't like bringing this much trouble to his teammates.

"I know, but he is upset enough, don't you think? The boy was just distracted, it happens."

"But it shouldn't! Not this often! It's bad for him!"

Servais smiled kindly. "Well, I think these days have been very good for him if I do say so myself."

Emily stopped everything she was doing. "What do you mean?"

Aesop stared at the magician and gulped. "He seemed to be having fun playing around with the photographer..."

The embalmer's head dropped, the shame burning his cheeks. Emily, however, couldn't keep up with the magician's thoughts. "Joseph? I don't think I understand..."

Servais finally took pity on Aesop and held his hand in an act of support. "Isn't forbidden love the most exciting?" He said with a grin on his face.