Chaos-Two didn't understand. That little rat thing had been screaming only the day before. Perhaps out of fear, out of pain. Vargas had nearly de-winged it. They could almost feel pity for it, but they refrained from showing such an emotion at the moment.

They dropped a fruit in front of it and dropped down to all fours, "Eat."

A command. Their first, they believed. There were no butterflies here. None of that emotion they struggled to find a word for. Not... yet.

They sighed and lay down, setting their chin on their hand, staring at the creature in front of them currently demolishing the poor piece of food. It didn't deserve that.

"Eat."

They gave Agate-One a flat look, "It is food. You put it in your face, chew, and swallow. You do not roll in it."

This was going to be a long four months.

strong language

Vedette looked up and shot a nasty look at Chaos-Two, growling and glaring at the fruit. She needed to be nice to this imbecile, though. If she sucked up to them, she'd have an ally.

She ate the fruit and glared at Chaos-Two again, grumbling before reluctantly walking over. She hopped into the space where their arms folded and curled up there, flopping their head on their arm.

"Vargas hates me," she mumbled, "He hate me. I say fuck you."

Fuck Vargas.

"Name," she said, looking up at Chaos-Two with pinned ears, "I. Am. Vedette. No Agate. No. Fuck Agate."

Vedette wasn't a number. Not a gemstone. Perhaps this weakling would understand.

"... Am Vedette," she said sadly, her voice dripping with self-pity.

This was too easy.

@V-Chaos-Two

Chaos-Two shrugged, "I don't know if he hates you. Dislike, probably. He doesn't care about any of us if we aren't important to his end goal, but even that's more like the care of an object you don't want broken while you deliver it. There is no familial care there."

They were not his child. They were a tool. But they were Khavur's sibling and the same to the other spawn.

"But he has to be," they mumbled.

They were alive because of his... mercy.

"But acting up isn't going to get you on his good side either, if he has one," they said, looking down at Vedette, still uncomfortable about this... affection.

But as long as she was quiet.

Chaos-Two picked up Vedette by the scruff and stood, carrying her towards their nest and setting her down in it. They walked around in a circle before settling down with a huff.

"Around here you have to earn your name," they said, "If you actually train and stop calling Vargas names, you'll get there faster."

strong language

Vedette squirmed and hissed as she was picked up, but quickly curled up against Chaos-Two's body heat. The Sentinel was somewhere nearby, probably. Watching. Fucking stalker.

"I hate him," she growled, "I want name now!"

She deserved a name just by being born! She was Vedette!

But she supposed training couldn't hurt. At least she'd be able to defend herself a little against the bastard known as Vargas. She stood up and shook herself out, turning to Chaos-Two.

"I wanna train now!", she insisted, "So I can bite Vargas' stupid nose!"

Well, that was one way to get her motivated.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with training," Chaos-Two said, almost in amusement, "You will get a name when you're grown, and you will get a name when you stop acting like an idiot."

They sighed and lifted their head again, resting their chin on a hand, "You're a lot like my sibling. Insisted their name was Nidhogg and fought every attempt of Vargas' to be rational. They escaped recently and were dragged back by their little toes. Vargas taught them a lesson like he taught you one about trying to get away."

Chaos-Two scratched at their chin and hummed, "You have the potential to be great, little one. For Vargas to truly see the fire in you and appreciate it. You just have to channel it. I'll bring you lessers to chase down and kill to sate your urges for now."

Vedette didn't care about Chaos-Two's sibling, but it was a warning. Escape wasn't possible, not without consequence. But the urges to fight and to bite and kick and scream were ones she didn't really feel like fighting.

But Chaos-Two was right. Putting those urges to work instead could be something she could possibly do.

"... Help me," she said, sagging, "Don't want to be punished."

But someday she'd bite Vargas' stupid nose and taste the blood under his skin. She'd add to his collection of scars.

"Still want to bite though," she grumbled.

Chaos-Two sighed and very carefully ran a hand down Agate-One's back. They thought for a moment, and nodded slowly.

"I'll help you," they said, "I will get Garnet-Delta, and they will train you to be an assassin. You will be the fiercest these caves will have ever known. I promise you that."

They pulled their hand away and quickly checked to see that they hadn't accidentally pricked themselves again, and sighed softly. They'd have to find a way to make a kind of armor or something...

The child nodded slowly and let Chaos-Two pet her, scratching her claws aimlessly against the stone. She finally stood and made her way to Chaos-Two, snuggling up against them for comfort.

"... I will be fierce," she promised, "So fierce. So fierce Vargas will fear me."

An ambitious dream, but she'd stick to it. She would make Vargas fear her.

Exit

Chaos-Two sighed and pulled Agate-One closer, watching her slowly fall asleep against them. They were kind of cute, past the rage and anger. Perhaps it was a matter of guiding it into the right direction... and away from Vargas.

Gently, they touched her wing to check on it, wincing as she flinched away. Wounded... or traumatized? They didn't know, but they didn't want to wake her up. So they curled up around Vedette Agate-One, feeling that word well up. The dangerous word.

Love.

They were going to be in so much trouble...

Exit