Walking into work this Wednesday is a worrisome experience for Wes. He watches Anthony, who is walking around frantically, but stops to hover over Cliff's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Anthony asks upon realizing the editor is accomplishing nothing.

"Waiting for the footage that needs to be uploaded in two days." Cliff replies. Anthony lets out a grunt. Wes sighs sympathetically; he knows the last thing Anthony wants is to let rumors start about why Ian isn't there. But, he has no guilt. Anthony brought this on himself. Well, with some help, but still.

"Fuck, we'll have to do it without him." Anthony murmurs, rubbing the back of his neck. After all, the rumors would be worse if no video was uploaded. He lets out a frustrated sigh, and Wes hates himself for smiling. Anthony looks up from Cliff's desk to see Wes, who immediately erases his grin. But Anthony saw it. Anthony's lips compress slightly.

"Anthony," Wes starts sympathetically.

"Just help me get everyone ready to film." He walks off, leaving Wes with, not surprising, a tremendous amount of guilt.


The same feeling is washed over Sohinki as they wait for Mari. 'You mean about Ian', who the fuck am I?!

Lasercorn is sitting down, slumped, next to Anthony and Joven while Wes, still feeling guilty, is helping by adjusting the cameras. The awaited gamer walks in, her hair messed slightly. Lasercorn and Anthony barely notice, but Sohinki does.

"Where the fuck have you two been?!" Anthony snaps.

"Sorry.." Mari murmurs.

"I've been freaking out trying to get everything done!" Anthony rants. "Then we're waiting for you!"

"Leave her alone!" Joven bites.

"Stay out of this." Anthony mutters.

"Shouldn't Mr. Boyfriend be defending her?" Lasercorn says. Sohinki opens his mouth.

"Sohinki, you're fine. I'm sorry I'm late." Mari says. "Let's just get this over with." She sits next to Sohinki, who pats her shoulder. Her hand grasps his.

"Good luck." Wes says, then walks out. Once everyone is set, Anthony lets out a sigh that sounds more like a groan.

"Everyone got their fake smiles on?" He asks hardheartedly. Lasercorn flashes his whites so genuinely that you could almost forget how much the man is missing Ian, and he lets out his response.

"I always do."


"Musical bang?" Mari questions.

"Musical bang!" Anthony shouts. Somehow, as Sohinki steps over to turn off the camera, the feeling isn't as good as their previous attempt at this game. Lasercorn shudders and promises himself that he'll never dance with Joven again, no matter how badly he's done.

After everyone dissipates, Mari and Sohinki are left together. Sohinki takes a moment before speaking to find his words, and in that moment there's a vague tension and distance, that he's never felt before. But he just asks.

"So, have you talked to Mel?" He says sheepishly. "About..what I said?"

"No." Mari says. "But it's Melanie. If you apologize, I'm sure she'll forgive you." She pats his shoulder, and he hugs her. It takes her a second, but she does return the motion. After they break, they walk into the hall. Upon opening the door, they hear shouting and hurry to the trio's office to find Anthony, Lasercorn and Joven, the latter of them sitting in a chair, worried.

"It's not his fucking fault! He's working things out!" Lasercorn yells.

"Stop yelling, you juvenile asshole." Anthony growls through his teeth.

"Oh, I'm the immature one?" Lasercorn says, volume not heeding Anthony's words. "I'm not the one being unsupportive of my best friend of the past decade." Something flashes, not quite anger, something deeper, on Anthony's face.

"Fuck off. You're in no place to judge my relationships." His voice has gotten chillingly low and growling. Lasercorn's scoff sounds almost like a laugh. A cruel laugh that is so alien to Lasercorn's normal one it sends a chill down Sohinki's spine. But when someone's loved one is in pain, it can change a person.

"Then let's do just that, shall we?" Sohinki winces at his friend's words. For all his physical rage, Lasercorn knows just how to hurt someone without his hands. And that's what he's just about to do.

"You've got nothing." Anthony responds. Sohinki notices Joven, who is visibly sick at all the fighting.

"Well first off, Melanie." Lasercorn says. "Don't know where that went wrong but she's mentioned to me that it's been, what, five months since you've had a real conversation?" Anthony blinks. Twice. Then doesn't say a word. "Or maybe Ian. You started off because he was catching rides. And believe me, handsome," Lasercorn takes a step closer to him. "I know you'd never have spoken to him if you weren't stuck with him. You've just got a sense of, superiority, to people you don't know." Anthony's hands are in fists now at his sides. "And Kalel." A laugh. "Don't get me started on the bitch."

That's where Anthony draws the line. Joven knows it's coming. Mari knows it's coming. And Sohinki knows it's coming right now. So before Anthony can break Lasercorn's nose, Sohinki pulls the taller man away as Joven holds Lasercorn back in case.

"Calm down!" Sohinki hisses when Anthony struggles.

"I'm going to kill you, you son of a fucking bitch!" Anthony wrestles against Sohinki's not-too-strong hold. Joven's expression is clearly of concern- maybe fear also? Because no matter how tight he holds, Lasercorn is much stronger than him.

"Let me go, Joven!" He snaps.

Everyone stops short when the fist to knock out Lasercorn is Wes'.


Oh noes. Well, Lasercorn had it coming, I guess.

Side note, you know ya'll are really bad at feedback? Pff. Anyway. Next chapter up soon(hopefully).