🥀 kira.

@-STABBYBABY 
            
            I'm here if you want.

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper squinted an eye closed when ryland flicked slime back at her, trying to rub it off of her cheek which only smeared more glue on her face. she snorted and started laughing, leaning into ryland again with her eyes closed. “you wouldn’t dare.. an even if you would, you wouldn’t be able to keep me down,” she says while lazily pointing at him before her hand plopped back into the glue while letting out another slow laugh. 
            
            she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at elias, head resting against ryland’s shoulder like she might fall face first into the glue if he moved her off. she gasped dramatically and pointed to him with a pout. “you can’t be a fun sponge /and/ claim our kitchen, munch..” she murmured, giggling as she lifted her head off of rylands shoulder. “maybe I outta.. duct-tape you to the ceiling! yeah.. an I’ll make you watch some really cringey movie, and..” she trailed off, her eyes dragging away toward the bottles on the floor. 
            
            she reached over and grabbed a bottle of saline solution and started pouring some of it into the glue of the floor, mixing it in to actually form the slime which would make it easier to clean up. once it started forming a cloud-like texture, she closed her eyes and smiled, tilting her head up as she played with the slime. “it’s so fluffy,” she muttered while giggling like a little gremlin. 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland rolled his eyes so hard they almost got stuck . “ team ? ” he echoed , feigning betrayal . when she smacked his head , he half-grinned and rubbed at the glue , snorting . “ yeah , yeah— menace in disguise . i’m the designated sanity officer , remember ? ” he flicked a smear of slime back at her , playful and fast . “ also , keep talking like that and i’ll actually duct-tape you to the patio for elias . just— don’t tell me i didn’t warn you . ” his tone was teasing, but the way he leaned in to prod her shoulder said he wasn’t going anywhere .
            
            elias watched them for a beat , arms folded , trying to look stern but failing when jasper leaned on ryland . “ you’re both impossible , ” he said , dry and measured . then , softer : “ but i wouldn’t miss it . ” he stepped forward and wiped a glob off the counter with a dish towel , handing it to ryland . “ fine . clean up . walls , floor , each other— don’t spread it to the couch . ” he paused , then added with a small , almost reluctant smile . “ and jasper ? if you so much as think about sleeping on my kitchen floor , i’m still duct-taping you . for your own good . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper gave ryland a sidelong smirk, her head tilting back slightly as she watched him skeptically. “what happened to being a team, ah?” she snorted and reached a hand up, smacking her hand down on his head, getting glue in his hair. “you’re such a kiss ass! a menace in disguise!” she yelled dramatically while laughing. 
            
            when elias threatened about duct tape and patios, she grinned smugly and rested her elbow on ryland’s shoulder. “oohh, checkmate, grumpy. you wouldn’t keep me there for long.. you’d miss me too much,” she said with a mock innocent smile, leaning forward with her hands planted back into the glue. 
            
            she was focused for about two seconds before she looked back down at the glue and started lightly patting her hands against it, lifting up her hand to watch it drip down off the sides and back to the floor. 

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper didn’t argue when he came over, she just climbed up into the chair when he pulled it over and listened to his instructions, wobbling to balance up while she stood up high on her toes. she had her tongue sticking out as her little fingers wiggled and stretched until she finally reached it, bursting into giggles immediately after as she slid down and plopped onto the chair once he hopped down from it. 
            
            she looked at him with a tilted head, watching him pose before she glanced at the tv and then turned her head when she caught the scent of the incense. she slid down out of the chair and stood up, looking up at him and mocking his finger wag. she pouted for a moment and then looked at the chair, pushing it up against the door so it was right under the door handle. “nuh uh.. he not believe us if we blame the tv,” she whines, turning to him with a pout. 
            
            she pointed to the back door like another mission they needed to conquer. “we blame cous! she has nap time with the tv all day!” she suddenly ran over to the other door, reaching up to lock this one as well. luckily this one was just a push to lock button. she then turned her head back to look at him. “we forgive anyway. he’s always big grumpy.” she giggles and points to her feet. “but now he’s big grumpy with pink socks and yummy snacks for us to eat.”

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland skidded to a stop in the doorway behind her , eyes huge and instantly alarmed. “ no— no , jaspie , don’t break the door ! i can help ! ” he squeaked , already darting for the nearest chair like it was a rescue ladder .
            
            he dragged it over with a grunt . too much hoodie , too little coordination , and scrambled up , wobbling like a pirate on a mast . “ okay , hold on— stand on your tiptoes , ” he instructed , serious as a tiny general . “ i’ll boost you , then you can super-lock it . ”
            
            when she climbed up on the chair with him doing a clumsy balancing act , he put both hands under her feet and heaved . “ push ! ” he whispered , face scrunched with effort . “ harder , boss ! be fierce ! ” 
            
            she hopped up and stretched , fingers finally brushing the latch . the bolt slid into place with a satisfying clunk . ryland whooped , nearly tumbling off the chair from excitement . “ yes ! fortress secured ! no grumpy giant gets in ! ”
            
            he hopped down and struck a dramatic pose , one hand over his heart . “ mission accomplished . now we hide and wait for snacks . and if eli opens the door anyway , we blame the tv— remember ? ” he waggled his finger conspiratorially , then lowered his voice into a whisper : “ also— if he brings extra snacks , we forgive him for being grumpy . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper pushed herself back up to stand up, slipping over the sleeves as she fell forward and face planted into the clothes. she pouted and then started laughing, squirming about until she slipped out of the sweatshirt so she could have her hands free again. 
            
            she jumped up once like she was free and then furrowed her eyebrows, trying not to smile at his impression until she started giggling again when he wagged his finger about like that. “again? big grumpy man never had big socks! I would know ‘cause I make the socks pink!” she cheered while hopping about, stopping in her tracks once another thought popped into her head. 
            
            she tilted her head and looked at him, pointing to herself when he pointed at her before she nodded with kid seriousness. “bestest team!” she yelled, pivoting on her heels before she started running back out of the room, her feet pattering against the hardwood again until she made it to the front door.
            
            she stood up tall on her toes, her little hands fiddling with the lock on the door as she tries to make sure the door was locked. “if he try to open the door.. he’s gonna break it! then it’s all his fault ‘cause he broke the tv, too,” she murmured, trying to hop up and lock the other locks above the handle, but she couldn’t reach. 

@v-violetskies /
            
            winnie was stewing in her own giggles at this point. the more that ryland opened his mouth, the more she couldn’t help but laugh. she pointed to ryland and glanced sideways to lexi. “he seems more like a spymaster, but even the queen doesn’t know it yet,” she murmured quietly like she was trying to tell a secret. she lifted her head up with a playful look on her face, giving jasper a teasing smile. “mm. the devil never did like having equals.”
            
            reign leans forward in winnie’s mind, her voice beaming with mischief and pride mixed with playful banter. [yess, show your teeth, dove. the throne will be ours]
            
            jasper glanced back at elias toward the back of the couch, really looking at him this time, staring longer than usual. she shifts on the couch like she’s making room, leaning over and kicking off her boots before patting the spot beside her. “you walked into this mess, munch. don’t act like you stepped in blind.” 
            
            her eyes slowly slid over to ryland, half-lidded gaze watching smugly as he presented the chips despite his claims. she snorted and barked out a laugh at his final words, clutching her stomach and pushing her head back against the couch. “denial? please. you’re more like the king of projection.. deflection emperor.. wait, no that’s eli,” she muttered while tapping her chin. “the emperor of hypocrisy. yeah.”
            
            then she turned her head just enough to look at lexi and winnie, eyes narrowing skeptically at her cousin before she crossed her arms over her chest slowly while looking back at lexi. “at least you know you’re a clown. but uh.. my throne wouldn’t mean anything if it didn’t have my king.” she raised an eyebrow and smirked at them like she was proving a point. “‘cause I do have an equal. it’s just neither of you clowns.” 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            elias huffed a quiet laugh from where he stood , running a thumb over the bridge of his nose as he stared at her lounging like she owned the world . “ you’re really milking this lucifer thing , huh ? ” he said , voice low but full of fond amusement . he leaned an elbow on the back of the couch beside her , gaze sharp but softening as he added . “ you might look better in the crown , babe , but i’m the poor bastard who has to keep you from tripping over it . ”
            
            ryland was halfway through another chip when jasper called out . he blinked , looked at her , then at the bag , and let out a flat , incredulous laugh . “ fetch you a snack ? what is this , satanic doordash ? ” he pushed off the counter and wandered over anyway , bag still in hand . “ you realize i’m not your butler , right ? ” he added , but he dropped the chips onto the table in front of her anyway before slumping down in a nearby chair . “ there . all hail the drunk queen of denial . may her reign be short and her hangover merciful . ”
            
            lexi nearly snorted into her sleeve at that , arm still draped lazily around winnie’s shoulders as she watched the entire scene unfold . “ oh , she’s in full villain monologue mode now , ” she said , smirking . “ next thing you know she’ll start assigning titles— elias , you’re her right-hand knight ; ryland , official royal snack fetcher . ” she tilted her head , grin growing wider . “ guess that makes me her jester . ”
            
            savage purred in the back of her mind , voice smooth and teasing . * every court needs its balance , little flame . the jester burns brightest when the devil sits proud . *
            
            lexi chuckled under her breath and shook her head . “ yeah , yeah , poetic as always , ” she muttered , glancing back at jasper . “ alright , your majesty , hydrate before you start handing out decrees . reign’s already planning the coronation . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            winnie stifled a laugh into her hands and leaned over when lexi’s arm came around her shoulders. “mhm.. would you care for a glass of water, your majesty?” she asks while bowing her head, her cheeks pushed out like she was holding back a laugh as she leaned into lexi. 
            
            reign hums with ferocious delight. [you’ve dragged the small one into your act, chaos brat. she will be a suitable disciple to the throne]
            
            jasper glanced to the side smugly while she tapped a hand against the couch before looking at winnie. “my darling chauffeur—the only one around here with a shred of style. sugar, spice, and just the right amount of sin. I accept your offer. you’re such a doll.” 
            
            she then leaned back further and crossed her legs and propped them up onto the table in front of the couch. she gave elias a playfully smug smirk and crossed her arms behind her head. “you can try, sweetheart, but I do look better in it than anyone else,” she said while raising her chin with a confident flare. 
            
            her eyes then flick back to lexi while raising an eyebrow, tilting her head like she was just presented a challenge. “my dear, the only thing in flames is the competition tonight, and oh wait—every night.” she flashed a charming smile and sat up, setting her feet down on the floor. “but I appreciate you warming my seat on the throne. must have felt marvelous thinking you had it all. at least for a little while, anyway.” 
            
            she leans back against the couch again and peeks out into the kitchen at ryland. “oh, did you say something?” she asks with a teasing smirk and a head tilt. “fetch me a snack before I do something undignified, like get it myself.”

@v-violetskies /
            
            winnie finally looked at him when he shifted his posture, her shoulders tensing when she noticed he rubbed the back of his neck. her eyes looked away just as quickly as she noticed as she held the towel closer to her chest, fingers still rustling with the fabric. she parts her lips like she might say something, but her symbiote cut her off. 
            
            [do not apologize] reign said in her mind, fiercely and protectively. [he is coming to you. do not fall back. you will not scare him off]
            
            winnie smiles nervously and nods. it wasn’t clear who it was to, but she heard both of them. “um, sure.. I mean—” her lips pressed together again, looking around more intently this time, like she was deep in thought. “I think.. it all depends on perspective. I don’t think jasper’s corner is her chaos, or.. elias’ control.” 
            
            she took one glance around the kitchen and then finally looked to him. “I think our corners are our safe spaces, where we feel most like ourselves. like jasper’s ridiculously large bean bag chair, or.. here.” she looked around again and smiled, turning back as she tossed the towel in a bin on her way by before getting a clean one out of a drawer. “I like helping people. here, I can make everyone food.. and it brings us all together.”
            
            reign hums in awe, an astonished grin flashing in her head. [you are glorious, dove. keep it up.]
            
            winnie stopped in her tracks again as a soft pink flushed across her cheeks. “um.. yeah,” she mutters nervously. “y-you haven’t really.. had time to discover where you want to be. it gets exhausting.. always following someone else all the time. and it doesn’t get any easier when you finally find peace after living in constant burnout all your life. but what matters most is that you have people to help you through it. people who..” she blinked, making awkward quotations while she spoke. “‘give a damn’.” 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland’s throat worked like he was trying to swallow something sharp . her quick correction hit him harder than he expected . he didn’t flinch , didn’t move , but his eyes flickered like someone had struck a nerve he had been pretending wasn’t there .
            
            he watched her drop the towel , pick it up again , watched the way her hands fidgeted just to keep busy . the same way jasper did when she didn’t want to admit she cared . the same way he used to do when things got too quiet .
            
            when winnie said ‘ this is my corner ’ , his gaze softened a fraction . he shifted his weight , leaning one shoulder against the counter , rubbing a hand across the back of his neck . “ yeah , ” he muttered . “ you and me both . ”
            
            he let the silence stretch , not out of awkwardness — more like he was trying to match her rhythm , not rush her . “ guess we all picked our corners , huh ? ” he said finally , tone lower , quieter . “ you got your kitchen , jas has her chaos , elias has his control .. ” he glanced at the floor , then back up to her . “ i’m just still figuring out mine . feels like every time i start to , something comes along to remind me i’m not there yet . ”
            
            his brow furrowed slightly , the edge in his voice gone now — just raw honesty left behind . “ but i get what you mean . the quiet’s the worst part . ”
            
            he let out a slow exhale , the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his mouth . “ maybe we just keep filling it for each other until it stops feeling so damn loud . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            winnie stood there and listened to him attentively, eyes wandering about the room like she always did, quietly restless in social situations. other than her gaze, she mostly remained still, fingers rubbing against the towel in her hands while she occasionally nodded to remind him she was following along. 
            
            once he dropped that ‘I’m still the kid who got left behind’ line, she accidentally dropped the towel from her hands, eyes flicking back to him nervously. “you’re not,” she said quickly, firmly, like it was the one thing she was sure about. 
            
            reign leaned forward in winnie’s mind, curling around her thoughts protectively. it’s tendril slithers out and picks up the towel to place it back into her hands. [he holds a mirror to you, but I will not let you fall. do what you do best, winnie]
            
            once ryland was finished, winnie was looking away again, tears already welling in her eyes, but she didn’t move away. “I.. um..” she awkwardly gestures to the kitchen, her gaze up toward the ceiling instead of looking at him. “this is.. my corner. where I hide.”
            
            she let her quiet words settle for a moment before she continued. “I find things to do, but.. I’m always waiting for what happens next, too. because it doesn’t feel right when no one else is there to fill the silence.”  

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper’s breath sped with the pace of her rapid heartbeat, quick, uneven, and shaking. her fingers dug into her forehead as she let out a raw sound, something close to a sob biting back from screaming her head off. 
            
            she didn’t look at him approaching, but she felt it. it made her shift in the cot, like she was trying to jerk herself away before he got too close. but then the edges of her vision began to blur, and she swallowed down a limp in her throat as her eyes fluttered while she tried to lower herself down slowly. she made it about halfway down before her head just fell back onto the cot, eyes blinking slowly while she looked up at the way the room was spinning slowly. 
            
            she cleared her throat and rubbed away the tears from her face, lifting her shoulder up just enough to make the impression that she wanted to turn away from him but couldn’t because of her wounds. she wasn’t going to look at him. “I don’t hate you. I just hate myself. and I didn’t want you to save me.” she let out a scoff. “..so how’s that for honesty.” 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            elias froze the second her voice cracked . for all the noise she made , it was the last line — the way she broke on ‘ i care too fucking much ’ — that gutted him . his jaw clenched , the muscle in it twitching like he was physically restraining everything in him that wanted to bite back , to defend himself , to hide behind that mirror she just smashed through .
            
            he stood there for a long beat , silent except for the sound of her shaking breaths . then he moved . not forward all at once — he wasn’t stupid — but slow , measured , like he was approaching something fragile enough to shatter if he breathed wrong .
            
            “ yeah , ” he said finally , voice low and steady , the rough edge gone . “ you do . you care too much . you throw yourself at every fire like you can drag the rest of us out of it . ” he knelt down beside the cot , not reaching for her , just letting her see him there in her periphery — staying . “ and when someone tries to pull you out for once , you act like they’re stealing something from you instead of trying to save what’s left . ”
            
            he exhaled through his nose , rubbing a hand over his face . “ i didn’t save you to watch you crumble . i saved you because i couldn’t stand watching you stop fighting . ” his voice dropped , quieter , almost hoarse . “ but i’m not pushing you back , jasper . i’m just trying to breathe in the same fire without burning you alive . ”
            
            he leaned his elbows on his knees , head ducked slightly so his tone softened without losing its weight . “ you’re allowed to stop moving . the world won’t fall apart if you take a breath . it’ll still be here when you open your eyes again— hell , i’ll still be here . ”
            
            he looked up at her then , eyes sharp but honest . “ so go ahead . care too much . hate me for saying it . just don’t tear yourself open to prove you’re still standing . you already did that . you’re here . that’s enough . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper’s eyebrows slowly curled inward as he spoke. she was still looking down, still breathing rough through it all. “shut the fuck up..” she muttered. “shut up!” she yelled, smacking a hand down on the side of the cot as she gripped onto it like she was fighting the urge to get up still. 
            
            “you don’t get to do that.. you don’t get to hold up a mirror and hide behind it because things got too heavy! you don’t get to..” she took in a shaky breath and let it out, tears spilling from her eyes before she could hold them back. “you don’t get to save me, and then watch me crumble, and shatter everything I have left..” her voice was quiet and shaking, hands balling up as she pressed them against her eyes. “you don’t get to make me give a damn about you and then shove me back like none of that even mattered!”
            
            she let out a rough sound, something close to a groan or a sob, maybe both, and then glanced at him for a second. “you want to see what it looks like when I stop moving!? I’m not allowed to, eli! I do too much, and I say too much, and..” her lips quivered as she buried her head back into her hands, hitting her forehead once. “god, and I care too fucking much!” 

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper looked off in the distance at the empty tables and chairs in place, the sound of her breath slow and heavy just loud enough to hear over the faint buzz of the lights overhead, and the buttons clicking, the shuffling footsteps in the distance of the workers readying their order out back. 
            
            when he finally spoke, jasper didn’t look at him yet, but there was a twitch at her mouth that was enough to say she didn’t like his answer. and then he added in that playful jab meant to act as a buffer, which only made her scoff and sit up, crossing her arms over her chest. 
            
            as soon as he was finished speaking, she shot a glare his way. “I’m not your kid sister. quit treating me like I’m helpless, ry. I don’t need a babysitter.. and I don’t need you tossing in buffers like I can’t handle when things get real.” she placed her hands down on the table, not too loud, but enough to know she was frustrated. “I don’t need you to lecture me. I don’t need you to take care of me. and I don’t—” her voice cracked, and she furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest again while she looked away. even though she tried to, she couldn’t hide the tears stinging her eyes. 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland stood at the counter for a moment longer after she walked off , jaw tight , eyes lingering on the table she picked . he didn’t move right away — just exhaled through his nose , the smallest shake of his head like he was annoyed with himself for saying too much . when the cashier handed over the order number , he muttered a quick thanks and headed toward her .
            
            he dropped into the chair across from her , the tray number set between them like a neutral zone . for a while , he didn’t say anything — just leaned back , arms crossed , studying her posture , the way her chin rested on the table like she was trying to melt through it .
            
            finally , he spoke , voice even but quieter than before . “ yeah . i know you can handle yourself . ” he paused , glancing toward the counter , then back to her . “ doesn’t mean you should have to , though . ”
            
            he said it like it was a fact , not an argument . then , before she could snap back or change the subject , he added with a little half-smirk . “ besides , if you pass out mid-bite , i’m not dragging your ass to the car . you’ll be sleeping under the table . ”
            
            he leaned forward on his elbows , resting his forearms against the edge of the table and lowering his voice again . “ you don’t have to turn everything into a fight , jay . not with me . ” his tone wasn’t pitying — it was rough-edged but honest , almost protective in the way he said her name . he met her eyes , gaze steady but not prying . “ just eat your nachos and chill for a minute . i’m not asking for anything else . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper watched his card move past her hand and then looked up to him, narrowing her eyes like she didn’t know whether to be offended or relieved. she let out a huff through her nose as she watched him order for the both of them, her expression hardening as she looked away when he glanced to her, lifting up a finger to point to the soda machine. 
            
            she looked back to him at his question, her mouth opening like she was about to snap something back, but then he hit her with the next comment about keeping a show going and it knocked something loose in her chest. when he brushed his shoulder against her, her breath caught like the physical gesture just set his words into place against her chest, and she felt the weight of how heavy they hit her. 
            
            when her voice came, it was quiet, and almost painful. “..I can handle myself, ‘kay?” and then she turned and went to go find a table without saying anything else. she slid into a chair and immediately draped herself across it, arms stretched toward the other end, her chin resting on the table with a look in her eyes that showed she was still thinking about his words even through the haze. she didn’t look his way, she just turned her head like she subconsciously knew he was already looking at her. 

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper barked out a laugh that sounded both amused and a little uneasy while she slid further into the pocket and started pushing it out by kicking and shoving. “you wanna fuck around.. you’re gonna find out!” eventually the phone fell onto the floor, still ringing while she crawled out onto her hands and knees and let out a relieved sigh before sitting down on the ground. 
            
            she looked up to ryland with a cheeky smirk like she won the upper hand. “you’re barking an awful lot. are you scared of him?” she asks tauntingly, a mocking chuckle coming from her. “I’m not. not of him. not of you. so what does that say about you, chump?” 
            
            her attention turned back to the phone once he answered, her tiny hand reaching up and smacking the speaker phone so they both could hear. “eli! ..eliii!! ryland’s trying to boss me around! beat him up! my hands are too tiny!” she said as she started laughing, like she was entertained by the situation she was in more than anything else. 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland froze the instant he realized what she was doing — his entire expression flattening in slow , dawning horror . “ oh , you’ve gotta be kidding me , ” he muttered , voice low and sharp . he stepped forward and pinched the bridge of his nose , trying not to lose it as he watched her tiny form crawl into the pocket of her jeans .
            
            “ jas— jasper ! don’t you dare— ” he snapped , but it was already too late . the faint ringing hum of the phone could be heard from inside the denim , vibrating against the floor like a pulse . he let out a curse under his breath , half pacing , half glaring at the little mound of her clothes .
            
            when she asked that question out loud , his tone bit back immediately , low and warning . “ yeah , he’s gonna hear you . he’s gonna hear everything , actually . including the part where you told me not to tell him about this . so maybe shut up before you bury me . ”
            
            he crouched near the pile , trying to reach for her pocket but hesitant — like he knew even that would make things worse . “ you are not dragging him into this mess . you hear me ? the last thing i need is him showing up here with that dead-eyed calm bullshit , asking me what the hell i was thinking . ”
            
            the phone kept ringing , and ryland’s jaw tightened , his pulse ticking visibly in his neck . “ jasper , ” he hissed . “ hang . up . now . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper tapped her foot while he was talking like she was already considering calling before he even said anything else. when he leaned forward again, her body shuddered and she stepped back, like every time he inched closer it felt like she was getting closed into a narrow tunnel. 
            
            “alright.. that’s it!” she yelled, diving back into her clothes as she wiggled through until she made it to her back pocket. she climbed into it and let out a mix of a yell and a scream since the tight space was terrifying but she was also annoyed and pissed off at her brother.
            
            she realized she couldn’t lift up her phone, so she just sat in her pocket and smacked her tiny hands against the screen until she found elias’ contact, pressing onto it to let it ring. “is he gonna be able to hear me..?” she asks aloud, letting out a snort at her own question like she was about to find out anyway. 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland glanced back at her over his shoulder  — the dim maintenance light caught the sharp cut of his jaw , the tension sitting heavy there . he didn’t miss the way her voice had tightened or how she clicked that taser like it was a lifeline . he just gave a small shake of his head , breath steady but eyes burning .
            
            “ then keep that thing close , ” he muttered , low enough that it was meant for her ears only . “ you’re not wrong— the puppets might be cleaner than whatever’s crawling around in this ductwork . ”
            
            he stopped briefly at a corner where the corridor narrowed again , one hand braced against the wall as he scanned ahead . the metal paneling creaked under his weight , pipes hissing overhead , faint electrical hums bleeding through the steel like static . “ it runs under the complex , ” he finally answered , voice hushed and even . “ if we’re lucky , it leads to service tunnels . if we’re not— ” he didn’t finish . the silence that followed said enough .
            
            when the host’s voice cracked through again , warped and cold , ryland’s whole posture went taut . he turned halfway toward jasper at the sound of her breath stutter . his gaze flicked between her eyes , catching the distant look there — that static-glazed flicker like she was somewhere else entirely . without thinking , he reached back and closed his hand over hers where it clutched his shirt , firm and grounding .
            
            “ hey . ” his tone sharpened , not cruel — just cutting through . “ you’re here . with me . focus on that , yeah ? ” he waited until she blinked back to him before nodding toward the end of the corridor , where the emergency light pulsed faintly red . “ that hell hole ends there . we move , we breathe , we don’t stop . ”
            
            and then quieter , under his breath , only for her : “ we’re getting out . ”

@v-violetskies /
            
            jasper stepped further inside behind him, the sound of her breath slow and heavy like she was fighting through with every step. she let out a breath of a laugh at his comment, her hand clicking the button on the taser to hear the electricity spark like she needed to do something with her hands. “hm, rent-a-cops or this sketchy ass hallway? I think I’d rather take my chances with the puppets outside. I know how to cut a few strings,” she said, her voice quiet and tight, like she was hiding just how unsettled she was walking further into this claustrophobic hell. 
            
            she turned her head to look back when she heard the faint sound of the boots behind them, turning back to look up at ryland. “where does this lead to?” she asks quietly, looking between him and where they were walking as her stare hardened. 
            
            when the host’s voice came through again, another flashback flickered in her eyes like the static of the speakers had triggered it. she was trapped in a box, hands reaching out to push her down. a flicker of screams, darkness flashing. and then the maintenance room, and ryland. she looked up to him at his question, slow, like the room disoriented her and she was trying to find out what was real. her hand clutched onto his shirt. “..I’ll be better once we get out of this hell hole,” she muttered breathlessly. 

@-STABBYBABY |
            
            ryland glanced back when he heard the door slam , his own breathing rough from the sprint and the fight . the narrow , claustrophobic passage was lit by weak , flickering emergency lights — everything cast in sickly yellow , shadows stretching too long against the walls . rust and oil stains marked the concrete , the air thick with dust and heat from the pipes lining the walls .
            
            he didn’t miss the tremor in jasper’s hand when she grabbed his shirt again . his expression flickered — frustration first , then something closer to concern — before he turned his head forward again . “ yeah , no argument there , ” he muttered under his breath , keeping his voice low so it didn’t echo too much . “ sketchy as hell , but it’s our only way out unless you wanna tango with another squad of rent-a-cops . ”
            
            the sound of boots pounding against metal echoed faintly from the hall behind them — the guards realizing where they’d gone . ryland cursed under his breath , spun the taser in his hand like it was muscle memory , and glanced at jasper again . “ keep close , ” he said , quieter now . “ don’t drop that . if they corner us , we shock our way through . ”
            
            the host’s voice came through the speaker system again — faintly distorted , coming from somewhere deeper in the maintenance system . “ running into the walls now ? fitting . rats always find the pipes first . ”
            
            ryland tilted his head toward one of the cracked speakers on the wall and smirked coldly . “ yeah , and rats chew through wires . ”
            
            he looked at jasper again , eyes sharp but focused on her . “ you good ? ” it wasn’t an order this time — more of a check , the kind that said don’t bullshit me .