Chapter 17

3rd PERSON POV

BlackJack

Vera dashed with the energy she has, her eyes taking short glances at the hunter that Jack had teamed her up with.

She hoped that the hunter will take notice of her, or at least figure out why not even a single conversation had started between them, but Bi An seemed to have his whole focus on whoever will have this round passed to the hunter, his hands playing around with his trustworthy umbrella.

The perfumer then ran towards a cipher, only to figure out that Naib was there along with Jack the Ripper.

Awkwardness sat in Vera's heart, her mind recalling exactly the day she had broken into a bad relation with the mercenary before none of them would actually start a conversation ever since.

"Hey, Jack. Who's the one with the highest? I feel bad for the survivor. That means being everyone's whole target!" Bi An said as he placed a hand on the ripper's shoulder.

"I'm not allowed to break it to you, Xie Bi An. We'll just have to see it by ourselves. You'll see." The Ripper said, sighing.

"And Naib Subedar. You done?"

The mercenary pouted before showing the handful of chips he managed to obtain to the ridiculously tall ripper. He did not bother to notice the perfumer next to him in the process.

It was pure silence before William breaks the moment.

"Everyone. Beware of Joseph! I repeat, beware of Joseph!"

It didn't take long for them to figure out that Aesop is the one to pass the round to the hunter. Everyone noticed the photographer approaching them, the embalmer tailing him with his hands holding some cards.

"What do I do? What do I do?! Wu Chang, what do I do?!" Vera yelled, her hands on her head. She had no idea of how much of an obnoxious ct she had pulled.

Bi An cussed, holding back the urge to hit the godforsaken perfumer. He was lucky that Wu Jiu had not been the one playing in this match or things would have gotten even worse.

"Do the survivors have to face someone as obnoxious as her? Now I feel sorry for them. Why would this goddamn Jack team you with her, my Bi An?" Wu Jiu's muffled voice came from the umbrella.

Bi An let out a slight laugh before smiling at the umbrella.

By now everyone was running towards different directions, with the hope of not running into Aesop and Joseph.

Helena was the closest to that of the photographer's team now that she can hear Joseph pulling his sword, making his way towards her.

"Run, little girl. There's nothing I can do to help once you get hit." Michiko's motherlike voice said to her.

Despite the photographer's heavy breath and the sound of ciphers being decoded, the blind girl managed to catch a few hints of the conversation taking place between him and that of the embalmer.

"If I get hit, what will you do?"

"Aesop, for the thousandth time in a row there's no way in hell that I would let that happen! I'll protect you, even if it means damaging my sword! Now stay close."

"Alright. But if I get hit I'll make sure you give me a massage, Josephine."

Helena chuckled. Despite his anxiety attack towards new people, the embalmer can actually make a good and sassy friend to have.

No one, even Aesop himself, does know that the mind's eye is one of those who knows the thing between him and that of Joseph, aside from Emily. The night Joseph made his way to the survivors' side with him holding Aesop bridal style? She knows. Her sharp hearing makes it clear for her.

She took her walking stick, about to alert the others about the photographer's location when she felt the cold tip of a sword on her shoulder.

"Hey there, Helena Adams. I'm sorry but I found you."

The Mind's Eye smiled as the photographer nudged Aesop to approach her, his hands signalling her to draw a card from his deck.

"Draw one card, my dear. Or should I do it for you?" Michiko asked from behind her. Her Prajna form did not change her kind heart towards her, especially on post-match moments.

As expected of the mom of the hunters.... Helena muttered to herself as she grabbed one card from Aesop's hands, waiting for Jack to declare the next round.

                              ***

"Day 1 of BlackJack and we have a lucky winner!" Jack said the moment the last round finished, with every survivor being the one bringing the cards.

"You all did great. Wu Changs, Hastur, Michiko, Joseph, and yes it's your hella handsome ripper, and all survivors, you guys were awesome. Even Hastur and I didn't expect it to go that smooth! To those who got injured, I have alerted Emily Dyer about your situation so go have her aid on you! But before that, let me call the winning team."

Both Helena and Naib smiled at Aesop, for the two are the ones who knew that the victory belongs to him.

"Joseph Desaulniers and Aesop Carl, will you two come here to claim your winning worth? Good job, you two!" Jack said as he handed two small badges for the two.

He had to kneel down to their levels to have the badge attached on their clothes, in which made everyone laugh. Hastur laughed so hard that Bi An had to give him the look.

Joseph stared at the badge sitting nicely on his blue overcoat. The badge was patterned in black and white in account of the Ripper's outfit, with the words "BlackJack Winners" plated in gold.

"We won." Aesop said, plopping himself on the pallet next to where the photographer is standing.

"The very first match. We won."

Joseph smiled at the embalmer before taking the spot next to him.

"You did a great job of defending yourself from the Wu Changs and even Jack himself back then. You have no idea how much of a series of mini-heart attacks I had during those moments, but all those worries were for nothing. You and that embalming skills. I adore it."

The photographer expected the embalmer to smile and all, but to his surprise the expression he earned was a straight face.

"That is why I am the embalmer, Josephine."

The photographer pouted, his eyebrows forming a frown, which to Aesop it happened to be the cutest thing he ever seen.

"Okay, just chill out, Carla."

The two broke into teary laughters.

"Anyway, good job today, Aesop!" Joseph said as Jack had signalled them to go back to their sides of the manor, with the hunters following him and the survivors following William.

The two still had their eyes towards each other despite the rest had started walking. It was the moment when Aesop had his right hand stretched at the photographer, his fingers being fists.

Joseph didn't need anyone telling him what to do.

His fist then pointed at the embalmer's hands, a huge smile coming from his lips.

Survivors' Side

"Guys! So how's BlackJack? Was it hard? Was it?!"

All the survivors that partook BlackJack had made all the way back to the manor. Tiredness had taken over them after all that running and hiding, only to be greeted by Kurt's curiousity in the lobby.

"Kurt, calm down. They are pretty much drained for the day!" Emily said.

"Anyone injured?"

All survivors shook their heads except for one.

"Good! Then you guys can rest for the day! Good job on BlackJack, you all!" The doctor said before walking away.

Naib approached Aesop, the embalmer not saying a thing.

"Hey, Carl! Congrats on the win! You're the bomb!" He said, his eyebrows doing the eyebrow dance only he and Eli does.

"Yeah, thanks. You did great too.." The embalmer smiled, the dimple movements palpable from his mask.

"Guess the victory made you real happy eh?! The look in your eyes and how you act show everything!" The mercenary said, giving Aesop a pat in the shoulder.

Aesop nodded before heading back to his room. Despite living in the same floor, he was lucky Naib never wants to accompany him during the walk to their rooms. Being alone has always been his favorite thing, and that is the only feeling lingering in him at the moment.

He locked the door and threw himself on the bed, pulling the covers all the way to his head.

The day really had been a double win for him, and deep down inside he knows Joseph has the exact same feeling.