The Twenty Second Trial

[hot_mess_express]

Who: You
When: Day 49, Morning
Where:

The entrance today is a huge, ornate stone archway. A gossamer veil glittering like starlight upon water hangs inside it, fluttering as if caught in a gentle breeze. It's impossible to say what might lie beyond; even if you walk around the other side — and it's perfectly possible to do so — you just see the same thing.

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[featherbeaned]

[ One of the dead and drowned is a Clover, with blood all over her face and chin. Her arms and hands are — bad. Mauled, especially the right, half eaten by a hungry beast with sharp teeth. ]

[ Spoilers: the beast was her. ]

[bowtiedbones]

[there's a lot of bodies and she's not sure how many are hallucinations or not still, but— she wouldn't imagine someone she doesn't know, right? that doesn't make sense,

crouching down and patting her knee for lack of a less bloody spot]

Miss?

[featherbeaned]

[ Life returns with an uncomfortable wet wheeze. Oh, she hurts, where is she, what happened? The two fluffy ear-like tufts of hair — iridescent blue with flashes of pink and yellow, and grossly gunked up with blood — twitch, pinning back. ]

Wugh-?

[ And despite her injuries, despite everything, she suddenly sits bolt upright, staring around with something not unlike a yip of alarm ]

[bowtiedbones]

[holds her hands up meekly, harmless]

Hey. Hey, it's okay, the trial's over.

[featherbeaned]

E … liza?

[ funny, that sure sounds like a certain dragon's northern English accent … ]

[bowtiedbones]

[blinks]

Meridian?

[featherbeaned]

H'lo.

[ blinks back at her, lost ]

... Oh. Forgot. I got leggy. [ wiggles said leggies ]

[bowtiedbones]

Hi! When did that happen?

[featherbeaned]

... This morning.

[ Stares balefully down at her toes. ]

I'm a very magic dragon with very bad timing.

[bowtiedbones]

Oh gosh, timing indeed. Do you know how to change back? I sometimes feel more comfortable when I have claws and fangs.

[featherbeaned]

Nnnnoooo. [ Cheeps unhappily!! ]

But! But! I'll figure it out, I did it once this way, I can do it the other way!

[bowtiedbones]

Did anything happen to cause this? Or did it just... happen??

[featherbeaned]

[ uh ]

I did it on purpose 'cause your new person, he's got a magic ring, you know? A magic ring that feels like my magic, and he smells like me, and he asked if he could turn into a dragon, and if I could turn into a human.

... But I don't know how I did it.

[ cosmic deity? yes. idiot? also yes. ]

[beeknighted]

[oH NO!!!


There are several warring reactions in Mao's head, does he rush to her in panic, does he run far away to avoid hurting her, or does he give in to his hunger and finish the other half of her---

no bad. bad mao. stumbling back.]

[featherbeaned]

[ THIS IS FINE ]

[ everything is fine ]

[ ow :( ]

[ she comes around enough to sit bolt upright, staring around herself in alarm - and then her gaze meets his and locks there ]

[beeknighted]

[Mao doesn't look nearly as bad as her. He's been slashed across the face by a clawed hand and has a small scratch on his throat. There's dried blood on his clothes, and a few smears on his mouth where he missed spots trying to scrub it away. Reminders of why he should not get close to her, when Meridian locks eyes with him he can't pull his gaze away, but he does slam a hand over his mouth and nose and take another step back.]

[featherbeaned]

Mao —

[ She starts to reach towards him, only to yip in pain and curl over her arms. Ow. ]

[beeknighted]

Meri--

[His cry of alarm is muffled by his hand, he can't help but move towards her when she reaches for him but he stops himself. He can't lose control.]

[featherbeaned]

[ It hurts, it hurts a lot, but Mao smells like blood and pain; he's hurting too. ]

[ So she tries to stand, to get to him so she can help him somehow. ]

[beeknighted]

[aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh]

I-It's dangerous to move if you're hurt.

[featherbeaned]

You're hurt!

[ And up! And moving! ]

[beeknighted]

I'm not that hurt!

[featherbeaned]

Hurt enough! Sit, Mao! Sit!

[beeknighted]

Can I sit somewhere further away?

[THERE ARE SO MANY DEAD PEOPLE]

[featherbeaned]

... Yes!

[ see, she's not unreasonable. ]

[ but she is wobbling after him ]