come, little birdies

[numbers96]

[One of the fountains in the square is acting a bit odd.

Instead of flowing with water, it's dripping with strange, black sludge, mottled with some sort of violet liquid.

Approach?]

Comments

[tachyondragon]

[ ｓｏ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ

(would he really be better for this? to be under this Number's control and mercy? his pride screams no but his body screams yes and he, himself, is caught)

He inhales again as the tentacle slides up his thigh, and it sends sensations all through his lower regions and what is this Mizael thinks because this is foreign and new and. and strangely. good.

(but then it says ｈａｐｐｉｅｒ and) ]

Mmph...!

[ ｈａｐｐｉｅｒ

That word is a catalyst, and suddenly it's as if his whole body has regained his strength and he's struggling and fighting and coughing and coughing to try and expel this foreign substance.

(he sees flashes of a golden dragon and high mountains and a temple)

(flashes of white tunics and warm scales)

(and he thinks that's--that's his happiness; on mountains too high to climb, embraced by creatures too misunderstood to be understood--ripped away so quickly that he can't even remember anymore--)

He's not going down, not yet, not yet--

(his lapis glows again, almost gets back its usual shine and he tries to shake and get this parasite off of him)

(the smoldering starlight sparks) ]

[numbers96]

[It can feel Mizael sparking, feel that his light is threatening to overwhelm, but it needs this new pet--

unless...

(there's a way to make its hold on this Barian so much fuller, so much stronger)

The tendril in Mizael's mouth gushes liquid one last time and suddenly they're all withdrawing, dropping Mizael's naked body on the wet flagstones as the slime retreats back into the fountain.]

...but, if you won't be good...maybe you don't deserve my power.

Think about it, won't you, little Barian?

[And then its body melts, all at once, and as its mass slips back into the drain the water of the fountain grows clear again.]

[tachyondragon]

[ He hits the ground with a thud, and the air is knocked out of him for a split second, but it's back as soon as it went and he's breathing again. He coughs, spits out the last spurt of liquid deposited into his mouth, and forces his jaw shut.

(that was too close, he was too close)

(even now he can still feel its tendrils running over him like a pet being stroked) ]

Nngh.

[ He wipes his mouth and exhales, finally. Next time, he needs to be able to fight this Numbers, and whatever it was planning on doing to him.

(next time? why would he ever come back?)

(some part of him says he has to)

He opens a portal with his depleted reserve and teleports away--preferably to get some new clothes now that his old ones no longer exist. ]