Dream ☄ 001
The body lay at his feet. Or what was left of it.
The tremendous bites resembled a shark’s, chunks of flesh rent from a mouth far larger than a human’s alone. Tangles of bright purple hair littered the ground, jagged shards of bone were sprinkled around the remains. The air smelled very, very sweet.
Normally, Heat overindulged and devoured every last scrap. The warm sensation in the back of his throat whet his appetite. He felt Agni’s enraged, disappointed presence clawing for release, urging him to finish the job. But this was the first battle that they had someone extra along for the ride. A small black-haired girl, soft-spoken and sad, bravely watched the Tribe feast. Heat had eyes only for her when she was with them.
“Sera…”
The strange emotion - longing? - sounded foreign from his lips. The girl’s eyes widened at the sound of his voice. She froze in place.
Heat approached. He stopped abruptly when he saw the fear in her eyes, the way she shrunk away from his bulk.
What the hell.
It wasn’t the food, it couldn’t have been the food. She knew they had to eat. She told them as much. Her singing would only help for so long.
“… Aren’t you hungry?” he asked - no, demanded heavily. She quickly shook her head, taking a small step back to maintain the distance between them.
“Heat, no, I-“
“You what?” This emotion felt familiar. Anger. Annoyance. It was building inside of him, the flame rarely going out. He took a step closer. “Why don’t you eat? You haven’t had a single scrap since you came!”
Sera clasped her hands together, her fingers dancing in quick, manic motions across her knuckles.
“I don’t know,” said Sera softly. “I- I can’t remember." She hugged herself uncomfortably, shivering in the dim light. Goosebumps peppered her creamy, smooth skin. "I’m not hungry, Heat. I don’t have to eat.”
There was a sweep of his cape, his arm shooting out to grasp hers. His hand dug deep into the meager flesh of her arms, her waiflike body tugged to his like a rag doll. She cried out. Their faces were close, his eyes blazing into hers, wild with the fresh kill and the all-consuming rage.
“Would you take food if Serph gave it to you?!”
Silence, save for the heady sounds of their breaths.
Her eyes were screwed tightly shut, her face and lips flinched away. She didn’t struggle; she was limp in his arms. And yet, she couldn’t bear to look at him. It was happening all over again, that same infuriating loss of control he felt at the second Embryon base, while the others were finishing off Bat and a significant portion of the Brutes Tribe. The episodes were becoming more and more frequent. He could hardly keep a handle on himself. Most of the time, Heat couldn't give a rat's ass how he treated other people - they were all going to die, anyway - but this was Sera.
Heat came back to himself, breathing a gasp, his grip loosening. He felt numb.
Sera knew an opening when she saw one. She tore away from Heat’s arms and quickly moved toward the rest of the Tribe - or rather, quickly ran to Serph. She nearly bowled him over with the force of her embrace, burying her head into his chest.
He even had the nerve to look confused.
Heat scowled fiercely. He released a low cross between a scoff and a growl, snatched up a spare limb and angrily tore off the thumb with his teeth alone.
---------------------------------------
Sera...
[Heat all but ignores the DreamBerry. He doesn't particularly care about it. Instead, he stares at the ceiling of his quarters in the New Embryon Base in silence.
Slowly, he rolls over, puts his head back down and throws his cape over himself, his back to the screen.]
The tremendous bites resembled a shark’s, chunks of flesh rent from a mouth far larger than a human’s alone. Tangles of bright purple hair littered the ground, jagged shards of bone were sprinkled around the remains. The air smelled very, very sweet.
Normally, Heat overindulged and devoured every last scrap. The warm sensation in the back of his throat whet his appetite. He felt Agni’s enraged, disappointed presence clawing for release, urging him to finish the job. But this was the first battle that they had someone extra along for the ride. A small black-haired girl, soft-spoken and sad, bravely watched the Tribe feast. Heat had eyes only for her when she was with them.
“Sera…”
The strange emotion - longing? - sounded foreign from his lips. The girl’s eyes widened at the sound of his voice. She froze in place.
Heat approached. He stopped abruptly when he saw the fear in her eyes, the way she shrunk away from his bulk.
What the hell.
It wasn’t the food, it couldn’t have been the food. She knew they had to eat. She told them as much. Her singing would only help for so long.
“… Aren’t you hungry?” he asked - no, demanded heavily. She quickly shook her head, taking a small step back to maintain the distance between them.
“Heat, no, I-“
“You what?” This emotion felt familiar. Anger. Annoyance. It was building inside of him, the flame rarely going out. He took a step closer. “Why don’t you eat? You haven’t had a single scrap since you came!”
Sera clasped her hands together, her fingers dancing in quick, manic motions across her knuckles.
“I don’t know,” said Sera softly. “I- I can’t remember." She hugged herself uncomfortably, shivering in the dim light. Goosebumps peppered her creamy, smooth skin. "I’m not hungry, Heat. I don’t have to eat.”
There was a sweep of his cape, his arm shooting out to grasp hers. His hand dug deep into the meager flesh of her arms, her waiflike body tugged to his like a rag doll. She cried out. Their faces were close, his eyes blazing into hers, wild with the fresh kill and the all-consuming rage.
“Would you take food if Serph gave it to you?!”
Silence, save for the heady sounds of their breaths.
Her eyes were screwed tightly shut, her face and lips flinched away. She didn’t struggle; she was limp in his arms. And yet, she couldn’t bear to look at him. It was happening all over again, that same infuriating loss of control he felt at the second Embryon base, while the others were finishing off Bat and a significant portion of the Brutes Tribe. The episodes were becoming more and more frequent. He could hardly keep a handle on himself. Most of the time, Heat couldn't give a rat's ass how he treated other people - they were all going to die, anyway - but this was Sera.
Heat came back to himself, breathing a gasp, his grip loosening. He felt numb.
Sera knew an opening when she saw one. She tore away from Heat’s arms and quickly moved toward the rest of the Tribe - or rather, quickly ran to Serph. She nearly bowled him over with the force of her embrace, burying her head into his chest.
He even had the nerve to look confused.
Heat scowled fiercely. He released a low cross between a scoff and a growl, snatched up a spare limb and angrily tore off the thumb with his teeth alone.
---------------------------------------
Sera...
[Heat all but ignores the DreamBerry. He doesn't particularly care about it. Instead, he stares at the ceiling of his quarters in the New Embryon Base in silence.
Slowly, he rolls over, puts his head back down and throws his cape over himself, his back to the screen.]