[ Sometimes, when she's not alone, when she's neither engaged or distracted enough to let it pass, Cellar notices a habit, a noise, and her brain decides to make it the most excruciating thing she's ever hyperfocused on. From that moment on, every repetition makes her skin crawl, makes her muscles tense and makes her inch closer and closer to that mental button telling her to do something about it. Something impulsive and mean, too reactive to not make her regret listening to her own bad advice.
Saber barks and slams his fist on the counter — that's one. Cellar stops but doesn't flinch, a cat freezing its approach on prey she's too stubborn to let go of until it's been chewed on. He compares her to other women, as if they know him even half as well as she does, and that's two. He threatens her. That makes three. She hears Mila. There's the button. ]
I'm gonna come closer, and you're not gonna do shit.
[ One shadow blocks the entrance (the exit) to the kitchen. ]
If you wanna do this without the others, then I'm taking you back to that chapel. [ Something must've gone wrong, he just has to use the chamber again, it'll be fine. It has to be. ] I don't care if I have to knock you out — you're not killing anyone else. And you're not going to hurt yourself either. Just because Great isn't here doesn't mean I'm gonna let you fuck up your pact even more.
[She's right, he doesn't do anything. He's too busy being stuck in his own head, wallowing and angry and erratic. There's no time for him to notice any fuck ups because he doesn't even think about them. Her name, his language, the quick rebellious shadow blocking the door. Nothing he does or says has any connection to consequence.]
The pact?
[Pathetically, hand dropping away as he stares up at her from the floor, eyes red. The epitome of a boy throwing a tantrum for attention, if the tantrum included murdering numerous people and being covered in their mess of blood and viscera.]
Forget the pact. Forget the chapel and that shitty baptism. It's just us now. Raíz would've done somethin'. You know that, right? She wasn't here. We were - [Family. His thoughts skip around. He can't keep track.] don't bring Great into this like he'd know what to do. Take it or leave it, Cellar. We're fucked and deep down you know it.
[His smile is petulant, past the tears welling in his eyes and messiness. Almost greedy.]
[ She wishes she had training for this — for handling Saber in his current state all on her own, so no one else has to die. Including himself. ]
Don't say that — it's not true. She's coming. She just operates on her own time, and … and time's all fucked up here anyway, but she's coming, all right? She's gonna be real pissed off when she finds out what you're thinking.
[ Raíz always knows. Great made damn sure Cellar understood that before she ever had to find out for herself. The thing is, she's not sure she believes her own words, frown betraying her uncertainty. A crack in the faith written into her contract, signed in blood, because it's been almost a year with no sign of Raíz, no indication that anyone knows they're gone. They might as well be ghosts without a place to haunt. ]
I don't have to stop you because you're coming with me. Right? Come on, you helped me before. So just let me help you this time.
No, uh-uh. She's never comin'. She'd be here already 'cause of me. She's the only thing keeping me in line. Why'd you come alone, Cellar? You should've brought Neon. Now he – [He hiccups, swallows down the glob of emotion that rises up his throat.] he could've helped.
[Not Cellar, who's only good (only thought loosely in his head) for her shadows and not for her cruelty. He knows she has it in her, the killing urge that Great wanted cultivated by someone more empathetic (himself). He's an unkind thing staring at someone grasping at straws. Someone he had reassured months ago of Raíz presence as the elder, more knowledgeable person, now erasing his own words in madness.]
I'm not comin' with you. You're leaving me here. If you touch me, I'll hurt you or you'll be stuck killin' me and I know you don't wanna do that.
[ She wants to snap back — I came because you told me you're dying, and you told me not to tell Neon. Frustration gritting her teeth, angry that she keeps making the mistake of listening to a man who never listens to her. Why does he ever act like he wants her around if this is who he becomes? ]
Someone's coming for you regardless, whether you're dead or alive. So you might as well come with me.
[ Foolishly, she reaches out to grab his bloody arm. In her head, she reaches his hand, pries anything from it so it's just their fingers intertwined, and that's enough to distract and bring him somewhere safe for them and everyone else. Saber is out of his mind, but Cellar is overconfident and hopeful. The only way she'll stop is if he knocks her out somehow — then finds an alternative exit, around the shadows blocking the doors. ]
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Saber barks and slams his fist on the counter — that's one. Cellar stops but doesn't flinch, a cat freezing its approach on prey she's too stubborn to let go of until it's been chewed on. He compares her to other women, as if they know him even half as well as she does, and that's two. He threatens her. That makes three. She hears Mila. There's the button. ]
I'm gonna come closer, and you're not gonna do shit.
[ One shadow blocks the entrance (the exit) to the kitchen. ]
If you wanna do this without the others, then I'm taking you back to that chapel. [ Something must've gone wrong, he just has to use the chamber again, it'll be fine. It has to be. ] I don't care if I have to knock you out — you're not killing anyone else. And you're not going to hurt yourself either. Just because Great isn't here doesn't mean I'm gonna let you fuck up your pact even more.
been waiting 2 use this icon
The pact?
[Pathetically, hand dropping away as he stares up at her from the floor, eyes red. The epitome of a boy throwing a tantrum for attention, if the tantrum included murdering numerous people and being covered in their mess of blood and viscera.]
Forget the pact. Forget the chapel and that shitty baptism. It's just us now. Raíz would've done somethin'. You know that, right? She wasn't here. We were - [Family. His thoughts skip around. He can't keep track.] don't bring Great into this like he'd know what to do. Take it or leave it, Cellar. We're fucked and deep down you know it.
[His smile is petulant, past the tears welling in his eyes and messiness. Almost greedy.]
You really think you can stop me?
kya
Don't say that — it's not true. She's coming. She just operates on her own time, and … and time's all fucked up here anyway, but she's coming, all right? She's gonna be real pissed off when she finds out what you're thinking.
[ Raíz always knows. Great made damn sure Cellar understood that before she ever had to find out for herself. The thing is, she's not sure she believes her own words, frown betraying her uncertainty. A crack in the faith written into her contract, signed in blood, because it's been almost a year with no sign of Raíz, no indication that anyone knows they're gone. They might as well be ghosts without a place to haunt. ]
I don't have to stop you because you're coming with me. Right? Come on, you helped me before. So just let me help you this time.
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[Not Cellar, who's only good (only thought loosely in his head) for her shadows and not for her cruelty. He knows she has it in her, the killing urge that Great wanted cultivated by someone more empathetic (himself). He's an unkind thing staring at someone grasping at straws. Someone he had reassured months ago of Raíz presence as the elder, more knowledgeable person, now erasing his own words in madness.]
I'm not comin' with you. You're leaving me here. If you touch me, I'll hurt you or you'll be stuck killin' me and I know you don't wanna do that.
🎀 soon?
Someone's coming for you regardless, whether you're dead or alive. So you might as well come with me.
[ Foolishly, she reaches out to grab his bloody arm. In her head, she reaches his hand, pries anything from it so it's just their fingers intertwined, and that's enough to distract and bring him somewhere safe for them and everyone else. Saber is out of his mind, but Cellar is overconfident and hopeful. The only way she'll stop is if he knocks her out somehow — then finds an alternative exit, around the shadows blocking the doors. ]