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Actively seeking out White Mask was definitely a terrible idea, if anyone knew what Wonder was doing they would have smacked him and called him an idiot, White Mask was probably going to stab him and call him an idiot.
God, Wonder was going to get stabbed again, wasn’t he?
Yet despite knowing it was a bad idea, Wonder continued to tread deeper into Mementos. Their previous conversation was interrupted and as of recently he’s had this strange urge to see White Mask again. It had been a while anyway, so maybe it wasn’t so odd.
But how to get White Mask’s attention? Even though he was surely watching, White Mask never came out unless he had to. Maybe Wonder could pick a losing fight? But all the strong enemies were so deep down, and then their conversation was at risk of being cut off again but due to enemies.
Hadn’t White Mask mentioned something when they first met? That hanging around would attract an enemy that even the full team couldn’t fight?
Wonder sighed and sat down on the track, he’d give it five minutes before finding an alternate method.
Two minutes in and Wonder got bored. So he randomly started screaming, as loud as he could for as long as he could before taking a break for a few seconds and starting again. If White Mask wanted to be stubborn, that was fine but Nagisa was allowed to be annoying over it.
Because White Mask was there. Wonder just knew it.
Another few minutes of the waiting and the screaming then–
“You!” A hand grabbed Wonder by the hair, forcing tim to look up at a very disgruntled White Mask. “What on earth is wrong with you? Not only are sitting defenseless in mementos alone but you’re screaming is attracting every shadow on the block. What could have possessed you to do this.”
“One,” Wonder started, “I’m not alone, you’re here. Besides, aren’t we one and the same, can you not figure out why I’m here?”
White Mask huffed, letting go of Wonder’s hair. “Marthym is on the top floor so no, I really can’t follow your thought process here which means it must be really stupid.”
“I came here to talk to you.”
“That is really stupid.”
Why did Wonder want to talk to him again?
“And you aren’t safe with me.” White Mask booped Wonder’s nose, Wonder glared at him in turn. “It’s like you never learn.”
“If I’m not safe with you then why do you keep saving me?”
“A number of reasons.” White Mask shrugged, “Maybe I want to be the one to kill you, maybe I need you to do something for me first, maybe I’m trying to manipulate you into loving me so I can make fun of you for being a narcissistic loser, a number of reasons really. And I might stop, do you have any idea on what you just made me fight?”
“That Grim Reaper thing you mentioned the first time?” Wonder suggested.
“The Reaper.”
“That.”
“Yes, that.”
“But here you are.” Wonder stood up and met White Mask’s eyes, then booping his nose with a grin. “Safe and sound.”
White Mask blinked, staring at Wonder’s hand like it was incomprehensible. “I think I’ve corrupted you.”
“The horror,” Wonder deadpanned, "I'm becoming more like myself.”
“You actually believe me?”
“No, not in the slightest but I’m almost certain you won’t be telling me the truth any time soon.” Wonder replied, “So I’ll play along.”
“Aw Nacchan, you are so sweet for enabling me,” White Mask gushed, a sickly sweet smile adorning his face. “Will you be a dear and enable me further?”
Wonder eyed White Mask suspiciously. “With… what–? Fuck!”
The same shoulder as last time, once again stained red. The cut skin felt like it was burning.
“A beautiful sight every time.” White Mask sighed wistfully, cradling Wonder’s scowling face.
“You stabbed me again!” Wonder couldn't help but lean on White Mask a little, he wasn’t near a wall and he didn’t want to collapse.
“That I did,” White Mask agreed easily, “You really ought to stop coming here alone, every time you do, I’ll add another tally to your shoulder. Ah, but you can’t keep this knife, I need it.”
Wonder choked back a scream as White Mask tore his knife from Wonder’s shoulder.
“How the fuck else am I supposed to find you?” Wonder hissed, the wound was starting to feel cold.
“Why would you want to find me?”
“To get answers. I want to know who you are and why you’re so obsessed with me, why you refuse to let me tell the team about you.” Wonder held on to continue keeping himself steady though his grip from the injured arm wasn’t very strong. His head rested on Wonder’s shoulder.
“I really have corrupted you…” White Mask seemed almost disappointed but there was something about it that made the description not quite fit. “You know I’m watching, stop coming down here.”
Wonder shook his head.
White Mask groaned and picked Wonder up bridal style before sitting him up against the wall and brandishing his dagger. “Stop. Coming. Down. Here.” Each word was punctuated by White Mask agitating Wonder’s stab wound with his dagger.
“Stop that.” Wonder caught the dagger though he knew that wasn’t actually stopping anything. “I get it.”
“Good!” White Cheered and booped Wonder’s nose with a bloody finger. “I’ll be going now so make sure you heal yourself before going back up. I’ll see you around.”
One part of Wonder really hoped not while another really hoped so.
Wonder grunted and summoned his persona, casting Diarama on himself. His shoulder still stung and felt like it was being pulled in all sorts of directions but it was healed. It was healed.
His vision swam as he stood up. It was probably the bloodloss, Wonder let his shoulder bleed far longer than he should have.
Every time Wonder tried to talk with White Mask he became more and more certain that something was wrong with him.