Roo's
Apple...cinnamon, his painting two years ago. He felt heat rising on his body as he cleared his throat. Calm the fuck down, Roo.
"Okay." Roo hummed and just got back to looking around the house again. He saw the gaping hole on the ceiling, it was his idea which surprisingly, Ethan agreed on fast. Which he feels grateful for, or maybe because as he is, he wants to go out of this hell hole as much as possible, too.
Seriously though, Roo learned to appreciate his presence. Surprisingly, Ethan makes it to a point to hang out with him or sometimes agree to his perspectives, even silently. When he stays anywhere at the house, their opened room, or at the couch or near the door to draw (since there's nothing else to do) he just comes out of nowhere, with a book he borrowed from Asea and still haven't finished, and sit a foot away from him. And there, starts their random conversations.
"How did you even borrow that book from Asea?" The wavy-haired stopped, eyeing the book at the coffee table. It was a compilation of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Thick like the bible and the letters are too tiny. "I asked her."
"How." He looked back at him and his cold, brown eyes blinked slowly as he answered. "I asked her, 'Asea, may I borrow your book?' And I pointed at the black one but really, I stared at this book she was reading for a few seconds before approaching." He hummed, urging him to continue.
"Maybe she noticed my eyes and instead, let me borrow this one instead of the black so." His cheeks moved up a little, indicating a small smile. He has gotten adept at reading the lines forming around his eyes and forehead while he talks to him.
He knows when his smile was just small behind his mask when he talks about something he likes or appreciates, or the rare moments his eyes would smile when he's reading the book when his eyes would narrow when he can't understand what Roo's trying to say and he knows he's pouting as he does that, and the few more little quirks.
One of his favorites is when his eyes slowly blink on all the different reasons: when he tells a random dumb anecdote involving his friends when he tells something good about his friends like how Trey really has the biggest heart out of the five, or that Ourie's the most perverted but didn't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend once because he's a romantic at heart but he wouldn't admit that out loud, that Yasser's a real gentleman, and that Azrael likes people weirdly which he didn't say so much about, and finally when he watches him draw and his eyes would grow tired of staring in the paper and Roo finds him staring at him. That when he looks up to meet his eyes, his slow blinks will meet his unbothered gaze before he calmly goes back to staring at his drawing like some behaved, innocent child who was just didn't caught for staring at him.
"You're weird," Ethan said all of a sudden, after staring at him for a few seconds and looking away. And here Roo thought he's clipping his nails. Roo shrugged and look away. He didn't see it but Ethan's ears were tinged red after saying that.
😦😦😦
Em's
Ourie got his heat and has to lock himself up in the room. Two similar luggage bags like theirs were by the entrance along with the weekly supply of food, toiletries, and cleaning materials. Seeing that it's filled with clothes, it's certain that it's for Fiona and Akio. It never fails to make Em sick in the stomach whenever she remembers that their underwear was chosen and held by those perverts who locked them here.
Em watched Akio wash the dishes since he volunteered for it as she looks upon the gaping hole just because it caught her eyes. Akio's a kind guy. His eye smiles, and his non-judgmental stares, and the way he politely acknowledges everyone.
He's almost two years older than them, but he's soft-spoken and seemed to be more accepting than his brother a few weeks ago. Maybe the fact that his brother is here, safe and sound, and aside from those three incidents, they're not really harmed, he maybe figured there's nothing to be worried about.
Maybe he's thinking if these people managed to make friends with each other and somehow normalize a life inside this hell hole then...maybe he can do it, too. All the while trying to find out how to get out from here.
Her nose caught a whiff of the aromatic scent of coffee and eucalyptus as she slightly smiles. She's not really fond of coffee but she does drink sometimes. However, she likes, no, loves the scent of coffee and eucalyptus every time. "Fuck." A thud as everyone on the couch and around the main living area watched Asea trip on her feet as she stands up as if nothing happened. And that she doesn't feel bothered by the curious and amused stares their co-inhabitants are giving her. She's walking towards her as she smiles in fondness to Asea. Especially when it's Asea who's smelling like coffee and eucalyptus every time.
It's really rare when she can sense Asea like this with her pheromones grazing the vicinity. It's too faint it would come out as a very light cologne whenever she's wearing the scent blockers. But on the rare times that she actually forgets it, or when they're sitting together, she can sense the bittersweet aroma of freshly cooked coffee beans and the cool scent of eucalyptus wafting on her nostrils. Usually, omegas smell like the sweetest flowery or fruity scents, and here Asea's smelling like coffee and eucalyptus, comforting her senses as she sits down beside her.
"There's a dumbwaiter at the attic. I want to go back there." As Akio said, he woke up inside a dumbwaiter. And like Asea, she wanted to help on finding a way to get out here. "Help me later. During the night. With that thing." She whispered, pointing at the coffee table. "If we flip it on the side, I can climb back up again, maybe."
"We can ask others for help." It's easier and she's worried Asea might fall.
"No, no, it's fine I don't..." Being best friends with Asea involved imagining a lot of ridiculous things and not really doing it because they're admittedly too afraid to get caught. But Asea thinks the craziest stunts just because, like confessing to her crush just to make her stop regretting about not confessing which she could do, but not as much as she does. She always makes sure to not just confess, she makes sure she shows her love in 'one solidified evidence of how I love him so ideally and thus deserving to be rejected' like poems. Writing it and confessing is her knowing she'll never get a chance but she'll do it thinking she wouldn't get loved back anyway.
It's weird...somehow she understands why her inferior complex loves dominating her and sometimes Em doesn't understand why Asea still fights, knowing damn well she might get hurt in the end. Though the obvious answer would always be, for them to have no regrets, how about the pain?
Admittedly, Em knows the pain makes everyone stronger, but sometimes, the pain just doesn't make sense aside from the only thing it loves doing: hurt them. Or maybe it's just her and she's not making sense but she knows herself well enough to know she's fearful.
Em wanted to know how Asea could be full of fears and yet still do it anyway. Was it the fact that Em has more to lose? That heartbreaks are not welcome for people who other people depend so much on not losing.
Being the eldest, the more responsible, there's no break in being the eldest. To always give back and to be stronger and always share. To not be allowed to fall apart so while it is too small, she chooses to crush her feelings into a pulp in a too straightforward way of confessing with a nonchalant tone of "I'm not asking for anything. Just...I hope we can still be friends." Then regret it several months later when the subject lies through his teeth saying "of course, friends" only to break it just because and distance himself subtly until there's nothing at all.
And then her rational feeler inner self would rack her brains out where she goes wrong. From essentially evading pain by crushing her feelings from growing more only to feel more pain because her confession might be the reason why she's hurting right now. It's all a cycle, no one can blame her for liking 2D characters more than real people because it hurts less.
Really, how did she come from finding Asea braver, to her unsuccessful damage-control-to-avoid-heartbreaks method?
"Fine, I'll help you." And so, that night, they both take the glass lid acting as the table of the coffee table on the floor and brought it on top of the kitchen counter. It's dark and the only light is at the gym area so they can't see a thing and they got Jace's flashlight so maybe, they can make do with this. "I'm afraid of the dark actually." She whispered as Em smiles. "So...you'll still continue?"
"Of course." She says. Em holds the metal structure on its side so it will be at its tallest as she hopes that Asea doesn't slip and fall. "Be careful." She told her as nodded. She climbs up the kitchen counter and carefully steps on the edge, balancing herself on the structure as she quickly held on to the ceiling for support.
She looked up, they're both wearing pajamas, from afar they looked like two kids who got bored in their slumber party and wanted to find out what's really in the attic. "Okay, wait." It took her a few minutes but she managed to climb up without anything else.
Asea peeked to see her and she wanted to throw a joke about reverse Pennywise but figured Asea might feel scared in the dark if she does so. Her corny jokes that get them going would have to wait then. "Come, I'll pull you up." She drops her both arms towards her.
"Eh...I might slip.." And it's too dark there. I can wait for you here. "Come on." She was about to calculate her chances of slipping and falling to her death when someone cleared their throat to get their attention.
They looked back, and she almost laughed. What are the odds that they managed to wake Trey and Azrael? Wow. And she thought Yasser and Azrael were the light sleepers, not Trey and Azrael.
Something feels wrong here but fine.
"Who woke up first?" She asked as Asea rolled her eyes and disappeared into the dark.
"I did." Trey said. This is the something.
😅😅😅
Asea's
"Why the hell are you doing this without telling us?" Azrael asked, particularly at her as she didn't bother answering. Because she didn't want to answer someone who hates her.
"Come on, we'll get you up then we'll follow," Trey told Em. "Uhm...I wasn't planning to--"
"Right, climb on my shoulder, okay? Don't be scared." Trey told her as she watches Em tried to stop herself from protesting more. Trey came up to the kitchen counter as Azrael took the metal structure off. "I'll boost you up." Trey clasps his fingers together at his back and Em took a deep breath before holding on to his shoulder. "Wait, calm down." Azrael told Em as he stands up behind the two, holding on to her waist carefully.
Em stood up on Trey's hands as she shakily breathes out her nervousness. Trey offered both his hands and sensing her nervousness, Trey spoke. "You won't fall down. Trust me." Em raised her foot towards one of his shoulders and in one boost, she was upon his shoulders as Asea quickly held on to both her arms. Azrael held her ankles and she leaned closer to her shoulders. "Careful." She whispers and pulled her up. "Aish.." She whispers as soon as they're both at the ceiling.
Trey came up first with the help of Azrael and them helping him pull up even though it seemed easy to him. Props to people who choose to suffer in gyms. Trey got the flashlight first before Azrael held on to the edge and they pulled him up.
The floor is made of wood and on every step the floor creaks but she thinks they won't really crash down. Maybe. Trey opened the flashlight and almost dropped it when the first thing he saw was the skeleton. "Fuck--" She looked away and walked towards the dumbwaiter instead.
She's fine with Trey. Trey's nice, unlike Azrael who just makes her want to sleep all the time and hide from everyone. Something stuck her foot and she hissed. She just bandaged her bleeding foot and now it got scratched yet again. When will she ever learn to be careful, just when?
She walked closer to the dumbwaiter and looked back. "Trey, flashlight." He looks back and pointed the flashlight at her. She looked away when the light touched her eyes and he quickly apologized.
They walked closer to her as she opened the dumbwaiter. "May I?" She asked, obviously impatient as he handed her the flashlight. She crouched a little and padded inside the seemingly metal dumbwaiter. "It should have a rope. Or a button." Em told her but there just wasn't. "The rope must be on the other floors. Maybe this isn't the attic at all." Azrael answered. There's no way to crack the wall since it's cement. "Let me," Trey said suddenly as Asea makes way for him. Trey tried to push it for it to move, maybe toggle it to move. But it's fixed. Almost like it's been glued shut against its door. "Dumbwaiters can't transport people. My brother's a grown adult, it should have loosened this, at least." Azrael said.
"We can't break through?" Em asked as Trey started kicking the inside of the elevator as Azrael and Asea held on the entryway's upper part so it won't come down, if ever, and cut Trey's leg. The kicking didn't even make a dent in the metal elevator.
"Let it go." Azrael told Trey who sighed and stopped it. They closed the door and sweeps the entire room with the flashlight. Tried to claw on the wall, maybe a door would come out magically like that dumbwaiter. There wasn't anything.
"Asea, maybe we can look at the other parts of the house tomorrow," Em assured her as she didn't answer. Trey got down first before Azrael. Em was caught by both guys as Trey brought her down swiftly.
Asea sweeps one last look with the flashlight and somehow, the skeletal remains didn't unnerve her anymore. He or she's another victim like all of them. She shouldn't feel so afraid of them.
She sat down and hang her knees down the hole. She looks down, seeing Trey and Azrael waiting for her to do a free fall like what they told Em to do. "I'll catch you, just fall down." Azrael's voice is low. She had no idea if she should trust that. And she knows she's heavy. She can kill them by going down. That's how heavy she is in her eyes. "Get down."
"What?" Azrael asked, his tone not liking her request at all.
"I said, down,"
"I won't."
"Please--"
In the darkness, he can see him glare at her. "Asea, it's fine," Trey assured her and offered his arms. As if he sensed her not wanting to associate herself with Azrael. "Go on. Just fall." She trusts Trey's voice and so, she followed his voice. She closed her eyes and she fell into someone's arms. And she was enveloped not by the sea breeze and firewood but by mint and cedar as he brought her down gently.
She hates that it was him who caught her. She started walking away and she didn't look back.
He hates her so much and she couldn't understand why and so, she hates him back. She hates that she's mean and hates people for no reason but this time, she has a reason. Those hateful stares. Those piercing glances. It makes her feel like the ugliest. Like she deserves nothing.
And maybe his stares were right.
😶😶😶
Aeria's
Aeria has no idea if she should be thankful that the next morning, Yasser got his rut. She has nothing to be jealous about because he's stuck in his room as they're not allowed to come near him. That morning, a sole blue envelope is situated near the door. Fiona was the one who got it and hastily opened it. Written in neat typewriting letters, it said:
Don't get hasty. We'll start very soon.
She scoffed. In almost three and a half weeks, they're barely starting? Really? She can feel the tension rising silently on their room on the arrival of the letter.
"Yasser?"
"Oh. Aeria!" Her heart jumped up at his excited voice. The door is closed and looking down, she can see his shadow sitting by the door as she did the same. She was bored and she missed him after a few days of not really talking because of Fiona.
"Are you feeling fine?"
"Yeah. I do. Uhm, Aeria, can you call Asea for me? Then after, we can talk again." All of a sudden? Sensing the seriousness, she agreed. "Wait here." She stood up and figured Asea might hiding at the corner of the kitchen, basically hiding from everyone and burying herself to her knees. But she wasn't there, so she stood up and entered their room. Checking the bathroom, she's missing. "Em! Where's Asea?"
"Uhm, on the room," Em answered by the kitchen. Roo and Jace looked back at her as she shrugs. "Asea?" She loudly called and no Asea answered. She got to the third room and she wasn't there, too. She was about to get out of the third room when she appeared, confused. "Why?"
"Where were you?"
"At the room." She got confused. "You weren't--"
"I was. By the bed. What is it?" Willing away the weirdness of the situation, she told her about Yasser wanting to talk to her and she nodded. She walked towards the elliptical bike, giving them privacy and subtly watching them. Their talk was quick as she got back to their room and she thought it's already fine but Jace called her about something.
She was distracted, but her peripheral saw a green cardigan or sweatshirt in Asea's hand. The door opened quickly as a hand came out, getting the green clothing. Asea left after that.
She got back to the door and sensing her confusion, "Aeria? Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just weirded out. Was it Asea's?" The other didn't answer. Why would Yasser, who she never really saw talking to Asea would ask for her cardigan or sweatshirt? When he's in his rut? "It wasn't for me. Ourie asked it for me." Oh. He took too long to answer. Did he lie? But maybe he's just taken aback that you, Aeria, are getting nosy. "I'm sorry for asking, Yasser."
"No, no, it's fine. My head's just scrambled.." Because of the rut.
"You can rest for a while, go on."
"No, no. I'm glad that we can talk right now. Are you busy?" She tried to fight the smile that's trying to make itself known as she bites her lip. He wants to talk to her, too! She would have danced in happiness now but other people are here so, fucking restrain yourself, Aeria!
"There's nothing for me to do, Yasser. They're already cooking. Ethan and Roo are done cleaning. And...I can be a procrastinating slob because there's nothing to do."
"Ah. I'm the last resort." He acted hurt as she laughs. You're not my last resort, Yasser. Seriously.
"At least you're one of the options."
"Fine, fine. I'll take that. After your chores, it's Yasser so that's more than fine with me." Why does he sound happy? It's like there are no three days that have passed.
"Is your rut not painful?"
"Not really. It's just...hmm....waking up tipsy and horny. That."
"That's so specific, tipsy not drunk?"
"Yeah, I'm aware of almost everything, just slightly lightheaded. Does that make sense?" She assured him it is. And so, if Ethan was in his rut and he bit Roo, that meant he's aware of his actions. That he did it willfully so. Why Roo then? Because he triggered his rut or because Roo's in his heat and so, he's the most vulnerable and the easiest option? She wanted to be nosy if it's her friends but Roo wouldn't tell them anything.
Thinking of heat, she's quite nervous. She never went on heat without suppressants. It makes the heat less painful. It's like she's having a high fever even under the suppressant so she couldn't really focus so much when she's studying. If it's that painful, how painful would it be without it?
"I'm not used to having heats...without suppressants." Her eyes widened, pursing her lips. She doesn't talk about her omega heats to just anyone. Much less an alpha. It's like trying to talk about periods to men, why would she do that? That's too private. Aeria, why are you so...
"Don't just use your friends' clothes. Use the clothes of someone you like. It'll make you feel better." She never heard that before.
"Really? Even if...we're not really bonded?"
"Yeah." But I like Yasser so...does that mean, I should steal his clothes? I mean... "Or someone close right?" She asked, careful. Maybe she can...maybe...without him thinking of anything else. "Yeah..." He paused. "Someone you're comfortable with."
"So...can I.." She pursed her lips for the second time.
"Yes, you can borrow my clothes."
There's sureness hanging in the air, and she quickly covered her mouth when she almost screamed in glee. Yasser's clothes as her nest while she's in heat, is she still alive? Barely. She's allowed to die right now in happiness.
"Really?" She quickly swallowed her excitement, she doesn't want Yasser getting weirded out on how excited she is in contrast to the nervousness she's feeling a while ago. "Of course, just ask your friends to get it from me."
Of course, of course, she'll definitely ask them to get it from Yasser. And she'll bury herself on his scent and hopes she doesn't die to come back to the real deal.
"Thank you, Yasser. I really appreciate that."
"You're welcome, Aeria. Anything to make you feel better."
No, Yasser, I'm falling harder again. Why are you being like this? Why can't I stop myself? Why, despite the fact that you're bonded and that you're too perfect for me, do I fall anyway?
You're screwed, Aeria. Really screwed.
😃😃😃
Em's
"Hey." Trey plopped down the couch next to Asea and Em, while Jace is opening the Scrabbles board game. "Oh, you want to play?" Asea asked him and he said sure, and Em caught his eyes as he quickly raised his index to his lips. She tried not to laugh at that. He told her once that he sucks at Scrabbles and yet here he is, saying yes just because.
"I forgot how to play this." He whispers to Em and she cleared her throat, willing away the fact that whispering feels so intimate and it's Trey who's doing it. She turned to him and whispers back. "Me, too." They started laughing at that and Asea and Jace doesn't care enough to ask why they're laughing like two idiots that they are.
"I want to play snakes and ladders. It's for idiots only." He whispers but Asea and Jace both heard it. "Sure." His eyes panicked at what Asea said. Jace closed the scrabbles and got the snakes and ladders underneath.
"Uhm, are you sure?' He asked.
"Yeah, it's fine." He smiled as if touched that they chose snakes and ladders instead of Scrabbles.
"Em." She looked back at him as the two argue about who gets the blue marker. He's pouting a little, curious. "What is Aeria's sweatshirt doing in our room?" Oh. That.
She just shrugged.
"Ask them, Trey." He nodded and got the green marker.
Though she doesn't know exactly why she seemed to have hints as to why.
After all, she sometimes hates that she's too observant. Just sometimes. Without her observant nature, she wouldn't be able to observe some bright-eyed soul who's bouncing off the walls properly. Kudos to her eyes then.