⇾labyrinth

After a tiring day, Jongdae's feet led him to the labyrinth. Tho, even without stepping inside, he knows he's already lost.

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /watches you leave and then makes my long, weary way back to hangshui

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ I'll be ready. /smiles softly, giving you a look over before parting into the opposite direction to head towards my home in the woods/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ Oh yeah /nods/ I'm just like, /points in a random direction/ around the corner..
See you around, big guy. I'm bringing proper ammunition next time.

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /looks at you when you laugh, hands lowering to my sides/ no. I am safe, especially in the dark. Will you make it home safely?

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /secretly feeling kind of proud of myself too/
/if only I had someone to brag to/
/maybe I'll bother our great leader about it/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /looks at you, so emotional, and laughs
Awww shucks /pats you on the back/
There there. Need me to walk you home? /jokes

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /finally emerges from the labyrinth with relief flooding over me, placing my hands behind my head while looking around at the world before me/ would you look at that, you did it. Proud of you. I thought we were never going to escape.

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /walks along with you, repeating the series of jerking hand moments a bit less conspicuously to recall the way
/guides us out of the maze in about 45 minutes
Tadah!!

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /watches you with a raised eyebrow, finding the actions to be rather amusing as a soft smile paints my lips/ coming. /immediately starts heading in the direction that you're beckoning towards, hoping to get out before night fall/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /still a bit confused but feeling oddly smug about being a newly-proclaimed people person/
Oh yeah, I remember the way. It's like /makes a series of jerking hand motions with accompanying sound effects to describe the way/

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ Oh yeah /nods before tossing the shirt back on the ground, looking up at that sun to see what time it is/ we have about an hour before it gets dark. Are you certain you found the way?

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /watches the wound heal with interest
I do? /sounds a bit surprised/
First time I'm hearing that. Thanks?

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /rolls my head back, groaning in pain before finally opening my eyes when the bullet is removed, inhaling sharply/ lucky me. /looks at the remains of my shirt now littering the ground, the skin slowly starting to mold together and heal, the pain vanishing almost as briefly as it had come/ you certainly do have a way with people /grabs the strewn fabric, using it to wipe off the blood staining my skin/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /stops when you grab my wrist and looks at you
Hm? /realises after a moment that you're in pain/
Riiiight, right. Okay. Don't bite your tongue.
/sticks my fingers into your shoulder again, feeling around a little and eventually gets ahold of the bullet
/tugs it out and checks if it's whole - it is/
Looks like I need to change my ammunition. This thing should have burst open inside you. /tosses the bullet away
All good now, right? You can heal yourself? /smiles at you

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ Ah- /hisses when the knife knicks my chest from your rather hostile behavior, afraid to grab at you less the knife in hand causes more damage than desired/ really. Its fine. /assures you as the pain is somewhat blinding when your fingers begin to tear at my skin, grabbing at your wrists finally, chest heaving as I try to get you to take it easy/ okay okay. You can remove it, just- be careful.

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ Oh off. /slices open your shirt, grabs your shoulder and starts digging into the wound with my fingers
Hole's too small. /slices your skin open with the knife and goes in with my fingers again

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /feels uncomfortable with the situation, not used to others doing things for me/ its fine, ill take care of it once I reach my home. /holds up a hand in refusal/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ So? /looks at you in confusion
Take off your top, I'll dig it out for you. /brandishes my knife

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /keeps a firm grip on your hand when you jump, letting out a sigh of relief when the wound is no longer being agitated/ the bullet must be removed before I can heal. /explains as I press my palm against the wound to stop the bleeding/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /almost got it when you speak up and I hear you hiss, get distracted and lose the thread
Ah crap, I lost it... It's fine. I'll get it. One minute.
/looks down at you and sees the blood oozing into your shirt and your very uncomfortable expression
/lets go of your head and hand and jumps off, stares at you accusingly
What the hell, you didn't heal yourself??

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /lowers my head, gritting teeth and clenching my eyes shut as I fight through the pain, grunting through it while standing still like requested/ do you see it? /inquires with a low hiss/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /quirks a brow at what you call me/
Okay, now take another right big guy. /strains to get a better look, putting more weight on your wounded shoulder/
Yep, this is the way! Wait- stop. I need to try and trace the pace with my eyes first. Just hang out for a second. /squints and starts following the different paths with my eyes, trying to find the one that leads to the exit.

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ As you wish, little one. /keeps trekking on through the weariness and the pain, following your every word while ignoring the blood dripping down and staining my shirt from the wound being agitated and reopened/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ Yes, I'm sure. Third right! Let's go! /doesn't notice you starting to tire with me almost standing on your bullet wound and all that/
Third right and then..... straight until I say so.

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /smiles at the laughter, finding it to be rather cute compared to our earlier interaction/ I'll let you know if I do. /muses, starting to feel weary from the pain and the walking after several minutes, slightly dejected from the dead end but having enough faith in you to still find a way out/ are you sure?

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /laughs at your absolutely adorable - and ridiculous - exclamation
... /thinks
Great idea. Let me know if you see one.
/keeps guiding you but we end up at a dead end
Well , this is harder than it looks. /huffs in self-defense
/strains my eyes, squinting a few times cause it all looks like a blur at this point
Okay, I'm sure about this one. Go back and take a right. Uh.. second.. no, third right!

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ If you fall, I'll never forgive myself. /replies while gradually picking up the pace to a slow stroll, my grip upon you tightening out of worry/ now all you need is a hat to look official. /takes the turn without question, continuing to let you guide us in blind faith that you can actually see a way out/

@☘ ┊nie john ᵃ /one hand on your head, the other holding on tightly to your hand, I feel like a captain steering a ship
Okay, you can go a bit faster, I have good balance.
Take the next right!

@人┊mejibray meto ʰ /grows concerned for your wellbeing, gritting my teeth to dismiss the pain with a grunt, relieved when you take one of my hands for balance while resting the other around the tip of your shoe/ will do. /takes my time, shuffling my way slowly towards the first turn you mentioned, pausing for a moment to slowly turn without causing you to lose your balance/