ORIGIN - [M] Shhh, I know, I know

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"Suffer, as she suffered"

His static had hit, and the shadow doe grew noticably bitter. Voice still hoarse from the electricity that coursed through her. The room became void of all light. Even his own billowing flames that burned within struggled to rival the abyss she manipulated. It was all calming to him, the darkness anyway. Except something was coming towards him. Eyes wide he could make them out, hideous claw-like arms! And they were coming towards him! A shrill snarl he prepared for the oncoming flash of pain, only it never came. Their malformed appendages only rolled over his fur. Staining him, thick ebony ooze dripping from his fur. It may not hurt, but the sensation was something unpleasant. A snarl escaped his lips, swatting at them, claws outstretched, nothing effected them.

It wasn't until now that his white hot eyes focused down below him, towards the bone-covered ground. He was about to scream at her, ask her what the meaning of this was, until her silhouette stepped out, screaming for him. That shrill cry played over and over. The shadows had morphed into haphazard mouths. They mimicked her, begged for him to stop this, for Vicktor to save her, to save Clover! It was too much, he couldn't bring himself to do anything. Only managing to throw his body at the floor before him, trying to grab her. Raking his claws across the hard surface, as if she was just beneath, waiting to be freed. He could barely comprehend that nothing would help her. That is wasn't really Clover, that it was just her shadow! The fire inside him died down, his tears finally able to trail over his cheeks, dripping down to his fangs and to the bone covered floor below.

He lay there surrounded by the silence, their limp bodies acting as marionettes whose puppeteer had grown tired. He was breaking, sobbing grossly at the floor below him, still raking the hard surface as if that would bring her back.

"SUFFER, AS SHE SUFFERED"

He could only snap his head up, eyes clouded with a torrent of tears. Ears laid flat, teeth bared, he hadn't given up.

ROUND: 3/5
ATTEMPT: Stop the shadows! Save Clover!
DEFENSE: None
INJURIES: None

"Clover Speech"
"Belladonna Speech"
"Vicktor Speech"

@Belladonna

He was crying, and it was just so satisfying to her, like standing in a solarium of pleasure. It was intoxicating, seeing him cry like that, and it spread its warmth through her veins, like pleasurable fire. She almost purred, and she wanted, she needed more of it. She jsut kept laughing, feeling this heady mix of anger and pleasure swirl together inside, making this happiness at seeing her attacker shed tears the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. And this time, she knew what he could and would do, and when he gathered his magic again, she just continued to laugh and hid herself behind a pile of bones in the dark, letting the shock hit the bones, rather than her.

Safe behind the mountain, she called out, "She's dead, don't you know? But I have her in my grips. I know your every secret, your every worry, every fear, and your lovely Clover is mine in death. She still suffers in my grasp, and in the realm of death, she still cries for you."

She summoned Clover's magic, using her like a rag doll she squeezed for its blood, letting herself drink deep of the sickening ichor as she screamed for it all to stop. "But if you really want to see her, I'd be happy to oblige..."

She called up the magic she wanted, and from the silent shadows on the floor, it twisted up in a small tornado of hissing shadows, and Clover's pure and shining form sprang from the dark. It was absolutely perfect, every last hair in its place, and she glowed with a beautiful golden light, her tears sparkling on her cheeks.

"A-ah-" She made the image, the mirage, startle and look around, like she'd found herself suddenly freed from her prison, and she looked at Vicktor, and buckled at her knees. "P-Pounce! We have to get out of here, we have to run! Before they find us!"

She made the grabbing shadows start to climb up her mirage of the beauty, and Clover jumped up and away, running like her life depended on it. "Pounce, hurry!"

Belladonna just laughed louder and louder, as if she was following them both, when in truth she just wanted Vicktor as far away as she could manipulate him to be. She made the mirage run straight towards the gorge in one part of Canis, far away from the main part of the room, where the light was hard to see, and where the ground suddenly dropped away, with sharp, broken bones laying there down at the bottom....

ROUND: 3/5
ATTEMPT: Lead him towards the gorge, make him throw himself in willingly and die
DEFENSE: Hiding in the dark
INJURIES: Shocked, mildly numb and disoriented(fading)

"......."

They called out to him, confessing their possession of Clover. Clover was still suffering, even in death!? Was...was she not alive!? Doubt began to set in, taking a few steps back. "But if you really want to see her, I'd be happy to oblige..."

He could not believe his eyes, wiping clear the forming mist he focused entirely on her. His ethereal doe, Clover! She was just as beautiful as he had remembered! The turn of her hooves, the flutter of her lashes, she was golden. "Clover!" he called out, hope dripping from his lips. She was just ahead of him! He could save her, make all of this right! Only when she looked over to him, she buckled at her knees, fear and those sparkling tears in her eye.

"P-Pounce! We have to get out of here, we have to run! Before they find us!"

He had to focus now, he couldn't mess up, freedom was so close! Except those vile shadows began to grab and climb upon her. Staining her glowing visage with their muck. "Pounce, hurry!" There was no need to ask him twice, he was already approaching the fleeing doe. His body billowing smoke in his trail, sparks of fire lighting up across his back. He would keep her safe, he would protect her. He wouldn't let another one of those disgusting shadows touch her. ever. again.

Summoning his own light a scream erupted from his throat, his whole body had gone up in flames. The ravenous fire licking at the shadows, going so far as singeing his own fur. He hadn't done this before, at least not to his entire body. But it was for Clover, he would chase those claws away. He would bring her home! So he ran, watching both her and the ground that lay between them.

Yet he was so occupied with Clover, protecting and keeping the shadows away. He let his own mind wander from keeping the flames in check, allowing them to snack upon his fur. The stench of singed fur and now burning flesh followed him. All he could scream was for Clover to run, run and don't look back! He was oblivious to the trap that waited for him. He watched her ethereal form run, over bones, over rocks, over...nothing at all until she fell down into the ravine. The ground had suddenly dropped off! He screamed for her to stop yet she went fumbling down helplessly. Her ethereal glow fading the father she fell. Unsheathing claws he attempted to slow down, screaming for his body locking up just enough to where he rolled off the side. Barely he was there, hanging onto dear life. Practically dangling, his arms hooked deep into the rocky surface. Struggling, trying to get a grip with his back legs.

ROUND: 4/5
ATTEMPT: Fight back the darkness, make your own light!
DEFENSE: He's on fire???
INJURIES: Kind of being burned right now lol

"Clover Speech"
"Belladonna Speech"
"Vicktor Speech"

She made her way from the shadows, keeping them with her all the while she followed him - she wanted to keep her distance, but once they started running away, she realized that she couldn't see the show anymore. And like an alcoholic following the amber liquid teased in her face, she kept to the dark and watched the bountiful joy and fear in the stupid cub.

It was like seeing a butterfly spread its wings to fly, not realizing it was flying straight into the teeth of a Venus fly trap. Beautiful and glorious and mindlessly stupid.

And what was even better was that to protect the mirage, to keep the fake Clover from 'harm' from the shadows, the cub had set himself on fire! There they were, running along the bones and crunching them under his feet, and he was by himself, fire consuming him for imaginary terrors and risks. There was nothing physical running with him at all, as Belladonna was safely behind him, moving silently and carefully.

This was so delicious, she almost shivered with the taste.

She made the mirage trick him into falling over the gorge, and he slipped and fell, but he held onto the edge, just barely. It barely mattered to her either way, and, in search of more of that sweet, delectable taste she couldn't get enough of, she walked towards the edge where he was struggling to get up fire still licking at his hide, and she could see the jagged bones down at the bottom, waiting for him.

She smiled at him. "You're so foolish it's almost sad," She said, shaking her head. "Why would you listen to her if I'd already told you her soul is mine? I command her, little cub. I can kill her a thousand times over, I can make her spew lies and slander, I can make her do whatever I want."

He just hung there, staring at her, and she could smell his burning flesh now. She wanted that sweet taste so much that she called the shadows away just enough to bare her face, letting the cloak of death swirl around her, hissing, letting it touch his paws with their cold, polluted touch. With Clover's face on her, with the sickening ink spewing from her eyes, she said, "I can even wear her face. Watch as your beloved Clover lets you die."

NO!
She lifted a delicate hoof....and then brought it down as hard and fast as she could, smashing his paw with all the force she could muster.

ROUND: 4/5
ATTEMPT: Break his paw and make him fall
DEFENSE: None
INJURIES: Shocked, mildly numb and disoriented(faded by now)

"......."

He was so naive, crying out for Clover who had fallen. Until someone was approaching, it was her, the fiend. Letting out a shrill hiss he spat at her. His words incomprehensible yet again, until she spoke up. Speaking of killing her a thousand times over, making Clover do what ever she pleased. He just hung there, staring at her. Allowing the fire to feast on his hide, he didn't care. The pain would only fuel his hate, motivate his thirst for that inky ichor she would probably spew forth from an open wound. His mood unwavering, he was focused entirely on her. He would slaughter her, he would feast. For the first time he would kill another gembound, and in pure pleasure. Tearing each strand of muscle from bone, he would enjoy every last scream, lap up every single ounce of blood.

He would do it all for Clover. She would be freed then. At least that's what he thought. It made sense that without the puppeteer, the puppets would be free. So once this shadow deer was removed, Clover would come from the shadow, from their cruel clutches and into his warm embrace. That is exactly what he would do, he planned on it.

But Vicktor had planned on many things, this fight definitely not being one of them, and neither was what she showed him. Shadows swirled from her face, revealing Clover's. The sickening ink spewing forth from her eyes. He was horrified, what kind of trick was this!? HOW!?

"I can even wear her face. Watch as your beloved Clover lets you die."

"NO!"

A shattering scream ripped forth as his fur rose, climaxing into a shrill yowl as she smashed his paw. In a flurry everything had backfired. His electricity had turned on him with his lost focus. With the sudden voltage he became lightheaded, the loud buzzing quickly returned with a throbbing vengeance. His broken paw had released what minimal grip he had mustered under the contact of her hoof. Allowing him to plummet screaming to the bottom of the ravine. He was so very tired now, his fire had died, releasing a cloud of disgusting smoke. The stench of burnt flesh heavy in the air. Only now was he managing to scratch down the walls of the ravine releasing an ear-piercing sound of claws against rock. Until finally it all stopped, his screaming, the sound of struggle. Just silence...

ROUND: 5/5
ATTEMPT: Zap Her!
DEFENSE: None
INJURIES: -Burnt Body(2nd and 3rd degrees)
-Broken Paw
-Numbness
-Dizzy

"Clover Speech"
"Belladonna Speech"
"Vicktor Speech"

@Belladonna

She felt this absolutely amazing euphoria, this high, the best she'd ever felt, when she heard the scream of Clover, her lilting voice strained with pain, mixing like some sweet melody with that of Vicktor's scream of pain and agony as she crushed the bones in his paw. The song was ended abruptly with the shattering of bone and the snap and crackle of electricity and fire that consumed the jaguar as he fell down into the dark of the ravine.

The sound of Clover sobbing and crying inside of her punctuated the entire process, and Belladonna stood there in sick satisfaction as she made Clover watch her cub die. Oh, was that monstrosity the cute little babe you raised since they woke up? She cackled, feeling gleeful and knavish. Whoops. My bad.

She heard him fall, and heard the ear-splitting sound of claws against the rocks, but where she expected the sound of his flesh splitting open against the bottom, there was only silence. Belladonna frowned slightly, and Clover's crying stopped. The shadow cared less whether or not the cub was alive or not - if it was, that meant she could squeeze more pain from him, but if he was dead, well, it was just fodder for Clover's pain. It mattered little either way.

She still wanted to see their death, wanted to claim their corpse for her own, her conquest, so she reached to the source of Clover's magic triumphantly, grinning at the deer the whole time, but when she let her guard down, still high from her victory, Clover snarled and fought her, screaming obscenities in such a foul language she'd never heard from her - she was desperate, blinded by grief, and wanted to cause pain to the shadow who caused it.

While Belladonna struggled with this, she felt this strange mix of pride and anger - Clover was winning over her, strangling her, and light choked her, making her throw up with the stuff, her fury fueling her, and Belladonna was just laughing through the breaths she could steal, riding the high.

The body they shared swayed where it stood, eyes blind to anything but the war inside, shadows broiling over the coat, light dribbling from the mouth with a sick sound of labored breathing mixed with this distracted, distant laughter.

ROUND: 5/5
ATTEMPT: Illuminate the bottom of the ravine
DEFENSE: None
INJURIES: Just fine and dandy, thanks

"......."

He stayed there, gripped against the rock balancing on the wire of life and death itself. He was not gutless, he couldn't afford to be, at least not now. Not while Clover was still a puppet. He looked up, focusing through the smoke and on that 'face' she tainted as a worthless mask. Dripping with the vile ink that shadow doe spewed up. He would do this, all for Clover, till his dying breath. He would save her.

Fire igniting within the confines of his body he began to climb. His mouth and eyes glowing with white-hot determination. The ear-piercing scraping of claw on rock only built him up. Till finally with each breath he spewed fire from his lungs. They were forever ravenous, just as he. Screaming for their host to hurry as they laughed with him. Their cracks and pops mimicking that of his own sickening laugh as he rose above the edge. Fire billowing forth as he approached her, watching her as if she was his last meal. She may not have been in the present head space, light flooding from her mouth, eye empty and absent. But he so eagerly was, he didn't just knock on the door. He burnt the whole damn house down.

She had the audacity to wear this mask, to bare Clover's face, that ethereal glow and all her likeness! It only added fuel to the fire. Inhaling that scent of dead flowers that rivaled his own putrid stench of blood and fire, he was preparing now. Until finally he evacuated all air trapped within, unleashing an ear-shattering scream, a cry of battle. His ravenous fire billowing hungrily around Clover's face, dancing with fury as they dare not touch the doe's delicate glowing flesh. They were hot, but never burning, they would cause no damage. No, that was the job for his very own jaws.

It wasn't until he could see, that sad little light among the ashes of her burnt home within Clover's hopeful eye that he reacted. Throwing Clover to the ground below him, he stood on top of her. A paw against her chest and another on her throat. Using his weight as leverage against 'his' doe he applied more and more force. A sinister smile cracked across his features as he unsheathed his claws. Gripping tenderly at her fur, pulling at the very soft pelt he only knew as Clover. Finally bringing his mouth to rest against her soft white cheek. His eyes unmoving, white hot and lost within the fire he had started. His saber-fangs rubbing tenderly against her throbbing jugular, he could feel blood run thick through her veins. The flames trickling out the sides of his mouth, dancing around his teeth all coy. Until they crashed to the very rock she laid on, scorching it. But never once, harming a hair on Clover's perfect glowing coat.

"To the Vicktor goes the spoils...and I will devour every.last.bit."

"Clover Speech"
"Belladonna Speech"
"Vicktor Speech"

Both Clover and Belladonna barely noticed as Vicktor tackled them both to the ground, barely saw or registered the look in his face, the cry of battle, the eagerness. When he tackled her, the body fell like an inanimate sack of flesh, unhoused and uncontrolled, and when he caressed her with his teeth against her fur, she barely recognized it.

Inside was a screaming, bloody war. Belladonna was just having so much fun with all of this, and none of it even mattered to her. She had her sea of hatred at her command, and she used it to fight and slash at Clover's desperate state of mind. Clover was blind with rage, throwing all of her into fighting everything that came her way, slashing at the grabbing hands with her light till she reached Belladonna and strangled her, yelling at her at the top of her lungs, blaming her for every terrible thing she'd had to suffer, every awful thing she'd been forced to observe. And all the while, the shadow kept laughing, and Clover just kept getting angrier and angrier.

It was Vicktor's voice that brought them both to realize that there was something going on, and Clover took that knowledge that he was alive to finally submerge Belladonna in the sea and run towards the white at the end of the tunnel, to gain control of her body. She blocked the door to the shadow with her light, bringing it up to surround herself as soon as she possibly could, driving away the shadows.

Clover heard the tail end of what Vicktor was saying, and she turned to him, glowing, taking in a shuddering breath. Her neck tingled from his touch. She just looked at him, with the fire spewing from his eyes and his mouth, the flames licking past her to the ground, she saw the long, menacing teeth, and she saw the hunger in him. That- that wasn't there before, She thought to herself.

"Vi-Vicktor," She said, her voice shaking; it was barely a whisper, barely anything, with his paws on her neck and her chest. She could feel her eye clearing up, could feel the ink trail down her face. "I'm so sorry."

He stepped off of her to let her speak, and she inhaled harshly. "I'm sorry, my love, for making you suffer," She said, tears, real ones, pricking her eye. "I should've been there, I should've protected you. I'm trying to fight her but I just-"

Her voice was so soft, it was barely there. "It's so hard. I'm drowning and alone and she's winning, and I'm scared-" She shivered. "I'm scared that I want to give up."

"This is how I speak."

@Vicktor