FREE CONNIE

[cullionfish]

Characters: The Condesce and YOU
Setting: The Aquarium
Format: Action brackets
Summary: Condesce is in her element. Spoilers: that's not a good thing.
Warnings: The god damn Empress of Alternia.

[The aquarium level was quiet, save for the short little ripples running through the water. Toward the center, there was an obvious large shadow pursuing other, smaller shadows -- some of them even larger than its pursuer.

Condesce swam gracefully, entertaining herself by terrorizing the various marine life amongst her person. Every now and then she would pin one to the seafloor with a flurry of gold, trident in hand. If not, she would snatch them out in front of her expertly with practiced talons.

She doesn't seem to be paying attention to the doorway, but the moment someone steps foot onto the floor, they will notice that her form halts all movement and that there is a distinct yellow stare cast in their direction.]

Comments

[benigncancer]

Probably not, a fact for which I'm grateful. So now what happens, Empress?

[cullionfish]

[There's a scoff, full of spite.]

Bored already? You could always swim to shore...

[Heh]

[benigncancer]

I'm not bored in the least. But you seem to have a pretty short attention span.

[He glances around] You've already watched me swimming.

[cullionfish]

I could do this all day.

[She ignores the first comment about her attention span. It was mostly true anyway. When you've lived for as long as she has, you got bored pretty quickly of most things.]

[benigncancer]

Then I guess I can, too.

[Not like he has a choice. He shifts and rests his chin in his palm]

So tell me about what it's like to be Empress.

[cullionfish]

And why, pray-tell, would I bother doing that?

[She raises an eyebrow at him skeptically. She wasn't interested in small talk, especially with a null-blood. She would have rather seen him eaten by one of the large sharks in the tank, frankly.]

[benigncancer]

[Shrug] Well, it doesn't seem like we've got much else to do. But if you don't want to tell me about yourself, I don't mind answer questions instead.

[cullionfish]

[...she stares at him, giving him the flattest look ever. If he's particularly good at reading highblooded expressions, he might note a hint of curiousity.

She just...can't understand how he can be so calm and peaceful, especially around her of all people. Its completely and utterly foreign to her, and the only way she knows how to respond is to hurt him some more to try and entice that rage that he's supposed to have as a troll.

She can't figure him out. And it makes her angry.]

[benigncancer]

[He's okay with her not being able to figure him out a bit. He isn't actually that calm at all - he's scared, but struggling to keep it hidden as best he can, because that seems to be a strategy that works.

She wants to get him upset, so he won't give her the satisfaction. Getting angry won't help him, so maybe being calm will.

As the silence draws out, he decides to try another tack]

Let me ask you a question, Empress...

What are you getting out of this?

[cullionfish]

You're only alive because we're here.

[Its not exactly a straight answer, but she's not exactly the sanest of individuals. That aside, she's still stuck on her own train of thought and only barely recognizes that he asked a question at all.]

Perhaps I should just throw you back in the water.

[benigncancer]

[He's not sure if she heard his question or not. He sighs]

And what would it accomplish, Empress?

[cullionfish]

I would certainly feel better.

[And that's all that matters, really. When she speaks, its with a torrid hiss that she can't keep out of her tone.]

Why do you not fight back?

[She just can't comprehend the utter lack of self-preservation in the Signless. It makes her absolutely sick.]

[benigncancer]

Why would something so pointless make you feel better?

[Oh he's got a lot of self-preservation, which is why he's acting this way]

What would be the point in fighting you? I can't possibly win in the water, so fighting would only encourage you to hurt me more. And anyway, all things being equal, I'd prefer not to fight at all.

[cullionfish]

It is the principal, you ignorant blind fool. Wars are not and will not ever be won with words.

[She growls.]

You disgrace the skin you wear.

[benigncancer]

We're not at war, Empress. You and I are allies, remember?

[And he would dispute the assertion that wars can't be won with words. Little by little, water wears away at the stone]

[cullionfish]

No. No, we are not.

[Just by the way he says it, its clear that she's had just about enough of holding herself back for the sake of appearances. She's the god damn Condescension, she will not be pigeon-holed into an accord she doesn't want.]

My patience with you and your band of miscreants has reached its end.

[benigncancer]

Really. [He says this flatly] So you're just bored of being allies with me, trying to find a way to get out of here together. Instead you're going to cull me for no reason...for what? So I can wake up later on? What's the point?

I really thought you were smarter than this, Condesce.

[cullionfish]

Frankly, I don't give a damn. I don't have to explain myself to you.

[There's a myriad of reasons that brought her to this conclusion, but most of them centered around frustration on several levels, the rest of them located in the highblood lust for blood that she hasn't been able to satisfy since she made this deal.]

You have nothing to show for this partnership and neither do I.

[benigncancer]

Not yet! But that doesn't mean there isn't some value in working together instead of fighting against each other!

[Ugh, highbloods are so irritating. He scoots forward and reaches out, papping her lightly on the cheek]

Come on, Empress. You gain nothing from killing me and there's a lot you could potentially lose. You're the one with the endless lifespan. Have a little patience.

[1/2]

[cullionfish]

You said it yourself. You'll be back.

[2/2]

[cullionfish]

[Pap'd.

The anger dissolves into almost childish confusion, the crease in her brow vanishing to be replaced with an expression akin to one a deer might wear in the midst of headlights.

It only lasts for a very long three seconds before her face cracks like glass and she's slashing out violently at Signless's outstretched arm.]

Don't you dare touch me.

[benigncancer]

[He draws his hand back, hissing as she slashes his skin, red blood flowing flee down his arm and dripping onto the stones]

I'm sorry, Empress. I didn't mean to startle you.

[cullionfish]

[That apology only makes it worse. She growls and claws her way up the rock to reach for Signless in hopes of dragging him back underwater. She has no plans to let him surface again.]

[benigncancer]

[He really has nowhere to go. He embraces her, shooshing and putting his arms around her neck. Maybe he'll drown, but he'll do it not being any kind of threat]

[cullionfish]

[She disappears back underwater with him and screeches in disgust, twisting and recoiling to try and dislodge him from her so that she can put distance between them, though not before a shudder of discomfort rolls down her spine.

The Condesce wants nothing, absolutely nothing to do with his platonic, nonviolent advances. It makes her skin crawl in ways she would never admit. She twists in his hold and attempts to scratch at any part of him that she can reach in the process of trying to wriggle away to the surface in hopes of leaving him sinking to the bottom of the tank.]