Boss Attacks: Trash Monster - smolder - 1195 words

Using 1 x Steampunk Calipers for 5x required word count. (35AP)

 

10. Everybody Stay Calm! The Trash Monster’s new, agonizing cries are causing mayhem. Feelings that have been long hidden resurface in some, and pure panic sets in for others. Draw or write your character’s reaction to the Trash Monster’s fresh agony.

 

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"Caspian."

 

The way the shifter reacted to hearing his name made Kiri essentially jump backwards in surprise. Caspian turned instantly on his heels. His high-pitched screech lowered to silence along an awkwardly long ramp downwards. For a moment, he stared at the elf, and the elf stared at him.

 

"Jesus, Kiri. You scared the shit out of me," the eternal huffed, "what have I said about sneaking around like that?"

 

First furrowing her brow, she then raised it. "I don't recall you saying anything about sneaking around," Kiri pointed out, crossing her arms.

 

Caspian looked to the side, pursing his lips. A puzzled expression veiled his face. Suddenly, he inhaled sharply. "Oh, right." He turned back to Kiri. "Must've been Nati - but you guys basically look the same, anyway."

 

The elf blinked a few times. She didn't quite recall who this Nati was - the neonpole had a habit of spitting names like watermelon seeds when he spoke, without any explanations. This time was no exception. It was nothing new, and considering the haphazard and nonchalant way Caspian talked, he was just spewing out whatever came to his mind. Untruths, as he liked to call them. Lies held too much friction within. Besides, he wasn't lying - he simply just wasn't thinking what he was saying. Two completely different things.

 

Kiri inhaled, holding the breath in for a bit. She then let out a sigh. "We need to talk."

She sat down on a bench. It had been carved from a huge log, its ends decorated with colorful paint. Kiri lifted her eyes to Caspian. "Sit."

 

Caspian shifted his weight to only one leg. He leaned away, wary, the bridge of his nose crinkling like a faint beginning of a snarl.

 

Kiri sighed again, but it was more of an impatient huff than anything. It was getting difficult for her to stay calm - even though she wasn't even mad at anything. Not really. She didn't know why her whole head seemed to run so hot.

 

Still, it mattered little now.

 

"Sit down, Caspian. I'm not a--" The elf interrupted herself and raised her index finger. "Never mind." Don't go there. It was exactly where she didn't want to tread. Not again.

 

After a short silence, Caspian sat down next to her. Suspicion painted his face with the squint that held the brush.

 

"Did I hurt you?" Kiri's question was as straight as it was vague. There was no need to beat around the bush. Better things existed to waste time on.

 

The shifter stared at the elf for a second before being able to form any sort of answer - which was another question: "What?"

 

Kiri felt her shoulders tensing without her doing anything. By the Goddesses, she hated that face. The profuse blinking, the widened eyes. His twitching ears--

 

Wait. No. Kiri shook her head, shocked about the trail her own thoughts rushed through. Why was she so angry? She didn't dislike him. She didn't despise any of those things. The elf couldn't help a muffled growl that escaped through her gritted teeth. She drowned it into the next explanation. "I mean back at your ship. The-- the..."

 

"Why do you think you hurt me?"

 

She snapped her eyes right to Caspian's bright gaze. Kiri noticed the eternal leaning away again, a concerned expression on his face. She didn't care. Not that she wanted to be so ignorant, but something pushed past it. Something, that burned brighter and more malevolent than a thousand wildfires - where the first one had been started by an insolent, wounded mind.

 

"Are you even hearing yourself right now? You know what happened! Even your memory can't be that bad! I--"

 

Caspian grabbed both of the elf's hands. She resisted, but his grip was firm. No-nonsense. He brought Kiri's petite hands together, and held them between his palms. Their size difference was as stark as the contrast between his dark hide, and her pale skin.

 

Upset and annoyed at the shifter's actions, Kiri lowered her fiery gaze to their hands. The sight made her eyes widen.

 

She was hurting him. She was definitely now hurting him. Her hands glowed almost white - and still, Caspian held on. He didn't even flinch. Horrified, Kiri watched her own, uncontrolled anger searing his skin, boiling it into blisters, and making it peel off, all within mere moments. She tried to pull away, but the man's grip only tightened.

 

"Let go of me," she begged. Whimpered, even. "I don't want to hurt you."

 

"Look at me," Caspian growled back. It was like a mask had been shattered off his face in an instant. Kiri didn't like it. She blamed herself - that her fury had bled into him, and she hadn't even noticed. Or did he hide it that well? Caspian didn't really strike her as a type that would... well, act. As far as she knew, he wasn't.

 

On the other hand, the things she knew about him were only a drop in an ocean.

 

Caspian leaned closer to Kiri. She noticed the impossible heat now. The glow her whole body radiated. It made the wooden bench under her hiss, as moisture evaporated from it. Droplets of sweat ran down the side of the shifter's face, and onwards down his neck. He gnashed his teeth. "You can either hurt me, or hurt everyone else here."

 

The Athos leaned even closer, and stopped right at Kiri's face. "Choose."

 

How was that fair? She didn't want to hurt anyone.

 

Before the elf had the time to even properly realize what was happening, the grip around her hands shifted to one of her wrists. She was pulled up from the steaming seat, and out of nowhere, rainbow-colored water embraced her whole body with a violent hiss.

Kiri gasped for air as she finally found the surface of the multicolored swamp pool. An unfortunate salamander scampered out of the way, cursing like a willow grouse. Something large landed in the water next to the elf, sending out big splashes of both water and salamander mucus on impact. When the waves had calmed down, Kiri turned to the thing.

 

Caspian floated in the water next to her, his eyes the same level as hers. How delightfully rare to not have to look up. Kiri couldn't help an amused snort, though she tried her best to keep a straight face. "Hi."

 

"Sorry," the shifter grumbled. "I guess I'm not as immune as I thought I am." He gestured towards the monstrosity in the distance, made of debris and distress.

 

Kiri could feel her face heating up - not from fury or flame, but out of embarrassment. She knew that the trash thing was loose in the swamp world, and somehow, all of that information had flushed itself out of her mind. Like it was fleeing the pyre the monster had provoked.

 

Caspian could only watch the elf slowly lowering, and submerging herself. He wasn't sure if the bubbles that formed around her were out of her grumbling something under her breath, or if she was still literally cooling down - although he presumed the latter. "Oh, come on, Kiri," he whined, "the water's hot enough already."