"Don't-" Johnny rasps out, too soft to be heard, really, buried in the dirt and the leaves along with him. The chimaera stalks through the woods, circling, and he can feel Nova hiding, frozen, scared. He wants her to run, get as far away as she can - he knows it will hurt like hell, maybe until their invisible tether snaps, but maybe it's possible, maybe she could get away.
He can feel her, practically vibrating with indignation. I'm not leaving you, idiot.
His focus moves quickly from his soul-rabbit to himself when Zagreus nudges him hard with his fucking foot. Johnny flinches and makes an involuntary grunt, sounding soft and pitiful and preylike. Hearing himself like that sends a sudden resurgence of his usual, stupid anger ripping through him, and he digs his fingers into the dirt, staring up at Zagreus with open, teeth-bared hatred.
"Won't work out here," he says coldly, because there's no point in refusing to answer. "It only works on houses."
He wants to fight back, against the obvious taunt, the indignity of being toed at, but he can't, quite. His arms won't work, or his legs, or all of him. He's pinioned by the point of Zagreus' shoe, paralyzed beneath it.
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He can feel her, practically vibrating with indignation. I'm not leaving you, idiot.
His focus moves quickly from his soul-rabbit to himself when Zagreus nudges him hard with his fucking foot. Johnny flinches and makes an involuntary grunt, sounding soft and pitiful and preylike. Hearing himself like that sends a sudden resurgence of his usual, stupid anger ripping through him, and he digs his fingers into the dirt, staring up at Zagreus with open, teeth-bared hatred.
"Won't work out here," he says coldly, because there's no point in refusing to answer. "It only works on houses."
He wants to fight back, against the obvious taunt, the indignity of being toed at, but he can't, quite. His arms won't work, or his legs, or all of him. He's pinioned by the point of Zagreus' shoe, paralyzed beneath it.