[TAKE YOUR HEART]

[guillotineroom]

[you find yourself transported into what looks like an old-timey medieval torture room. there are no torture devices present, however; the only thing occupying the room seems to be pairs of rusted manacles hanging from the ceiling]

[you are not alone]

[TO LEONA: you intrinsically understand that you are stealing this person's desires, not their actual heart. the process will be non-bloody, but you understand that you must plunge your hand into your victim's chest (5:22 to 5:27) to take those desires. you still have all of your powers]

[TO ALEC: you intrinsically understand that Leona is trying to steal your desires. you know you will survive when this is over, but you will be a different person. you will be forced to either confess your guilt, or become a shade of your former self, and everything in between (player's choice on how serious it is). the player may also determine what shape the desires take! you may fight back, if you wish, but. . . you have no powers]

[you may begin]

Comments

[secondbornsun]

[ this 6' tall man with lion ears and lion tail is walking in with a soft step, hardly a sound when he moves. only very briefly looking toward the room to absorb his surroundings before he sets his eyes on alec. ]

[striketwice]

[ One second, he's in the their room, taking stock of their losses, the next he's here. His first instinct is to reach for his magic, but of course that does nothing.

Fuck. Fucking fuck. He sizes up Leona for a moment. ]

Tsuchigumo, right?

[secondbornsun]

[ i should have noted that he looks like he belongs in a biker gang.

his pupils narrow to thin slits, as though trained on alec. ]

Mmmhmh.

[striketwice]

[ Alec is also a member of the cool leather jacket club. Too bad he lost his hoodie trying to save a teammate from bleeding out. ]

I hope you know I'm not just gonna roll over and let you do whatever the hell you wanna do.

[ Magic or no, Alec is a trained and seasoned mercenary. He'll put up a fight. However that shakes out against a lion man. ]

[secondbornsun]

Aaahhh.

[ raising a hand to rub the back of his neck, casual in tone like they're not just talking about, you know, stealing alec's (metaphorical) heart ]

What a pain . . . sure, struggle while ya can.

[ and he pulls out a—what looks like a fancy ink pen? it's crowned with an amber jewel, though with a flick of his wrist it turns into a wooden staff. ]

Come on, then. Let's see what ya got.

[striketwice]

[ Well, they're both being casual about this, then, though Alec's body language sits entirely at odds with his tone. It's clear he's ready for an attack. ]

Nah. You first, furry bait. Since apparently the Warden thinks the only way you're gonna win is by turning my magic off.

[secondbornsun]

[ . . .

did you just call me furry bait

. . .

what the hell is furry bait ]

I gave ya a chance. Don't complain about it after this.

[ striking the ground with the bottom of the staff—at once, the ground rumbles, and green vines burst from the floor underneath alec, intending to bind him. who needs manacles when you can make your own eco-friendly ones ]

[striketwice]

[ Bro come on he fights magic users all the time. Which is to say the second the ground rumbles, Alec moves. He's not superhumanly fast or anything, but he's still fast. Those vines are going to have to catch him.

Or, alternatively, Leona can catch THESE HANDS. He's going for a running tackle. ]

[secondbornsun]

[ he will find he cannot reach leona—somehow, from nowhere, a powerful gust of wind blows from ?behind? the lion man to buffet alec with the atmospheric pressure, though strangely the pressure is greatest in very specific points: at his feet and ankles like something(someone) means to trip him, and at his shoulders and his waist like hands holding him back. ]

. . . Hahh. Not bad.

[striketwice]

[ HEY ELEMENTAL MAGIC IS HIS THING (not right now it's not).

Alec sets his feet, trying to leverage against the forces pulling at him. There's not a whole lot he can do here, and the hates, hates that. ]

Absolutely fuck you.

[secondbornsun]

I told ya, don't complain about it after this.

[ the vines are uncoiling to wrap around alec's knees, ankles, elbows, wrists ]

[striketwice]

I think I'm well within my rights to fucking complain all I want, you piece of shit.

[ He's fighting this as best he can. At least... let him wriggle an arm free so he can punch this prettyboy DeviantArt OC in the face... ]

[secondbornsun]

[ he can wriggle his arm free but should he try to swing a fist leona is going to dodge it ]

As if ya wouldn't play the same on us if ya could.

[striketwice]

[ I mean, yeah, he's still going to try. Don't let it be said he didn't go down swinging. ]

Yeah, well. Hindsight is 20/20.

[secondbornsun]

Mmmmh.

[ y~awns, leaning against his staff while he just kind of watches the vines try to recapture that arm. or maybe he's just watching alec struggle. or maybe he's just being a piece of shit ]

Ya done yet?

[striketwice]

[ Alec would kind of admire the piece-of-shitness of it all if he weren't the one who's heart was on the proverbial chopping block. He's not going to stop struggling if that's what Leona's waiting for. ]

You always play with your food?

[secondbornsun]

Eh.

[ yes ]

Not really much t'play with.

[ he's not really looking for alec to stop struggling so much as for alec to stop being able to swing his fist wildly. there's a vine wrapping around his head now, and he is being! dragged! to! the! wall! ]

[striketwice]

[ It's safe to say that he's well and truly restrained by now. He lets out a grunt when his back hits the wall. ]

Only 'cause you fight like a little bitch.

[ Quoth man who has never fought fair in his life. ]

What, afraid I'm gonna mess up your hair?

[secondbornsun]

[ grins like he was just given a compliment, honestly ]

I'm a pretty delicate guy. Ya mess it up and I could just about collapse. So sorry I ain't as tough as you.

[striketwice]

[ Hah. He's still pulling against those vines, for all the good it does him. There's a flash of something in his eyes, the low light of lightning trapped behind storm clouds.

He may be without his magic, but the manifestation of his possession is still there, even if it ultimately lends him no power either. A low rumble of thunder crawls through the room. ]

Then for the sake of your delicate constitution, you better hope that my teammates never, ever find out it was you who did this.

1/2

[secondbornsun]

[ a very brief—not quite startle, but a pause, his ears perking up to the sound of thunder ]

[secondbornsun]

. . . Hahhh.

[ standing himself up to step closer, reaching out now to finally—experimentally, really—press fingertips to the other man's chest, watch his gloved hand sink into flesh in a way it shouldn't ]

I'm quiverin' with fear.

[striketwice]

[ Jesus fuck, that's a godawful sensation. Alec grits his teeth. ]

Don't say I didn't warn you.

[ Leona's fingers will close around... something. It feels utterly unpleasant, much like the attitude of the man in front of him. When he withdraws his hand, he'll find himself in possession of a mask, the features of which are indistinguishable beneath the coat of black, terrible ichor that crawls over its surface like a living, breathing thing.

Alec gives a labored, shuddering gasp, and falls completely still and slack against the vines. He's still breathing, but he's out cold for now.

Enjoy that, buddy. ]

1/idk

[secondbornsun]

[ as soon as he can confirm that alec is out cold, the vines disappear to drop him onto the ground. xoxo

. . .

looking at this mask with like, a hint of disdain and like, isolating it in a ball of wind magic so it can hover just above his hand without him having to touch it anymore.

what is he supposed to do with this now. ]

[secondbornsun]

[ . . .

if he puts it back would it be cheating . . . can he put it back?

maybe if he leaves it here it'll go back on its own . . . ]

[secondbornsun]

[ no typhon will probably take it or something. fuck that. fuck typhon ]

[secondbornsun]

[ okay so we use our go-to method of turning it into d— ]

[secondbornsun]

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[secondbornsun]

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[secondbornsun]

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8/9

[secondbornsun]

[ (it's gross and i don't care about this person at all whatsoever) vs (how much of a pain are solan and naruhodo going to be if i destroy this right now) and also (how much of a pain is it going to be to fix this if i destroy his desires or whatever) ]

[secondbornsun]

[ maybe he can just...... hand it over to another unicorn.................................... and then call it even........................................... that's kind of like putting it back right..................................................................................

guess he'll take this shitty gunkmask with him................................................. ]