kingdomdressing | (no subject)

[she knows all the things to do, having paid attention to her parents and also to basically everything else; she crouches down in the center of the elevator, making sure her sneakers are the only thing touching anything, and keeps her head down to at least minimize any damage. of course, this sensible behavior will probably just encourage Larx to come down and deal some direct electricity to her, but whatever. she's saving her magic for when that happens.]

[Wrong.

He makes the elevator plummet. He wants to hear her scream.]

[he's. going to get some screaming, then, but it's only briefly and cuts off as she makes herself stop. she's more terrified than she's ever been in her life, but screaming isn't going to get her anywhere, and she's not a goner just yet. she's not even going to do anything else in terms of magic, because from what she knows of Larx, he's not going to let her die that way. too simple and fast.]

[He does stop her from dying, stops the elevator before it even gets close to the ground. There's silence, and it's pitch black since the electrical cage is gone again, except from the ceiling. At least for now. But there's noise, too, as he removes the cover to talk to her.]

I expected more fight from you.

[she bites off the initial reply, which would be pretty sure to get her killed, and lifts her head enough to be heard.]

No point in fighting someone I can't beat.

That's true. But I'd expect you of all people to take some value in your life. Have you died before, princess?

[He sounds so casual. Leisurely. But she'll be able to hear the steady hum of electricity around her.]

No. But this is my home, so it can't exactly send me somewhere else if I die.

[she's very aware, and later on she'll be happy she peed before she left her apartment. :( ]

Do you think you'd come back to the spot you died in? In theory, I could keep you here forever. Dying and coming back in an endless cycle.

[He sounds delighted, and behind her there are pops and crackles.]

Probably not, most people don't.

[she's still trying very hard not to react, because reacting is what's wanted.]

Should we test it?

[He'll send a wave of very visible lightning rolling over the ground. But it doesn't touch her yet.]

[she flinches, but if he's expecting shrieking or diving away from it, he's going to be sorely disappointed. she's not stupid, and she did grow up with Aden.]

[...he's going to send a bolt right up her spine.]

[fuck. :( that makes her bite off another scream and spasm in surprise, falling onto her side. assuming he pauses after that, she'll try and catch her breath, a couple of reflexive tears escaping her eyes. they're such pretty eyes, too, and her ears, so unique! ~~yes i am horrible, but they're there and so is Larx, and we like angst. or he could just call her a freak, that would work too.~~]

[~~You're a horrible person, but I'll take the bait.~~ They are unique. So precious and unique. Maybe he'll try to singe the fur right off of her ears. Only small zaps for them.]

[shrieking. she covers her ears with her hands to try and keep any more pain from getting to them, because they really are quite sensitive to everything, and then immediately removes one hand to direct an intense but short-lived and ultimately unfocused blast of fire right at Larxene.]

[I think not, little lady. He doges it easily, moving silently off the roof of the elevator to hang on the side. All she'll be able to hear is his laughter bouncing through the elevator shaft. He doesn't climb back up yet, but instead starts creating bursts of electricity around the range of elevator her head's in. Definitely going to burn off the fur.]

[that just makes her curl up more tightly, whimpering and attempting to get a thin shield up around her head, at least. it's hard to concentrate through the shocks of pain, but she manages something that's little more than a light buffer, and probably won't last long.]

[Then he switches to send several jolts right up her legs.]

[you've done it now, Larx, you got her crying, her arms still covering her head but doing nothing to muffle the sobs and the whimpering. she's only sixteen, and hearing about the kinds of things crazy fuckers like him do is one thing, but to experience it is something totally different. she doesn't understand why it's happening to her, and what he wants, and she doesn't know how to make it stop, just like she doesn't know how to make her limbs stop spasming wildly when he does that.]

[He stops to give her a reprieve, and silently scales back up on top of the roof, laying across it casually.]

Is this your first time?

[there's nothing but some choked noises and sniffling for a moment, and then, somewhat stuffy-sounding:]

You know it is.

I know it is. I'm not your ideal pick either, am I?

[It sounds sick when he puts it like that, but he knows it stands regardless. As far as enemies she could have run into, he's one of the worst. He's going to summon a few knives.]

What if I cut off those pretty ears of yours?

[her head flies up so she can stare at him in horror, and she tenses like she's going to retreat to one of her limited options for other places to be, but then manages to hold herself still.]

P-please. Please don't.

[and even as she says it she knows it's pointless. if he goes for it, her only hope is that Aden knows she's in trouble and is smart enough to go get the big guns for help instead of trying to help her himself. the sheer terror filling the space would be enough to knock him down if he tried anyway.]

[Aden has probably gone looking for her by now, or at least the elevator. He'd want to find her after calling her back failed, I'm sure. Larxene looks so smug when she says that, so incredibly merciless.]

Why? You'll live without the use of your ears. Or maybe you'll pick death after, choose to get them back once you're revived. Which would you pick if I mutilated them?

Please, you c-can't expect me to be able to choose, I don't want either...

[they're so very sensitive, the thought of any more pain than what's already been done is unimaginable to her. if Larx finds out about that, that it's more than just their uniqueness and, you know, the fact that they're part of her person, she's well and truly screwed.]