Food For the Strong

[somanytattoos]

 Characters: Viper, Duo
Content: Finding herself in Unreal, Viper seeks solace by stuffing her face on cake. Duo is suitably disturbed. 

Where: Cafeteria
When: Afternoon after the challenge

Warnings: Viper being her crazy cannibal self.
 Viper was understandably upset about finding herself in a new place. However, unlike most of the other

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[somanytattoos]

Viper lowered her head and advanced when he retreated, gaining ground when it was given. If it came to that, she would take it by force, but it hadn’t gone that far yet. In time it probably would, but she could be patient when it suited her. When there was a reason and a reward at the end, to be given to the strongest fighter, the best survivor.

Such was the way of the world, that the strongest survived the longest, but everyone died at one point or another. No one really got out alive.

She took another step, this time when the boy gave no ground, to see if he would stand against her, or back up again. It would say a great deal about him, and perhaps about this place. “Need comes,” Viper said, “and need goes. I will take my weapons, or I will make more.”

Viper cracked her fingers and did not smile. The blades she was missing were made out of bones and the blades of iron gardening-shears. Bones were easy to get-everything that walked had some. Iron, perhaps not so much, but Viper knew she could get it. She was good at finding things when she needed to.

The cake had been a reward, a prize, and she had partaken of it for a little. When she was hungry again, Viper would come back. She would fight for her food, if it was required. She would kill for her prize. In the way of motivation, Viper might have been the perfect contestant for Unreal.

[crossandscythe]

"Yeah," Duo replied as casually as he could, not letting himself back away any further. She would just keep coming, he figured. "I guess you'll have to make some, because outside the competition I've never seen anyone with any weapons. I don't know what they would do if anyone had any."

[somanytattoos]

So he would hold his ground for now. Viper's respect of the boy rose microscopically. She smirked when he mentioned that whoever was in charge wouldn't know what the fuck to do if the (prisoners? contestants?) armed themselves. Perhaps it would be a massacre. Perhaps it wouldn't be. Perhaps Viper would find out.

"Who are you?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip.

[crossandscythe]

"Me? No one special. The name's Duo Maxwell." He hesitated half a second before adding his signature, "I run, I hide, but I never tell a lie."

After a moment of debate he decided to do the friendly thing. "And who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

[somanytattoos]

She clicked her teeth, and then spread her arms out, baring her palms, as if to say, I might not be anybody special, either, but then again, you can't know for sure, can you? "Viper."

[crossandscythe]

He couldn't help it, and he regretted it the moment it happened, but it came out anyway: a snigger of laughter. He snorted and rubbed his nose to try to cover it. It wasn't that he found her funny, it was just such an appropriate name for such a woman it was sort of amusing.

"Really?" he asked. "That's...that works."

((OOC: I thought things were going a little too well ;) ))

[somanytattoos]

That was...unacceptable. He had laughed at her. At her, at Viper, the scavenger queen and Sol's wife, the combination of the two factors of herself bouncing around her head in angry circles. Like he didn't understand the consequences, or was just confident that she wouldn't hurt him beyond reparable damage. The thought stung, made her pride hiss in anger anew.

Viper tucked her chin in, eyes narrowed into slits, and growled, hands curling into fists, a promise of violence.

No one laughed at her.

(ooc: oh Duo, you can't say you didn't see that coming. Don't go into the kitchen, whatever you do. She might get ideas

[crossandscythe]

"Ah-ha, ha, wait, um..." Duo floundered, recognizing murder when it looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry, really. Sorry, I uh...it was just a nervous thing, see." He took a couple steps back, wondering if he could out-run her if need be. He wasn't too keen on getting into another fight so soon.

[somanytattoos]

Viper took his apology and sneered at it, kicking the ground. Words didn’t matter unless it was to offer her a reason why she shouldn’t lunge and bring him to the ground, grab his throat and choke him until he stopped breathing. Viper had a whole bunch of reasons to do it, and about one not to, which was one too few.

“Do I make you nervous?” she asked quietly, eyes gleaming.

This could be a game. This could be practice for the real entertainment this place would ask for her later.

[crossandscythe]

"Well, uh, sort of?" Duo wasn't sure quite how to talk his way out of this one. "You're uh, obviously stronger than I am."

Flattery, maybe?

is the punch okay? I can change it, if it's not.

[somanytattoos]

So he saw the light. Maybe she wouldn't kill him. Maybe she'd just smack him a few time, teach him how to respect a lady nice and proper.

Maybe she'd just eat him. Duo was a skinny little bastard, but there was enough meat on him to feed her for a few days, if she wasn't greedy. Sol had taught her to waste not, want not.

"Yes," Viper said simply, walking up until they were face to face. "I am."

And then she socked him on the arm just to prove she could.

It's fine! Duo expects worse.

[crossandscythe]

Duo managed keep himself from stepping back as she approached, holding his ground, not sure what she was going to do.

The punch was hard and sharp and well placed to be painful without laying him out. He winced, stepping back then more out of necessity than anything else. His instinct was to attack but he kept himself in check. He did not want to get into another scrap so soon after that competition. "Yeah, you're strong," he grated. "You proved that."

[somanytattoos]

But not so strong that he wouldn’t feel resentful about it. Oh well. Viper decided that wasn’t a bad development. It would keep her on her toes, for one thing. A little competition was healthy, and would make for some entertainment of her own. It would keep her sharp, keep her tough. Compliancy built weakness, which meant death in Viper’s world.

“And now you won’t try anything,” Viper informed him calmly, smiling. "Do we understand each other?"

[crossandscythe]

Oh the snarky comebacks. But for once he held his tongue in check. He wouldn't really want to hurt her, but he got the distinct feeling she wouldn't give killing him a second thought. "Yeah," he growled. "Sure we do."

[somanytattoos]

"Good," Viper murmured, leaning forward until they were nose to nose. Duo could back up, could run, could move away at any time, but why would he? She had proven herself stronger, and had no reason to hurt him now.

Well, she had never needed a reason before, but he didn't know that.

She cocked her head to the side and laughed a little, softly. "You have pretty eyes."

[crossandscythe]

Duo didn't back up, but still wasn't quite sure how to take the compliment. "Uh, thanks," he stammered just a little. "I--like your tattoos."