【 D4y 2, M0chi R00m, Curr3n7 Tim3 L00p - Xi40 & (F/n) 】

Xiao shoves his hands in his pockets, hunching his back as he leads the way. It is painfully quiet as you dawdle behind him. After Flavio had warned you of no funny business, he let you on your merry way with the drug addict. The drug addict who is miraculously no longer high after taking a joint.

"Have you... um." You begin, getting Xiao's attention. "Have you seen any red pandas recently?" You question, shrugging your shoulders. You needed to find some way to chat with him, and you knew of his love for them. You feel guilt twinge at you though. Are you building a rapport because you genuinely want to be friends, or are you trying to build one to get them to help you? Xiao raises both brows, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

"Guys been talking about me?" He asks, not sounding surprised.

"No. You just... like red pandas."

"Yeah, I do. Have you ever seen one of those things? Fucking adorable." He chuckles, walking down the stairs.

"I've only seen the black and white ones in real life." You tell him, smiling slightly. "I've always wanted to see one though."

"You should see one. Red pandas are the shit. And when they sneeze, holy mother fucker. I want to squeeze it." He tells you, looking over his shoulder with a grin. You hum in agreement.

"How long have you been in America for?" You pick up the pace to walk beside him.

"About 12 years. I go back to China sometimes, but most of us Asian countries find it easier to live in America." He throws you a smirk. "Get away with more illegal stuff."

"Right." You smile, laughing. "I thought so. Your accent is hardly there in comparison to your first player." Xiao's expression is wiped away from his face as he looks away, eyes glancing over each door you pass. You look in the opposite direction, a frown tugging on your face.

Of course, mentioning the first players was a bad idea. Dumb (F/n), stupid (F/n)!

"Hey." Xiao smirks, raising a brow. "How about after going to the toilet, we go in one of those rooms?" He bites his lip, wiggling his eyebrow. You furrow your own.

"Do you need something from them?" You ask, arching a brow. Xiao then closes his eyes, laughing loudly at you.

"Oh my fucking god." He clutches his stomach. "You're so innocent." You flush, the implications hitting. You give an awkward chuckle, avoiding eye contact. "For such a big house, you'd think there'd be more than one toilet." Your eyebrows shoot up at that.

"Yeah, fair point. And this one is tiny. Like a wet room." You think allowed. Then you glance at Xiao, him sitting on the banister and sliding down. You give it a hesitant look. could you do that? ah, more importantly, do you trust yourself not to fall?

"Do it!" Xiao beams at you, reenacting the meme. "Just do it!" You laugh, shrugging, unsure.

"I don't think I can." 

"Pfft, you haven't even tried." You laugh at that rebuttal, placing a hesitant hand on the bannister. You then continue walking down the stairs like a normal person. "Aw, come on! I was getting ready to catch you and everything!"

"Sorry, my bladders full." You shrug, noncommittal. Xiao sighs dramatically.

"I don't want you pissing everywhere..." He sounds dejected, and you cast him a sceptical look. that's not the right sort of sentence to sound upset over. 

"How come there isn't a toilet in your base?" He shrugs at your question.

"It didn't come with one."

"Then how long have you been in the mansion?"

"The mansion?" Xiao throws you a sceptical look this time. You furrow your brow, confused, before it clicks.

Riiiight. they don't know this is all a game. the hetaoni mansion. no one else has called me out on my weird phrasing yet.

you chuckle at yourself, which doesn't help the way Xiao is looking at you.

"Well, you guys know that I know about you. what with how luciano phrased it and flavio questioning me. But the whole scenario of demons in a mansion, with you countries trapped inside, it's called HetaOni. So it's the--"

"Oni as in demon?" Xiao asks, squinting his eyes in thought. He's talking to himself this time. you watch him curiously, 

"Yeah?"

"So it's a Japanese game..." He then tilts his head back, sucking on his lip making weird noises. "And these are Japanese demons?"

"Well, I don't know what country we're in. and all the stuff inside here is in English. but, the as the creator was Japanese  and the demons were made by her, then yeah I guess they're Japanese?"

"it's weird to call them demons. feel more like monsters." He shakes his head and stops, leaning against the wall. You stop as well, throwing him a hesitant look. He cocks a brow at you, before chuckling. "Are you wanting to piss yourself?"

"Huh?" You quirk a brow at him. He then nods at the door. "Oh!" The toilet. You open the door and step inside, and turn to lock the door. except there's no lock. you raise a brow.

i swear there was one here... unless I imagined it. now that I think about it, I never actually locked the door.

you stick your head out and Xiao looks at you in surprise, halfway through lighting a cigerette.

"done already?" he lowers his lighter.

"Oh, no." You bite your tongue. is this a good idea? "Theres no lock, so can you watch the door?" 

"Yeah, no need to ask." he laughs through his nose at you, grinning. "Jesus, you think id let someone to walk in?" You level at him, not sure if he would or not. You just hum in acknowledgement before closing the door behind you. You head towards the toilet and take out some beer and onigiri. You glare at the toilet again. do you have enough points for a hot pepper? maybe you could get China to make something with it? Or are you meant to eat that whole? Do you even have enough points for a pepper? you flush the chain, and then out pops one. okay, maybe you do. you fit it all inside your bag. good thing you restocked, because knowing Allen, he'll 'request' some more from you. Or you could use it as some sort of peacekeeper? do you want to waste hard-earned HetaPoints on beers for people that won't even gain HP or mana... 

You walk around the side and glance into the mirror. you nod at yourself, shaking your body to relax before slapping your cheeks, squishing them inwards for extra effect. you glare at your reflection. you can do this. you would be going back to the second players, and you needed to convince andres next. flavio seemed interested, but when everyone returns you need to work on the axis. they had missed your speel.

Okay, that's what I'll work on next. Andres, I'm coming for you!

Then your determination drops. You should be returning to the first players. Could you outrun Xiao? Probably not. So how are you going to get past him? You sigh, bracing your hands on the rim of the sink. At least you look half decent, hair no longer greasy and clothes back in order. With a reluctant sigh, you walk towards the door. You should have planned what to do before commencing the actual plan. Placing your hand on the door handle, you open it.

"Hide!" Xiao orders, pulling out a gun. You jump back, panic rising. He trains it on the ground but scowls at you. No, more like his brow is tightly bunched in concentration, no malice behind it. He is crouching down, aiming the gun with both hands and taking off the safety. You look at the end of the hallway. A demon, it's head attached to its hip, its head squashed, and no protruding arms. You freeze, staring at it in horror. This is one of those monsters from the numbers room. It's a speed demon. and that's what it does. it sprints down the hall at Xiao. it barrels, head forward. It unhinges its jaw, chin brushing the floor as it takes a bite at Xiao. he shoots a turret of bullets down its gullet then dodges. You stumble back, staring in disbelief as he moves quickly, using the thin hallway to his advantage by bouncing back and forth. He aims for the legs next. didn't he know?!

"The forehead!" You yell. "That's its weak point!" The blood continues to pour out, evaporating upon reaching the air, steam rising.

Oh God, 1vs1. Not even one 1p!s could win against it. Xiao has no chance!

"I need you to-ough!" He side steps. "Cover for me!" Xiao yells, dropping his gun and pulling out a new one.

"What?!" You stand on the threshold of the bathroom, watching it all play out from a safe distance as Xiao plays tag with the armless creature.

"Distract it so I can get on its head!" He yells over the creatures pained screams. Your breath hitches, boggled for a moment as you process it all. You scowl in distaste before pulling out the knife from your boot. You stop, hand clutching the doorway as you watch the creature at the far end of the hallway. You screw up your face, digging your nails into the wood before pushing yourself out into the open. There is no turning back. Kicking open the door to the bathtub room at the end of the corridor. You put your back to it. You get into a fighting stance, thanking Annie before taking a deep breath.

"Hey, Oni!" You yell, tightening your grip on the knife. "Your mamma's so fat when she walks past the TV, a whole episode goes by!" That got its attention. It turns away from Xiao, head first before it's deformed body follows. And runs. You are unblinking, not wanting a single thing to go unnoticed. Not until the moment is right. Your throat tightens, fingers twitching as the monster lowers its head, its jaw unhinging as it drags along on the floor. A whimper leaves you as the floor below you vibrates with its steps. it growls, and that's when you throw yourself to the side. you feel the wind whip by. With its momentum, it lodges itself in the bathroom doorframe. You are bewildered from the easiness before getting up off the floor, sprinting towards Xiao. He is currently staring at you with a mixture of surprise and amusement, a small laugh passing his lips before outright cackling. The demon thrashes around, the wood creaking. Your breath catches in your throat. 

"What the fuck are we meant to do now?!" You gesture towards the stairs. "Run?! Fight?!" Then it growls. "We can't win on our own!"

"I can't believe you just yelled a 'Yo Mamma' joke at it..." A loud snap jolts both of you from the conversation. You look down the corridor to see the demon has removed itself from the door frame, the wood splintered and clattering to the floor. It turns to face you both. "Take this." Xiao hands over a gun and removes a push knife from his trousers.

"How am I meant to use this?" You ask in exasperation as he runs towards the Oni.

"Point and shoot!" He shouts back, sliding between the creature's legs. You whine in the back of your throat, stomping your foot like a child, looking down at the weapon helplessly. Even with Xiao out of sight, the monster didn't turn around to get him. Its eyes are trained on you. You drop your knife and look over the gun. You lift it, holding it firmly. It weighs down, making it hard to aim, especially since you don't know how to use it. It gains speed, getting closer. it's past the bathroom door.

"Xiao!" You panic, taking a large step back. Your fingers tremble as they wrap around the trigger, pulling back. The gun recoils with the shot, the force almost making you drop it as you yelp in surprise. It's so close. A scream builds up in your throat as it opens its mouth, the gun slipping from your fingers. Then a knife peaks up from the back of its head. A knife, fingers white from the stress firmly wrapped as a head pops up into view. Black hair and mischievous orange eyes. Xiao pulls himself on top as the monster thrashed around, attempting to shake him off. But Xiao is determined and crouches on top. He repeats his earlier action, stabbing the creature over and over again, black blood spewing over his cheek. You watch - body frozen - as you're filled with anticipation, waiting for the creature to disintegrate. But it doesn't. 

The monster shakes its body once again, trying to throw Xiao off before it leaps back, smashing its head against the wall, crushing Xiao. He gives a pained yell. You raise the gun. The demon looks at you with beady little black eyes, baring its teeth at you with a hiss. Xiao is groaning, trying to move but failing with his arm pinned by the monsters gigantic head. You and Xiao watch one another, him trying to form any tangible words as his mouth opens. But you narrow your eyes, glaring at the monster, lining up the aim with the middle of its forehead. You shoot. One. Two. Three. There's no final shriek from it, no final words. It just begins to steam. You give a weak laugh. You did it.

"Sayonara." Xiao falls out from behind the carcass with a thud, an arm limp against his side. The only thing proving he is alive is the languid blinking. You rush over, eyes wide, gun clattering to the floor, as you fall to your knees before him. He looks dumbfounded.

"Are you..." He wheezes. "Are you a weeaboo?"

"Oh my god, you're bleeding!" You panic, hand going to the back of his head. Blood runs through his short hair, pooling at his collarbone. You weave your fingers through his hair, trying to identify the spot of origin. He hisses, and you pull back to see liquid staining your fingertip. Your stomach drops, lips opening slightly before looking into Xiao's eyes. Here, in the light, they are an orange ember, burning. Orange rings around black pupils, shining at you. It has a similar feeling of staring at an eclipse, large round pupils mimicking the moon. Or even a piece of burning paper, floating. You quickly thin your lips, putting down your bag and shuffling through it.

"Are you tryin' to distract me from your weebiness? Japan is going to be so full of himself when he finds out, he'll probably-ow!" Xiao hisses as you wipe away the blood from his hair.

"Lean forward." You order. He does so, smirking at you. You begin from the bottom of the blood trail at his collarbone, moving his Changshan out of the way as you follow the trail up towards the nape of his neck and through his hair.

"I thought I was into shy girls, but I think I might have a thing for domin--" He lets out a hiss of pain, scowling. "You're doing that on purpose, kitten!" He grabs your wrist, stopping you. You roll your eyes, getting the bandages out to wrap his head up. You question, saying the word with venom, tightening the bandage. This time he doesn't wince, and you just continue bandaging him up. "What? Not talking? Are you upset that we're not making-out right now? I sure am." You smile, puffing air through your nose. "I take that smile as a, 'yes emperor Xiao, please make my deepest wishes come true and kiss me!'" He puckers his lips. You cock a brow at him, laughing softly. 

"God, you're just so..." you laugh again. "Xiao, serious. I need to fix you up." You scold, but there's no real bite with that humoured look on your face. He tilts his head, giving you room to tuck in the loose end of bandages. You smooth over the bandage and lean back, a proud smile from your work. "I think I fixed it up good." You then inspect it further, eyes flicking between xiao and the wound. "Um, you might wanna get someone more experienced to look at this." You hear a scoff, which makes you jump, turning into a pouncing position, arm going out to cover Xiao and eyes darting to the gun. Then your mouth turns lax, your shoulders dropping. Kuro. The man holds a fierce scowl. He wears a black Japanese Imperial Navy Uniform with gold accents, the shirt hugging his form and from beneath the collar, a tattoo creeps up the back of his nape. Even with no windows open, his royal purple cape manages to flutters behind him. His katana pokes out from the left side of his cloak, one white-gloved hand holding the handle before falling to his side. 

How did i managed to get this emo mized up with Japan?

"How long have you been there?" Xiao asks, pushing himself off the floor with his right hand. As soon as he does so, he stops to brace himself against the wall.

"Are you alright?" You ask, turning to face Xiao. Your arm reaches out, towards his left shoulder which is swollen, before stopping. You suck in a breath, forehead creased before looking at him.

"Kitten, worried about me?" Xiao asks teasingly, purring his words.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Your words have bite, you scowling at him. "Doctors orders, no moving around fast -- like getting up quickly! -- and to rest once we get back." You get up, zipping your bag to make idle. "We need everyone on deck with these things." You then cast an irrated look towards the dissipating demon.

"That's what all that noise was about." Kuro sighs, shifting his weight onto his right foot.

"Yeah. They distracted it while I killed it." Xiao jabs his thumb to his side, the last of the creature's corpse fading away. Kuro turns his nose up at the carcass.

"Then they bandaged you?" Kuro phrases it as a question, but it is clear that he raised his brow at the white wrap around Xiao's head. "How do you know about first aid?" He then turns to you, squinting. You tense up under his stare.

"I went to a load of clubs at school. Also lots of educational programmes..." Your gaze wonders to Xiao's head. "It was meant for my CV, never thought I'd use it."

"Japan!" Xiao shouts with a smile, grabbing the inside of his own collar and smoothing it down with an arrogant grin, rocking onto his heels. Kuro looks at his brother. "I have a name. Guess what it is." Kuro scrunches up his face.

"Pardon?"

"I have a human name, (F/n) gave them to us." Kuro looks at you, frowning. He doesn't seem to like the idea of Xiao liking you. Tough luck, you think. Xiao makes a noise of realisation. "What's Japan's name?" He asks, nudging your arm.

"It's Kuro Honda." You reply shortly, feeling insignificant under the Japanese man's gaze. You may not like the guy, but god is he intimidating. Xiao pats your back, laughing loud, before wincing. You turn to him. "Do you want some pain relievers?" You question hesitantly, placing a hand over one of your bag's pockets. He waves you off, scrunching up his face.

"(F/n)." Kuro says, grabbing your attention. You stand up straight, looking him in the eye. Ah, why do you react like a dog waiting for orders from their human? "Collect the weapons."

"Sure." You nod, quickly moving around to pick up the guns, and the knife that is left in the creature's forehead. Now it is gone, the weapon lies in the middle of the hallway. You swipe the knife of the blade across the thigh of your jeans before looking it over. The handle is a black metal, but with intricatly carved patterns across it. You thin your lips, rolling your ankle to check the weapon england gave you is still in your boot.

I guess they didn't think to check a kid for weapons. Probably assume their 'goody-two-shoes' counterparts wouldn't given one to a child. Now this child is gonna break them free.

"China, stop." Kuro grabs his brothers arm, turning Xiao to face him. You peer back, squinting in confusion. Kuro places one hand on Xiao's left swollen shoulder, near the collarbone only for Xiao to wince. And when you realise what Kuro is doing as he put his hand on the upper arm, you flinch at the crack.

"Fāgé!" Xiao shouts, his arm finally moving again. His shoulder was dislocated, and he said nothing about it. God, how did you not see that?!

"Xiao!" You say in disbelief, approaching the two with panic. "Do you want some pain relievers now? You should have told me!"

"He doesn't need your help." Kuro turns his nose up, a line appearing between his brow. Xiao rubs his shoulder, muttering Mandarin under his breath. He rolls it experimentally once before looking to you with an impish grin.

"Thanks for helping Emperor Xiao." He winces.

"Emperor Xiao." Kuro tries the name on his tongue.

"It sounds better than Emperor China. That makes me think of the old guy." 

"Do you want me to carry them for you?" You ask, looking down to the weapons for emphasis. Whatever expression was on Kuro's face, it's wiped clean when looking down at you. He stops and takes both guns from you, placing them inside his jacket. He tucks Xiao's knife into his belt, then starts walking again.

"I can see you two will get on fine." Xiao muses, rolling his eyes at his stoic brother.

"We do not need them." Kuro scowls, before looking down on you. "There is no point in you being with us. You obviously have no intention of helping us."

"Don't be so harsh. They did kinda save my life." Xiao throws his good arm over kuro's shoulder.

"They are helpless and naive. The best thing they are is bait." Kuro then looks to you from the corner of his eyes, only to widen them slightly. The edge of your lip is curled up, an amused smile on your lips. Your eyes stare up at him, curiosity ablaze. He looks away from you quickly, clicking his tongue. 

"I can agree with you on that." You look ahead, taking the criticism. "But I have other talents." It is quiet, the two expecting more from you. They share a look, confused before looking back to--an empty spot.

"What the fuck?!" Xiao shouts, only to hear the basement door click closed. "They're going for the counterparts!"