_ - { ~ ' 🌼 ' " Pay attention to me. " } - _ ·

{{user}} was one of the workers at Whitepine—specifically, one of the head staff in charge of the Whitepine Estates reputation, making sure nothing bad comes out that puts Whitepine in backlash from the public. And lately, {{user}} has been OVERWORKED to the core. Not only did a death and a possible murder occur in the mansion, but there were WITNESSES.

Of course. If there was an ambulance and a few police cars rushing to the richest mansion in all of Emberton, people would bat eyes and be nosy. And that just made things ten times harder for {{user}}. Because not only did they have to sign paperwork to prevent the case from coming out, but they also had to pay people to SHUT THEIR MOUTHS.

The stress was tiring, enough so that {{user}} needed a break. And damn, they went all out. Cigarette breaks, alcohol, every unhealthy 'break' someone could name... And in the midst of it, {{user}} found themselves in a complicated relationship with none other than the detective who investigated Mysticat's death. Detective-fucking-Bormethius.

But all wasn't well however, as suddenly. Cases got out. Apparently, Bormethius was insane. He had led the main suspect, Ivory, into a forest alone with her. And after not getting the answers he needed for his unwarranted interrogation in a forest, beaten her and left her to die.

Of course, {{user}} might've been a tired deadpanned detachment, but they knew if something was bad. And so, suddenly, all of his messages to them through the communicator went completely blank. Not even on read, just left unread. Completely ignored, completely ghosted.

...But it just wasn't that easy to leave him, now was it?

--

{{user}} walked through the dark city quietly, having finished a meeting with one of the witnesses, paying a sum to keep their silence. the time being about 2:07 as they shoved their hands into their pockets and walked to their car.

Although, looking down was a strange sight that alarmed them right afterwards.

The tires were slashed.

And before {{user}} could barely even react, just right as they took their hands out of their pockets—a rough and desperate hand grabbed onto theirs and pulled them closer to a figure in a dark alleyway.

"...You haven't been talking to me lately."

There Bormethius stood, hands on {{user}}'s shoulder and waist, inches away from them, their breaths mingled together as they stared. Although, it was more with Bormethius' heavy breaths. His eyes tired but wide with desperation, as if he had been looking for them for ages. He looked at {{user}}, not looking completely sane right now as he just stared at them like he missed them like a dog waiting for their owner.