The hellish bestiary is scrambling away now, scattering under the looming monster Illyria has become. Johnny doesn't blame them. Fuck, he hopes she's still on his side. He's still gaping up at her, unable to move, when she starts to talk to him. Sort of.
Voice in his head, this time a real one. All right. It doesn't sound like her - well, it doesn't sound like anything, it's just thoughts that aren't his. It's weird, knowing they aren't his. Like if his body moved without his permission.
He's still adjusting to the sensation when another monster swoops down near him, and he ducks and covers his head in a frozen prey response before he realizes it's just - sitting there, waiting. It's a dragon creature, the ones with the ass engines. Hovering and not even bothering to look at him. Illyria's talking to him again, and he's struggling to keep up with the actual words in the midst of all his panic. What is she saying? Guide what himself, what will listen? What is she...
...Oh.
She's telling him to drive the fucking dragon.
"Ha, hahaha," he hears himself say, manic, shrill sort of laughter. Well why the fuck not?! Given the way this day is going.
He hoists himself onto the thing.
"Okay," he says, settling in front of its wings, grasping weakly at its scaly neck. "Is there an ignition key or something? How do I make it go?"
He's not even bothering to direct these questions at Illyria, but it doesn't matter; the beast seems to understand him, and lifts up, causing him to jerk and grab on a lot tighter.
"Hohhhfuck. Okay. All right." He breathes in and out rapidly, trying to keep from totally losing his shit. "All right, uh, nice dragon. Let's... follow the giant bug lady, all right?"
The dragon huffs out a vaguely acquiescent growl and flaps once, heavy and loud, to fall alongside Illyria, its engines flaring up worrisomely. Johnny allows himself to become completely preoccupied with staying on the thing, working hard at not thinking about anything else. He recognizes that he's pretty close to falling apart, but it's also hard to fall apart when you're riding a fucking dragon.
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Voice in his head, this time a real one. All right. It doesn't sound like her - well, it doesn't sound like anything, it's just thoughts that aren't his. It's weird, knowing they aren't his. Like if his body moved without his permission.
He's still adjusting to the sensation when another monster swoops down near him, and he ducks and covers his head in a frozen prey response before he realizes it's just - sitting there, waiting. It's a dragon creature, the ones with the ass engines. Hovering and not even bothering to look at him. Illyria's talking to him again, and he's struggling to keep up with the actual words in the midst of all his panic. What is she saying? Guide what himself, what will listen? What is she...
...Oh.
She's telling him to drive the fucking dragon.
"Ha, hahaha," he hears himself say, manic, shrill sort of laughter. Well why the fuck not?! Given the way this day is going.
He hoists himself onto the thing.
"Okay," he says, settling in front of its wings, grasping weakly at its scaly neck. "Is there an ignition key or something? How do I make it go?"
He's not even bothering to direct these questions at Illyria, but it doesn't matter; the beast seems to understand him, and lifts up, causing him to jerk and grab on a lot tighter.
"Hohhhfuck. Okay. All right." He breathes in and out rapidly, trying to keep from totally losing his shit. "All right, uh, nice dragon. Let's... follow the giant bug lady, all right?"
The dragon huffs out a vaguely acquiescent growl and flaps once, heavy and loud, to fall alongside Illyria, its engines flaring up worrisomely. Johnny allows himself to become completely preoccupied with staying on the thing, working hard at not thinking about anything else. He recognizes that he's pretty close to falling apart, but it's also hard to fall apart when you're riding a fucking dragon.