broken heart-strings (seer x embalmer, +more ships apparently)

sixty-one

The blonde male watched as the boy he wished he could call a friend approached him slowly, bandages on his face, neck, and arms that he wasn't even trying to cover at all. He looked at the paper bag in the boy's hand, before looking back up at his tired and beaten face. 

"No-"

"Here. I got you some stuff to help with your headaches and to finish getting that shit out of your system."

Mike flinched, as he was forced to catch the heavy paper bag. Norton almost managed to turn around and walk away, but the blonde wasn't about to let him. 

"What happened to you? Why are you all beat up? How did you get all of this shit?" he questioned, digging through the bag to see what it held. 

"That's something you really don't need to worry about. Just do your part, pull yourself back together, and get out there into the world of rank. You deserve to win."

Mike felt his heart ping in a way that made all the blood shoot up to his face. Norton, the guy who was bragging all before the season started that he would win, was telling him that he deserved it? Mike swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking again to the boy who wouldn't even fully face him. 

"I don't really deserve to win. I'm going to wait until next rank season, anyways. I'm sure one of the ones that always win will do it this time."

Norton grimaced, his hands tightly going into fists. No, Mike's words were wrong. He didn't need to wait. He needed to get back up from that and win now, but there was no simple way Norton could explain that to him. There was no easy way to just say, "You know the seer? They see him as weak because of everything he's been through and done. The people in this manor are beginning to speak about you in the way they speak of him. If you don't win, or at least try, you'll be the next weak outcast that never goes anywhere but down."

He was about to say it to the boy, when he stopped himself and totally finished turning away from the blonde boy. Mike wanted to reach out and ask what was wrong again, but he couldn't bring himself to actually do anything but grip the top of the paper bag tightly and let his body tense. 

"Don't skip out on rank this season. Even if you don't win, there are rewards you could get. Advantages." 

"I don't want a reward. I want to rest."

Norton clenched his hands even tighter, his nails ripping into the soft flesh of his palms. Mike couldn't help but stare at the blood gently dripping to the ground from them. 

Is he fucking stupid? I get that he may not see what they're saying about him, but he'll end up dead or worse if he keeps being so fucking weak. God, I hate it. I hate the way he's just giving himself up. He doesn't need to act as weak as that seer or the same people that take advantage of the brunette will do the same to Mike.

"Sure. Then fucking rest." 

With that, Norton began to walk away, leaving Mike alone on the hall. He seemed to have a habit of leaving him alone in them. Mike just grabbed the bag roughly and began storming off to his room. 

-:-:-

"Have you even seen him today though...? At least Eli is participating in matches." 

Norton rolled his eyes at the obnoxious chatter, continuing to drink his juice pouch on the couch. Why did they always have to gossip in the living area? It was annoying. 

"I know! Eli is doing so much better! Don't you think, Fiona?!" 

The girl laughed gently, though her smile quivered. She couldn't really be blamed after what happened. 

"Yeah. i'm proud of him."

Helena picked at her nails, even though she couldn't see them. It made her feel normal to at least look that way to others. 

"I swear to you, all the boys are becoming weak, little babies. They're dying out. First, Eli brings down his whole group with himself, and then Mike... this manor is breaking."

The enchantress chuckled loudly at the blind girl's words. She couldn't help it. Her and Vera laughed together for a moment, before she finally spit out what she was trying to say. 

"You know, even if it's turning to shit, this is good thing! If they were up to their old full potential, I'd be horrified of merc, seer, and acrobat in rank! They're fucking scary! But now, out of them, I'm pretty sure that only Naib is close to full again, though Eli is also getting closer. They'll be a problem soon enough, but this gives us the chance to jump so far ahead that they can't catch up!"

Fiona looked up from where she was painting her nails a dark purple, quirking a brow at the female who just spoke. 

"What about the acrobat? He's going to be scary in rank as well, correct?"

"Well," Vera spoke for the enchantress, "he hasn't even been in a rank match and they've been going on for a little while now. He didn't try on any of his costumes. he isn't talking about it at all. I don't think he's going to be a threat at all. Turns out, he broke himself at just the right time."

Helena nodded gently, before speaking her own opinion on the matter. 

"Well, I don't think the acrobat would've won anyways, even at full potential-"

"Shut the actual fuck up."

All the girls froze in fear from the voice that seemed to come from the couch. Norton shot up to his feet from where he was laying there, slowly walking towards the stairs while glaring at the girls. As he got close, he stopped and looked right at all of them. 

"Oh, you mad we shamed your little boyfriend?" Vera teased. Norton didn't react. He just spoke. 

"That acrobat that you seem to look so far down upon is stronger than any of you bitches. Trust me, that's a fact. Mike. His name is fucking Mike."

None of the girls were willing to speak except Vera, who even looked a little frightened by the boy. 

"Then tell him to beat us fair and square in rank."

"Trust me. I will."