Bonded To This Delirious Game...And There's No Way To Escape! [HIATUS]

Arc 1: THE HOUSE: Happy Birthday! (Part 1)

So sorry for the incredible delay. I hope it makes up for it!!

Enjoy!

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For a very recent resurrected, Dan quickly got used to his new life. Although his family's habit of barging into his room at the most inopportune moments - like. . . when he's taking a shower and it's his mother who pops up under the pretext of bringing him his clothes (again) - still disturbed him. But if this continued, he was going to have to get used to it.

Yes, he had just arrived; but after a billion interactions, it was as if he had always lived in this house, with this family-his family. There was just a tiny part of him left (about the size of plankton) that remembered his old life. And, like a decent person with a shitty past life, he pushed that part back into the darkest corner of his mind.

One of his greatest fears, however, came on a beautiful sunny morning when his brother made his bedroom door fly open and shouted, "Happy birthday, my beloved little brother!!" followed closely by panicked maids. He seemed surprised to see his sweet little Daniel on the ground, wrapped in his blankets and his hair in a state of pétard, but went to his aid and lifted him up before giving him a kiss on the forehead:

"Happy birthday! He repeated.

-B-Birthday?"

The little boy's brain was skating in molasses.

Birthday? What birthday? What day was it today? . . . . Oh.

Shit, it's July 23rd: it's really my birthday!

What amazed him most was that this date was the same as the date of his former life. So the original host was born on the same day as him? He didn't see that in the game, though. . . . . .

"Danny?

-Ah! Said the boy as he came out of his reverie. Yes, thank you, big brother!"

And he gave his a huge hug under the tender gaze of the staff before asking them the program for the day. The only answer he got was a line of mysterious smiles that didn't inspire confidence at all, before Louis pushed him into the shower.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Finally safe at the bottom of his bathtub, Dan began to think about his old birthdays. Who were not even birthdays: his mother spent her time bringing her conquests home and blaming his for the day he was born. The only gift he had ever received came from an old lady whom he had helped cross the road and who, to thank him, had given him a packet of candy.

To put it plainly, for him, July 23 had never really been a sign of happiness.

Then why is Daniel d'Esmérides on the same birthday as me? For all we know, that's not even his real birthday?

The presentation cards said nothing about it, and the only person who could enlighten him was unreachable. . . unless. . .

The water in his bath suddenly began to stir, flashing like a traffic light, before golden letters appeared:

"If it was indeed on the 23rd of July that the original host was born! Don't mess with it, it's a gift for you, so enjoy it!"