"Welcome to HT&T answering service. Unfortunately, the asshole you're trying to reach hasn't set up shit. Leave your name (or don't), your number, and whatever the Hell (ha ha!) message you want. We don't get paid enough for this."
Beep.
➥ Text | ➥ Message | ➥ Video | ➥ Action | ➥ Redial
[Greed probably has noticed already from watching Veneer that Rageons aren't really even built for their own defense. They're meant to slip away when they can, to evade, not to rip and tear. But hell has blessed Velvet with a new form and a new instinct.
When she sees that expression on Greed's face, Velvet shrinks just a little. Her own idealism has Greed built up in her mind, and seeing him with an expression that feels so dark and cold gets her tail puffed up in a defensive display. But Greed is able to get a surprising amount of space out of her— she presses back into the couch as he draws closer, eyes open as wide as they can go, but doesn't reach out to stop him just yet.
She has never noticed, really, how much not really standing taller than her doesn't make Greed not bigger than her. It'd never been on her mind, not since the first time they'd met. But he is big and he is strong and for once since then, watching as Greed changes before her, Velvet realizes that perhaps there have been reasons to fear him, after all. But more than that;
Greed is so serious.
He is so deadly serious right now, because Valentino is a real and true threat.
Valentino is a threat and she has fucked up so bad.
She has fucked up so bad, and if the others figure out she's fucked up, it will all fall apart. Velvet will fail again, and everyone will judge her, and Veneer will betray her, and Greed will look at her with the face he is looking at her with now.
But Velvet doesn't like to lose. And she doesn't know when to stop. And even when she hurts, even when she doesn't believe in herself, even when she can see for herself how wrong she's gone, Velvet refuses to give up until she is stopped.
Just close your eyes and pretend this is it.
Velvet's wide eyes shut tight, her pink nose wrinkles, her lips screw up in a timid pout. She can feel Greed's breath near her face, can feel the pressure of the seat giving beneath his hands and behind her— closing her eyes makes him no less threatening.
She can imagine it because she has always been desperate. Desperation is not foreign to her. She can summon that need, that desire— except now it's stronger than ever, because the desire not to lose is coupled with the desire not to be turned away. Velvet is desperate, and she desires, and she wants.
And she wants to win, and to have, and to keep.
Velvet knows just what to think of for her 'last shot'. In the darkness past her eyes, she watches a dark hand reach out for her.
Her eyes snap open and Velvet hisses, loud and animalistic, her hair and fur all puffing along with her tail. Her bendy body makes it easy for her to curl deeper into herself like a cornered mustelid, like a coiling snake, and using that pent up energy she's able to get a better swing at Greed.
Even if Velvet was stronger than the average Rageon, she doesn't have the body weight to knock a humanoid as big as Greed away from her. Pushing him back with her claws isn't even on her mind. Instead she leans her head toward him as if to distract him with her growling and hissing, slamming her hands against his torso underneath his ribcage on both sides.
Her claws plunge into his skin as she grips him tight, and once she's dug them in, Velvet twists her legs together and hops her butt off the couch seat just a bit. This leverage allows her to slip between Greed's legs, and while she does that, she rakes those gold-painted claws down, down, down, tearing through flesh that is so soft and so unlike her own, letting go only once her hands make contact with his belt.
Out from under Greed's legs, Velvet scurries behind him and growls and curls defensively again like a cat, a motion completely foreign to her rageon body but completely natural to this one. ]
[Death didn't take away his ability to sense pain, it's just been some time since he's experienced it. Velvet's claws go through him like a lightning bolt. He can feel the muscle tear, the hot course of blood pouring over his legs, so visceral and base. Greed's eyes widen. As much as he isn't human, in the moment, there's something so normal about his reaction; like he's flashing through the entirety of his 200 years of life while stars and thermal whites flare blind across his vision.]
[The Sin's knees drop to the floor with a haunting thud. Already, a good amount of blood is beginning to form under him. It takes on a color like deep-red wine, spreading across the bar and sinking into the wood floor as if the whole building's been waiting for a chance to taste him.]
[A drool of blood and spit squeezes between the cracks of his teeth. There's a noise trapped in his throat, his mouth, and his chest that gurgles as horrible as wet, rotting plastic popping in a scummy pond. Greed's head bows, letting drips and drops meet the growing puddle; each tpp, tpp, tpp forcing thick ripples across the surface.]
[She's killed him. Or (at least), she's brought him very, very close. And for a while, it almost seems like it's going to be the former.]
[But then something hisses, electricity pops, and a whole new horror show begins to unfold.]
[Red currents spit out from Velvet's inflicted wounds - their sound buzzing as harsh as a den of snakes woken from a slumber. It's the look of them, though. The look of them. They're angry, violent, and oh-so-wrong in a way that's a warning: he's not human. Not a Rageon, not a ghost, not even a demon. No, he's something else entirely, a wicked thing. A creature that shouldn't even exist.]
[Greed's boots stumble through the blood on the floor, smearing it in thin streaks that slosh outwards like an oil spill. His body sways as it catches up and all the while, his skin starts to piece itself back together again. The same, blistering electricity touching each nerve in an infection of static.]
Ah ... Ahhgh .. [The Sin breaks his silence as his hands feel himself out. Over his hips and down his torso, they go - the strings of tendons and muscle flattening clean as he passes. He fans his palms along his throat.] Now, that's how you kill a man - [His tone shouldn't sound so jovial. Yet there's relief, a kind of palpable relief, and the former homunculus gingerly turns, revealing the last moments when the cuts sew themselves shut.]
[In the end, it's like nothing's happened at all. There's no scar, no gouges, no ribbons of flesh dangling from his stomach. Rather, the only thing that remains of the whole ordeal is the pool of blood below him. It's reflection a memory of her deed, deep and vicious.]
[Greed rubs the back of his head.] Still taking longer than I'd like. [He makes his way towards Velvet and his eyes feel her out.] Hey, hey. It's all over, Vel. It's just me. [He slows down, leaving prints of blood in the shape of his heels behind him.] C'mon, look at me, huh? I'm not mad. I told you to do it, and you did it. [The Sin grabs his shirt now that the threat is over and hooks it in his claws.] And you did good. Actually, better than that. Looks like that new body of yours has its worth, doesn't it?
[He's talking just to get her back; to bring her back from that terrible moment. The chimeras had been similar in a way. The fear in the beginning mixed with the animal instinct to fight, flee, or both. Greed stops short of her and touches his collarbone.] I noticed you kept the lock. [His smile goes soft on his face.] Remember it if you ever have to do that again. The world's ours, Velvet. I don't give a shit what this Valentino thinks.
[A single drop of gore rolls of his shoe. Greed's leering now, yet it isn't with the same chill as before. No, he's assessing her for damage, physical or otherwise. Killing someone isn't easy. Killing someone close is even harder. The Sin's eyebrows settle and when he talks again, his voice is a low rumble in his chest.]
You're one of mine. And I don't let anyone take what's mine.
[There is a feeling completely unfamiliar to Velvet at the sight of all that blood.
At first it doesn't entirely process. That isn't what blood looks like for Rageons or even Trolls— so dark and serious and cold of a red. But when everything clicks, a feeling burns in that minky-demon brain.
Success. A successful hunt. A successful kill. It's a wave of satisfaction that's cut off all too quick by the strange way Greed's once-dying body begins to crackle and spark and move and regenerate. Velvet and her terrible little mink brain become threatened once again. Her eyes turn the shade of hot pink her irises are all the way to the edge, leaving no sign of the once-yellow sclera, and her horns get larger, sharper. Her blood-covered claws form more perfect arcs as the reanimated Greed steps closer and closer still, his words falling on deaf ears for just a moment. She doesn't care if he isn't mad, she's scared— she can't believe what's just happened—
And then— the lock. Yes, that's right, her treasure from their first night seizing this world. Alien though Greed may be to her, he has won Velvet's trust. He's done it more than anyone else has, as far as she's concerned. Velvet's fur begins to flatten, her hissing and growling quieting, and she curls into herself a little as she becomes less and less threatening.
And I don't let anyone take what's mine.
He's believed in her, and believed in her, and believed her. And she is a treasure of his. It doesn't matter how many treasures he comes to have— she is one, and he is one of hers.
Velvet takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and quickly stands in front of Greed.
She lifts her hands, drops them on his shoulders, and opens her eyes— the normal ones, the ones from this body anyway, that he knows well. She looks into his, carefully, contemplatively, and takes another breath.
She smiles for just a moment.
And then, shaking Greed by the shoulders, Velvet absolutely screams.]
[He thinks (in the moment when the animal takes over and the rage is so thick, he can almost feel it) that this'll be it. That she'll tear through him again, rip him apart, and spit his bones out as her final curtain call. Because she didn't ask for this. She didn't ask to be looped into a game even he didn't know he was playing. That's the thing with men like him. With men like him, like Valentino, like all the devils and angels alike. They're lords of their own domains, be it for better or for worse. It shouldn't shock anyone that, at some point or another, they'd butt heads.]
[She smiles, and Greed stays still. She smiles, and his core goes tight in his chest.]
["If you turn your back on something you wanted, then you don't deserve to call yourself Greed!"]
[Thankfully though, she breaks his thoughts. Shatters them. And now she's shaking him, screaming, and the former homunculus quickly shoots his arms above his head.] Hey, hey - ! I did tell you I'm built stronger than most - ! [His pleas die under her volume and he just lets her have at it. Better to get it out and scream at a wall that will always listen.]
[When he gets a second, Greed lowers his hands to hang about her shoulders. Again, leaving space enough between them.] I'm fine, Velvet. Might be sore for a bit while the 'Stone's still slow, but I'm fine. Can't hurt me that easy, remember?
[Mouth pursed up into a teeny little pout, Velvet listens to Greed's reasoning— and then rolls her eyes, dissatisfied. Apparently unphased by their closeness, by Greed's touch, Velvet takes her bloodied hands and grabs Greed's face like she would Veneer's when they were kids and starts tugging at his cheeks.]
Yeah? Yeah? Sure sounded like it hurt to me!
Does this hurt?! Huh?!
[Sorry, Greed, she'll... she'll calm down in a bit—]
[There's hands on his face, fingers near his mouth, and the Sin takes it all. She's yelling, but it's a yelling that means she's with it. She's aware of the situation, of what's happened, and now. Now - ]
[Greed's whine is rough, deep.] Ooi, oii - [He's trying to talk the best he can, but he isn't made of rubber. He's as stiff and solid as a brick.] - I can-th still feel pain. Just doesn-th las-th like most.
[He places his hands on her wrists to try to pull her off. But he's laughing. Laughing in a way that bubbles up from his chest and breathes a new kind of fire into his core.] C'mon, don't take it so personally. I figured this was the best way to make sure. And be careful with my face - it's a good one.
[Velvet lets Greed pry her hands away by the wrists, staring him down with such a pout. But then she breathes out another sigh, and lets it go.
She was afraid, and now she isn't. Everything is fine, and this person who has become important to her isn't looking at her with that cold look anymore, isn't on the floor— god he is still covered in blood, though, and as Velvet looks at her hands she realizes— yeah, yeah, so is she. Gross.]
...You're lucky it's a good face.
[She tilts her head up, not exactly smug, but putting back on her metaphorical princess crown, which is in no way also a convenient means of not looking at Greed's smile and being cowed by his laughter. She's still definitely offended, after all, just look at her.]
And since you were so worried about me, then I can leave the cleanup to you.
[She wiggles her fingers at him, still in his grasp. Velvet is definitely absolutely implying she means to make him also wash blood off her hands.
Her dignified act only carries so far, though, as her voice gets just a little meeker when she adds;]
....And you don't have to worry so much. 'Cos I can do it.
I can do whatever needs to be done.
[With her head tilted imploringly, her eyes the softest they've been for him, a rare sight of softness at all—]
Nothing is taking me out of your plans.
[The corner of her mouth lifts, her little minky ear twitches— and she takes one hand away from him to boop his nose with a paw pad and leave a little red smear.]
I am, aren't I? Not so bad usually. [He's grinning because, well. This is better, isn't it? The tense moment gone, the usual confidence that tends to come with him slowly crawls back into his shoulders, his back. It's easy for him to move past things once the smoke has all cleared.]
[And she's back to her status quo too, isn't she? Wearing her crown with her head held high and oh, should the world watch out.]
[Greed rolls his eyes to the ceiling and his mouth tightens into a soft, sarcastic sneer.] So demanding. When did you get to be such a pissant? [He says it in a way that's friendly; as if she's been one of his for years and years and years. The former homunculus wafts a hand in front of his face.] Yeah, yeah. Let's get this cleaned up.
[There are bathrooms in the 'Nest, and that's where he starts. They're far enough away from all the blood and bad times that they can be easily forgotten for now. Greed hums and as he pinches his nose to try to wipe away a smear, his gait takes on a lazy drawl.] Now I know you can. Don't do it unless you have to. You'll surprise 'em better that way.
[He gets to the bathroom and reaches out to flick the switch. The bulb above takes a second or two to find itself; its rapid clicks sounding off as the connection sets. The Sin waves his hand to her.] Have a seat, Vel.
[Using his tail, he turns a knob on the faucet.] I wouldn't let anything take you out of my plans anyway. Not unless you told me to. [The water runs soft at first, then faster when he yanks the side for hot.] My avarice wouldn't let me.
You should know by now exactly how demanding I can be.
[Especially since he just lets her. It's one of the things she likes about him. She can play her little game, make herself feel important— and there he is with that sharp-toothed smile. It's comforting, even now.
She sits, as directed, eyeing Greed carefully as she listens to him. Not out of fear, no, she really is over it all— she'll think about the sight she's seen later, but everything turned out alright, didn't it? No, her concern comes in a somewhat hesitant question—]
Is that why you're not mad at me?
Avarice?
[It's not a word she's heard often, but it's one she likes. It's one a Rageon would like.]
[Greed grabs a towel off a poorly mounted rack on the wall. He slides it under the running faucet, letting it saturate before slapping some soap onto it and wringing it out. She's really asking the big questions, isn't she? But he shouldn't be surprised. Velvet's never been one to hold anything back.]
[The Sin bends down in front of her and sticks his foot out behind him.] Didn't think you'd ask that question, so I might not have a good answer. [Soft creases play at the corners of his eyes. In the gloom of the bathroom's yellowed light, the shadows on his face grow and sink into all his angular points.] My avarice runs deep, Velvet. I want everything you can think of. Money - [He hums as he takes her fingers and gently begins to rub away his gore.] - women, sex, status, glory. There's nothing that could stop me from wanting it all. Not even death.
[His smile is pleasant, dim, and sincere. The big bad wolf indeed brought down to a humble.]
[The former homunculus shifts the towel, moving it to the underside of her hand.] Doesn't really answer your question, though. [That grin of his stays, but his gaze tells a different story. Something's there. Something buried, something festering. Greed rubs a little bit at a stubborn spot and swallows away the thought.] You don't think this if the first place I've had, do you? There were people before you. People who made plenty of mistakes.
I never turned them away, and I'm not about to start. So you got yourself tangled in some shit. So what. [He checks her fingers by trying to force his thumb through them one at a time.] If I held that against you, I'd be a fucking hypocrite.
[Velvet's hands respond to Greed's, allowing him to do as he needs. Her paw pads aren't exactly like skin— just a little too perfect and too plush, considering they're just as rubber as the rest of her. She spreads her fingers out when he checks, turning them over. She's gotten used to it herself, but those claws being attached to her hands is actually new.
She lets him talk and watches his face, and some small part of her realizes that she hasn't really watched anyone like this before, hasn't particularly endeavored to look outside her double-edged mirror. Noticing things at all about Greed like this is new to her, anyway. He isn't one of the two people she's devoted her life to knowing— herself, and her version of Veneer.
It's times like this he actually looks like some kind of ageless being to her. It's not the way his eyes glimmer in the dark, or his demonlike stature— she isn't unaware of magical things or even scary ones. But it's this face like Greed knows something Velvet couldn't even hope to understand that really makes her believe him.
No, of course she believes him.
He isn't a liar, like her, and for one of the first times, Velvet doesn't actually feel good about it.
She stares back at their hands again— no, not at her own, but at Greed's. At his sharp claws, at the dark carbon color that contrasts so fully with her gleaming white fur, claws that could tear her and yet are being so, so gentle. That aren't letting her go or telling her to get away or that she isn't enough, isn't right, shouldn't be here.
A sigh. It's always so obvious when Velvet pouts, with her lips the way they are, even when they're absent of paint and just the same white as the rest of her.]
Veneer— kicked me out, until tomorrow. And Angel—
[Another sigh, and Velvet almost brings her free hand to rub her temple before she catches sight of it again and thinks better of it.]
I... might have... maybe yelled at him a little.
[It's not like Greed has to be gracious with her. She doesn't expect Angel to be, either. Veneer— Veneer...
Well, he always forgives her. It's what he's supposed to do. But Greed doesn't have that expectation, and something pulls at Velvet's brain, making her want to test him with the truth. If he knew, if he knows, the kind of person she really is— will he still want her in this world of his?]
I'm just saying, you wouldn't be the only person who has a problem with me tonight.
[He gets the last swipe of blood out of her fur with a press of the towel, sending it gushing out what little water it has left. A spittle of soap and suds drips over his claws and onto the floor. So, that's it. It's not just that she's been carrying this, but she's gotten her own share of backlash about it. And what does an animal do when it's cornered? It bites. It bites and howls and hoots and hollers until the threat has gone away.]
[Greed gives her hands another quick once over, flipping them palms-up and palms-down to make sure he's gotten most of it.] I didn't say things didn't come without a price, Vel. But that doesn't mean you can't make up for it, hmn? [He finds a spot he didn't quite fully get and with little thought, the Sin pushes his thumb into his mouth it, sucks it, then pops it out.] And it won't cost ya much. Just admit you fucked up, that's all.
[He presses his thumb into the red smear to finally buff it clean.] Sometimes, it's easy to forget that. Yeah, you let those emotions of yours get the better of ya. But now you know you should have done something differently, right? They'll get over it. [His job effectively done, the former homunculus yanks his hands away to settle them on his thighs. The blood on his pants is already starting to do that thing he remembers. Slowly and surely, what was once liquid begins to fade - the ashes of it more similar to a wind blowing away a fire long-since dead.]
[Greed eases up and stretches his knees as he tries to stand.] Want me to talk to them? [He asks as if it's so damn easy. But it isn't. This is complicated. People are complicated, mortal lives are complicated, this afterlife is complicated. And the strings are slowly starting to knot together.]
[Eventually, he'll have to meet Valentino.]
[However, that's another time. Another place. The Sin sighs softy as he tests his neck by swinging it slowly one way then the next.] Think it would be worth a lot more if you did it, if I'm being honest. But just say the word.
[Velvet watches Greed stand, watches the gore turn to dust on him, and like a child very much almost reaches out and touches it— though when Greed begins to roll his neck, she withdraws her hand. Her fur retains moisture strangely, waterproof, little tufts sticking up on her wrists like they're gelled, and she curls her fingers in toward her palm, standing up as well.]
No— no...
[Velvet takes another breath and shakes her head. That's too many pieces outside of her control, for one thing. Too many things she doesn't get to hear others say, too many variables.]
I can do it. Besides— Ven probably won't even be mad tomorrow.
[She sounds a little less confident saying that than she sounded talking about stabbing Valentino, which is maybe not the healthiest. She carries on, though, rubbing at her own fur on her hands— it's interesting, every time, considering the water isn't wet where she's from, and observing it is distracting enough to keep her from making any worried faces.
She's not confident about saying anythign to Angel, but— knowing Veneer, she'll have to. And Veneer, well.
He'd kicked her out of his room for the night, not out of his life.
He'd... never go that far. She knows it. They're twins.]
...But it's like, cool, if I stick around with you for a while, right?
[Distractedly, Greed dips his hands into the sink to give them a final rinse. The mirror in the bathroom isn't in the best condition. Pockmarks of rust and tarnish eat at the corners to take bites out of his reflection. Kind of poetic, given how their evening played out. She'd taken a piece of him, and he'd stood up again. Stood up again with a smile that was almost a thank you.]
[The former homunculus catches his own eyes in the mirror and the pricks of them go still. He dips his chin.] Sorry Vel, but that's a pretty stupid question, don't you think? [He shoots a half-lidded glance her way and ah, isn't is so awful? So wrong, that a monster could have a heart?]
[With a final turn of the dial, the Sin cuts the flow to the sink. It causes the water to spin down, down, down the drain and with it, all of the horrors of the night follow. Valentino and his deals. Velvet and her losses. He knows them now. Knows them and as such, can plan for when things really take a turn for the worse. Greed sways towards the door and with a yank of his shoulder, he asks her to follow without a single word.]
Don't feel like making the ride back to the hotel myself. We can crash here for the night. That is, if that's something you'd be interested in. [He says cheekily, the forks of his tongue flicking a playful note behind his teeth.] And if you really hate the couch, feel free to use me. Not like I need to sleep much anyway.
[For just a moment, Velvet thinks— oh no, she's done the wrong thing. That's a stupid question, don't you think? But then— no, no, once again she is being invited into Greed's space.
Velvet rolls her eyes, flicks her hands through her hair and lifts her nose, huffing as she strides past him, like some kind of spoiled cat. Her tail quivers almost like a cat's, too, like that expression of excitement but somehow more snakelike, more rubbery, more unreal. She turns to face him and walk backward— head first, then torso, then legs— so that she can see him while she talks.
Maybe a diva wouldn't want to spend the night in some seedy bar talking to the first person she's found interesting in a while. But the thing about playing dress-up is that you get to choose what you do in the role and Velvet has already decided that being a Diva means getting what she wants even if it doesn't seem to suit the role.]
You're such a flirt. I've slept on couches, you know.
But, come to think of it, I've never slept on some cool old scary man...
[A tap-tap-tap of her lip before Velvet gives a coy smile.]
[He's always amazed how quickly she can pick herself back up, both mentally and physically. Her whole everything seems made for it. Every set back, a minor one. Every hurdle, an easy jump. And just like rubber, she'll always bounce back.]
[Greed slinks in her wake and as he finds himself again (with that casual slouch that's all him, with that stride that takes everything with each solid clack of his boots), his lips crack open.] Oh. And now you're talking shit. I see, I see. [He says it with a humor that's obvious. Something only good friends could understand. Something only creatures, devils, like the two of them could possibly grasp. It comes with knowing someone, even if that knowing doesn't include all the fine details.]
[He doesn't care what Velvet's done, only what she will do. And she's proven herself tenfold tonight.]
[The former homunculus lifts his chin, showing off his throat as a dare.] An achievement? Is that what we're calling this now? Cheeky mink. [He laughs, and gone is that chill from before. Like a hot, summer breeze, his demeanor chases away the cold with just a smile. A smile that bites, that guarantees, the world on a dinner plate.]
[Greed waves his hand.] Yeah, yeah. C'mon, Princess Pissant. Let's get you your beauty rest.
[She is energized by his response, despite the fatigue. This is how she always wants Greed to look at her, like she's a brilliant shining star, like he can see the world he wants to own in her eyes. Like she is desired by him, and like she will never see his disinterest again.
She'll make sure she doesn't.]
I do like the sound of that, though. 'Princess' is a good word.
You should say it more often~
[Teasing comes easy. Playing along with that humor, like the both of them are mean to each other, like that meanness can possibly cover up how much and how much and how deep Greed has wound his way into Velvet's vinyl heart.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
When she sees that expression on Greed's face, Velvet shrinks just a little. Her own idealism has Greed built up in her mind, and seeing him with an expression that feels so dark and cold gets her tail puffed up in a defensive display. But Greed is able to get a surprising amount of space out of her— she presses back into the couch as he draws closer, eyes open as wide as they can go, but doesn't reach out to stop him just yet.
She has never noticed, really, how much not really standing taller than her doesn't make Greed not bigger than her. It'd never been on her mind, not since the first time they'd met. But he is big and he is strong and for once since then, watching as Greed changes before her, Velvet realizes that perhaps there have been reasons to fear him, after all. But more than that;
Greed is so serious.
He is so deadly serious right now, because Valentino is a real and true threat.
Valentino is a threat and she has fucked up so bad.
She has fucked up so bad, and if the others figure out she's fucked up, it will all fall apart. Velvet will fail again, and everyone will judge her, and Veneer will betray her, and Greed will look at her with the face he is looking at her with now.
But Velvet doesn't like to lose. And she doesn't know when to stop. And even when she hurts, even when she doesn't believe in herself, even when she can see for herself how wrong she's gone, Velvet refuses to give up until she is stopped.
Just close your eyes and pretend this is it.
Velvet's wide eyes shut tight, her pink nose wrinkles, her lips screw up in a timid pout. She can feel Greed's breath near her face, can feel the pressure of the seat giving beneath his hands and behind her— closing her eyes makes him no less threatening.
She can imagine it because she has always been desperate. Desperation is not foreign to her. She can summon that need, that desire— except now it's stronger than ever, because the desire not to lose is coupled with the desire not to be turned away. Velvet is desperate, and she desires, and she wants.
And she wants to win, and to have, and to keep.
Velvet knows just what to think of for her 'last shot'. In the darkness past her eyes, she watches a dark hand reach out for her.
Her eyes snap open and Velvet hisses, loud and animalistic, her hair and fur all puffing along with her tail. Her bendy body makes it easy for her to curl deeper into herself like a cornered mustelid, like a coiling snake, and using that pent up energy she's able to get a better swing at Greed.
Even if Velvet was stronger than the average Rageon, she doesn't have the body weight to knock a humanoid as big as Greed away from her. Pushing him back with her claws isn't even on her mind. Instead she leans her head toward him as if to distract him with her growling and hissing, slamming her hands against his torso underneath his ribcage on both sides.
Her claws plunge into his skin as she grips him tight, and once she's dug them in, Velvet twists her legs together and hops her butt off the couch seat just a bit. This leverage allows her to slip between Greed's legs, and while she does that, she rakes those gold-painted claws down, down, down, tearing through flesh that is so soft and so unlike her own, letting go only once her hands make contact with his belt.
Out from under Greed's legs, Velvet scurries behind him and growls and curls defensively again like a cat, a motion completely foreign to her rageon body but completely natural to this one. ]
1/2 - CW: Gore, Blood. This Ain't Pretty
[The Sin's knees drop to the floor with a haunting thud. Already, a good amount of blood is beginning to form under him. It takes on a color like deep-red wine, spreading across the bar and sinking into the wood floor as if the whole building's been waiting for a chance to taste him.]
[A drool of blood and spit squeezes between the cracks of his teeth. There's a noise trapped in his throat, his mouth, and his chest that gurgles as horrible as wet, rotting plastic popping in a scummy pond. Greed's head bows, letting drips and drops meet the growing puddle; each tpp, tpp, tpp forcing thick ripples across the surface.]
[She's killed him. Or (at least), she's brought him very, very close. And for a while, it almost seems like it's going to be the former.]
[But then something hisses, electricity pops, and a whole new horror show begins to unfold.]
2/2
[Greed's boots stumble through the blood on the floor, smearing it in thin streaks that slosh outwards like an oil spill. His body sways as it catches up and all the while, his skin starts to piece itself back together again. The same, blistering electricity touching each nerve in an infection of static.]
Ah ... Ahhgh .. [The Sin breaks his silence as his hands feel himself out. Over his hips and down his torso, they go - the strings of tendons and muscle flattening clean as he passes. He fans his palms along his throat.] Now, that's how you kill a man - [His tone shouldn't sound so jovial. Yet there's relief, a kind of palpable relief, and the former homunculus gingerly turns, revealing the last moments when the cuts sew themselves shut.]
[In the end, it's like nothing's happened at all. There's no scar, no gouges, no ribbons of flesh dangling from his stomach. Rather, the only thing that remains of the whole ordeal is the pool of blood below him. It's reflection a memory of her deed, deep and vicious.]
[Greed rubs the back of his head.] Still taking longer than I'd like. [He makes his way towards Velvet and his eyes feel her out.] Hey, hey. It's all over, Vel. It's just me. [He slows down, leaving prints of blood in the shape of his heels behind him.] C'mon, look at me, huh? I'm not mad. I told you to do it, and you did it. [The Sin grabs his shirt now that the threat is over and hooks it in his claws.] And you did good. Actually, better than that. Looks like that new body of yours has its worth, doesn't it?
[He's talking just to get her back; to bring her back from that terrible moment. The chimeras had been similar in a way. The fear in the beginning mixed with the animal instinct to fight, flee, or both. Greed stops short of her and touches his collarbone.] I noticed you kept the lock. [His smile goes soft on his face.] Remember it if you ever have to do that again. The world's ours, Velvet. I don't give a shit what this Valentino thinks.
[A single drop of gore rolls of his shoe. Greed's leering now, yet it isn't with the same chill as before. No, he's assessing her for damage, physical or otherwise. Killing someone isn't easy. Killing someone close is even harder. The Sin's eyebrows settle and when he talks again, his voice is a low rumble in his chest.]
You're one of mine. And I don't let anyone take what's mine.
no subject
At first it doesn't entirely process. That isn't what blood looks like for Rageons or even Trolls— so dark and serious and cold of a red. But when everything clicks, a feeling burns in that minky-demon brain.
Success. A successful hunt. A successful kill. It's a wave of satisfaction that's cut off all too quick by the strange way Greed's once-dying body begins to crackle and spark and move and regenerate. Velvet and her terrible little mink brain become threatened once again. Her eyes turn the shade of hot pink her irises are all the way to the edge, leaving no sign of the once-yellow sclera, and her horns get larger, sharper. Her blood-covered claws form more perfect arcs as the reanimated Greed steps closer and closer still, his words falling on deaf ears for just a moment. She doesn't care if he isn't mad, she's scared— she can't believe what's just happened—
And then— the lock. Yes, that's right, her treasure from their first night seizing this world. Alien though Greed may be to her, he has won Velvet's trust. He's done it more than anyone else has, as far as she's concerned. Velvet's fur begins to flatten, her hissing and growling quieting, and she curls into herself a little as she becomes less and less threatening.
And I don't let anyone take what's mine.
He's believed in her, and believed in her, and believed her. And she is a treasure of his. It doesn't matter how many treasures he comes to have— she is one, and he is one of hers.
Velvet takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and quickly stands in front of Greed.
She lifts her hands, drops them on his shoulders, and opens her eyes— the normal ones, the ones from this body anyway, that he knows well. She looks into his, carefully, contemplatively, and takes another breath.
She smiles for just a moment.
And then, shaking Greed by the shoulders, Velvet absolutely screams.]
Why didn't you JUST TELL ME YOU COULD DO THAT?!
no subject
[She smiles, and Greed stays still. She smiles, and his core goes tight in his chest.]
["If you turn your back on something you wanted, then you don't deserve to call yourself Greed!"]
[Thankfully though, she breaks his thoughts. Shatters them. And now she's shaking him, screaming, and the former homunculus quickly shoots his arms above his head.] Hey, hey - ! I did tell you I'm built stronger than most - ! [His pleas die under her volume and he just lets her have at it. Better to get it out and scream at a wall that will always listen.]
[When he gets a second, Greed lowers his hands to hang about her shoulders. Again, leaving space enough between them.] I'm fine, Velvet. Might be sore for a bit while the 'Stone's still slow, but I'm fine. Can't hurt me that easy, remember?
im so sorry this is so short and so dumb
Yeah? Yeah? Sure sounded like it hurt to me!
Does this hurt?! Huh?!
[Sorry, Greed, she'll... she'll calm down in a bit—]
DUDE NO It's PERFECT
[Greed's whine is rough, deep.] Ooi, oii - [He's trying to talk the best he can, but he isn't made of rubber. He's as stiff and solid as a brick.] - I can-th still feel pain. Just doesn-th las-th like most.
[He places his hands on her wrists to try to pull her off. But he's laughing. Laughing in a way that bubbles up from his chest and breathes a new kind of fire into his core.] C'mon, don't take it so personally. I figured this was the best way to make sure. And be careful with my face - it's a good one.
no subject
She was afraid, and now she isn't. Everything is fine, and this person who has become important to her isn't looking at her with that cold look anymore, isn't on the floor— god he is still covered in blood, though, and as Velvet looks at her hands she realizes— yeah, yeah, so is she. Gross.]
...You're lucky it's a good face.
[She tilts her head up, not exactly smug, but putting back on her metaphorical princess crown, which is in no way also a convenient means of not looking at Greed's smile and being cowed by his laughter. She's still definitely offended, after all, just look at her.]
And since you were so worried about me, then I can leave the cleanup to you.
[She wiggles her fingers at him, still in his grasp. Velvet is definitely absolutely implying she means to make him also wash blood off her hands.
Her dignified act only carries so far, though, as her voice gets just a little meeker when she adds;]
....And you don't have to worry so much. 'Cos I can do it.
I can do whatever needs to be done.
[With her head tilted imploringly, her eyes the softest they've been for him, a rare sight of softness at all—]
Nothing is taking me out of your plans.
[The corner of her mouth lifts, her little minky ear twitches— and she takes one hand away from him to boop his nose with a paw pad and leave a little red smear.]
no subject
[And she's back to her status quo too, isn't she? Wearing her crown with her head held high and oh, should the world watch out.]
[Greed rolls his eyes to the ceiling and his mouth tightens into a soft, sarcastic sneer.] So demanding. When did you get to be such a pissant? [He says it in a way that's friendly; as if she's been one of his for years and years and years. The former homunculus wafts a hand in front of his face.] Yeah, yeah. Let's get this cleaned up.
[There are bathrooms in the 'Nest, and that's where he starts. They're far enough away from all the blood and bad times that they can be easily forgotten for now. Greed hums and as he pinches his nose to try to wipe away a smear, his gait takes on a lazy drawl.] Now I know you can. Don't do it unless you have to. You'll surprise 'em better that way.
[He gets to the bathroom and reaches out to flick the switch. The bulb above takes a second or two to find itself; its rapid clicks sounding off as the connection sets. The Sin waves his hand to her.] Have a seat, Vel.
[Using his tail, he turns a knob on the faucet.] I wouldn't let anything take you out of my plans anyway. Not unless you told me to. [The water runs soft at first, then faster when he yanks the side for hot.] My avarice wouldn't let me.
no subject
[Especially since he just lets her. It's one of the things she likes about him. She can play her little game, make herself feel important— and there he is with that sharp-toothed smile. It's comforting, even now.
She sits, as directed, eyeing Greed carefully as she listens to him. Not out of fear, no, she really is over it all— she'll think about the sight she's seen later, but everything turned out alright, didn't it? No, her concern comes in a somewhat hesitant question—]
Is that why you're not mad at me?
Avarice?
[It's not a word she's heard often, but it's one she likes. It's one a Rageon would like.]
no subject
[The Sin bends down in front of her and sticks his foot out behind him.] Didn't think you'd ask that question, so I might not have a good answer. [Soft creases play at the corners of his eyes. In the gloom of the bathroom's yellowed light, the shadows on his face grow and sink into all his angular points.] My avarice runs deep, Velvet. I want everything you can think of. Money - [He hums as he takes her fingers and gently begins to rub away his gore.] - women, sex, status, glory. There's nothing that could stop me from wanting it all. Not even death.
[His smile is pleasant, dim, and sincere. The big bad wolf indeed brought down to a humble.]
[The former homunculus shifts the towel, moving it to the underside of her hand.] Doesn't really answer your question, though. [That grin of his stays, but his gaze tells a different story. Something's there. Something buried, something festering. Greed rubs a little bit at a stubborn spot and swallows away the thought.] You don't think this if the first place I've had, do you? There were people before you. People who made plenty of mistakes.
I never turned them away, and I'm not about to start. So you got yourself tangled in some shit. So what. [He checks her fingers by trying to force his thumb through them one at a time.] If I held that against you, I'd be a fucking hypocrite.
no subject
She lets him talk and watches his face, and some small part of her realizes that she hasn't really watched anyone like this before, hasn't particularly endeavored to look outside her double-edged mirror. Noticing things at all about Greed like this is new to her, anyway. He isn't one of the two people she's devoted her life to knowing— herself, and her version of Veneer.
It's times like this he actually looks like some kind of ageless being to her. It's not the way his eyes glimmer in the dark, or his demonlike stature— she isn't unaware of magical things or even scary ones. But it's this face like Greed knows something Velvet couldn't even hope to understand that really makes her believe him.
No, of course she believes him.
He isn't a liar, like her, and for one of the first times, Velvet doesn't actually feel good about it.
She stares back at their hands again— no, not at her own, but at Greed's. At his sharp claws, at the dark carbon color that contrasts so fully with her gleaming white fur, claws that could tear her and yet are being so, so gentle. That aren't letting her go or telling her to get away or that she isn't enough, isn't right, shouldn't be here.
A sigh. It's always so obvious when Velvet pouts, with her lips the way they are, even when they're absent of paint and just the same white as the rest of her.]
Veneer— kicked me out, until tomorrow. And Angel—
[Another sigh, and Velvet almost brings her free hand to rub her temple before she catches sight of it again and thinks better of it.]
I... might have... maybe yelled at him a little.
[It's not like Greed has to be gracious with her. She doesn't expect Angel to be, either. Veneer— Veneer...
Well, he always forgives her. It's what he's supposed to do. But Greed doesn't have that expectation, and something pulls at Velvet's brain, making her want to test him with the truth. If he knew, if he knows, the kind of person she really is— will he still want her in this world of his?]
I'm just saying, you wouldn't be the only person who has a problem with me tonight.
no subject
[Greed gives her hands another quick once over, flipping them palms-up and palms-down to make sure he's gotten most of it.] I didn't say things didn't come without a price, Vel. But that doesn't mean you can't make up for it, hmn? [He finds a spot he didn't quite fully get and with little thought, the Sin pushes his thumb into his mouth it, sucks it, then pops it out.] And it won't cost ya much. Just admit you fucked up, that's all.
[He presses his thumb into the red smear to finally buff it clean.] Sometimes, it's easy to forget that. Yeah, you let those emotions of yours get the better of ya. But now you know you should have done something differently, right? They'll get over it. [His job effectively done, the former homunculus yanks his hands away to settle them on his thighs. The blood on his pants is already starting to do that thing he remembers. Slowly and surely, what was once liquid begins to fade - the ashes of it more similar to a wind blowing away a fire long-since dead.]
[Greed eases up and stretches his knees as he tries to stand.] Want me to talk to them? [He asks as if it's so damn easy. But it isn't. This is complicated. People are complicated, mortal lives are complicated, this afterlife is complicated. And the strings are slowly starting to knot together.]
[Eventually, he'll have to meet Valentino.]
[However, that's another time. Another place. The Sin sighs softy as he tests his neck by swinging it slowly one way then the next.] Think it would be worth a lot more if you did it, if I'm being honest. But just say the word.
no subject
No— no...
[Velvet takes another breath and shakes her head. That's too many pieces outside of her control, for one thing. Too many things she doesn't get to hear others say, too many variables.]
I can do it. Besides— Ven probably won't even be mad tomorrow.
[She sounds a little less confident saying that than she sounded talking about stabbing Valentino, which is maybe not the healthiest. She carries on, though, rubbing at her own fur on her hands— it's interesting, every time, considering the water isn't wet where she's from, and observing it is distracting enough to keep her from making any worried faces.
She's not confident about saying anythign to Angel, but— knowing Veneer, she'll have to. And Veneer, well.
He'd kicked her out of his room for the night, not out of his life.
He'd... never go that far. She knows it. They're twins.]
...But it's like, cool, if I stick around with you for a while, right?
no subject
[The former homunculus catches his own eyes in the mirror and the pricks of them go still. He dips his chin.] Sorry Vel, but that's a pretty stupid question, don't you think? [He shoots a half-lidded glance her way and ah, isn't is so awful? So wrong, that a monster could have a heart?]
[With a final turn of the dial, the Sin cuts the flow to the sink. It causes the water to spin down, down, down the drain and with it, all of the horrors of the night follow. Valentino and his deals. Velvet and her losses. He knows them now. Knows them and as such, can plan for when things really take a turn for the worse. Greed sways towards the door and with a yank of his shoulder, he asks her to follow without a single word.]
Don't feel like making the ride back to the hotel myself. We can crash here for the night. That is, if that's something you'd be interested in. [He says cheekily, the forks of his tongue flicking a playful note behind his teeth.] And if you really hate the couch, feel free to use me. Not like I need to sleep much anyway.
no subject
Velvet rolls her eyes, flicks her hands through her hair and lifts her nose, huffing as she strides past him, like some kind of spoiled cat. Her tail quivers almost like a cat's, too, like that expression of excitement but somehow more snakelike, more rubbery, more unreal. She turns to face him and walk backward— head first, then torso, then legs— so that she can see him while she talks.
Maybe a diva wouldn't want to spend the night in some seedy bar talking to the first person she's found interesting in a while. But the thing about playing dress-up is that you get to choose what you do in the role and Velvet has already decided that being a Diva means getting what she wants even if it doesn't seem to suit the role.]
You're such a flirt. I've slept on couches, you know.
But, come to think of it, I've never slept on some cool old scary man...
[A tap-tap-tap of her lip before Velvet gives a coy smile.]
That's some kind of achievement, isn't it?
[Maybe it's one she'll hold over Veneer's head.
Or maybe it's one she'll treasure for herself.]
no subject
[Greed slinks in her wake and as he finds himself again (with that casual slouch that's all him, with that stride that takes everything with each solid clack of his boots), his lips crack open.] Oh. And now you're talking shit. I see, I see. [He says it with a humor that's obvious. Something only good friends could understand. Something only creatures, devils, like the two of them could possibly grasp. It comes with knowing someone, even if that knowing doesn't include all the fine details.]
[He doesn't care what Velvet's done, only what she will do. And she's proven herself tenfold tonight.]
[The former homunculus lifts his chin, showing off his throat as a dare.] An achievement? Is that what we're calling this now? Cheeky mink. [He laughs, and gone is that chill from before. Like a hot, summer breeze, his demeanor chases away the cold with just a smile. A smile that bites, that guarantees, the world on a dinner plate.]
[Greed waves his hand.] Yeah, yeah. C'mon, Princess Pissant. Let's get you your beauty rest.
no subject
I'm an achiever, Greed.
I achieve.
[She is energized by his response, despite the fatigue. This is how she always wants Greed to look at her, like she's a brilliant shining star, like he can see the world he wants to own in her eyes. Like she is desired by him, and like she will never see his disinterest again.
She'll make sure she doesn't.]
I do like the sound of that, though. 'Princess' is a good word.
You should say it more often~
[Teasing comes easy. Playing along with that humor, like the both of them are mean to each other, like that meanness can possibly cover up how much and how much and how deep Greed has wound his way into Velvet's vinyl heart.]