As the hybrid continued to speak, to save what...ever it was they had, Kal began to grow disbelieving. Li was just trying to say what she wanted to hear! She probably would have killed her if she actually looked so ready to fight. As Li stood up and began to walk closer, Kal backed away, a frown on her face, and her head shaking slightly. She didn't speak anymore, letting the hybrid do all the talking, though it was clear from her expression that Kal wasn't believing a word she was saying.

---

With every word the hybrid uttered, Kal's disbelief grew. By this point, she was absolutely convinced Li would have killed her if she looked ready to fight, and not so terrified. The thought angered her. As Li continued to plead, she only grew angrier, until her tail started lashing, and her claws scratched lines in the stone.

She had stopped backing away, and now faced her fully, the beginnings of a snarl on her face. "Alright, so you wouldn't have killed me. But what if someone else had looked ready to fight? What if someone else was angry, and fully prepared to give you a fight to the death? Would you have killed them? Would you have killed anyone else, just to make Imperia proud of you?"

---

Kal stopped, eyes wide. She'd...killed before? So it was very likely that she would have killed someone if they were prepared to fight! But she wasn't even thinking about that right now. After a moment, she opened her mouth to speak. "You...You've killed before?" Faintly, perhaps, she could recall hearing that. Had Li admitted it when going again Imperia, when she was still there? She couldn't remember. It had been so long since that happened. She had tried to forget about it as much as possible.

After the initial shock wore off, it was soon replaced once more with anger, and she took a bold step forward, claws still out, eye narrowed. "You've killed before. Ha! I'm surprised anyone could ever trust you. I'm surprised I ever trusted you. It was all a ruse, wasn't it? You were going to act all innocent, refuse to kill me, only to come find me later and kill me then!" She chuckled bitterly.

"No one will trust you. You've killed. Now that I know it, it's obvious. You've got a look that just screams 'I've killed someone!' And who's to say you wouldn't do it again? Given the chance, I'm sure you'd take it in a heartbeat. How do you even live with yourself? Are you proud? Proud of killing? I bet you are. Of course you would be. You make me sick."

---

Kallista probably should have expected it. She pissed off someone clearly capable of doing her harm, but dammit, she couldn't live in fear forever! So when Li pinned her, growling, she growled right back. She wouldn't be intimidated by the cat, even if she was much larger. Her claws were digging into her shoulders, and she winced slightly. But she had to do something back. She could use a spell, something she hasn't used in a long time. Not since Todd cowered away from her. And if she ever did use it, it was never near Todd.

She tried to call upon her magic, to bring that static, but nothing came. She growled in frustration and glared up at Li, scowling now. She made no attempt to get out from under the cat, instead waiting for a time she could catch her off guard. But before then, she decided to play with her a little. "Oh, so you want to fight me? Fine. Get off me and fight me! Or will you stay like a coward?"

---

Kallista grunted as Li got off. She got up as well and faced her, tail tip flicking. When Li suggested she go first, she grunted. "Please. I think you'll need the advantage. So go on, Attack me first. We'll see how you do." Her tail tip continued to flick as she watched. She'd have to be smart about this - Li could go first, and depending on what they tried to do, she'd likely try to dodge. But she couldn't always do that, unfortunately. She'd just have to wait and see.

---