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[madartisthashire]

TELL A LIE

You desperately wanted to be truthful to Ruben, but the way Roman was eyeing you from the side you knew you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. So you had no choice but to tell a bold face lie. You put on a fake smile as you replied.

MC: "U-Uh, yeah, heh, heh. Your brother was just curious about what I do for a living is all and..stuff.."

Ruben: "Oh? You know...I guess I never asked you about what you do either. I..feel rather bad about it."

You see the younger twin look away as he slowly rubbed his arm awkwardly. Once you see that tiny little frown of his, you couldn't help but feel a little guilty for lying to him, but at the same time you didn't know how Roman would try to do to you if you dared to cross the guy. The older twin was capable of doing anything to you if you thought long and hard about it. For now, you should just try to tell Ruben what your profession was.

MC: "Well...I always liked taking pictures when I was twelve. So, I became a freelance photographer."  

Ruben's eyes suddenly lit up. He looked like a child excited to see his brand, shiny new toy.

Ruben: "A ph-photographer?! Really?! Oh wow! I never seen actual photographers in person before. People that take so many pictures for a living...that means you're like me, an artist! That's amazing!!"

Your cheeks start to turn red. This was the first time you ever got any kind of compliment about being a photographer. Back home, aside from getting support from your father growing up, others thought that your hobby was considered as lame or not worth investing so much on. You even remembered how your ex told you how being a freelance photographer wasn't going to get you anywhere in life. It even got to the point where they told you how horrible your pictures were under the guise of "constructive criticism". But you knew deep down that they were being very disrespectful of your craft; however, you couldn't help but feel depressed. Photography was your passion, your love, your dream. To have someone like your ex just say such hurtful comments about your hobby...truly it was taking a toll on your mental state. You didn't know why your ex was harsh towards your photos, but after dealing with the loss of your father, combined with going to therapy to help with your depression, it wasAs a result, you decided to quit photography for two years until you got back to it after the break up.

To hear Ruben's cheery words made your heart skip a beat. 

MC: "O-Oh heh..well um, thanks, heh.."

Ruben: "Oh! Right! I need to make you that painting that I promised. I'll gladly paint you whatever you like, heh, heh~! Just come here and tell me what colors you want me to use. Normally I would just use whatever I have on me to paint...so...for you, I'll let you pick any colors you want me to work with.."

You get out of the chair after placing the plushie down and went over to where Ruben was. You see the white aluminum tubes of paint resting on the glass table, looking ever so symmetrical. You could see the tops decorated with the colors of each paint carefully drawn with marker. They all looked like paint splatters. You quietly choose which colors you wanted. 

You stared at the cool colors for a long time before picking up the three of your choosing: blue, purple and teal. 

Ruben: "You want those? Heh, heh..alright, I'll get to work then~."

*hours later*

Ruben: "Okay..! I'm all done..!"

You quickly snapped out of your nap, feeling the slimy trail of drool dribble down the corner of your mouth with your arms firmly wrapped around the black cat plushie that was resting against you. Guess you must've been very tired from the bus trip here than you've imagined. This was the second time you nodded off, how embarrassing!

You looked to the side, noticing that Roman was no longer there. Wonder where he went off to? Who knows? Who cares, right?

After cracking your neck and back a little, you walked over and peered at the canvas. There you saw a pair of cartoon like animals: a teal rabbit with a purple cat holding a blue heart in the center. In the background stood a lovely blue ocean with the teal being used as highlights for the foam being splashed upon the white sandy beach, the sky was all black with purple speckles of stars covering it, the teal moon rising up from behind the ocean to add the final touch.

Ruben: "S-So um...I know I usually paint semi realistic types of work, but..I figured I would make something more simple and...I um...well...I hope you really like it, Y/N."

You stare at it for a long time before answering him, a sincere smile spread across your face.

MC: "It's really cute, Ruben. I'm glad ya made this for me.."

You could see his cheeks flushing pure red, his eyes shifting to the side; he seemed taken aback by your words. Guess this was something he wasn't expecting to hear at all.

Ruben: "I..I uh, heh. ..Thanks, Y/N...I normally get a lot of compliments from the usual paintings I make. S-So...to hear you say you like this kind of style from me is just..."

Ruben slowly rubbed his arm up and down as a sweet, tender smile spread across his face. He genuinely looked happy, and if you didn't know better...it looked like he was about to shed some tears.

Ruben: "I'm so glad, Y/N, really. ...You're the only person that would say something so nice. I...I..."

It was then that Ruben began to cry unexpectedly, and you quickly take his hand into yours as you slowly try to calm him down.

MC: "Hey...Hey...Ruben, it's okay. It's okay...I really do like your drawing, honest. If anything, it's a very nice gift you made for me."

Ruben tried to reply back through sniffles while trying his best to control his heavy breathing, his body starting to shake uncontrollably. It looked like he was having some kind of anxiety attack, and you couldn't help but feel very concerned. The situation feels different from the incident at the cafe earlier.

Ruben: "I...I...I did something nice for someone. P-Please don't...Please don't take them...! I have to...to..!"

MC: "Wh-What? What are you--?"

Roman: "What's going on here?"

You turn to see Roman standing there before he turned his sights to Ruben, and his eyes widen upon seeing his little brother shake violently with his hand gripped firmly to his chest as he struggles to control his breathing. You can see him bare his teeth at you like he was about to lunge at you like a wolf to a sheep. He was seeing red.

Roman: "You! What did you do to him?!"

MC: "N-Nothing! I didn't do anything, I swear! He was okay one minute and then the next thing I know he..."

You look at the physically ill Ruben and then back at the raging bull of a brother, Roman. You didn't know what to do going forward.

[Help Ruben] / [Do Nothing]

During the road trip, you felt your eyes slowly getting heavy due to the rocking motion of the vehicle and decided to shut your eyes just for a quick nap. Even though the windows were down, the night breeze didn't bother you in the slightest; if anything, it felt so refreshing and comfortable. You felt so hot during your trip to Ember Falls, so to have a huge amount of cold air hit you was a godsend.

Ruben: "...Y/N, wake up. We're here.."

You slowly blink your eyes, moaning a little as you try to regain your senses. When you peer over to see, you couldn't help but feel your eyes widen in shock. The entire area was full of trees with a good amount of bushes covering them down below; some of them had berries while others produced lovely flowers that looked like they only bloomed during the nights. The lake looked so huge, it stretched almost 4 acres wide, and the water was glistening so bright with the help of so many fireflies hovering around. You could even see a couple of beautiful looking swans just resting in the middle of the lake as their heads rest against each other's, their necks curved symmetrically to form a heart.

You see a dock at the left end of the shore with a white rowboat with a blue strip painted all around the top, though it looked like some of the blue paint was chipped off on some corners here and there. The boat itself was neither new nor old, but it looked like it can be of use.

From there you turn your attention towards the house. It was a three story Victorian home. The shapes to form it were a combination of squares and triangles. The navy roof tiles complimented so well with the lovely sky blue paint and white trimmings. Above the front door stood a huge balcony that connected to a room from within. The windows consisted of two different shapes: rectangles and extended half rounds.

Ruben: "You like it? Our home...our great grandparents bought this land a long time ago. They made sure the house, the plants, and everything else was kept tidy and prim. Our grandparents inherited the land and then our parents, and now...brother and I own it! Roman always made sure that our gardeners take great care of the plants. ..Come on, I'll show you what it looks like Inside!"

You follow Ruben straight towards the door. At the side of the steps, you see four bushes, two had red roses and the other two had white roses. They looked so lovely at this time of night.

MC: "Those roses..."

Ruben: "Hmm? ..Oh? Do you like them?" *smiles at MC* "Our father really adored roses so much. At first, big brother wanted to get rid of them, but when I saw the white roses I really wanted to keep them so he decided to leave them be. Some people don't like white roses, but for me...I always find them so attractive and..very alluring, heh, heh."

You watch him pull his key out of his pocket and heard a loud click. The door swung open slowly and the two of you made you way in. The living room had wooden tiles with a lovely red velvet couch with white and black faux fur pillows on both ends, a cream velvet armchair on the left and a black velvet armchair on the right. A rectangular flat edge glass table with black wooden legs rested in the middle.

Ruben: "The living room doesn't look much, but...it's a nice place in the house to just relax and even do some things here and there. Roman and I would sometimes read here. As uh..heh, you can see from some of the books we have on the table there. ...Sometimes I even paint here in case my art room gets too cramped with some of the stuff I make. ...Oh! Heh..that's right. I guess I never told you what I do. I'm an artist. I tend to do certain types of art, like sculpting and painting. I always enjoyed doing those two things as a kid. Even my big brother took notice how good I was, heh, heh.."

It was then that something popped into his head.

Ruben: "O-Oh! Hey..! Since you were nice enough to give me the cute painter plushie I've always wanted...I can make you something in return! Would you like that?"

[Accept offer] / [Decline offer]

[madartisthashire]

ACCEPT OFFER

You thought about declining his offer at first, but the way he stared at you with those big, sparkly puppy dog eyes you just couldn't help but feel weak towards it. Aaaaah! Damn his sweet personality!

You nod your head in response.

Ruben: *smiles big, starts jumping up and down with the plushie bouncing about in his arm* "Yaaay! I'm so happy right now! I'll go fetch my paints, canvas and brushes." 

Ruben hands the plushie to you before rushing off to get his supplies. You decided to go sit at one of the chairs and wait for his return. It was then you look at the black cat plushie and gently rubbed its left ear, feeling the soft material press against your finger tips.

MC: "Hmm...wonder what he'll name ya? Bet it'll be something artsy, heh.."

Suddenly you hear a familiar loud click from the locks along with some heavy footsteps clopping on the wooden tiles. By the time the door was closed, you look over to see it was none other than Roman. He sees you, acting like his usual nonchalant self when you two first met back at the cafe.

Roman: "You're finally here...I do hope your trip up the terrain wasn't troublesome.."

MC: "It's fine..I did sleep through some of it.."

He spots the plushie you had in your hand, raising a brow.

Roman: "What's with the toy? Won it at a contest in town earlier?"

MC: "O-Oh uh..not really. I just went inside some shop and really liked a figurine they had, and apparently they said they give away plushies that come with the figurines for free. The painter one was what I got..so...I let your brother have the plushie for it. He looked very happy to have it."

Roman's eyes slowly widen. He remained silent for a few minutes before you suddenly see that same creepy, sharp toothy smirk appear on his face. As his expression slowly evolved to a mad man's, you start to quiver in pure fear. You don't know why he was behaving like this, but you felt the need to get out of there, fast! You try to get up but your wrists are immediately pinned down on the arm rests, you could feel the intense pressure grip firmly from his fingers.

MC: "H-Hey! Why are you!? Let me go! You're hurting me!"

His face was now in full view, you could see how very unnerving it looks. Seeing his four sharp, pearly white canines up close and his eyes---those piercing, blue and purple irises---made you feel even more terrified than ever. You could feel your blood run cold. You try your best to speak, but your voice sounded so hoarse as a result of being so frightened by Roman's horrifying appearance.

MC: "I...you're scaring me, man. Please...don't hurt me..!"

Roman: " Ý̶̳̪o̷͈̐̀ù̴͍̖ ̸̬̠́ĉ̷̞̳̀ḫ̸͐ŏ̵͐͜s̶̖͑ȅ̵͚̓ ̸̦̆r̸̬̄ḯ̶͈̎g̴̻̐̈́h̶͖͘͜͝t̴̬̓.̷̧̘͌.̸̱́!̷̯̺̏̊ ̵̭̍͋Y̷̳͌e̸̻͠s̵̡̅͘,̸̬̉̅ ̴̦̽̊ỳ̸͕e̸͍͐͐s̸̤̃̕,̸̯̈͌ ̸̣̗̅ỵ̴́̆ȩ̷̨̕ĕ̴͎̍e̵̪͌ē̸͈̺̃ṣ̸̻̍s̸̒͜ṣ̶̍s̶̨̈̑.̷̞̾̎.̵̯̓.̸̥͛!̶̘̑̀ ̵̮͛͜W̷͍͆ḯ̸̙͎̇l̶͑̌͜l̸͈̈́ ̵̧̠̾̌y̸͖̓̑o̸̟̖͋̏ů̵̺͔́ ̵̭͋͑b̴̬̿̇͜e̷̛͈̥c̶̨̧͠o̸̝̽ͅm̷̦̝̉ê̴̦̇ ̴̖̿t̸̛͖̊h̶̡͎̀e̷̹̘͊ ̴̤̲̑͝t̷̠̰̄̓r̷͙̙͂͝ú̴͚è̶͖̐ ̴̭͙͋͝Ä̶̰͙́l̵̩̔i̸̼̚c̷̳̐̅e̷͓̊̀?̷͈̿ ̸͓̅̋W̵̛̩͚̏ȉ̸͖l̸̝̙̿l̷̙̈́̊ ̷̤̼̈́̕y̴̨̻̏͘ò̴̞̞̐u̵̻̭͌́ ̸̱̉ḅ̸̭̾͋ẽ̴̠̈ ̴͖̋̀a̵̛̠͓͆b̵͚̀l̸̖͘ě̷͜ ̷̰́ţ̸̱̊o̸̬̔̈ ̸̹̀m̶͈̲̀ã̶̳̊k̴̬̫͘e̴̥̽ ̷̼̈m̶̰͚̔y̶͇͖̽͝ ̸͈͜͝l̴̛̘̂i̸͍͎̿ṱ̴̺̓͝t̵̢̲̚l̶̜̓ĕ̵͖̑ ̸̢̓̇W̶͍̳͋ḩ̴̍į̷͍̈́̄ẗ̶̜̥ȩ̵͊ ̶͙̼́̾R̵͎̙̾a̶̳̮͝b̵̠̒b̸̯͚̏͠i̵̬̫̅t̶̼̄́ ̸̟̿̇h̶̜͛͗a̶̧͘p̸̝̦̈́̓p̵͍̃ỳ̷͖̻?̸̨͍͑ ̷͙̏Ḩ̸̛̪e̴̝̓͘h̵̡͒,̸̢͈̅̍ ̶̝̰̑h̴͈͘ẹ̵̺͠h̶̰̙̀͠,̷͉̫̐ ̶̰͑h̷̹̳̓̌ẽ̴̼h̶̋͜,̶̩̑ ̵̣̟́ḧ̵̫̺́ę̶͐̉h̵͖̩̔.̵͈̤̀̑.̷̨̞͑͑.̵̻͈̃ "

MC: "Wh..What?! What are you talking about?!"

Ruben: "Y/N, I'm back! I'm so sorry for making you wait for so long!"

You see Ruben come in with his paint easel, brush and canvas with that sweet little smile on his face as always. He spots the two of you, looking very confused of the situation.

Ruben: "Roman...what you guys doing?"

Roman: *turns to face Ruben, looking normal as before* "Terribly sorry, little brother. I was just having a friendly chitchat with them, that's all.."

You look at Roman for a moment, unable to shake what just happened and could feel from his gaze aiming at you alone that you need to be very carefully with how you want to go about this. Do you want to tell Ruben the truth? Or would you rather go along with a false reality?

[Tell the Truth] / [Say Nothing] / [Tell a Lie]

During the road trip, you felt your eyes slowly getting heavy due to the rocking motion of the vehicle and decided to shut your eyes just for a quick nap. Even though the windows were down, the night breeze didn't bother you in the slightest; if anything, it felt so refreshing and comfortable. You felt so hot during your trip to Ember Falls, so to have a huge amount of cold air hit you was a godsend.

Ruben: "...Y/N, wake up. We're here.."

You slowly blink your eyes, moaning a little as you try to regain your senses. When you peer over to see, you couldn't help but feel your eyes widen in shock. The entire area was full of trees with a good amount of bushes covering them down below; some of them had berries while others produced lovely flowers that looked like they only bloomed during the nights. The lake looked so huge, it stretched almost 4 acres wide, and the water was glistening so bright with the help of so many fireflies hovering around. You could even see a couple of beautiful looking swans just resting in the middle of the lake as their heads rest against each other's, their necks curved symmetrically to form a heart.

You see a dock at the left end of the shore with a white rowboat with a blue strip painted all around the top, though it looked like some of the blue paint was chipped off on some corners here and there. The boat itself was neither new nor old, but it looked like it can be of use.

From there you turn your attention towards the house. It was a three story Victorian home. The shapes to form it were a combination of squares and triangles. The navy roof tiles complimented so well with the lovely sky blue paint and white trimmings. Above the front door stood a huge balcony that connected to a room from within. The windows consisted of two different shapes: rectangles and extended half rounds.

Ruben: "You like it? Our home...our great grandparents bought this land a long time ago. They made sure the house, the plants, and everything else was kept tidy and prim. Our grandparents inherited the land and then our parents, and now...brother and I own it! Roman always made sure that our gardeners take great care of the plants. ..Come on, I'll show you what it looks like Inside!"

You follow Ruben straight towards the door. At the side of the steps, you see four bushes, two had red roses and the other two had white roses. They looked so lovely at this time of night.

MC: "Those roses..."

Ruben: "Hmm? ..Oh? Do you like them?" *smiles at MC* "Our father really adored roses so much. At first, big brother wanted to get rid of them, but when I saw the white roses I really wanted to keep them so he decided to leave them be. Some people don't like white roses, but for me...I always find them so attractive and..very alluring, heh, heh."

You watch him pull his key out of his pocket and heard a loud click. The door swung open slowly and the two of you made you way in. The living room had wooden tiles with a lovely red velvet couch with white and black faux fur pillows on both ends, a cream velvet armchair on the left and a black velvet armchair on the right. A rectangular flat edge glass table with black wooden legs rested in the middle.

Ruben: "The living room doesn't look much, but...it's a nice place in the house to just relax and even do some things here and there. Roman and I would sometimes read here. As uh..heh, you can see from some of the books we have on the table there. ...Sometimes I even paint here in case my art room gets too cramped with some of the stuff I make. ...Oh! Heh..that's right. I guess I never told you what I do. I'm an artist. I tend to do certain types of art, like sculpting and painting. I always enjoyed doing those two things as a kid. Even my big brother took notice how good I was, heh, heh.."

It was then that something popped into his head.

Ruben: "O-Oh! Hey..! Since you were nice enough to give me the cute painter plushie I've always wanted...I can make you something in return! Would you like that?"

[Accept offer] / [Decline offer]

[madartisthashire]

During the road trip, you felt your eyes slowly getting heavy due to the rocking motion of the vehicle and decided to shut your eyes just for a quick nap. Even though the windows were down, the night breeze didn't bother you in the slightest; if anything, it felt so refreshing and comfortable. You felt so hot during your trip to Ember Falls, so to have a huge amount of cold air hit you was a godsend.

Ruben: "...Y/N, wake up. We're here.."

You slowly blink your eyes, moaning a little as you try to regain your senses. When you peer over to see, you couldn't help but feel your eyes widen in shock. The entire area was full of trees with a good amount of bushes covering them down below; some of them had berries while others produced lovely flowers that looked like they only bloomed during the nights. The lake looked so huge, it stretched almost 4 acres wide, and the water was glistening so bright with the help of so many fireflies hovering around. You could even see a couple of beautiful looking swans just resting in the middle of the lake as their heads rest against each other's, their necks curved symmetrically to form a heart.

You see a dock at the left end of the shore with a white rowboat with a blue strip painted all around the top, though it looked like some of the blue paint was chipped off on some corners here and there. The boat itself was neither new nor old, but it looked like it can be of use.

From there you turn your attention towards the house. It was a three story Victorian home. The shapes to form it were a combination of squares and triangles. The navy roof tiles complimented so well with the lovely sky blue paint and white trimmings. Above the front door stood a huge balcony that connected to a room from within. The windows consisted of two different shapes: rectangles and extended half rounds.

Ruben: "You like it? Our home...our great grandparents bought this land a long time ago. They made sure the house, the plants, and everything else was kept tidy and prim. Our grandparents inherited the land and then our parents, and now...brother and I own it! Roman always made sure that our gardeners take great care of the plants. ..Come on, I'll show you what it looks like Inside!"

You follow Ruben straight towards the door. At the side of the steps, you see four bushes, two had red roses and the other two had white roses. They looked so lovely at this time of night.

MC: "Those roses..."

Ruben: "Hmm? ..Oh? Do you like them?" *smiles at MC* "Our father really adored roses so much. At first, big brother wanted to get rid of them, but when I saw the white roses I really wanted to keep them so he decided to leave them be. Some people don't like white roses, but for me...I always find them so attractive and..very alluring, heh, heh."

You watch him pull his key out of his pocket and heard a loud click. The door swung open slowly and the two of you made you way in. The living room had wooden tiles with a lovely red velvet couch with white and black faux fur pillows on both ends, a cream velvet armchair on the left and a black velvet armchair on the right. A rectangular flat edge glass table with black wooden legs rested in the middle.

Ruben: "The living room doesn't look much, but...it's a nice place in the house to just relax and even do some things here and there. Roman and I would sometimes read here. As uh..heh, you can see from some of the books we have on the table there. ...Sometimes I even paint here in case my art room gets too cramped with some of the stuff I make. ...Oh! Heh..that's right. I guess I never told you what I do. I'm an artist. I tend to do certain types of art, like sculpting and painting. I always enjoyed doing those two things as a kid. Even my big brother took notice how good I was, heh, heh.."

It was then that something popped into his head.

Ruben: "O-Oh! Hey..! Since you were nice enough to give me the cute painter plushie I've always wanted...I can make you something in return! Would you like that?"

[Accept offer] / [Decline offer]

[madartisthashire]

PAINTER

You gaze at the lone quarter for a moment before you put it underneath your thumb and index finger, whispering to yourself, "Heads it's the painter, tails it's the mad hatter..." Upon flicking it, you watch the coin flip about multiple times in the air and quickly catch it, slamming it straight down on your hand. You could hear your heart thumping loudly in your ear almost as if you were scared of the outcome. After tuning the sound out, you slowly lift your hand up to see that it came out heads.

You were satisfied with the outcome and carefully removed the figurine from the shelf. Since you were the only customer in the shop, being able to get to the cashier without having to deal with being behind someone would be a piece of cake to you. You got to the front and set the figurine down on the counter.

Cashier: "Howdy! Oh? You want to buy that eh? Want to let cha know that whenever someone buys any one of our black cat figurines, we also give our customers a plushie to go with them for free!"

You were very surprised that they would provide that kind of free gift to customers, but you didn't mind at all. You paid for the figurine and walked out with the two items held in a black plastic bag. You stop at the water fountain to set your luggage aside along with the bag. You pull the plushie out and couldn't help but look at it, slowly reminding you of Ruben. Even though you only got to know him for a short amount of time in the plaza when you first met him, the time you spent with him and his brother, Roman, back at the cafe was rather nice. You did appreciate how Ruben was sweet enough to let you have some of his chocolate milkshake be put on top of the vanilla milkshake you chose earlier. Perhaps...?

Suddenly the sun was starting to set down from the west, the skies slowly changing its early afternoon colors to the early evening. You can see the lamps in the plaza automatically lit up whenever evening starts to set in. Pretty soon you start to see a huge crowd of people enter the plaza from both corners of the place. It looked so lively when it comes to this time of night apparently.

You heard a familiar voice calling out to you, and when you turned your head to see it was none other than Ruben. He rushed over to you, trying to get past some of the couples and families that were quickly passing by and he finally managed to get to you. You watched him lean forward, his hands resting on his knees as he panted and wheezed simultaneously.

Ruben: "I...I...I...I found you..." *looks up at MC, smiles* "Are you enjoying your time here? Things will get a bit chaotic at night, as uh...you can see, heh, heh. ...O-Oh!"

You see him point at the plushie, his eyes widen in shock.

Ruben: "Is..Is that a plushie from that shop? I love those black cat figurines! My father would always collect those for me as a kid.." *frowns a little* "...I always loved that painter black cat, but...I could never get the plushie that goes with it. Always sold out of them they would always say...."

You look back at the plushie then back at him. You weren't a fan of having stuffed animals as a kid, and you still weren't now.

MC: "...I got the painter figurine so, you can have this.."

Ruben: "R-Really?! Are..Are you sure, Y/N?"

MC: "It's fine, I'm not a fan of stuffed toys anyway...so go ahead."

Ruben takes the plushie from you, stares at it before smiling big and hugs it tightly as he began hopping up and down.

Ruben: "Yaaaaay~! I'm so happy! I'll treasure this gift forever!!"

Ruben was really happy with the gift you willingly gave to him. He'll remember your kind generosity. When you saw his sweet little smile, you could feel your heart skip a beat a little.

True Love [💚🖤🖤🖤🖤]

(Whenever you slowly start to react towards Ruben's gestures or any other character's gestures---based on genuine affection---the True Love meter will appear. The empty heart sockets will immediately fill up with each progress you make. Each ending will play out based on how much love you give to the characters of the story. Love can lead us to happiness, but at times Love can also ruin us. But is Love really necessary?)

Ruben held the black cat painter plushie close to his body like a young boy holding onto his teddy bear for dear life before something dawned on him.

Ruben: "O-Oh..! Right, heh. I forgot. ...I did say that you could spend the night at our place. If um..If you're ready to go, it's the perfect time. I can take you back there myself."

You look at your phone for a minute to check the time, seeing that things will slowly get darker around town over time. On top of that, you really didn't want to waste your time by spending some of your money for a couple of nights at a local motel. You nodded your head in response.

Ruben: "Yay! Okay..just come follow me. We'll get back home soon, and I'll show you the whole layout of our lovely house.."

You gather your belongings and start making your way through the crowd, following behind Ruben. You got to the parking lot and set your stuff in the back of his custom tailored camo wrangler before hopping into the front seat.

Ruben: "..My brother was kind enough to get this for me as a birthday gift long ago. It's very useful for driving around rough patches here and there, heh, heh. I can't wait to show you our place, you're really gonna like it, Y/N..!"

As soon as the engine revved up, the two of you slowly pulled out and drove away to your next destination.

As the day went on, you began to explore the entire area the town has to offer for you. You went into a shop and gazed at some of the trinkets the owners had on display. Some of the shelves had stuffed scarecrow plushies, some had the usual snow globes with certain characters or other random creatures inside with the hard plastic snow bits resting down below. One shelf held a good amount of lovely scented candles that could only be found in Ember Falls, but there were some you've seen before that were from back home and anywhere else in the country.

MC: "Heh...guess this town loves putting up fall decor. With a name like Ember Falls, I can see why they stay true to the autumn season. I mean, I did hear that their autumn festivals are suppose to be fantastic. ...Maybe I can check one of them out sometime.."

You turn your attention to a shelf that stored a certain amount of stone resin, cartoon like anthropomorphic black cat figurines all wearing different set of clothes. You could tell how very well crafted and articulate each figurine looked, and you couldn't help but just stare at their beauty for a long period of time. Suddenly, your left eye shot a quick glance at one of the black cats wearing a white coat covered in multiple paint blobs while holding a wooden paint palette in its left hand and a medium sized paint brush on the other. Next to it stood a black cat wearing a cute Hatter's outfit with the teapots resting next to its right leg and a white fuzzy rabbit to its left leg. The jacket was velveteen and red with a black checkered vest to compliment the black velveteen hat with a red checkered ribbon wrapped around it. Both of the figurines you looked at were very adorable looking, you looked like you wanted to get them both.

It was then you also saw another black cat figurine wearing a suit that looked like both parts from different suits were sown together; one was red with a black tie and one black devil wing on the left side and the other was white with a blue tie and one angel wing on the right. You see a halo hovering above its head with a thin metal bar attached to the back of its head and the tip of its tail was triangular.

You looked at the main three figurines that caught your interest. You couldn't decided which of the three you wanted to buy. So, you decided to pull out a lone quarter from your pocket to decided which figurine you would end up buying.

[Painter] / [Mad Hatter] / [Cherub]

[madartisthashire]

As the day went on, you began to explore the entire area the town has to offer for you. You went into a shop and gazed at some of the trinkets the owners had on display. Some of the shelves had stuffed scarecrow plushies, some had the usual snow globes with certain characters or other random creatures inside with the hard plastic snow bits resting down below. One shelf held a good amount of lovely scented candles that could only be found in Ember Falls, but there were some you've seen before that were from back home and anywhere else in the country.

MC: "Heh...guess this town loves putting up fall decor. With a name like Ember Falls, I can see why they stay true to the autumn season. I mean, I did hear that their autumn festivals are suppose to be fantastic. ...Maybe I can check one of them out sometime.."

You turn your attention to a shelf that stored a certain amount of stone resin, cartoon like anthropomorphic black cat figurines all wearing different set of clothes. You could tell how very well crafted and articulate each figurine looked, and you couldn't help but just stare at their beauty for a long period of time. Suddenly, your left eye shot a quick glance at one of the black cats wearing a white coat covered in multiple paint blobs while holding a wooden paint palette in its left hand and a medium sized paint brush on the other. Next to it stood a black cat wearing a cute Hatter's outfit with the teapots resting next to its right leg and a white fuzzy rabbit to its left leg. The jacket was velveteen and red with a black checkered vest to compliment the black velveteen hat with a red checkered ribbon wrapped around it. Both of the figurines you looked at were very adorable looking, you looked like you wanted to get them both.

It was then you also saw another black cat figurine wearing a suit that looked like both parts from different suits were sown together; one was red with a black tie and one black devil wing on the left side and the other was white with a blue tie and one angel wing on the right. You see a halo hovering above its head with a thin metal bar attached to the back of its head and the tip of its tail was triangular.

You looked at the main three figurines that caught your interest. You couldn't decided which of the three you wanted to buy. So, you decided to pull out a lone quarter from your pocket to decided which figurine you would end up buying.

[Painter] / [Mad Hatter] / [Cherub]

[madartisthashire]

Hashire: " Ý̴̳ǫ̶̼̂͝ṵ̵̊͘ ̵͍̗͑̏c̶̤͗â̵͍͘m̴̞͋͠e̵̛͖͊ ̵̤̥̀̆ȉ̵͇̓n̸͔̲̆͠ ̷͓̀̏c̵̲͔̅̇o̷̝͠ń̴̗̤t̸͈̠͗̈́a̸͈͒̏c̴̫͉̒t̸̲͙̒ ̷̞̯͑̒w̴͍͆í̵͎͙͝ṯ̵̮͐ḧ̵̨́ ̴̘͝t̴̻̀̃h̵͚̖͑e̶̛̞̒ ̵̮̺̈́Ẅ̶̢̗́̊ĥ̵͓̜i̶̠̚t̷̘͑̆é̸͕ ̴̙͇͊R̵̘̄ạ̸̕b̵̭̍̓b̷̫̔̂i̸͓͌t̸̜͖͗̈́ ̵̰̈́a̴̱͐̃t̴̟́ ̵̖̖̽l̷̜͐̚à̵̜͘ș̴͇̍͐ț̷͋,̷̖͎̿͝ ̴͖̥̔ȧ̴͜͝t̷̘͝ ̵͈̏l̶̟̼̅͘a̴͈͑s̴͈̭̿͑t̷̲̂̚,̵̛͉̈ ̷̻̯̽ǎ̶̳̜t̸̨̓̒ ̵̬̤͋l̷̻̊͝a̵͍̰̽ã̸̡͍͘ā̴̼̫͂a̵̺̚ͅs̴��̮̍̈́t̵̹̓͜~̵̦͂.̶̠̪̒ ̸̘̄G̶͇͛̕ọ̶͈̽o̷͉͋̓d̵̡̈́.̸͎̲́͝.̷͇͑̕ͅ.̵͖̖͑Ģ̵̰̿̒ò̶̜̐ö̸̦̀d̶̟̓̃.̸͎̙̕.̴̢̭̉͝.̷̧̥̒Ǵ̴̩ŏ̵̖͚̐ǫ̴̞͊d̶͓̅.̶͔̘̊ ̴̟͂̎Ķ̸̑̒͜e̵̯̍̚ȇ̴̜̋p̶̧̱̀ ̴͓̲̅f̸̛͚͝o̴̼̦͗l̷̡͘l̴͙̪̈́̄o̸̡͑̒w̸̳͇̾͝i̷̺̤̕n̷͔͖͌g̸̭̓͊ ̵͔̥͒͂ḫ̴̣͘i̶͎̊͘m̶̻̍ ̷̯̒ǫ̸̨̛͝ǹ̸͖̦́w̶̠̽a̸͉͂r̵̹͆͘d̴̩̍̐,̶͖͝ ̶̰̭͋͐k̸͔̩̊͝e̴̛̠̋ȩ̷̹̄p̷̛͎̈́͜ ̶̧͕̏p̴͓̌͌l̵̖̳̀á̸͍͖͆y̵̥̒̄i̵̪͐̕n̸̤̝̚g̸͇̒̉ ̵̬͐͜t̴̫͗h̵̡̤̀e̸̯̰̋͝ ̵̭̮̈ḡ̶̥ä̴͇̼́m̴͉͛̕ē̴̫̖͌.̴̪̃̔ ̸̣̟̓̓Ḍ̷̣̂o̵̞͊͂ņ̵̫͑̅'̷͚̆̚t̴̞̻̐ ̵͇͘̕͜ḏ̸̌͜i̸͙͆͘s̸͈̘͆ắ̵̱̦p̶̨̊p̷̘͚̐o̸̯̥͑í̶̧͖͠n̶̮̅̏t̴̪͘͘ ̴͉͂ͅm̴͈͍͂ë̶̱́.̶̹͐͝.̴̭̼͐͐.̷̼̌ "

[madartisthashire]

COMFORT RUBEN

Ruben continued to cry and cry, and you realized that if Roman wasn't going to do something then you had to take the helm. You thought back to how you had to handle a similar situation like this but with your own baby cousin back home. If it worked on a child, it can certainly work on a grown man like him.

You quietly take one of Ruben's hands and cup it into your hands. You begin to call out to him softly in order to get his attention to you. 

MC: "Hey...Hey...shh...shh...calm down. Calm...down. Take deep breaths...and listen to what I have to say to you, okay?"

Ruben slowly did what you told him to do, and used his arm to rub off the slimy snot and tears while making a loud snort that anyone within the cafe could hear.

You curled the right corner of your mouth in disgust just from the sound alone, but you tried your best to stay focused.

While you're trying to comfort Ruben you couldn't help but get a quick glance at Roman, who was watching you intentively. You could feel an intense cold shiver shot straight down your spine just by that scary stare of his. You look back at Ruben.

MC: "...Ruben, I'm not gonna be mad at you for this. It's like your brother said, no use crying over something this small.."

You give Ruben a soft smile.

MC: "Besides, it's whipped cream, so don't stress yourself out over it, big guy. I'm not gonna get mad, so it's fine..okay?"

After a few minutes, Ruben slowly calmed himself down before returning to his cheery self.

Ruben: "..R-Right, heh, heh. ..Yeah..Yeah that is true. I guess I get too...overly sensitive about those kind of things..." *slowly smiles back at MC* "Th-Thanks a bunch, heh. I feel so much better. You really are nice, Y/N. I hope you and I can be really good friends."

You finished cleaning up the remaining whipped cream off of you and take a deep sip of the vanilla milkshake with a big clump of chocolate on top. You sighed, telling them how delicious the drink was.

Ruben: *eyes sparkle* "I know right?! I did say their milkshakes here are so amazing!!"

You listen to him ramble on and on about how the cafe's milkshakes are far superior than any other shop's milkshakes he's ever had, and you couldn't help but chuckle. It felt rather nice talking to him. It was like you can enjoy his company without feeling like you're being forced to do so. Back home, when you use to date your ex, you were always the one that had to come and be forced to hang out with them all day every day, even during your days off from work. You remembered how mentally exhausting it was just being around such a clingy type like your ex; hell, you had to endure so much verbal abuse from them during your so called relationship.

You wanted to get away from them, to get away from the life you desperately wanted to escape from. You remember leaving your ex a letter you stuck to the door of your old apartment, gathering all of your stuff to put in the bus and just hopped on to start your new life.

Now that you were going to live in Ember Falls, you feel like you would be able to feel at ease. To be able to start off with a clean slate.

Ruben: "Oh! Heh..better go use the bathroom. Sometimes these drinks always make me wanna go do my business, heh, heh. ...Sorry."

As you watched him carefully scoot himself out and head off to the restrooms, you slowly glance at Roman and flinch. You see a creepy, sinister smile etched on his face, showing off such sharp looking canines at you. His pupils were fully dilated, so big like you were staring into the void. His face looked so distorted, it was like gazing at a demon from Hell. You started to feel very uncomfortable by this.

MC: "...U-Um..are...you...okay? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Roman said nothing, still staring at you.

MC: "...Okayyyy...you're freaking me out right now. Aren't you gonna say something?"

Roman still said nothing. You start to shuffle in your spot nervously.

MC: "....U-Um...mayyyybe I should go check on Ruben..."

Just as you were about to get out of your seat, you could hear a low muffled sound coming from Roman. You stopped and stared at him.

MC: "...Wh...What did..you say?"

Roman: " T̸͔̞͈͕̟̣͛́e̸͙̋̀s̴̨̭̯̮͚̳̆͘͜t̶̜̤͙͚̗͇̐́̂͒́̀́̕.̶̢̜̫̈́̈́̿̂͜.̴͈͔͖̰̫̖̙̿̀͜.̵͎͓̫͐̑͆̈̊̓̉ǒ̸̘̾̈́̂̉͗͝n̵̦͖̓̓̋̽e̷͔͙̖̩̘͂̿ͅ.̶̻̦̈́̍̐̒̌͋͝ͅ.̶̨͎̦̌̍́͋̇̒̚.̶̖̅̊͘p̵̼̣͕͙̹͔̥̃͒͒a̸̳͔̯̍̊̽̊̅͆̊͝ṣ̸̺͕̲̯̗͕̽͋̒̇͝͝͝s̵̨̛̛̠̺̈̀̀̆.̶̥̹̜̖̪̌͋ ̶̱̻̮̞̠̆̈̓̓̅͘͘Ḵ̵͇̟̩̮͑̇̈́̀̑̐͘͠ę̸̬̱̀͜ế̵̲̝͕̈́̎̀͆̈́̚p̷̡̨̫̯̠͎͐̔́̾́̓͘͠ ̸͖̼̓̾́̎͆̀͘͜p̶̢̰͑̂̇͝ḻ̷̼̩̙̞̱́̓͝â̸̻̯̼̠̳̈́̓̽͋̈̉̿y̸̛̥͍̩̅͋͘į̵̧̰̗͇͙̔̈n̸̲͎͎̏̈̀͜g̶̨̛̺͈̗̒~̵̹̞͍͓͐́̒͂̎̚͘̚"

MC: "Wh-What? 'Test?' 'Pass?' 'Keep playing?' What are you---"

Ruben: "Sorry about that, I'm done now~!"

By the time the younger brother returned, you see Roman return to his normal self. You couldn't help but rub your eyes vigorously, trying to make sense of what you just saw. But his face was just the same you saw when he first arrived. You were just seeing things?

Ruben looked at you with worry.

Ruben: "You okay, Y/N? You look a little startled..."

MC: "It..It's fine, I'm fine. ...Maybe I should try to find myself a place to stay for the night.."

Ruben: "Oh..I see. ...! Oh! Hey, I got an idea. How about you spend the night at our home? We'll set up the guest room for you to sleep in. Then by tomorrow, you can go and search for your own place. What do you think, big brother? Sounds okay for you?"

Roman sips some of the strawberry milkshake before setting the mug down, slowly wiping the whipped cream off with the tip of his tongue.

Roman: "...I suppose we could accommodate to Y/N's needs.."

Ruben turns to you, smiling a little with his fingers clasped together.

You began to think of the options. On the one hand, you don't have to worry about spending your money at some motel and will be able to enjoy some peace and quiet within a guest room at the twin's home. On the other hand, you may have to sacrifice some of your cash you were saving up for a one night stay at the local motel in town, hoping that you would be able to have enough money to get a house.

When you thought about it, the first option outweighed the other. So you accepted Ruben's offer, and the man's eyes sparkled with delight and his smile grew bigger.

Ruben: "Yay! I'm so happy! You're really gonna relax well at our place! Y/N, if you still need to explore the town and stuff, you go right on ahead. It's still daylight out, heh, heh. ...Oh! Since you'll be spending the night, I should get going and get the guest room prepared! I'll go on ahead then..I'll see you later, Y/N!"

You watch Ruben walk out of the cafe first while Roman slowly gets up, stares at you and follows after him.

You were all by yourself, and you put one hand on the side of your head as you rest your elbow on the top of your other hand that rested on the table. You couldn't shake off the disturbing face Roman made along with that demonic tone he said to you earlier that was burning in your mind. You tried to mark it off as your eyes playing tricks on you, but it looked so real and authentic. You look at the milkshakes and thought to yourself that perhaps the drink you sipped from was probably old and made you see that horrid image. You take a quick sniff, sipped it again and concluded that the milkshake was not spoiled and there was no hint of detecting anything nasty hidden.

You sighed softly and just wanted to get on with your day. You left a crisp five dollar bill on the table as a tip for the waitress and left.

VANILLA

You couldn't decided between the first two flavors resting in front of you; at first you were really wanting to get your hands on the chocolate, but upon inspecting the vanilla flavor you could see that the coloring looked like that of homemade ice cream, and not the usual cheap fake vanilla brands you constantly get back in the city. You reach out and slowly take the third mug on the right.

Ruben: "Vanilla huh?" *smiles at MC* "It's my second favorite flavor, chocolate will always have a special place in my heart." *takes the first mug, then looks at MC solemnly* "...I uh...couldn't help but see that u-um..you looked like you were really wanting the chocolate..." *rubs the mug up and down with his thumbs, frowning a little* "..If..If you want, I'll gladly let you have it instead. I'll take the vanilla, I don't mind, really.."

You look at the chocolate milkshake then back at the vanilla. You were fully aware of how much of a chocolate lover Ruben was, and even though you too also liked chocolate, you shook your head and told him that you wouldn't mind having the vanilla milkshake.

Ruben quietly stares at you for a moment before he glances at the spoon resting just inches away from him, and got an idea. His face lit up with glee.

Ruben: "I know! I can do this!"

You sat there and watched him scoop some of the chocolate milkshake out and put it on top of the whipped cream with a loud splat and squish. It was then a dollop of said whipped cream flies up and hits the middle of your left cheek.

Ruben: *eyes widen in shock* "A-Ah! Oh no, no, no, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

You watch the man grab an extra napkin on the table, lean forward after sitting up and quickly try to remove the whipped cream from your cheek in a panic. Unfortunately, the table that Ruben's right hand was resting on starts wobbling to and fro, causing him to wipe only half of the whipped cream off as the rest starts to land smack on your right front shoulder.

By the time Roman manages to keep the table steady, the younger twin shrinks back to his seat, a frown smeared on his face.

Ruben: "Oh...Oh no..I...I did something bad!" *shivers, and begins to tear up* "I..I'm so sorry. ...I..I really didn't mean to...to make a mess. I was...I was just..."

He looked like a child that was trying his hardest to put on a brave face when he's about to get the worse scolding of his life. You could see the poor guy shaking profusely, sniffing up some snot as he began to whimper.

Roman just sat there and closed his eyes, sighing in disbelief.

Roman: "Ruben...there's no reason for you to behave in such a manner. ...Besides, it's just whipped cream. It's useless to cry over something so minor.."

Ruben: "B-But..But..But..! They'll hate me after what I did. I-I'm so sorry, Y/N..! I..I just met you and..and now I'll be hated..by my new friend..!!"

As Ruben continues to weep some more, you don't know how to respond to the situation. You look at Roman, hoping that he would try to calm him down. But he didn't. He remained as he was.

You had to figure out what to do and fast.

[Comfort Ruben] / [Do Nothing]

[madartisthashire]

VANILLA

You couldn't decided between the first two flavors resting in front of you; at first you were really wanting to get your hands on the chocolate, but upon inspecting the vanilla flavor you could see that the coloring looked like that of homemade ice cream, and not the usual cheap fake vanilla brands you constantly get back in the city. You reach out and slowly take the third mug on the right.

Ruben: "Vanilla huh?" *smiles at MC* "It's my second favorite flavor, chocolate will always have a special place in my heart." *takes the first mug, then looks at MC solemnly* "...I uh...couldn't help but see that u-um..you looked like you were really wanting the chocolate..." *rubs the mug up and down with his thumbs, frowning a little* "..If..If you want, I'll gladly let you have it instead. I'll take the vanilla, I don't mind, really.."

You look at the chocolate milkshake then back at the vanilla. You were fully aware of how much of a chocolate lover Ruben was, and even though you too also liked chocolate, you shook your head and told him that you wouldn't mind having the vanilla milkshake.

Ruben quietly stares at you for a moment before he glances at the spoon resting just inches away from him, and got an idea. His face lit up with glee.

Ruben: "I know! I can do this!"

You sat there and watched him scoop some of the chocolate milkshake out and put it on top of the whipped cream with a loud splat and squish. It was then a dollop of said whipped cream flies up and hits the middle of your left cheek.

Ruben: *eyes widen in shock* "A-Ah! Oh no, no, no, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

You watch the man grab an extra napkin on the table, lean forward after sitting up and quickly try to remove the whipped cream from your cheek in a panic. Unfortunately, the table that Ruben's right hand was resting on starts wobbling to and fro, causing him to wipe only half of the whipped cream off as the rest starts to land smack on your right front shoulder.

By the time Roman manages to keep the table steady, the younger twin shrinks back to his seat, a frown smeared on his face.

Ruben: "Oh...Oh no..I...I did something bad!" *shivers, and begins to tear up* "I..I'm so sorry. ...I..I really didn't mean to...to make a mess. I was...I was just..."

He looked like a child that was trying his hardest to put on a brave face when he's about to get the worse scolding of his life. You could see the poor guy shaking profusely, sniffing up some snot as he began to whimper.

Roman just sat there and closed his eyes, sighing in disbelief.

Roman: "Ruben...there's no reason for you to behave in such a manner. ...Besides, it's just whipped cream. It's useless to cry over something so minor.."

Ruben: "B-But..But..But..! They'll hate me after what I did. I-I'm so sorry, Y/N..! I..I just met you and..and now I'll be hated..by my new friend..!!"

As Ruben continues to weep some more, you don't know how to respond to the situation. You look at Roman, hoping that he would try to calm him down. But he didn't. He remained as he was.

You had to figure out what to do and fast.

[Comfort Ruben] / [Do Nothing]

[madartisthashire]

You look over and see someone standing at the booth the two of you were at, and what you saw completely shocks you just by his appearance alone.

Ruben: *looks at the man, smiling* "Oh! You came to see me today, big brother?"

The man silently sits next to Ruben so casually, putting both hands on the table with his fingers locking in. You gaze at his entire being, amazed at how he presents himself from his style of clothes: a black business suit vest with a white polo shirt where the cuffs are pushed back to his wrists, even though his chubby body doesn't allow said suit vest to stay pressed down. His tie was completely black with a real 20k gold clip that rested within the middle, along with a pair of fingerless black gloves. You also noticed how his medium long, black hair was slicked back like he used a good volume of mousse, showing off a couple of white streaks on both sides. Sure his face looked a little rugged with some strands of hair on his upper lip and a medium long goatee, at least the hair style helped balanced things out. And even though you had to take a quick glance down below you see his trousers were the same color as said vest and he wore a lovely pair of wingtip two tone Oxford black and white shoes. What's even more astounding is how well cleaned they looked. Guess the guy really knows how to dress to impress, eh?

The stranger cleared his throat roughly in order to catch your attention. As you look back up you could feel an intense, annoyed glare aiming at you.

[____]: "I don't appreciate being stared at like some porcelain doll..."

You sit there, smiling awkwardly as the atmosphere felt thick and cold. The man's first impression of you didn't go so well.

Ruben takes notice of it and tries to ease the tension.

Ruben: "B-Brother, calm down now. I...I'm sure they didn't mean to upset you. After all, we weren't expecting you to drop by is all, heh, heh. ..Even I was surprised to see you here."

The man stared at Ruben silently before closing his eyes, taking a loud, deep breath and exhales very slowly. He then turns to face you, still having that serious expression on his face.

[____]: "My deepest apologies. I suppose one can't help but gaze upon someone of my caliber. I just don't...appreciate having people stare at me as if they're waiting for the right moment to judge me."

You waved it off like it was nothing and chuckled a little.

MC: "It's fine, really.."

[____]: "...By the way...you don't look like a resident here. I don't recall meeting the likes of you in this lil' town.."

Ruben: "They just arrived here, big brother. I know they still have all of their belongings, so...I do believe they just need a place to live."

[____]: "Is that right? ....I suppose you could try finding a good home to reside in. But be warned...there's only a small amount left to choose from. As long as you're able to bring the money to the table, perhaps you'll be successful enough to get a house of your dreams.."

Ruben: "...! Oh, heh, right. Almost forgot...this is Roman, and he's a really awesome big brother." *smiles* "He may look like he's some sort of second hand commander of a mafia gang, but...if anything, he's a well known curator for the local art museum in Ember Falls!"

It was then that Ruben's eyes widen in shock.

Ruben: "Oh god! I can't believe it! I forgot to get your name!"

Roman: *sighs roughly* "..You truly know how to be so absent minded some times, sad little brother of mine.."

Ruben: *blushes out of embarrassment* "It-It couldn't be helped, okay? I was just so happy to meet someone new I just...I just forgot to ask them is all! I didn't mean to..!"

MC: "My name is Y/N.."

Ruben: "Oh? Y/N huh?" *smiles* "Sounds nice.."

Roman remains silent for a moment before nodding his head.

You just couldn't help but watch how the twins interact with each other, and feel curious about their relationship together. You begin to have questions pop into your head. If the eldest twin is an art curator, then what does the younger twin do? What kind of lifestyle do they have? Do they have friends? Any other family members that also live within Ember Falls? The mystery of these two just made you more curious than ever.

However, you suddenly remembered about the four milkshakes you and Ruben received earlier. As Ruben goes back to drinking the rest of the vanilla and chocolate mixed milkshake, you turn to Roman.

MC: "Um...we were served four milkshakes moments ago.."

Roman: *raises brow at MC* "...And? What about it?"

MC: "W-Well..um...the thing is...when I asked Ruben about it, he said he didn't order them and there was no one else in the cafe that did it. Did we...get them for free since I'm...new or something?"

Roman: "I had a hunch my little brother would come to this place whenever he goes into town...so I made some arrangements and made sure they would serve him and...perhaps, a little friend my brother would try to bring with him...with something sweet. And so, I ordered these in advance. I made sure they put it on my tab."

So...Roman would have that kind of connection? How peculiar...

Ruben: "Mmmmm! That was so yummy! You should have one as well, Roman! They're sooo cold and creamy! I love it so much, heh, heh!"

Roman: "Oh dear..." *pulls out a red plaid handkerchief from his back pocket and gently wipes some of the whipped cream from Ruben's cheek* "You really need to keep yourself clean at times. Such a messy brother I have.."

Ruben: "H-Hey! I can do it on my own! I'm not a little kid..!"

Roman: *finishes and folds said handkerchief in squares, putting it back in his back pocket* "...As for the milkshakes...I suppose I could have one. After all, I did treat you.."

Ruben: *turns to MC* "You should try one too, what kind of flavor you gonna choose ?"

[Chocolate] / [Strawberry] / [Vanilla]

SAY SOMETHING

You decided to say something to lighten up the mood. You might as well try to get to know this stranger better through small talk, and let him do the rest.

MC: "...You have a big brother?"

Ruben: *looks back at you before answering* "O-Oh, yes. I mean..he's the only one I have as a sibling. He was born three minutes ahead of me; I mean, we are twins after all heh, heh.." *smiles warmly* "...Even though my parents divorced when I was five...my big brother would do what he can to help me understand that our family bond was severed. At first, I would always wait for father to return home...but as the weeks went on---when I realized he wasn't going to come back---I couldn't help but...cry. My father was a really...sweet man. He wasn't the type to hurt anyone unless you do something to his boys, of course, heh. ...But he was still a kind, caring soul. I can still remember...when he would treat me and big brother to yummy chocolate ice cream cones. ..The home made kind...they were always my favorite. Even though my big brother didn't like chocolate so much, he was okay with letting me share with him whenever they ran out of it down at the ice cream parlor, heh, heh, heh. Though...I would always eat almost the entire thing..but...brother didn't mind. He was fine with eating the sugar cone; always loved eating that the most for..some reason."

You stare at Ruben silently before suddenly giggling a bit.

Ruben: *raises a brow* "..Um...is something funny?"

MC: "He must have a little brother complex then?"

Ruben: *slowly blushes a bit at the statement* "I-I-I-I..! I highly doubt he does! I mean..! If anything, big brother just wants to do what he can to make sure I'm happy and satisfied is all." *slowly calms down, rubbing his knees together under the table* "...Sorry..I just uh...that's the first time anyone ever..said that, you know? I mean...sure my brother will get carried away...at times. But..But he does have good intentions.."

You couldn't help but feel a little awkward for the response the man gave, but at the same time felt rather bad for the reply.

MC: *rubs back of neck* "..If I uh...said something bad to ya, I'm really sorry. ..Um...care to tell me what he's like? Or...maybe knowing his name?"

Ruben: *blushes a tiny bit* "O-Oh no, you don't need to apologize. I mean, I was taken aback is all..." *closes eyes and smiles* "..If anything, it feels...very nice to talk to someone like this. ...It has been so long since---" *stops, eyes widen a bit and becomes quiet, glancing away from MC*

You remain silent, feeling even more awkward than ever. You couldn't help but wonder what Ruben was about to say before he cut off the rest of the conversation. Was there something that Ruben himself wasn't suppose to say out of fear? Or was is something else entirely?

Just as you were about to open your mouth and ask, a waitress with bright blonde, curly hair wearing a retro red and white striped polo shirt and red skirt struts over and places a tray of four milkshakes on the table.

Waitress: "Here ya go, fellas. Made sure they were all cold and creamy for the both of y'all~." *turns and lightly walks away*

Ruben: *looks over, smiling big* "Oh wow!! So beautiful!! The whip cream looks fluffy! And the cherries..! So shiny and bright! Oh boy, oh boy! I'm so happy right now, heh, heh!"

You watch him take the second mug as he proceeds to take a sip and sighs in delight. He looked like a child in a sense of how much he enjoyed drinking from it.

Ruben: *giggles happily* "A mix of vanilla and chocolate! Yummy!"

Suddenly, you realized that you never ordered anything when you two first came in or even saw a waitress come over to take your order. How odd. You look at the milkshakes then back at Ruben, seeing how happy he was with the drink he chose. He looked so oblivious to the situation as he continued to sip more of the sweet, creamy goodness.

MC: "Ruben...did you order these?"

Ruben: *stares at MC silently before answering with a smile* "Nope~!"

You couldn't help but feel so off put by such a straight forward answer from the guy. You looked around to see if someone was going to face you, and look back as a way of knowing that they were the ones that ordered you the drinks, but to no luck. Something felt...off.

MC: [If he didn't order them, and I didn't see anyone that can confirm this...then who would...?]

[____]: "Ah, so you were here huh, Ruben?"

[madartisthashire]

SAY SOMETHING

You decided to say something to lighten up the mood. You might as well try to get to know this stranger better through small talk, and let him do the rest.

MC: "...You have a big brother?"

Ruben: *looks back at you before answering* "O-Oh, yes. I mean..he's the only one I have as a sibling. He was born three minutes ahead of me; I mean, we are twins after all heh, heh.." *smiles warmly* "...Even though my parents divorced when I was five...my big brother would do what he can to help me understand that our family bond was severed. At first, I would always wait for father to return home...but as the weeks went on---when I realized he wasn't going to come back---I couldn't help but...cry. My father was a really...sweet man. He wasn't the type to hurt anyone unless you do something to his boys, of course, heh. ...But he was still a kind, caring soul. I can still remember...when he would treat me and big brother to yummy chocolate ice cream cones. ..The home made kind...they were always my favorite. Even though my big brother didn't like chocolate so much, he was okay with letting me share with him whenever they ran out of it down at the ice cream parlor, heh, heh, heh. Though...I would always eat almost the entire thing..but...brother didn't mind. He was fine with eating the sugar cone; always loved eating that the most for..some reason."

You stare at Ruben silently before suddenly giggling a bit.

Ruben: *raises a brow* "..Um...is something funny?"

MC: "He must have a little brother complex then?"

Ruben: *slowly blushes a bit at the statement* "I-I-I-I..! I highly doubt he does! I mean..! If anything, big brother just wants to do what he can to make sure I'm happy and satisfied is all." *slowly calms down, rubbing his knees together under the table* "...Sorry..I just uh...that's the first time anyone ever..said that, you know? I mean...sure my brother will get carried away...at times. But..But he does have good intentions.."

You couldn't help but feel a little awkward for the response the man gave, but at the same time felt rather bad for the reply.

MC: *rubs back of neck* "..If I uh...said something bad to ya, I'm really sorry. ..Um...care to tell me what he's like? Or...maybe knowing his name?"

Ruben: *blushes a tiny bit* "O-Oh no, you don't need to apologize. I mean, I was taken aback is all..." *closes eyes and smiles* "..If anything, it feels...very nice to talk to someone like this. ...It has been so long since---" *stops, eyes widen a bit and becomes quiet, glancing away from MC*

You remain silent, feeling even more awkward than ever. You couldn't help but wonder what Ruben was about to say before he cut off the rest of the conversation. Was there something that Ruben himself wasn't suppose to say out of fear? Or was is something else entirely?

Just as you were about to open your mouth and ask, a waitress with bright blonde, curly hair wearing a retro red and white striped polo shirt and red skirt struts over and places a tray of four milkshakes on the table.

Waitress: "Here ya go, fellas. Made sure they were all cold and creamy for the both of y'all~." *turns and lightly walks away*

Ruben: *looks over, smiling big* "Oh wow!! So beautiful!! The whip cream looks fluffy! And the cherries..! So shiny and bright! Oh boy, oh boy! I'm so happy right now, heh, heh!"

You watch him take the second mug as he proceeds to take a sip and sighs in delight. He looked like a child in a sense of how much he enjoyed drinking from it.

Ruben: *giggles happily* "A mix of vanilla and chocolate! Yummy!"

Suddenly, you realized that you never ordered anything when you two first came in or even saw a waitress come over to take your order. How odd. You look at the milkshakes then back at Ruben, seeing how happy he was with the drink he chose. He looked so oblivious to the situation as he continued to sip more of the sweet, creamy goodness.

MC: "Ruben...did you order these?"

Ruben: *stares at MC silently before answering with a smile* "Nope~!"

You couldn't help but feel so off put by such a straight forward answer from the guy. You looked around to see if someone was going to face you, and look back as a way of knowing that they were the ones that ordered you the drinks, but to no luck. Something felt...off.

MC: [If he didn't order them, and I didn't see anyone that can confirm this...then who would...?]

[____]: "Ah, so you were here huh, Ruben?"

[madartisthashire]

Ruben: *sits at a nearby booth and scoots right in the middle on one end* "Here, here! This is my favorite spot to rest." *smiles innocently, eyes closed* "That, aaaand...it's the easiest way of getting out in case of fires in the building or robberies, heh, heh." *looks at MC before changing expression to that of worry* "O-Oh, wait! It's not like it would happen right now mind you. ...I mean..I just prefer sitting in my usual spot whenever I come here." *looks over at the window to see the scenery, smiling softly* "...My brother would always take me here as a way of cheering me up whenever....SHE would do things to me." *stays silent before looking back at MC* "Sorry, heh, guess I was lost in thought there. Best to uh...not bring that kind of heavy topic, heh, heh...heh...." *sheepishly rubs arm, glancing away, a frown spread across his face*

The atmosphere felt so cold, so silent that you could hear a pin drop. You just quietly stare at the man, wondering what you should even say to him next. Your mind was trying to find the right words to say out loud, but nothing stuck.

[Say something] / [Stay silent]

[madartisthashire]

You arrive in a town called Ember Falls, a very beautiful, subtle yet homely type of environment. You decided to escape the noisy, busy going city life and reside within a warm, friendly, suburban like community. Even though the town itself wasn't exactly a place full of many people, but it's well known to be a place where tourists of all races, shape and size come and experience the magic it would bring. Some travel there to enjoy the festivals the townspeople would provide during autumn season, such as the Pumpkin Jamboree, the Orchard Carnival, and everyone's all time favorite, the Honey Apple & Sweets Palooza.

To transport yourself to a new and better location was the best decision you made for yourself. To be free from the stress, to be free from your ex due to...well...perhaps it is best to refrain from reopening old wounds now huh?

After the long bus trip, you decided to wander around the area; hoping to get adjusted to your new surroundings as anyone that moves to a new place would. Eventually, you arrive at the local plaza in town where you see a good amount of shops. Some are the classic mom and pop shops, some are family owned and wanted to start their business from the ground up and there were the typical tourist type of shops that you would see any casual tourist would go in to. You even take notice about certain buildings that got remodeled and end up becoming really good looking restaurants, not like your usual five star type of restaurants back in the city. Not too flashy, but not too boring looking either. And with every chalkboards that presented what kind of foods each one of them were show casing, you couldn't help but feel tempted to go into any one of the five restaurants to sit down and grab a bite. But for the moment, you simply decided to find the nearest metal bench and just take a load off.

Upon sitting down behind the water fountain in the middle of said plaza, you quietly glance at each person coming in and out from the shops, to those that were slowly making their way inside the shopping grounds or just watch them leave for home. You could feel a tiny smile etched across your face, taking in the peaceful aura that was enveloping the whole place. You felt so at ease, like you just don't even want to think about anything else while you were there.

However, your peace was interrupted by a stranger that took notice of your presence. He approaches you with caution before slowly trying to make himself comfortable around you.

Ruben: "Hello! ...You're not from around here are you?" *smiles at MC* "What is your name? ...Hmm? It's Y/N? ................" *smiles again* "Heh, heh. Such a unique name, I like that. I'm Ruben Grimms. But uh, heh...you can just call me Ruben. Or...if you wish to, I suppose you are free to call me by any name of your choosing. ...! U-Um, as long as it's close to mine is all. ...Ruby? U-Um...that's more feminine...but...I suppose I could allow it..I guess?" *rubs back of neck, smiling awkwardly* "I uh...know that we just met and all...but...oh my. Sorry, this is the first time I've ever greeted someone that wasn't a resident of Amber Falls so...apologies for how I'm speaking to you. I hope you're not perturbed by my mannerism. Oh? Well, heh...that does put my mind at ease." *stands there, smiling* "..Normally, I would've just let newcomers such as yourself go about your merry way..but...I feel like I should at least give myself a chance to help you around. Um...would you be alright if I treat you to a drink? ...!! O-Oh, no, no! Not like that! I mean...! It's such a nice day..and if we get sloshed on a day like this. ....What I meant to say is...I wish to treat you over a warm cup of hot chocolate. It's the fall season...the weather today is perfect to enjoy one, wouldn't you agree?" *smiles bigger, eyes sparkle a bit* "Oh goodie! Trust me, my dear, you won't be disappointed! I happen to know a lovely cafe that carries the best kind of hot chocolate. Come, come...! I'll take you there personally."

[madartisthashire]

Ruben: "Hmm? Oh! Heh..hello there. ...You must be new in this wonderful town of Ember Falls. Such a lovely place isn't it?"

Hashire: " Ỉ̴̛̛͈̪͓͓̖͌̈́̏̓̕ ̷͍̻̯̉̃͜ͅw̶̤̰̫͈͔̻̹̍͝a̴̺̒͐͆n̸͉̥̋́͠ṯ̷̦̗̺͌̊̾͗͗͛̚ͅ ̶̨̼̱̈́̽y̵͔̞̳͍̰̞͖͑̈́̌́͐͜o̶̡̤͚̝̬̍ṷ̴͔̮̮̠͆̊̾̈́̆̏.̴̢̢͔̪̺͊̊.̸̝̣̦̱͖̬��̉͌.̶̲͉̇͝ "

Ruben: "As you can see, I'm a fan of creating such lovely works on a simple canvas like so. I've been doing art since I was a young lad~."

Hashire: " D̴̼͆͝o̸̞͊n̵̰̲̄'̴̗̇t̵̘̓ ̶̞͓͗͝y̶̙̠̒o̷̫̍ǘ̸͕̈ ̵͓̽w̶̟̍ì̸͙s̶̟̋h̸̡̘̊͝ ̶̧͌ț̷̊ö̴͓̰́ ̴̡̊g̸̩͑͛o̷̯̐ ̶͖͉̌͝f̸͍͂ǔ̶̼̹r̸̛̩ţ̴̻̿͋ḧ̵́̀ͅe̶̝̯͋̃r̴̮̞̓͝?̶̮̈ "

Ruben: "I couldn't help but noticed that you were reading one of my favorite author's books. Are you as much of a fan of that man's work like myself?"

Hashire: " I̶̥̞̠̫̤̊̆̐̉̾̂͆̑͝͝͠ͅ ̴̰͚̠̲͇̮͙̺̰̊̾̊̾̿̓̾̀̒̎͗́͜͝f̷̢̰̠̿̿̈́̎̐́̏͛̕o̵̫̲͚̩͍̣̠̭͔͎̳̞̊̍̈́̓͆͜ṵ̴̯̻̬̬̰̯̾̓͂̒̍͂̄͂̄̚͝n̶̡̾̌͂̐͑́̑̃̾̚̕d̷̨̮͎̙͕̬̘̟̙̝̜͛̿̾̃̎̿̽̓̑͘ ̷̘̼̥̦͉̹͈̦̫̜̙͐̿̉̒͌̅͝ÿ̶̲̼̞͓̗̟́͂͛̕̕͜o̵̹͖͂̈̈́̉͌̄́̒̾̅̂̆u̷̖̭̒̈́̆͛͑̍͑͂̈́.̷͚̱͔͇̰̣̟̃͆̇̊̒̈̍̔͘͜ͅ.̷̛͎̩̙̼̤͈̗́͂͒̔̆̂͗͠͝.̷̧̬̩̟̻̹͚̖̥̉̊��̔"

Ruben: "U-Um...I know we just met but...it feels like..maybe we can get to know each other better. Perhaps...you want to discuss more over a warm cup of coffee at the cafe?"

Hashire: " Ý̶̙̪̫̻̤͜͝o̴̧͓̭̞̪̖̲̒̽͝ų̶̡̻̺̪̼̗̳̩͇̈́ ̵̛͕͋̔̔̄͌͌c̵̳̖͇͍͎̻̓ạ̴̿n̷̨͎͍̈́̂̔͂́͐͝'̸̝̀̀ͅt̴̡̪̫͕̯̳͎̣̺̍͜ ̸̻̘̼͙͈̭͙̮̞̓̔̔̉ḻ̷̓̈́̉̔͠ḙ̵̢̮̬͎̘͎̍̒͐͒̐à̵̢̹̺̹̼̦̮̮̘̔͝v̵̡̨͉̯͍͖̈́̈́̌e̵̛̛̠̩͉̞̥͉̲͇̕ͅ.̶̛̦̰̙̖̯̯́̅͘.̷̭̝̭̫̬̟̞̖̳̘̓̓.̴̧͕̝͙͓̖̄̃̚͜͝͠ͅ "

Ruben: "Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Ruben Grimms."

Hashire: " Ị̶͑̆.̶̺͐̃.̶͈͛̓a̴̠̩͐̎m̷̯̄ ̵̡̀H̷̢̬̾̚ȧ̷̭s̶͔͌h̷̨̘͛͒ȋ̸̭͉̔r̶̤̊̅e̴͎̗̐̍.̵̼̳̀͊ ̴̼̉̌Ÿ̸̠́ǒ̷͕̳ú̵͚͉͋ ̷̙̖͘m̶̗̌a̶̛̛̜͓n̶̞̖̾̆ą̷̩́̎g̴̪̈́ẻ̴̹̯́d̵͍͠ ̶̬̖́t̵̞͌ͅơ̸̪ ̸̨̛̳͛f̸́͌͜i̴̯̝͝n̷̨̯͋d̸̑͜ ̸̛̣̻̒ý̷̧͜õ̶̟̥ụ̵̮͊̀r̷̥̾͜ ̵̼̀͆w̶̹̌a̴̼̭͂y̵̦͒ ̴̞͙͂t̸̝̏o̴̧̓ ̵̟̾m̷̢̿̄y̵̫̩̔̒ ̷̢͉͗d̴͈̭͆ŏ̷̫̗̿m̷͍̪̈́̆ḁ̶̎i̵̧̕n̵̘̈͝.̶̞̊͌͜ ̸͇̌I̷̲̫̓̽ ̶̲̒͠k̴͇̈́ǹ̷̹̃ȏ̵̲̼w̶̡̋ ̴͕̘̑ẉ̶̈h̵̗̅̿o̸͙͒̒ ̵̯̓͘ỹ̷̧̤̆ò̶͕ủ̴͈'̵̹̩̀͗v̸̦̺̇ę̶̈́ ̴̦̽͜ḃ̶̬̬ë̶̗́̃e̸̪͖͂n̵̺͗ ̶̗̊ș̵̤͂̉ȇ̸͇̜ã̴̭͗r̵̹̂ͅc̷̖͈̀h̸̛̳͊i̵̼̓n̶͎̂͒g̵̼͑ ̸̼͗̉f̴͍̣̉ö̷̳̰r̴͙̋̇:̴͔͘ ̶͘ͅY̷̦̊̊o̴̢͕̊̀u̴͔͔̚ȑ̴̬̦͛ ̵̟̼̀d̶͚̻̈́̕ḙ̵̲̈́á̷̧̧̛r̶̭̯̀̇ ̶̦͠l̶̟̍i̷̫̠͠ẗ̸́͋ͅť̷͎l̷͖̈́e̶̟͛ ̸͚̫̐W̴͍͉͛h̴̪̆̈́ī̵̟t̴̬̅͂e̴̠̖͛̀ ̷̼̿Ŗ̶̞̓͗à̷̱͠b̸͎̿̈b̴̪̑ị̷̀t̴̪͆͘.̵͖͌͜ ̴̿͘ͅ.̵͔͘.̵̛̪̮͌.̵͓̀͊H̷̯̐͆ḙ̸̲͒͘'̶̜͊̕s̴̜͒ ̴͖̐̾b̴̧̺̂ḙ̴͓̍ë̷͙̘́n̶͍̘͊͘ ̸͙̒̋w̸̍̋͜ä̶͔́i̶̛͙̦ṯ̴̜̇̀i̷̛̯̠̐n̶̖͑g̸̞̭͊͐ ̴͉̩̈f̷̲̏̀ŏ̷̭̞̋r̵̫͑ ̷̉͜ͅy̴̡̳̑o̶͖̥̓͝u̸͔̐ ̶͔̈̀t̴͚̖̏ơ̴̧̖̋o̵͈̓̕.̵̛͙ ̶͚̈́̕F̵̡͓̄͝o̴͍̓͌ḷ̶̥͗l̵̨͉̃o̵̥͊̃ẅ̴̜́ ̸̭̾ṁ̴̩̼ḛ̶͔̇.̵̞̃͝.̶͋ͅ.̵̟̀͐ḏ̵̲̈́ẻ̵̢̀ȃ̸̭ṟ̴͊ ̸̧̨̅Á̵̗l̵̙̑i̵͚͉͋̃c̵̙̐͊e̵̗̪̎̀,̷͙́̓ ̴̳̓̾d̵͇̓̃ò̴͈̈́w̵̻͠ṋ̴͇̔.̶̪͓̓.̴̝̥̋.̷̭̚t̷̰͙̑o̸̝͂̕ ̵̥͕̋͝Ẁ̷̧ỏ̷̭͉̚n̶̙̐̊d̶̡́é̴̬̯̎r̷̜̿́l̶̙͍̈́̈a̸͙̕͜͝n̴͔̥̐ḑ̵͍̿.̸͔̯͊̾ ̷̖͘Y̷̜̯͗̉ó̸̇͜ǔ̶̳ ̶̥̖́̈́w̵̠͕̽͘i̸̼̊̓l̸͇̼̾̅l̴̪̔ ̷̨̛̜̍n̴͚̦͠ę̶͈͗̏v̴̢̞͠e̶͚̞̅͒r̷̰̖͌̈́ ̶̟̝́̏l̸͖̯͠ę̶̤̄ą̸̖̓̊v̷͍͊ë̴̬́̓.̵͇̗̓ ̵̲̋̈́Y̶̥̐͋õ̷̱̼͝ṵ̴̮̍̌ ̷̳̒̀ȧ̴̝̺͛ǹ̶̙̫̚d̷̪̀̿ ̸̯̽̕t̴̯͊̓h̵̪̀ḙ̴̝͗͝ ̴͓̈́W̶̺̮̔h̵͙̐̕ỉ̴̬t̷̖̳̅ę̵͋ ̵͙̈͆R̸̡̖̀a̸̰̖̒̽b̴͉̻̈b̸͍̅i̴̥̜̚t̸͔̀ ̴̢̩̎̏ẁ̷͓̟ȉ̸̮̂ͅl̶̠̂͂l̸̯̥̅ ̸̦̼̕b̸͈́̽e̷͚͊͂ ̴̨̬̾͛ṫ̵͓ͅǒ̴̰͝g̷̞̲̊͠e̸͓̬̽t̷͙̋h̷̝̟͛̚e̶͖̍r̴̜͓͆͛.̷̜͍̈̇.̶̼̩̊̒f̴̘̭͑͋o̶͉̍̕r̶͗ͅĕ̶̺͑ͅv̵̗̀e̸̛̤ȑ̷̭̞͑.̵̥̞͌͋.̴̝́̌.̸̦̟͠ "