Snake 11:30 A.M. Eighth Day
About an hour after leaving the others, I turned the corner and ran into Ox. He was wandering down the hallway at a leisurely pace, a troubled expression on his face. It quickly turned to guilt as he caught sight of me. I was getting prepared to ignore him and continue on my way when he suddenly walked up to me.
"Hey, I wanted to apologize for suspecting you earlier. And for not doing it earlier, I thought there were too many people around for that sort of thing." Ox adds, rubbing the back of his head guiltily. I blinked at him in surprise for a second before schooling my expression. I didn't expect an apology from him as well.
"It's fine, I don't really care," I reply.
"Still, you were just looking out for the group, and I suspected you without enough evidence." Ox continues, shame welling up on his face.
"I don't blame you too much, maybe I shouldn't have been looking for weapons on my own," I add as an afterthought.
"Oh…then, would you like to look for them together? I assume that's what you're doing right now, correct?" He guesses. I nod my head in confirmation to his question.
"I don't mind," I answer. Unlike with Tiger, Ox doesn't seem like the kind of person to pocket a weapon. Though I could be wrong, either way, it feels more comforting to have a calm presence near me. And I can keep an eye on him just in case.
The rest of the day passes quickly, and I find myself actually liking his company. He's different from Tiger, whereas Tiger is all about spontaneous fun and never being bored. Ox is calmer and more insightful, and willing to keep a pleasant conversation going. I feel like I have to keep my guard up around Tiger, but around Ox, I can feel my guard lowering.
On the other hand, Tiger makes me feel like an equal, like we're in this together. Ox makes me feel like he's…above me, in some way. Like he holds a power over me, like he's in control. Like it would be so easy to let go and talk about my fears and frustrations with him.
The last time I felt this way…didn't go well. So I keep my distance, making sure no details get too personal, keeping my facial features on a tight wrap. Despite all of this, there is one piece of information I would like to know.
"Are you and Horse…uhm, together?" I ask awkwardly, not quite knowing how to phrase it and wincing at how it sounds. Ox blinks back at me in surprise before bursting out laughing.
"Hahaha, kind of, it's just a fling for now." He responds.
"Don't you think that's…kind of quick?" I question him.
"I suppose, but in this situation, it kind of helps to have someone to relieve stress with. Plus, we have a lot in common." He explains. I keep my face from twisting with displeasure. This is a situation I'll never understand. Who finds out they're in a killing game and willingly starts a fling? It seems idiotic to me.
It was around dinner now, so we had slowly been walking in the direction of the dining hall after putting the weapons away in my room. By now, we had reached it and slipped through the doors and into the room. Only Horse and Monkey were there, so I took my seat and waited silently for the others.
Horse looked exhausted, and I put the picture together when Rabbit, Tiger, and Sheep walked in and stared at her and Ox for a second before smirking. Children, the lot of them. Tiger takes his usual spot next to me, and when I flick my eyes to him, he grins at me. I roll my eyes, but shoot him a small smirk. I couldn't help it.
When everyone else trickles into the dining hall, we start eating. Everyone is making quiet conversation with someone, it's a peaceful atmosphere, but with a feeling of anxiousness settling over it as well. It's hard to think people died in front of us, but it's not like we knew them that well. It was easy enough to move on and act like it never happened. The thought makes me sick, and I push my plate away in disgust.
"Ahem, I would like to talk to you all about something." Horse clears her throat, standing up and moving to the front of the room.
"Hm?" Sheep tilts his head curiously, looking over at her. The rest of the group also stare up at Horse.
"I thought that we should probably make some rules. After last time…well, let's just say I think it would be good for us." She says, looking around nervously, I spot Ox give her an encouraging nod.
"First, I propose that we don't go out at night. Obviously, we can't enforce this, but it'll be safer if we all try and be in our rooms by nine." Horse explains. The rule sounds fair, nobody has any objections to it.
"Second, I think we should keep an open communication with each other, always tell someone where you're going, and the like." She adds, holding up two fingers.
"Would we have to mention it every time we go somewhere? That sounds inconvenient." Monkey asks, raising his hand.
"No, like I said, we aren't forcing anybody, it would just be easier if we did things this way." Horse replies. Nobody else raises a complaint about her suggestion.
"Third and finally, I propose a buddy system, which ties into the second rule. I think we should all be assigned a buddy to check in with before we go to bed, how about it?" She asks.
"Fine, but don't expect us to spend every second with our buddy." Rooster grumbles.
"Great, I'll choose the buddies then. I'll go with Ox, Rooster, you can go with Rabbit, Sheep with Monkey, Boar with Dog, and Tiger with Snake, sound good?" She questions. We all reluctantly nod our heads. The need for some rules is mostly for our peace of mind, who knows if anybody will actually follow them.
"Hehe, I feel like I'm a little kid again." Tiger chuckles.
"It's either that or fear getting murdered every night," I respond, keeping my voice low.
"Eh? Don't tell me you're scared?" He teases.
"Obviously, unlike some people, I don't actively want to get murdered," I say through gritted teeth. And for the first time since meeting him, Tiger actually freezes. He turns away for a second before coming back with a bright smile.
"Ah, I guess you're right, getting murdered would be pretty scary." He says, before scooting his chair back and leaving the table.
"Talk to you before bed, buddy." He waves, leaving the room. I stare after him in slight shock…what was that?