Voice caught in throat for fear and sheer confusion he watched helplessly as the beast snarled their replies. Laughing and holding that vile mocking tone with each syllable; dripping with excitement all the while. Vicktor couldn't help but let the tears flow, sobbing silently as his vision blurred the monstrosity into an array of spiking colors.


"We͞ ͘ar̷e͝ nơthing m͟o̴ŗe͘ t̢ha͟ņ pe̷r͜so͏nàlit͘i͏es! ͞Flou̵r͞i͝sh̵i̕n̕ģ in th̨ís ͘a̡b͞s҉tra̵c͘t̀ pla̶ce!̵ ̕W͜e҉ ár̡e͜ t̸he s͢a̛me; ҉V͏įc̡k̵t͠or̵!҉ ҉Yęt͏,͏ ͏we ̴aŗe diffe̷r͏e͝n̡t!͝ Dò ̢y̧ou͞ u̵nd̷e͞r͜sţańd͞!?̀ ̧And ̴ẃho w̧e ͝wi̶ll b͘èc͢o̷me͡ depe̛nd͡s ̴on ͜whǫ ҉i͡s ̕fed m̡o͠r̶e͠.̸..͏"

The beast calmed slightly, staring at the differences that were outrageously apparent between them.

"A̫͚̬͓̱n̞̞̗̝̞̹̟d̺͔̠͙̥̱̩ ͖̙̹̝͔s͈̮o ̼̫͕̝̦̥f̰͇ͅa̼̟̗r̠͈̭̗ ͎i̻̹͔̟̩͓t̺͇̲ ̤lo̮o̠̼̠k̙̲̻̘̮s̙̞̭̝ ͙̠l͈̱̣̱͙̠̩iḳ̯e͈̹̰̩̮ i̭̦̱̲͇t̺͚͎͓̤͈̙'s͍̞̱ ̜̩̼̱̠͓ͅm͉e̳̼͉̥.̣͓̺̤͕̣.̜̙͈̻̬͚̺.̞̞"

Voice ending on a calm note, dripping with brutal excitement for the end to finally approach.


"Speech"

"Thought"

Recoiling a final time courage soon built up as he stood against the calming beast; his monstrous half.

"We both are Vicktor! We are the same! So what if either of us can live without the other! We can't live without a body! We're dyi-"

He wavered, bracing himself against the void as all began to blur. The luminous lights flickering as he struggled. Heart racing the memory orbs began to skip, fading in and out with each breath. The lingering aftertaste of those peculiar mushrooms still apparent on the tip of his tongue. Piercing eyes moved over the young jaguar, as it's attention shifted to the all too familiar events. They were dying...again...it wouldn't be his time, least not for now. Rising to his feet the monster smiled sweetly at his other.

"r̼u̧̟n̡̳͕͇̜̣͖"

Vicktor's eyes rolled to the beast, confused as he scrambled to his own feet fighting off the apparent effects that were trickling in. Gripping the void like thick malleable tar beneath his feet.


"Speech"

"Thought"

The beast widened it's sweet smile, the ends of his mouth curling upward as he bared teeth. He could not do anything to aid the body, except assist the youngster in kick starting their heart. He would need to run, to scream and panic just as before when he clamped his jaws around his throat. He would need to be afraid, to have the desire to escape; to live.

"R̙͍̠U̠̬̖̠̕N̻͈̫̖̗͟"

He snarled, charging at the unsteady cub. Plasma pooling from the corners of his mouth as he hissed. Vicktor attempted to speak, only able to release another syllable before the beast mock charged again. Eyes wide he heaved, spittle and blood threatening to pool and mix into the void. Scrambling to his feet the cub fell, once, twice and a third time. Ripping up the floor as 'tar' flung from his feet. Running as the world began to flicker yet again.


"Speech"

"Thought"

The floor beneath rippled, white lines distorting as the beast followed. Flames billowing from their jaw as it laughed outward, terrifying the young cub. If this monster wanted to live and be in control so bad that means he would kill him! Right? It didn't matter if the beast could kill him or not, he wasn't going to stay put and find out. He was completely oblivious to what the true intentions of his other had. He was afraid, he wanted to live; to find Clover. That's all he needed to focus on. He had survived his last encounter, vanishing from this world the moment that beast's jaws clamped around his neck. Maybe all he had to do was outlast it till he woke up? That could work! Inhaling deeply he could feel his heart skip a beat, heavy in his ears it rang out. Each lungful of air was a chore all its own. He would survive, he just need to outlast this beast.


"Speech"

"Thought"

Each step drove Vicktor farther from the beast, farther from a supposed fatality. He dared not to glance back should he trip and fall. Afraid of not just the demon but the thought of melting into the very void that wavered beneath his feet. To the demon this was child's play. He could have caught him in an instant, but this wasn't the time for that; they needed to wake up. He needed him to live, or all of this was for not. Another pulse was sent through the void, lines wavering as their reality blurred and they both slowed.

"R͍̳̞̰̠̣͠U̘̼͕N͘"

The demon screeched, breath gliding across Vicktor's neck. Yelp in throat he drew focus from his feet to the beast behind him. A foolish mistake as the jaguar began fumbling across the floor. Tripping up and over his own legs, flinging the tar like substance into the air. He simply lay there, hyperventilating at such an event. Threatening a hiss as he tried to steady his own breath. Yet nothing came out, he was rattled; frozen in place as he dare not look at what stood over him.


"Speech"

"Thought"

The beast frowned the instant the cub tripped, fumbling over itself like a fool. This wasn't the way...the cub was too weak...he would need some assistance. Time was running out and the void around them was wavering, vibrating now as their body struggled to fight on.

"Y̬o̗̻̣̣̪͞u̗̞̘'̪͓̮̞ͅr̴͚̼e̛͉̫ ̳̳̙͙h̟o̸͎͈̮̳͙͙̺p͖̯̱̰̪̼e͉̰̹̯l͈̝͚e͕̗̪͙̳͟s̼͝s̢̤!̹̱"

The demon spat out, plasma flowing into the void beneath him. Scarlet pooling until it formed a sea, one the color of amaranthine. Yellow sparked from his lips as he stood over the cub. Rumble in throat at the frozen child beneath him. There was so much promise...yet it was crumbling as they spoke.

"H̩͉̠̟̠̳̙͠ow ̴̼̪͕ḓ͚o̺̠͈͍ ̝̭̗̺̺y͔͚̙o̜̼u̘̯̝̫̻̲ ̙̤̺͓͕̭̞ḙ̻xp̞̱̼̰͔͔̕e̺̹̣c̡͓̮t ̪̠t͏̪̜o̴̯͇͇ ̛̮̺͙s͇͚a̧v҉͚̟͚͖̬ḙ̝̞̫͙̩ ̩̩̲̝h̥̭̗̙̬e̗̙r͘!͖̦̩̘̟̀?͓̰͝ ̮͔̝Y̹̦͉̬͇̮͕o̴͍̲͈̝̳̳ͅu̡̯͈̮͙̯ ̴͙̲c͏͎̬an̮̫͉̻̺̘͢'̶͓͈̙̟͕̙t̮͕̖ ̞̬̖̯ẹ̶̳̱̟v̜͈̬e̼n ͏͔s̥̪͔̗͉͎͖͟a͓̥v̤̪̹e̞̰̦̜̟̭̘ ̺́y̦͈̗o̱̲u̠̠̜̼̙̙̗͟r̪̙̦̤̺s̢e̻̹l̫͚̯͔͙f̴̪̲̪̫̺̹̭!̤̯͇͓̰!̤"

There was no answer...only silence till the violent rhythm of a failing heart pulsed through the void. He moved and Vicktor flinched, curling up and seeming to give into what he was beginning to believe as fate. Seconds passed and he could hear the rhythm slow. No! This wasn't fair!

"Speech"

"Thought"

It was all or nothing...

"L̞̣̭̗̠̤͢O̧̜͙̖͓O̵̹̙̮̪͎̳̦K̢͕͙ ҉̣̩̰͙͚A̵T̡̜̲̭͇ ̖̬̬̼͝M̻̱͕̯̘̖̞E̛͔̖͓͍"

The demon demanded attention, and he got it. Puddled eyes glanced up, frozen and fearful as Vicktor sniffled. Staring into the jaws of the beast before him, he spoke not a word. He didn't need to, all was understood in a momentary glance. Lowering his own eyes the monster snarled, opening his jaws. Listening to rhythm that pulsed through the void. Excitement climbing this was the chance, Vicktor had woke up the moment his jaws clamped around his throat previously. They would learn right here and now if one could truly kill the other, or if that was simple hogwash.

Tar bubbled up around them as fire shot from the beast's throat, dancing over Vicktor. He prepared himself for what was building. The demon gripped into the void, claws intertwining as he inhaled sharply. Screaming to the cub as his jaws encased their skull. Voice rattling around it fought the sound of their heart, noisy and unrelenting. He had bit down, snapping their jaws through their vertebrae. Sealing fate as the void in an instant began to blur and flood white.

"D͚̫̻͚O͚̦̰̲̤N̹̰͎̬̰̰'͙̼̞T͔̳̲͙͞ ̜̪̹͉͉͡ͅF̧Ṳ͓C̛͎͖͇̺̫͙̭K̩͟ ̧̪̺͎̘T͢H̦͍͉͍͓ͅḬ͓Ṣ͖ ҉̻̙͖U̝̰P̛"

Words echoing as nothing but white had taken the jaguar's sight now. Cold, painful and white.


"Speech"

"Thought"

Cold, painful and white remained seared across his senses. Surrounded by the putrid mix of frozen blood and bile he rose to his feet. Remembering the previous events all too quickly for his liking, heaving forth threatening to spill the contents of an empty stomach. Yet nothing happened, he simply stood there, numb, tired and wavering. Heart aching for the loving Clover that had left him behind. He would go on, find safety and lick his wounds. She had helped him, healed him even; it was only right he continued forth. To save her and make her proud, she would forgive him he was sure. Accidents happen, and he is so young it was just a fluke right? He wasn't the monster from his dreams, the one that had spoken so rationally and yet maniacally back there.

No...

Shaking his skull he chose to simply ignore it all, or at least the best a young jaguar could. Slowly walking from the scene of such trauma he shook unknowingly, eyes red and life damn near broken.

Just a faint flicker of fire atop the candle wick in this raging storm.

[exit]


"Speech"

"Thought"