patheticvillain | fifty ➢ video ( cw bodyhorror )

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This is bullshit.

["This" being the black, silky ears he's sprouted in the wake of the flood. His long tail, equally black and twitching with irritation, pokes out from under his blanket, where he's curled up and sulking. The camera's at a skewed angle, balanced on the edge of his pillow.]

I just woke up like this. I didn't even do it. If it's gonna happen, I want to at least be the one to do it. I want . . .

[He trails off, his eyes distant and dull. When they snap back into focus, he sits up slowly, blankets falling around him, and narrows his eyes.]

It's supposed to hurt.

[And then he begins to change: skin rippling, body changing, limbs twisting. He grows a third arm, and then a fourth, the new ones vestigial, skinless, ugly. Growths emerge across his face, limning his high cheekbones. He curls up in the fetal position; you can hear bones crack, shift, curl, and break. All the while he's crying out in a dog's whine, an ugly helpless yet somehow angry noise. The blankets tangle around his shifting feet as they grow bark and tentacles and recede into stubs.]

[Eventually, endlessly, he is still. The ears and tail have gone completely.]

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[He reaches out and grabs Chris's hand again. Squeezing it tightly, he closes his eyes and focuses on arguably the weirdest bit of transformation work he's ever had to do.]

[Chris squirms, giving an involuntary shiver as he feels his body change]

F-fuck, man..

Sorry--

[--is all he has time to get out before his own body starts to change, spikes twisting out of the back of his neck as he curls into the fetal position.]

[Chris cringes, but hugs on tight to Cassel's hand, muttering a few encouraging words]

C'mon. C'mon, you can get through this.

[It takes a few minutes of writhing and twisting and changing, but eventually Cassel is himself again, panting and pale and out of breath, but himself. He leans his head against Chris's knee and says nothing, just stares at the blankets, exhausted and feeling helpless and small.]

[Chris wraps his arm around Cassel's body, relaxing now that he feels normal again, but feeling a bit guilty Cassel was so affected by it. He squeezes the other's shoulder.]

...thanks.

[He leans into Chris's body, heavy and still sweaty with exertion. He's glad enough for a moment for Chris's presence that positivity breaks through the Sha fog and lets him smile.]

Always, you know?

Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

Fuck.

We gotta figure out our future one of these days.

What d'you mean?

I mean what's gonna happen to us after the Barge? Where are we gonna live, what are we gonna do. Our future. Shit like that.

You wanna think about that right now?

..I dunno. Maybe not now, but eventually, right?

Yeah, I guess.

[He stretches out until he's resting more or less across Chris's lap, a limp noodle of a boy.]

So tell me your dreams or whatever.

[Chris gives a bit of a laugh, shifting to get more comfortable]

Jesus christ you're heavy. Cut back on the Ho-Hos, man, would you?

I dunno. I like living in New York, maybe just not my New York. Maybe Spider-man's New York.

Are we allowed to live in Spider-man's New York? Do we have to get, like, interdimensional passports?

We're allowed to live wherever the fuck we want, I think. We just tell Boss Man where to drop us off when we're ready to go.

. . . I'd live in New York with you. I want to be able to visit people, though. You think Iris could take us places?

Yeah, if she's not busy. She could swing by and pick us up.

Cool.

[He settles back on Chris's lap and blinks up at the ceiling.]

As long as we can make sure people are okay. Like Anya and Zane and everybody. As long as we don't get cut off.

[Chris gladly makes room for Cassel with a worn-out sort of sigh]

Yeah. That's what I'm worried about. But man, we're not meant to stay here forever, y'know.