Time - (Identity V-Elisop)

Chapter 29

(CW: SMALL MENTION OF JERRY CARL)

A sudden knock on the door startled the embalmer awake.

Aesop had completely forgotten what happened an hour prior, and he didn't think he was one to have such an intense breakdown this early and in such a random time. His face felt sticky with tears that still hadn't dried, and his neck cramped from where he had fallen asleep.

He got up from the floor, stretching as he blinked a few times. Aesop remembered the bandages on his hand from the burn, it didn't hurt, the bandages just bothered him.

Another knock on the door.

Aesop opened the door and wasn't surprised to see Edgar Valden at the other end, arms crossed and an expression of concern and frustration on his face.

"Where did you go?-" The painter cut himself off as he registered the embalmer's appearance. Aesop had red, puffy eyes and his hair was astray, his mask wasn't on and he had very clearly been crying.

"What happened?" Edgar pushed past the embalmer, respectfully closing the door as he entered the room. Edgar wasn't the type of person to barge into someone's personal business, but he cared for Aesop (platonically obviously).

"I'm-" Aesop couldn't even say another word before he was cut off.

"Don't you dare say you're 'fine' because unlike others, I'm not blind," Edgar's tone softened, "Please, I just want to be here for you, nobody checks on you apart from..." And he wasn't wrong about that.

"It's about Eli actually..." His voice got quieter and he checked to make sure the door was closed as he got himself comfy on his bed across from the painter.

"I broke up with him." He broke the ice as quickly as possible, getting it off his chest, to yet another person. "Sorry..." He fidgeted with his fingers as he took his gloves off.

"Don't be sorry, did something happen..? You don't have to answer that, by the way," Edgar said. He clearly didn't want Aesop to be alone, even though he was already in a relationship he would still be there for him.

He stayed quiet, avoiding looking in the direction of the other and just looking towards the floor.

"I'm sorry...can I have some time alone?" Aesop spoke up as he stood up, wandering over to his window.

"Yes, of course," Edgar said, "But if you need to talk to me, I'll be with Luca, I don't have any matches today." He added, even though he knew Aesop was quiet and drawn back, hardly the one to go make conversation with others. Though he knew the perfumer was close with him as well, but he didn't know if he had told Vera yet.

He let down his ego for two people only, Luca and Aesop, since he trusted them enough not to say anything about it.

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The next 3 days passed the same. Aesop avoided Eli as hard as he could, and when he noticed him around the manor, Eli would always be with Naib.

He stayed in his own room as much as he could, had meals by himself again and only left for matches.

Nobody commented on his performance in the matches, but he knew he was doing worse. At one point he got terror-shocked at only 5 ciphers by the Bloody Queen, her mirror image had hit him when he zoned out whilst decoding. Edgar was in the same match as him, and if that was someone else he would have definitely yelled at them, this time he just stayed silent. With the help of Helena and Martha, the match had luckily ended as a tie.

Aesop also noticed Eli's performance significantly getting worse, he only had one match with him, but it ended as a quick loss. His kite lasted 10 seconds before he took another hit, and his kites could usually last around 2-3 ciphers.

Nobody said a thing to either of them, about what was happening between the seer and embalmer. Aesop assumed they probably already know, and nobody would be going in people's personal business unless they told them themselves. Maybe Eli already told someone and word spread? Or he just told everyone?

The burn on his hand still hurt a bit, he ignored the pain most of the time but it was there of course.

The thing he was displeased about, was that he probably wouldn't have time to play piano. He only really played when there were less people in the manor, or when there were many matches going on. He wouldn't give much of a care if someone watched or listened to him play, but he still prefered to do it alone.

His mother had taught him to play when he was young, and when she was still alive before she passed away. She saved many pieces of sheet music, and passed them onto Aesop before she died. Jerry didn't really approve of it, and preferred if he focused on the embalming job, so Aesop had them hidden in his case, under all the other things. He only found them again when he arrived at Oletus Manor, and he was glad he still remembered how to play.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he head a knock on the door.

"Come in," Aesop put it all away as he got up.

"Aesop are you okay?" Vera stood at the other end of the door, dressed in a lilac nightgown and long, black dressing robe.

"O-oh, do you need something?" He had lost track of time, it must have been around 11 PM by now. He didn't realise how dark it was outside with all the candles he had lit. The candles held a light more gentle to the eyes, not as sharp and bright as the electrical lights.

"I need for you to tell me if you're alright or not," The perfumer entered the room, closing the door and sitting on the bed.

"I know you usually distance yourself from everyone else," She said as Aesop sat a small distance from her, "But everyone else is concerned for you, even Eli,".

Aesop took two minutes to think before he answered. He wasn't alright, but didn't want to worry anyone. But then again Vera would force the truth out of him one way or another.

"No, but I don't need to dump my problems on anyone else," The man said, "I'm fine on my own,". It wasn't the whole truth, he wasn't actually fine on his own, but Vera probably wouldn't ask any further.

"Are you really alright on your own? I'm worried for you Aesop," She asked in concern.

"..." He didn't give Vera a further answer before he stood up.

"I'll be going to bed now, goodnight," Aesop turned away from Vera as he heard her leave, closing the door behind her.

Had he really worried that many people? He didn't know people payed attention to him, as he'd rather blend into the shadows and go about his day rather than interact with the others, not that he had anything against them.