idolpro | 531 Monstrosity & Morality: Dividing Lines of the Self and Other, Section 1

There's—a small girl behind the armchair?

"Hey! You snuck up on me! I was trying to hunt you!"

You have no idea who this is.

[He has no idea who this is.]

Heeeh, looks like you need more practice, miss...?

"I'm just getting used to stalking bigger prey!" She pauses. "Oh, but right, I'm only supposed to do it for play."

Your prey being... what, humans?

"I'm not supposed to eat those... although, they're not as tasty as some other things, anyway."

What are you feeling right now? Just curious.

[Mostly a mild curiosity!]

Some other things?

Hm. Was it a mild curiosity? You're not really feeling that curious, anymore. Pretty neutral.

"Some other things! Your hair is really cool, by the way."

[That's fine, this is all fine.]

Thanks!

Did someone tell you what you are and aren't supposed to eat?

"Yeah... Well, and a lot of people have told me a lot of different things about how I should be. Even when I'm older than they are!"

Oh? Like who?

"Well, Iris is sorta my sister, but she's about my age—she's just bigger than I am. But even if I'm small, I don't have to listen to anyone if I don't want to. I bet you think I'm a baby."

I've seen way too many things to think that so easily! Around how old are the both of you?

"I'm almost eighty! She's just a few years older than I am."

How are you feeling now, buddy

[Okay, that one does give him a mild surprise.]

Really? And you're still going to get bigger? Wow!

"...hm? Oh, no. I'm not going to get bigger."

For a moment she looks very distant and neutral, and then the feeling of surprise... sort of vanishes.

"I don't change."

Is that so? That's too bad. There's lots of rides with a height minimum.

[Hmm... he's going to try thinking of an especially depressing memory, just... dragging his entire mood down into the dumps with the hopelessness of his situation, even if he keeps his outward expression neutral.]

Her face... falls, slightly, although she looks more confused than anything.

"Well—in any case, I can do what I want most of the time, anyway. There's a lot fewer folks who can make me do anything now..."

[There's probably like, cw: suicide feels all up ins, is she going to take it?]

If all of them go away, what are you planning to do then?

She goes kind of oddly calm. But the feelings do just... start receding. It doesn't seem to change her, though. Or at least that you can tell? Maybe she's just good at pushing some things aside.

"I don't know. I guess I'll keep doing what I've always done."

Edited 2021-08-28 00:53 (UTC)

I guess it'll be all up to you by then...

Is it really that tasty, by the way?

[He's got plenty to hate about himself, he can add heaps of self-loathing in there too.]

"Eeh—I was trying to be sneaky! The taste isn't as strong as it is with vampires, but it's not bad."

The more you think about your badfeels, and the more she keeps taking them away—you realize that it's not just the bad feelings leaving you. You're feeling more tired the longer this goes on.

[This is STILL PROBABLY FINE bye badfeels.]

So you prefer to feed off the emotions of other vampires?

Is it fine? Is it?

"Mhm... I guess since they don't change, either, it makes the flavor like... stronger? Like what some of the others say about wine. I dunno."

Somewhere outside—maybe from another room, you also hear a peal of what's either laughter or sobbing, maybe.

[Well, that's something. Starting to shift to check that out.]

Ages like fine wine, huh... Ah, what was your name again?

"I'm Sam! It's short for Samantha, but people always say the long version doesn't really suit me."

When you try to move—well, you can, there's nothing stopping you, but you're feeling very weak.

Re: PRIMARY SOURCES: LATE 19TH CENTURY

bondsofsuffering - 2021-08-28 01:09 (UTC) - Expand

Re: PRIMARY SOURCES: LATE 19TH CENTURY

libraryofbabel - 2021-08-28 01:11 (UTC) - Expand