11-28-2016, 12:01 AM
Her gift is more than he could have ever imagined, the power billowing out from her as it floods deep into her cells. He watches carefully with a neutral gaze, tucking away his admiration, as she calls forth this thing of bone and magic. He tilts his head back to glance at it, to study the way that the bones clanked against one another, rickety and yet strong, held together by nothing but the bonds of her magic. It murmurs its gratitude and he dismisses it; he did not need her thanks, he needed her to remember.
One day, he may very well call upon her.
He would need her, and her crude bone creatures, to heed his call.
But he does not have a chance to respond to her, to navigate the craggy cliffs of their tenuous friendship before she is in his mind. He throws his head back and breathes in deep, exhilarated by the alien feeling of sharing the space of his mind. Bruise does not pause to think much on the intrusion, although later perhaps he will be annoyed at the liberties she took with the gift that he granted.
Instead he simply breathes heavily when his mind finally kicks loose and throws her.
After several moments, he opens his eyes to catch her gaze. They are dark, unreadable, sharp as they study her. “Aren’t you a clever thing?” he finally offered before his crocodile grin grew larger and darker. “I suppose if we are sharing gifts..” his voice trailed off as he closed his eyes, his breathing growing deeper and more steady. His mind expanded, hungry despite the recent invasion. The threads of Fear hung around them and he played along their edges, envisioning the spiderweb of them surrounding them.
Gingerly, he reached up to tug on a few, his control of it growing since he had first regained control. He did not want to call forth terror, but he wanted to feel the rush of her pulse, the dryness of her mouth. His eyes opened suddenly and fastened upon her.
“I need you to remember this favor.”
He tugged the Fear.
“Promise me.”
Bruise
head like a hole; as black as your soul.