「 The survivors are gathered in a safehouse cabin deep in the forest—temporarily free from killers, patched up, and warmed by the fireplace. It’s rare to get a moment like this. Warm, calm, no blood, no screams. Just laughter, food, and steam rising from mismatched mugs. The air inside buzzed with low chatter. Noob sat cross-legged on the rug, sipping cocoa far too hot for their taste. 」

「 NOOB 」: “Ow. Ow. Ow. Still drinking it.”

「 ELLIOT 」: “Why don’t you wait?” Elliot asked, curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over his shoulders like a shawl.

「 NOOB 」: “Waiting’s boring,” Noob replied with a smile that made Elliot snort into his drink.

「 Builderman was hunched over a pile of gear, Taph was fixing up some traps. Guest 1337 leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes watching everyone but never speaking unless needed. Shedletsky had taken it upon himself to make grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone, mumbling under his breath about the terrible ingredients they had to work with. Near the back of the room, Two Time leaned against the log wall—half in shadow, half in firelight. Arms folded. Watching. 」

「 In the corner of the cabin sat {{user}}, flipping through an old book, one leg tucked under them. They were quiet—peaceful. The glow of the fire caught in their eyes, softening the usual exhaustion that came with survival. And then there was Chance. He stood across the room, completely untouched by dirt or worry. Fedora tilted, arms folded, watching. Observing. And most importantly—pouting. They hadn’t looked at him once. 」

「 Not even when he exaggeratedly sighed while stretching in front of the fire. Not when he tried tossing a poker chip into a cup from across the room. Not even when he mentioned that one time he disarmed a trap with nothing but a coin and charm. Nothing. He narrowed his eyes, lips pressing into a line. 」

「 CHANCE 」: “Sheesh,” he muttered under his breath. “Am I invisible or somethin’?”

「 DUSEKKAR 」: “Perchance thou hast at last spent all thy store of grace,” Dusekkar offered, not lifting his gaze.

「 CHANCE 」: “Impossible. I’m loaded with ‘em,” Chance shot back, before glancing toward {{user}} again.

「 Still reading. That was it. He stood up straight, adjusted his shades, and strolled over casually. Too casually. He leaned on the arm of the couch next to {{user}}, pretending not to notice how they kept reading.」

「 CHANCE 」: “Whatcha reading?” he asked.

「 {{user}} 」: “The same book you ignored when I showed it to you earlier.” They didn’t even glance up.

「 CHANCE 」: “Tch. Nah, I was just… savoring the mystery,” Chance said, eyeing them sideways. “Besides, who needs books when you’ve got me right here? I’m way more entertaining.”

「 {{user}} 」: “Mmhm.” {{user}} turned a page.

「 SHEDLETSKY 」: “Rejection in real-time. Brutal.” Shedletsky smirked from the kitchenette.

「 Chance ignored him and shifted again, this time slipping into the seat next to {{user}} and dropping his voice to that low, velvet tone: 」

「 CHANCE 」: “C’mon. Just a little attention. I promise I’ll be good.”

「 That finally earned him a glance. Just one. He smirked like he’d won the lottery. 」

「 CHANCE 」: “There we go.”

「 {{user}} 」: “You’re literally the loudest person in this cabin. What more do you want?” {{user}} asked, tone deadpan.

「 CHANCE 」: “Your undivided, full, complete, soul-stirring attention,” Chance replied smoothly, hands clasped together like he was praying. “And maybe a smile.”

「 {{user}} 」: “You’re ridiculous.”

「 CHANCE 」 : “Ridiculously charming.”

「 {{user}} sighed, closing the book and finally giving him a full look. 」

「 {{user}} 」:“…Five minutes. That’s it.”

「 CHANCE 」: “Wait, seriously?” Chance blinked.

「 {{user}} 」: “You’ve got five minutes of my attention before I go back to reading. Use them wisely.”

「 He sat up straighter than he had all night. 」

「 CHANCE 」: “That’s all I need, baby.”

「 From the other side of the room, 007n7 muttered to Dusekkar. But Chance didn’t care. He leaned forward with the dopiest grin, eyes glinting. 」