25th Trial - Clover

[hot_mess_express]

It is a simple wood-floored room with an empty shrine on one wall. There are a few cushions to sit on, and the smell of incense and blood lingers in the air.

The sound of rain is heavy outside.

Comments

[featherbeaned]

Fucking damnit. [ She echoes, because she agrees wholeheartedly with the sentiment. ]

[ Listen, she's a predator, she hunts, kills, and eats animals all the damn time ]

[ This is a little different? Just! A little! ]

[ PACES ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[He's just.]

[Gonna sit and]

[Try to think what he's willing to do as he begins the process of murdering every single emotion.]

[There are a lot of people he personally does not want to eat. And those he is more neutral towards are mostly newbies and that's terrible.]

[Also the thought of eating anyone, after knowing the taste-]

[And then there's Meridian]

Fuck.

....how strong are you?

[featherbeaned]

Very.

[ Very, very. ]

[ Paces another circle before pausing and heading over towards him instead, sitting down close enough that he could, if he wanted to, reach out and touch her. ]

Why?

[schrodingerscockroach]

[He looks up and he]

[Doesn't reach out. Because reaching out is seeking comfort and he's not sure if SHE'S seeking it out, and he can't seek it out for himself right now. Not while murdering the emotions.]

I've resisted this kind of hunger before, but I've also broken under this hunger before.

I'm debating the merits of saying fuck this guy and seeing if you can just keep me pinned down if I do break.

[featherbeaned]

[ Looks him up and down, head cocked, assessing. ]

Should be able to. [ But now that she's actively thinking about it ... frowns down at her paws ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

I'm stronger than I look.

[Says the brickhouse.]

We should test. I'd rather not catch you by surprise.

[featherbeaned]

You've got metal in you. I know. I can smell it.

[ There's a subtle shift, and suddenly she's the size of a very large draught horse. Yeah. Hi. ]

[ Her cute li'l tail spikes are probably a lot less cute now that she looks like she could easily kill someone with one swipe, huh. ]

I'm s'posed to be this size.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[....I mean, he can think deadly is cute.]

[When he feels things.]

Okay. And best position for you to get leverage over someone?

[featherbeaned]

[ hrmmmm ]

Maybe my tail. [ Waggles it some - it's all muscle under the feathers. ] But if I squeeze you with that you'd, uhm. Die?

Could sit on you.

[schrodingerscockroach]

.... [Debating the merits of THAT too. There are pods.]

[But he also really doesn't want to die at all.]

[BUT PEOPLE HE CARES ABOUT.]

...

[He'll move from the wall and lay down.] Well, let's try it.

[featherbeaned]

[ WELP. TIME TO SIT ON DUSK. She's warm and very fluffy and it's kind of like having a weighted electric blanket sitting on his midsection, but even as she settles she has the weirdest, weirdest feeling ]

[ There's something off here ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

....

Okay, I'm going to see if I can break free now.

[And he's going to do just that! Trying to shove her off to see if she CAN keep him down.]

[featherbeaned]

[ It's almost shockingly easy, like there's nothing more to her than there would be any old human. Topples off with a yip of alarm, sent sprawling by that one shove! ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

....

That was....really easy. I didn't catch you off guard that much, did I?

[featherbeaned]

[ Skitters back up to her feet with her feathers puffed up ]

No! No, you didn't, that wasn't. That wasn't right.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....fuck.

We're being messed with.

[featherbeaned]

[ ANGRY HISS ]

[ she shrinks back down to her "usual" dog size, still looking pretty thoroughly ruffeld ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Rubs at his face.]

And nothing in here is gonna be able to hold me down.

Which means we either need to hope my willpower will hold out against whatever he does, or...

[Make a choice.]

[featherbeaned]

[ Back to pacing, her tail lashing behind her. ]

Which is least worst for you?

[schrodingerscockroach]

...they're both fucking awful.

[He looks at her, face blank, but eyes studying her intently.] How afraid are you of being eaten?

[featherbeaned]

Afraid? It makes me mad.

[ L A S H ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

Mad?

[featherbeaned]

Mad! I eat other things.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Well.

Righteous fury is very motivating.

[Studying her.] How willing would you be to rip out my throat if I went mad and tried to eat you?

[featherbeaned]

[ She does very, very still, looking sharply at him. ]

I would fight.