Kai watched silently as Corben took out his knife and began cutting off the fabric of Maylea's skirt, leaving a ragged edge right at her knees. His breathing had barely calmed as he folded up the cuttings and tucked it under Maylea's head, his actions slowed and hesitant.

She didn't speak until he sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you think we need to talk about what just happened back there?"

His eyebrows pinched together, before shooting up as Corben looked at Kai, startled. "Kai, I am so, so sorry. I would never, not like that, and I jus-"

"Shh." Kai leaned forward and pressed her finger to his lips, effectively shutting him up. "I didn't mean to either, so it was probably the game." She shifted and wrapped her arms around herself. "But if the game has us slated to be a "couple", I think we need to be ready for it to happen again."

He blanched slightly, and Kai sighed, leading him to grow red instead. "Kai, no offense, you're really cool, but this isn't something I want to do."

Kai frowned and placed her hand on his. "Don't worry, Corben. If there's any way out of this, we'll find it together. But if it does happen again, I totally understand, because it's not us, it's the game. However-" she looked him up and down, then smirked. "You should be glad you didn't get stuck with Carmen on this. I think she would enjoy it just a little too much."

Corben's face flushed again, and he turned away. "Yeah, I guess you can say that."

Kai tilted her head at the strange undertones in his voice. "Is there something I need to know..." She took a moment to rack her brain. "Fero?"

He looked up just in time to see Kai wiggling her eyebrows at him, and he groaned. "It's really nothing," he said, but the look in his eyes said otherwise.

"Oh!" Kai leaned forward, eyes shining. "Do you know? How much do you know? Is it too terribly awkward between you two?"

Corben got up and offered a hand to Kai, but didn't answer. Kai made a face, but took his hand, letting him pull her up. She went to take a step, but her feet got tangled in the hem of her skirt, causing her to stumble forward.

Corben caught her, and something clicked in Kai's head. "Wait, why don't you have a shirt on?"

|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|

Veronica was both cursing and thanking her family for being the way it was. On one hand, she knew how to stitch up a injury. On the other hand, she knew how to stitch up an injury.

At least Charlie wasn't asking any questions about it, because Veronica didn't even know how she was going to answer that. Beyond yelling at him, of course.

Charlie looked up from where he was studying his inventory, a flat canvas bag. "Oh hey, are you done?"

Veronica nodded and passed him the rest of the bandage roll, biting her lip at the pain the action caused. "Take this to Carmen, and see if she has anything else useful in that bag of hers, like painkillers or something."

Charlie took it and jogged off, the crunch of his shoes over the leaf floor fading, only for another set of footsteps to walk up to Veronica. She sighed, and draped her arm over her eyes to she wouldn't have to look at her new visitor.

"Hey Ronnie."

"If I hadn't just stitched myself up, I would punch you." Veronica hissed out the words, partially from pain, partially from annoying at having to deal with Avery.

He sighed, but the sound was strained. "Ronnie, that's one of the reasons my brother broke up with you. You're too much of a disaster."

Veronica couldn't keep the growl out of her voice. "He broke up with me because he was a coward, and you were a rat. I helped you get out of that place, if you don't recall."

Avery clicked his tongue. "I wouldn't have been in there if it wasn't for you," he hissed back, tapping his foot against her leg.

She cursed and tried to swat at him, but missed. "You're the idiot who tried to follow me, so it's your fault. It's not like I invited you, but I had to be the idiot to get you out."

Avery shuffled closer and pulled her arm back so he could look into her eyes. "And have that on your conscience? You and I both know you would have never left me there."

Veronica sucked in a sharp breath and then sat up, ignoring the flaming pain stabbing at her lungs. "All I know," she hissed, grabbing the collar of his tunic. "Is that my life would be much easier if I had." She pushed him away and used that momentum to rise to her feet, stumbling as she caught her balance.

Avery was there in an instant, pressing a hand to her back in support. "You love to hate me," he teased, stepping back once she had steadied herself.

"If you say so," she replied weakly, looking around the clearing for wherever Charlie had dissapeared to. Her eyes caught on Carmen, on Azalea, on a white and crimson form that could only have been Juno. Her legs went limp, and Avery's hand shot back to her back.

"I don't... Need... Your... Help." The word were ragged and two spaced out as Veronica tried to calm her breathing into something that didn't make her see spots with every inhale. "Just leave me alone, Avery."

"No can do."

Veronica took a step forward, and he followed, his hand just at the middle of her back, an annoyance just as much as it was a support. Charlie appeared out of nowhere, juggling several different jars and bottles and something that shimmered blue. He stopped before the two of them with a great clattering and clinking of glass, a distressed look on his face. "Veronica!" He all but dumped his haul and put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her down to sit propped against the stone once more.

She would have fought against it if she hadn't been so tired.

"You can't just be running around right now," he scolded, digging through the jars and bottles. "You just got hurt, and I can tell by your face that you're clearly in pain."

"Pain is for weaklings."

The words were out of her mouth before she could think, habit, a repetition of her childhood, her entire life, summed up and revealed in four little words. "I am not weak." These ones were smaller, barely a breath, not for Charlie, or Avery, or anyone else to hear.

These words were for no one but herself

|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|

Missus stared at the screen, then at the the girl beside her, and back to the screen. "That shouldn't have happened."

"I know." James was there, furiously working at his laptop, a scowl on his face, so uncommon to see. "It shouldn't have happened to that boy either."

"They have names, James," Missus chided, looking down at the girl. Well, not quite looking. She was looking at a screen on the outside of her simulation tube, the one that mirrored the system check that James was running. "Have you found out the problem yet?"

James shook his head. "The system is too overloaded, but I can't find the root cause." He stopped, leaving the room eerily quiet. "It's just going to keep deteriorating, but I haven't run enough tests to see if it is safe to pull them out."

Missus folded her arms, a frown on her normally welcoming face. "You mean you just tossed these kids into danger and don't know if we can get them out?"

"I'll get them out!" James slammed his fists on the desk and stared up at her, chest heaving. A breath, a second one, before he went limp. "Sorry, Missus. I shouldn't have raised my voice." He fiddled with his wristband before continuing to work on the keyboard. "But these kids will get out of there. I'll find a way."

Missus turned back to the screen and watched as two of the teens ran across it, one dragging being all but dragged by the other. "You better," she murmured, the words barely a breath on her lips. "Or the Master will not be pleased."

|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|

Corben tried to remind himself that Kai could not run as fast as he did, could not keep up, could not go as far, but every time he tried to urge his legs to slow, to go at a more manageable pace, all that seemed to happen is that he picked up speed. His lungs were tightening, and although they had only been at this for a couple minutes, his stamina was ebbing faster than he could cling to it.

Kai clung to his hand, stumbling behind him, and every time he felt a tug on his arm from her tripping or needing to stop for a breath, guilt hit him, as real and tangible as the arrow in Maylea. Or unreal. He wasn't sure what was simulated emotions, or real feelings, and which one was giving him this sense of urgency now.

He knew that overpowering feeling of longing from before was not right. And neither was the feel of Kai's lips on his, not like that. Not with knowing her for such a short amount of time, not with Maylea there just paces away, and him helpless to go to her.

But this sadness hurt, hurt so much more than he had ever expected something could. Corben knew that thus wasn't real, wasn't right, that he would wake up and she could be there, but the look in her eyes and the fear in her voice was slowly stealing his breath, until his lungs spasmed for breath as the moment replayed the moment, vivid, stark, again, again, again.

His knees had locked up and the next step sent him to the ground, tumbling through leaf litter and branches, dragging Kai down with him, rolling down sloped land until he hit a sudden stop against a stone. Pain jolted through his bones, a groan following as he opened his eyes and assessed the moment.

Kai was on top of him, chest heaving as she stared down at him with big eyes, dirt streaking across her cheek, a leaf dropping from her hair. "Sorry," she whispered, and for a moment, the awkwardness faded away.

"My dear princess, if you wanted me down, there are easier ways to do so." The words slipped easily out of Corben's mouth, bitter and choking him as he struggled against the game, the twisted experiment. "I'll do whatever you could ever want."

"Oh?" The word was clear and light, but Kai's face revealed her own panic. Corben tried to twist his face into something apologetic as his hands reached up and tangled into her hair, pulling out pin after pin, winding through the dark locks. "Perhaps you should prove that to me," the princess purred, leaning down.

This was not them, this was not Corben and Kai, this was a Princess and her rebel, an act, a falsity that he only needed to endure a bit longer.

"I would be glad to." He pulled her down to close the gap, and for the briefest of heartbeats, he let himself fall into the role, a rebel desperate to save his love, a man who would do anything.

Kai stiffened at the sudden affection, though their words had been evident toward was to come, and the line between Corben and Ferro was clear once more.

He let go of her, letting her rise slightly and push her hair out of her face, still staring down at him, lips just parted as she collected herself.

"We are actors," he whispered, not even trying to resist when his hand reached out to brush against her cheek. "We are playing a part." She pushed off of him suddenly and fell to the side, and they lay there together, gaze still unbroken. "You are my princess. I am your rebel."

This time, when he cradled her face in his hands and pulled her into a kiss, she kissed him back.

|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|{}{}{}|

Trying to write kissing scenes without any knowledge of how actually kissing works is really hard

So! You guys get a choice! For the next simulation, I want everyone in different pairs than their roommates. Who they are paired with is up to you!

This isn't quite for shipping purposes, so don't worry about it being too important. Have fun!