012614nullrilset01

 AG: Nullar fumes on her computer for a while, scowling, and slams her computer shuts, then captchalogues it. So he wants to be like that, huh! She stews for a moment, livid, trying to figure out how she's going to neutralize the threat Rilset's become. She checks her captchalogue for a few materials, then, scowling, makes up her mind. He has to be dealt with one way or another. Maybe she can convince  him to see things her way and not be a total creep.



 She gets up finally, giving a word to Avel, then begins searching the Astrolabe for him.



 RilSet SitS in the dark corner he haS Staked out for himSelf, fiStS clenched. Had he not been wearing hiS comPuter, he might had deStroyed the keyboard. The nerve! The Sheer gall of that woman! After all thiS time, after he finally managed to Shake the ScaleS from hiS eyeS and See her for what She truly waS. Now She wanted hiS genetic material? That would be a neat trick, he thought bitterly to hi mSelf, riSing to hiS feet and Pacing like a caged animal. To raiSe a whole flock of red bloodS, devoted to deStroying PlantS. YeS, that would be the final inSult. The crown jewel in her calculated attemPtS to deStroy all that waS dear to him.



 Nullar stalked throughout the Astrolabe, quickly getting frustrated, when she finally caught a glimpse of him in one of the omnipresent dark corners of the room. She didn't bother to be quiet as she made her way over there and stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "We need to solve this RIGHT NOW," she said, in a stage whisper, not really wanting to broadcast her drama to the  whole room.



 RilSet StareS at her, head cocked to one Side. "Are you certain, deareSt one?" he aSked in a Sickly Sweet voice. "I'm not certain our hoSt would aPPreciate a fight to the death in her home. But far be it from me to convince you otherwiSe.” A Small, viciouS Smile croSSeS hiS face. “Would you like to Strike the firSt blow?”



 "Ugh don't be an ass, you and I both know I can't take you in a fair fight. If I wanted to fight I would've come at you from the shadows instead of approaching you straight on," she says, her tone clipped, "And I *assure* you Libby wouldn't mind if you killed me. That's be a great thorn out of everyone's side wouldn't it,"



 RilSet ShakeS hiS head. “No. We Still need you, at leaSt for the moment. You are Still the SmarteSt one here, dallianceS with SadiStic murdererS aSide.” He heSitateS. “I do not think conflict between uS iS needed, at the moment. You do not yet have a matriorb, So my chargeS have nothing to fear. Once we win the game, we will Sort out our differenceS.”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> "No, no, that won't work," she says, and hand waves off that bullshit about anyone needing her. Everyone keeps spouting off that crap, but everyone keeps dying, too. "I'm not going to go through everything this shitty ass game has to throw at us only to get out the end and bicker like little children because one of us is too touched in the head to put what's good for all of us over his own deluded <span style="color:rgb(170,0,0);"> fantasy world!"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> “IS thiS the Same woman who once SPoke to me of not Permitting any life to flouriSh in the new univerSe?” RilSet aSkS, growing angerer. “I believe at the time I waS the one convincing her that we Should not rule over an emPty univerSe aS hollow godS. Were it uP to you and your mateSPrite alone, the new univerSe would be a dark Place indeed.”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> "No, Rilset!" she snaps. "I was saying that one more try was good enough. I guess I shouldn't be surprised you didn't understand what I was trying to say, we're always speaking over each other's heads. I wanted to destroy this game so that millenia down the line a new set of children weren't ripped from their homes to participate in this madness once again!"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> “DeStruction. That doeS Seem to be your area of exPertiSe.” RilSet SnaPS back bitterly. “Why are you So enamored with the TrolliSh race in any caSe? Did our Society Seem PleaSant to you? Look between your garden and our comPanionS. With which do you feel more comfort?”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> "We can change all of that next time around, Rilset!" she says, taking a step forward, half angry, half pleading for him to understand. "And even if we can't, it doesn't matter, we have to try. The humans and the twinks both have the means to reproduce. Do you really think they will let you keep them from reproducing,"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> “I have to try,” he SayS, Some of the wind going out of hiS SailS. “I can’t juSt Sit back and let them deStroy all that I have worked for. PerhaPS I won’t Succeed. PerhaPS I will even fail at Preventing our wretched race from continuing. But I Still have to make the attemPt. I have devoted my life to the PlantS, Nullar. Seeing their chance at a free univerSe Snatched away would be worSe than death. <span style="color:rgb(128,128,128);">”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> "What's so wretched about our race,!" Nullar demands, taking another step closer to him, her hands raised and fingers splayed as if she wants nothing more than to shake some sense into him. "Have you even bothered trying to spend time with anyone besides me since you got in here,! You led a solitary life full of people who wanted to attack and kill you and now you're surrounded by people who want  <span style="color:rgb(170,0,0);">to be your friends and you either want them to die off or you want to serve them like some incredibly bipolar freak!"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> “Ah, yeS. The Power of friendShiP,” RilSet SayS, the SarcaSm coming back in full force. He takeS a SteP of hiS own cloSer to Nullar. “And how haS that worked for you, hmm? LotS of friendS who SuPPort you and have your back? Like BaliSh, I SuPPoSe,” RilSet grinS. “One of the many thingS about PlantS that make them SuPerior to fleShdwellerS. They never Stab you in the back.”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> "I'm obviously a fucking exception to the rule," Nullar says bitterly, her tone a little more quiet. "I'm awful and everyone hates me. Rightfully so, apparently, even though I'm just trying to do the right things." She can't hide her flinch when Balish's name is mentioned, though she tries to ignore it. "If you think plants never stab you in the back, then I've got a couple of species I need to in <span style="color:rgb(170,0,0);">troduce you to," she jokes, weakly, trying to hide the waver in her voice. It appears Balish is a sore subject.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"><span style="color:rgb(128,128,128);">“Oh, I know all about PlantS,” RilSet SayS, Still wearing a Small grin. Only one familiar with him would notice the tenSion in hiS ShoulderS. “But BaliSh, I admit to being a bit more ignorant on. Would you care to educate me?” He StePS cloSer aS he SPeakS, StoPPing juSt with Nullar’S PerSonal SPace. “Tell me, and PleaSe be honeSt. Did you truly want him black? Did you feel real emotion towardS hi <span style="color:rgb(128,128,128);">m? I juSt wiSh to know if there iS anything Sincere about you.”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> Now it's Nullar who has all of the wind knocked out of her sails. She opens her mouth uselessly, then closes it, apparently caught off guard at no longer being on top of this situation. "I-- I don't want to talk about Balish," she finally mumbles, staring hard at the neckline of Rilset's shirt to keep her eyes from welling up with tears. Her hands are still held in front of her, frozen, now clench <span style="color:rgb(170,0,0);">ed into fists. "It doesn't matter what I want or what I feel or what I felt."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> “You did, didn’t you?” RilSet SayS Softly. “You wanted him. You wanted him black So badly. Even I can See it.” He letS out a humorleSS chuckle. “Maybe we are not aS different aS I believed. WaS that what all your PointleSS feuding with him waS about? JuSt trying to get a riSe out of him? Make him See you aS a rival? Face it, my Sad devotion to you waS juSt a red verSion of what you were to BaliSh. <span style="color:rgb(128,128,128);">”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> Nullar looks up at his face finally, flushing a miserable maroon, the corners of her mouth pulled downward into an almost comical frown. "I w- I would have had a shot if it wasn't for Libby," she insists. "I st- I still do, if I want! I wanted him red first, you know," she admits, unable to keep the tears from welling up, sticking to her red lashes. "You, you're just being cruel right n-now, this  <span style="color:rgb(170,0,0);">doesn't have anything to do with a-anything," she says finally, her stammers punctuated with short little gasps that are just shy of hiccups. She seems to shrink under his cold gaze.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"><span style="color:rgb(128,128,128);">“Cruel? You dare SPeak to me of cruelty?” RilSet SayS, Still SPeaking Softly. He layS a hand uPon Nullar’S Shoulder. “You were my goddeSS, Nullar,” he whiSPerS hoarSely. HiS eyeS bore into herS. “Finally, for the firSt time in my life, I had found Something beSide the PlantS to live for. A troll of beauty and intelligence and grace. Who loved PlantS, and Schemed conStantly. I Pledge to you all tha <span style="color:rgb(128,128,128);">t I waS, all that I would ever be. And you caSt me aSide. Like I waS nothing. An annoyance.”

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> Nullar flinches when he puts his hand on her, expecting a blow that never came. She squeezes her eyes shut to angrily wipe away her tears, leaving little streaks of maroon on the sides of her eyes. "I don't want to be a goddess, Rilset, I'm not fucking worth that. Even when I am a god I'm not going to be all that. I want to be equals! Or... or just a little weaker or stronger than someone, just en <span style="color:rgb(170,0,0);">ough for it to be interesting. I'm not blameless in this, far from it, I handled the situation poorly- like any freaked out six and a half sweep old would have, mind you- but you're not blameless either! I told you what I wanted, multiple times, and you refused to change your behavior to make me more comfortable EVEN A SMIDGE!"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> "Some worship," she adds bitterly.

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CONTINUED IN ACT TWO, AKA TW: DUB CON, NON CON, KISSING, CANNIBALISM, FUCKED UP IDEAS OF SEX/KISSMESES, LOTS OF BLOOD, SUCH INJURIES, MUCH WOW. AKA DOIR AND OTHER YOUNGUNS DON'T READ. AKA SORRY SO, NO SEX.