mental link - :011

[inflori]

[ Angel has been gone for barely a day now. The loss is felt in her brood most of all, and it's a surprise that volatile little Petre doesn't just lash out in another street fight. Instead he locks himself up in his room, all things left scattered, mind flooded with both silence and a scream at once. He's missing her, just like he's missing everyone else in his brood except Aoba, and it all just tells him he's meant to be alone. He hates it, he hates it so much. He decides that he hates everyone else, too, because they still have each other, because he thinks they don't care, because he's sure they'll turn against him one day.

Finally, what starts as a hum becomes a stream of repetitions, growing louder, stronger. Desperately reaching out, aimless and chaotic. ]

( When is she going to wake up? I don't want to be alone. Bring her back. I want her to come back. )

[ It won't stop for a very long while. ]

Comments

[inflori]

[ He does listen in silence, for once, considering how restless his mind is all the time. Were he in front of her and she might have seen the look of a child listening to a story, utmost attention, maybe even a little wonder. The images of what she tells him are vague flashes, sometimes gaining a more definition when she lets them, sometimes fading completely. He sees a spear flying and holds his breath for a beat.

The smile is audible. ]

( I would've just killed him. And her. )

[adamance]

( Sometimes there is more value to be found in someone owing their life to you. Even more, their power and kingdom. )

[Discretion, essentially, has its upsides.

Besides, Roan was just as much of a victim of his mother. And Lexa. Not that she shares as much.]

[inflori]

( I don't care about their power and kingdoms. )

[ He cares about destroying, all in the name of someone else. He is very much a pawn in that sense - the Devil's soldier, so she can have everything. He just paves the way with his destructiveness. ]

[adamance]

( You and many others. My people also have a thirst for blood. It's how they know to survive. But there's a reason why I'm the one left to make these decisions. )

[So, their power and kingdoms have a place, just like the coalition does. They would continue to exist.]

[inflori]

( Well, not anymore. )

[ She's here, now. ]

[adamance]

( The last time one of us killed, there was a retaliatory response soon after.

I've been advising against such action. )

[A control freak for life, one might say.]

[inflori]

( Right, and what was that. )

[adamance]

( One of the Hosts died, and then the Prince felt he could lecture us about it. )

[Hint: it's the latter part that annoyed her more. The self-righteous blame of a man who did little to prepare his warriors was something she never needed to hear.]

[inflori]

( He can talk all her wants, I don't care. )

[adamance]

( He can, but would you want Angel killed because you decided to act rashly? Because that is how she lost one of her broodmates before. )

[inflori]

( What? )

[adamance]

[Manipulating Petre into behaving with a threat on Angel's life is probably not something she should do, but she chooses to do it anyway.

Oh, well.]

( He died before you arrived. On the planet we went to before. Because someone chose to kill a native, his people lashed out for someone who looked familiar. They killed one of our own. )

[inflori]

[ It's effective to some extent. The apprehension and anger from Petre's end is palpable, how his chest tightens at the thought that they could try to hurt Angel at all... ]

( I won't let anything happen to her. I'm gonna protect her. If anyone tries, I'll just kill them. Then I'll kill everyone they ever loved. )

[ zero chill. ]

[adamance]

( Potentially causing more problems and more danger for her. Be cautious at first, and you will be protecting her as best as you can. )

[No chill is fine, so long as it's well-directed.

In her chill-less opinion.]

[inflori]

[ gorsssssh always bossing me around. ]

( Fine. I'll be cautious at first. Happy? )

[adamance]

( I believe it will be Angel who is happy with that decision. )

[Never one to finish up her follow through.

Plus, bossing around is like in her genetics or something.]

[inflori]

[ ugh. Way to be a mom. ]

( Whatever. )