plasticasshole | Aefenglom IC Contact

[Building up the courage to talk to Niles has been an effort. Between his terrible experience trying to apologise to L and knowing that Myr is also disappointed in him, not to mention the stress from keeping it from Hank despite their Bond, Connor is... well, not at his limit, but he's getting there. Rejection from Niles is probable, and he's miserable about it.

He asked Niles to meet him in their usual spot, and he already looks somber before he's even spoken.]

Hello, Niles.

[He pauses, rubbing his hands together and fiddling with his sleeves anxiously.]

[Niles is waiting for him in the clearing just off the path between the outpost and the underground. Connor's not the only one who looks serious. Niles has no idea what Connor knows, or from whom. He's on edge, not expecting anything hostile, but ready for it, just in case.]

Connor.

[His weak attempt at being casual is directly contradicted by a simple scan. The burns on his right arm, proof of his clash with L on the rooftop, was two weeks old now. It finally showed signs of healing, but it's telling that he's not holding his arms tucked against his chest for once. Bending his right arm at the elbow aggravated the remaining wounds. The fidgeting soon begins to agitate him.]

Come on, out with it.

[Wow, give him a minute, Niles. He'd gone through how to word this in his head the whole way here, but it doesn't make it any less daunting.]

I think this has gone on long enough, don't you?

[It's pretty obvious what he means by "this".]

I think it would be a good idea to come back to Aefenglom. Yes, it will mean you ultimately get punished for what you've done, but you wouldn't be the only one. I think that's the best way to settle this.

[He eyes that burn, wondering why it still seems fresh when the scuffle happened two weeks ago.]

[The Connor's words ring truer than he could possibly know. After what Henry had told him...it felt like there might actually be a way out. This really didn't have to last forever. Except that his only bargaining chip was worthy of even more punishment, and not just for himself. He finally has leverage, but seemingly no place to brace it. His tail flicks in irritation.]

Well I don't. [His exasperated huff of breath doesn't really have enough energy to be a fully dismissive chuckle, but hopefully it still gets the point across.] Is that it?

No, that's not it.

[Connor looks just as irritated by the dismissal.]

You're going to kill each other at the rate you're going. Whether you mean to or not.

[After all, Niles had rethought his stance on killing L, which is why L has a gash in his wrist.]

Just come back so we can sort this out, without anyone else dying. Please?

[The last traces of fake mirth drain away as Connor continues. At his final, pointless plea Niles just shakes his head.]

Absolutely not.

[His tail glides from side to side in a low arc.]

But you didn't meet me in person to take 'no' for an answer I'm guessing.

You're right. I didn't.

[Which sounds vaguely ominous, especially when Connor steps forward. But all he does is glare at Niles.]

Are you afraid of what waits for you back at Aefenglom? Is that what the problem is?

[Niles is in no condition to fight Connor, but he doesn't plan to. If he keeps coming closer, Niles will fully shift and bolt into the woods, but for now he can't help but sneer and snap back.]

I'm not afraid of prison, I just prefer my own bed.

Really? Seems more like you're scared to me.

[He isn't in the mood to deal with this, but he perseveres anyway.]

So you'd rather Linden kicked your ass over and over than just come back to Aefenglom and admit you were wrong? Nobody said anything about prison, for the record.

[Niles rolls his eye and puts a hand on his hip. Does Connor think he's an idiot to fall for childish goading like that? He doesn't care if it makes him seem a coward, L has clearly come out worse for ware in their scuffles, and as for nobody mentioning prison, he scoffs.]

Because the penalty for kidnapping and torture is thirty days of community service.

Community service isn't prison. And I'd say that's a very light sentence, given what you did. You mutilated him, Niles.

[He folds his arms.]

Linden is willing to own up to what he's done. Why can't you?

[He lets out an exasperated sigh and with it comes something more truthful than he intended, but not without a hearty dose of venom.]

I'm staying in hiding because I know what I did was heinous. This place has the death penalty on the table, shithead.

You say that like the Coven even cares about what you did anymore. Why else would we be mediating with another Mirrorbound?

[It's... exasperating, in a way, that the Coven care so little about Mirrorbound affairs. It's also probably a good thing, though. Niles isn't wrong about the threat of the death penalty- Connor saw it happen with the Rathmores. It's partly why Connor agreed to hide Niles at first.]

Do you really think I'd be asking you to walk back to your death?

[Niles' ears flatten back for a moment. They'd had that big talk about being even, but Niles knows Connor to be a trustworthy person who doesn't harm people unintentionally. But he just didn't understand the full scope of things here.]

Not knowingly. [He pins his ears back now deliberately, tail curling in and out around knee level.] Now give up. When I turn someone down for the third time I tend to make it so they can't ask a fourth time.

[He gives the tail a withering look.]

I'm not scared of you, so drop the tough guy act.

[Does he have to kick his ass in order to get him to come back?]

I'm getting tired of asking, anyway.

[He moves closer, body tense and ready for anything Niles might try- whether it's bolting or attacking.]

If you want to stay here, don't plan on me coming back.

[Niles backs up slowly, tail now sweeping low and wide behind him.]

Good. You wouldn't be able to find me again if you did anyway.

[Then he feels what he needs, the trunk of a tree a few feet behind him. His eye snaps up as he jumps, hands grasping at the lowest branches, claws digging into the bark. Anticipating Connor trying to jump and tackle him, he curls his knees towards his chest. His tail helps him balance and aim his readied kick squarely for Connor's eye line. He might not be able to feel pain, but he has eyes, and presumably they won't work if punctured by sharp hooves.]

[Connor sees Niles going for his eyes and drops low, because preserving his eyesight is more important than grabbing him in this moment. He's making it hard for Connor to justify not wanting to hurt him, that's for sure.]

Niles-

[He scowls, then grabs at Niles' midsection in an attempt to pull him off the tree. Leaving him here might be less hassle, but he needs to fix things. It was partly his own mistakes that led him here.]

Edited 2020-10-25 02:51 (UTC)

[Niles grunts as Connor grabs him, and his tail instinctively swings around to slam the stinger into Connor's back. His grip tightens, refusing to let go, but the deep gouges made by his claws work against him.

The damaged branch can't possibly hold both their weights and Niles falls as the bough snaps. He's dragged down to the snow, trapped now both by Connor and the confusing dangle of branches that came down after him.]

Edited 2020-10-27 21:27 (UTC)

[Connor grunts as the stinger lands in his back, LED red, but otherwise ignores it. He instead works on pulling a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket, keeping his weight straddling Niles.]

Give it up, Niles. You're coming with me. We're going to end this... everything will work out.

[It has to.]

[Niles rips his tail back out, stinger flicking droplets of blue blood over the snow as it thrashes side to side. He squirms under Connor, but with the branch blocking his line of sight and his good arm there's little he can do to stop the android from pinning him down. He hears the clink of cuffs and feels a swell of rage.]

Get off!

[His second word bleeds into a deep snarl as he shifts into fully feline form. Good luck getting those cuffs to fit around paws. As his spine and hips shift he curls his legs in towards his center. His hooves morph into claws just as sharp as the ones on his hands. If Connor isn't smart enough to heed Niles' wishes, then those clawed back paws are going to kick and tear through anything in their way once the joints fit together properly.]

Edited 2020-10-29 12:17 (UTC)

[He backs off as Niles starts to shift, startled. He can't keep a cat of any kind contained like this.]

Niles, wait!

[It's a last-ditch attempt to get this to work out, but even as he says it he knows better. Niles isn't coming. He swears under his breath, and pockets the cuffs again.]

Fine. Suit yourself.

[He walks back a little more, keeping himself out of Niles' range. Then he turns and starts to leave. He's pretty sure Niles wouldn't attack him for no reason, so turning his back on him doesn't feel like the terrible idea it could have been.]

Aefenglom IC Contact

For Niles // 12th Sep

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