[ The room is BRIGHT YELLOW, as all the rooms you will enter are. Black tiles make up the floor, changing to your unit's color when pressure is placed on them. There is a button in the very center of the room standing on a podium; it's slightly smaller than palm-sized.]
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Paloma vs Amaranth
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
why are we here?
because one use of Sentimental Mood wagers that you don't know anymore! ]
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
As soon as steps into the room and so much as glances at her opponent, she activates cut-tongue sparrow: blinding.
And then... ]
....Paloma... [ blinking a few times, suddenly disoriented ]
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
Ah, say... do you know what we're meant to do here?
[ all right, she can remember, it should be in the same place, if she can just edge that way without tipping Amaranth off— ]
1/2
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
and then Paloma edges sideways like she's been cornered—
Her staff is out, and she blocks her path, for all that she doesn't unblind her to make that especially clear. ]
What did you do to me.
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
this one was never going to be easy, was it; she takes a half step back, to give herself a little more room, even if that means moving away from her goal. ]
Are you going to kill me, Amaranth?
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
[ puppeteering: she uncurls her own fingers on both her hands, to get Amaranth to drop the staff. ]
Though if you are going to kill me, do kindly use something other than bludgeoning.
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
That is the only weapon I have with me; you would likely prefer it to my fists.
So, once more, I ask you to tell me: What did you do?
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
[ just carefully walking the outside of a wide circle, puppeteering still active, swapping their positions. It's... probably behind her, and a little to the right? ]
More or less what you did, I suppose. Attempt to start myself off with an advantage.
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
and then the sound of the slight shift of her boot heel against the stone is the only warning before there's the feeling of a bark-coated arm hurling Paloma against the wall. ]
Paloma. Tell me the stakes.
Re: Paloma vs Amaranth
At least she can appreciate this as a lesbian, ]
...mm. Mysterious personalized "punishments."
[ She has just enough range of motion to go for the derringer— ]
So you can see why I'm fighting hard.
[ —and presses it between Amaranth's ribs and fires. ]
1/2 again
i'm not sure if this is still romantic i'm sorry
There's just enough of a moment of vision to see that the other woman is coated in shiny, ridged bark, before Paloma's vision goes dark again—
—and Amaranth's fist connects with her face. ]
no subject
[ Well, she just goes sprawling, planting face-first into the floor. no one's punched her before, what the fuck! She's gay for danger but she's got shit to do—
She manages not to drop the gun at least for all the good that's going to do her, and levers herself back right side up, struggling to her feet through the blindness. ]
no subject
[ she takes advantage of the brief window of opportunity to scan the room, noting the podium in the center—it's not exactly subtle in its significance.
there's the sound of her boot heels clicking against the tiled floor as she walks over to it. ]
....The button signals that it's over, doesn't it.
no subject
...she's not going to make it, is she. even puppeteering, if they're both facing toward the button, and she's still not entirely sure what way she herself is facing— ]
...suppose there's no point in trying to hide that anymore, is there. You're a formidable opponent.
[ lightly, teasingly: ] No mercy in memory of a lovely afternoon spent together, then?
no subject
if nothing else, she could likely delay her, as one last stand. maybe even deny them both the win. ]
You did press your flamepiece into my gut, you know.
[ and she presses the button ]
...I remember, now, that I resolved my last round with talk, for all that I initially meant to fight. But you had me more than half-convinced it was truly a duel to the death. I might well have actually killed you, if I hadn't glanced the button again.
no subject
If you wouldn't mind helping me face my fate with dignity?
no subject
Consider your reaction to getting punched already forgotten.
In truth, I cannot describe that as an especially dignified moment from me, either—and I will never relish BARiTONES suffering.
no subject
[ she takes the hand, and—well, she's contractually obligated to CR check, but. it'd be appreciated regardless.
she brushes herself off; adjusts her blazer ]
Well, may at least one of our units make it to the finish line. I could say the same for you and yours.
1/2: CR information
beyond this point, the strength of the feeling is much less distinct.
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Hallucinations - Paloma, cw fire, tongue removal, bone breaking
As they prepare to start the torture, your eyes linger at the room you’re stuck in. A vase of dead and wilted flowers sits lifelessly in a corner: Irises, daisies, freesias, snowdrops. You’re still smiling.
You look in the mirror and you see a younger version of yourself. That’s you, isn’t it? They’re smiling like you are, but more importantly, their eyes are still filled with hope. You’re still smiling.
Ah but that’s the mask you have on your face, isn’t it? What’s underneath the mask?
Isn’t it the expression that you made when you reached for the hand of someone you tried to trust, only to have it be slapped away? Who even knew you could make that sort of expression?
You remember the feeling of the knife against your tongue as they sliced it slowly from your mouth. That was your punishment. After all, it was your sweet words that have betrayed those around you. They made sure that it would not happen again. Still, you smile because it’s all you know. That seems to anger them further and they reach to grab your face. If you like to smile, they’ll make sure to help you remember. They cut slits on the edges of your mouth, searing pain burning your face, but you still smile.
After all, the smile is your mask.
As you feel them break the bones in your fingers one by one, you wonder. Isn’t it funny how you can’t even bother to feel bad for yourself? Is this something you feel like you’ve earned? Or is it simply because you sold your soul to the devil long, long ago?
You can see a single marigold that is standing amongst the dead flowers.
And you laugh.
Re: Hallucinations - Paloma, cw fire, tongue removal, bone breaking
Physical:
> Missing tongue
> Sliced edges on the mouth
> De-age, 19 year old you
Non-Physical:
> Unable to lie
> Increase self-loathing
> Increase protectiveness of unit/ppl you care about