Lucid (BoyxBoy) {Pipe Dream: Book II}

Chapter Eleven: "Safe Space"

T/N: wonderful art piece by @mamaduckling27  (i'm sorry if I got your wattpad username wrong...i only remember your tumblr account)

you have no idea how special i feel when i receive these (๑•́ ω •̀๑)

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Chapter Eleven: "Safe Space"

Seth enters Siem's office with all of his humour gone. Siem wasn't alone. Hanna and X were still talking with him but he gained their immediate attention, despite what appeared to be their intense discussion.

"How did it go today?" Siem moves his full attention to Seth smoothly.

"I'm starting to make him mad."

"Is that all?" Hanna asks, a little defeated. Seth knew that she was a mix of wanting results and, despite what she says and does, worried.

"It's progress," Siem rebuts her.

"But will it be fast enough?"

Seth had to admit that even he was feeling on edge lately and that they might not have enough time to help Kae learn... "Well, I'm open to suggestions." This was trial and error...unfortunately, for Kae.

"We don't really have much of a choice...I'm not that creative." Siem switches back to him tiredly, sitting back down in his chair. "Unless Hanna wants to step in with the-"

"What do you take me for?" She hisses back, angrily. "I'm not above punching you, Siem."

Hanna knew more intense, or rather inhumane, ways of getting those with abilities to 'awaken'. It would be quicker...but the side effects would not be great...and X wouldn't sit silently by either, Seth would imagine. Plus, he suspected that Hanna liked the kid a lot and didn't want to earn his hatred because they want to 'hurry it up'.

Not to mention that this was fun and hilarious. Who knew that riling up Kae was this amusing...

X stares coldly at them for a time, his silence was always frosty. "...The target you are using will not move," he finally says. "It will always be ineffective...until you refocus your aim."

"Which is...?" Seth prompts, long used to the riddles.

"You are aiming with an emphasis on self-preservation...at game that does not play that way..."

"...You're suggesting that I'd change the target?" Seth grumbles while reaching for his smokes.

X stares straight through him, giving him goosebumps. "...I am suggesting nothing. ...My personal..." he frowns, struggling with the sentence.

Seth couldn't help his eyes widening with surprise, stopping in his search, it was rare for anything 'personal'.

"...feelings...is that I don't...enjoy even considering it. It was merely a comment...it will not work...results do not...form completely or as satisfactorily as you may think it will if you keep doing this. You have to change...it"

In the most roundabout way possible, Seth thought as he realised that his smokes weren't in their usual spot. "We can't make him go through what we did either, X."

"I know that."

A sad smile appeared on Seth's face for a moment but then it turned evil, "Besides, I've long thought up this plan, don't make it go to waste."

"...That is your own fault."

Hanna on the other hand was frowning, deep in thought at what X had said. "It's too risky to even consider that alternative...to threaten Kae with the endangerment of someone else. That sort of emotional blackmail to exacerbate his codependency would theoretically work but...it would destroy him and his trust..."