The Pictures on the Wall... (o/o Closed)

Mac smiled. "I just wanted to check in." She was glad he seemed to be in a relatively okay state of mind. Of course she couldn't tell exactly how he was feeling, his voice and body language gave nothing away concerning his thoughts. She didn't venture farther in to his office, he didn't react well to that., not from her experience.

"Have a good day, Kai. And …. Congratulations, you made it through another year."

Kai grunted. Unfortunately he didn’t feel as if he had. This past year, his twenty-eighth year, it was really not that good. Though he had gotten clearance to work at normal places such as this one, it perhaps gave him more attention. He didn’t like that. Too many buttoned eyes…

“You have a good day, too,” He murmured.

And with that, Mac closed the door. As she did, she had to wonder for the hundredth time, what was it like being Kai? Did he see the world in different lighting, in different colors? Did he see people differently? Where was the disconnect in his mind and was there any way to fix it?

Did he want it fix?

The thoughts clouded her mind as she strolled to her office. Bringing her back to the present, was the balloons tied to the knob of her office door.

((Where shall we go after this??))

(i got a plan love)

Kai didn’t think about anything else the whole day. He took his forced lunch hour in the break room for five minutes before getting permission to leave for his office. When he arrived with his sub that he was keeping in his bag, and was uncurling it from the tin-foil, he looked up to find what looked like most of the staff force crammed into his office. Most looked confused; no one knew this guy. No one knew it was his birthday, and those who knew him looked very uncomfortable under the blank stare of Kai. They held out a sheet cake, with candles lit atop it, and started to sing happy birthday in that same monotonous, actually somewhat quieter than usual tone. Those who did not know him did not put much effort into singing, but rather just hummed, or stared at this man. Were they expected to sing for someone they didn’t know?

The singing stopped and the man hadn’t blown out his candles. That’s when they knew something was up. His eyes were still blank, his expression completely lax and unemotionless. He didn’t even crack a smile.

“You have to blow out the candles, Kai!” The executive board director, Mat, exclaimed into the silence.

(hm)

Crammed into the office along with the rest of her co-workers, Mac tried her best to close in on herself, all to avoid touching those around her. She knew this was a bad idea from the start. Why had they ignored the fact that Kai wasn't a "people person"? Mac didn't know. And why did Mat have all of these people jam-packed into this office, in his personal space? She couldn't fathom that either. But what she did know is: By the look on Kai's face….

He did not like what he saw.

And Mac could tell why. Mat had completely and utterly invaded his space, forcing this overload of sensory on Kai. Kai, who barely spoke or acknowledged anyone, who didn't make eye contact, who didn't eat lunch with others if at all. Kai, who wasn't like other people. With guilt that shouldn't belong to her, Mac tried to make her way to the front of the cluster. Maybe she could convince Mat to leave the cake and get everyone out. Maybe it wasn't too late.

The cluster was too tight, and Kai had already backed away slightly, his sandwich leaving his shaking hands and dropping to the floor. When Mac had managed to squeeze out between the people, Kai was already out his door and running full speed to the elevator to the exit of the building. His ragged red hair blew back around his face and sent cold air into his face. His body protested running so fast, but his mind was blank as he jabbed instinctually at the elevator button, which answered him almost immediately. The doors shuttered open, and he looked into the empty, somewhat small room. Well, no, too small. He moved to the stairs, where he practically threw himself down the steps.

The others stood there in awkward confusion as Kai ran. Looking back at it now, she still couldn't tell if it had been a good idea, but Mac went after him. He was much faster than her while she ran in heels. At some point, she ditched the shoes too. Kai stopped at the elevator but didn't take, making a sharp left to take the stairs instead. He's losing it! She thought as she followed after him. Was he even thinking anymore?

"Kai!" She called breathlessly as she started down the steps. "Kai, please!"

He clung to the railings as his feet flew and made him launch forward down the steps, four by four and landing heavily on the stone platforms before continuing his pattern till the entrance of the building. By now, he was assured no one was following him. No one cared; why would they do something for someone like him, anyway? But also, why couldn’t they just leave him alone?

Kai paused to the doors and watched the crowds of New York, his eyes wide and his breath ragged and heavy. No one was in the front hall to stare at him, but there were so many dolls passing in front of him…

Mac had slowed significantly by the time she got to the bottom step. For someone who barely ate, Kai had a lot of energy. She was gasping, leaning heavily against the railing, when she caught sight of him. He was watching the activity on the streets. For a few minutes, she just sat there. Let him relax and calm down. She didn't want to spook him anymore.

Please don't run again….

Kai lifted his hands and covered the door so he couldn’t see the doll’s giant faces. Of course it didn’t work as well as he wanted it to, but it helped him somewhat. His body leaned forward into the heavy doors, letting it support his heaving, tired body. Everything was just doing things on its own, now. Breathing, catching his breath rather, blinking…

"A-are you okay?" She asked, her heart calming. Mac settled on the steps as she watched. Kai looked like he was calming. Mac just didn't want to spook him again, she didn't want him to do something crazy and run into the street or anything like that.

Kai startled and whipped around so his back was pressed up against the door. His face was flushed and he panted heavily as his gaze flitted over her. He didn’t recognize her as someone friendly, nay, just the opposite.

“What do you want?” He asked in a slightly panicked voice.

Maybe she was too close? Never had Kai actually looked at her. And now, he didn't even seem to recognize her. He looked at her with panic and fear in his eyes. So, she did what she thought was best: she got out of side. Receding back up the stairs til he couldn't see her. "Kai." She called. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry we scared you."

Kai shook his head and pushed open the door, a few dolls scattering out of his way. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. Everything felt like it was just pressing in on him all around, suffocating him with so much information. He fled to the outskirts of town, ducking into an ancient forest. One might be glad that the forest wasn’t too far off, or maybe someone would do something about the forest slowly crawling up on them, yet that was neither there nor here.

"Oh, no…." She groaned as she listened to the front door swing open, Kai stepping out. Should she continue to follow him? He probably wanted to be along, but Mac couldn't shake the feeling that if something to happen to him…. it would be her fault. And that was too much for her to take, not again. So, she went after him.

Kai inhaled the fresh forest air deeply, shutting his eyes as he leaned against a tree. He groaned faintly as his limbs ached in pain, but he was finally safe and away from everything…

He sunk down slowly onto the floor, the dirt sinking under him slightly.

Her lungs burned and she was on the verge of heaving as she came to a stop. Mac was less than quiet or graceful as she came to a stop. Trying her best to catch her breath, Mac at least saw the sense of stopping aways off. No, she didn’t want to frighten, but also, she was afraid. She’d never been in the forest all her life. She remembered the stories her parents told her, the stories she saw on the news. This was beyond dangerous. This was death. There was a good reason for her hesitance.

Indeed the news spoke illy of this forest; rumors of giant animals that loomed over two men stacked on top of each other, not at all peaceful, with sharp, angry teeth and deep black eyes. They ate anything they could find, including humans who stumbled into the forest. But these animals were like Bigfoot. Not a soul knew they existed except for strong evidence pointing one way.

Doing her best to push her fear away, she moved closer to Kai. He stood a way off, silent and still. Did he still not know she was here? Maybe that would make it easier to retrieve him and take him back. Hopefully, she could convince him to come back before it got dark.

"Kai." She said softly, still standing some distance from him.

Kai was looking up a tree, considering climbing it. He quite loved this forest. His parents used to take him there before…

Well, what was significant about it is that it made him feel safe. He felt like he was under the warm gazes of them again, smiling pridefully as he struggled up a tree. Shaking his thoughts away at another voice that somehow didn’t scare him, he turned slightly to stare at the doll who had followed him; however, it was quite different here. Instead of a doll, a woman took place. Her hair was ruffled and auburn, curling out of its bun around her flushed face.

Watching Kai, she decided not to move. He seemed calm but how would she know he wouldn't take off again. Mac watched as he climbed a tree, with a surprising amount of success. "Have….have you been here before?" She asked him gently.

Kai settled himself within the heart of the tree, blinking down at her owlishly, his usually wide eyes still as wide as ever. Though in the depths of them he did seem quite calm.

“I have,” He responded quietly to her. “You don’t look like the others.” Literally the most he’d ever said to her, as well as the creepiest thing.

On instinct, Mac's hands went to her face. A chill ran through her body. She was sure Kai could see the fear on her face.
"Huh?" What was he talking about? "What do you mean? What do I look like? What do the other's look like."

“The others look like dolls.” He leaned against the tree and looked up at the sky with a soft sigh that rose naturally from his breast. “You do not. You used to.” Kai crossed his arms as he nestled himself out of sight, yawning faintly. He would stay here whether this woman wanted him to come back or not which was certainly her intention with him.

Dolls…? Mac decided not to venture down that path of thought, it would have to wait until later. Although it did explain why he looked at people so strangely. "Well, that's great I guess but… Kai, it's not smart to stay out here. It's not safe at night. Mat and the others are probably worried."

“I don’t care,” He just flat out stated to her, tilting his head up. “And nor should you. If you’re so worried, then leave.” His voice had suddenly become that of a highly educated man, which he was, and not at all mechanical. He sounded annoyed with her pestering him about the rumors of the forest.

Mac raised a dark brow in offense and indignation. "Well." She scoffed. "Where was all this mouth back at the office, when you needed it, huh?" She shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.

“One knows he’d won an argument when his foe insults him,” He just chided back in response, leaning back with a big yawn. “Go back to the office where you can live without worry.”

What's gotten into him? she thought with a moment's pause.

Mac ran a hand through her hair, ruining her bun completely. "What in the heck happened to you?" She asked him. Since he was such an intelligent nut, maybe he had an answer.