And the process...

Of breaking Ben down piece by piece continues apace.

Every time he has a crisis, he loses just a little more of himself. He's becoming convinced that he's never getting out of here, never going to see Janni again. His life with Janni was one of constant human contact--if they were in the same room, they were touching. And now...

He's stuck in an apartment with someone he doesn't want touching him EVER. The only person he's with constantly has ulterior motives and considers him food. His wolf considers her an enemy.

And yet.

Her ulterior motives make it so that she's nice to him, because it makes her life easier to not have to fight him every inch of the way. And she actually does like him, quite a bit--more, probably, than she should. He depends on her for survival. She got him off the table and the needles out of his arms.

And thus is born a case of Stockholm Syndrome.

In other news, today is Free Comic Book Day. Hie thee to your local comic store and grab some goodies!

And the process...

Of breaking Ben down piece by piece continues apace.

Every time he has a crisis, he loses just a little more of himself. He's becoming convinced that he's never getting out of here, never going to see Janni again. His life with Janni was one of constant human contact--if they were in the same room, they were touching. And now...

He's stuck in an apartment with someone he doesn't want touching him EVER. The only person he's with constantly has ulterior motives and considers him food. His wolf considers her an enemy.

And yet.

Her ulterior motives make it so that she's nice to him, because it makes her life easier to not have to fight him every inch of the way. And she actually does like him, quite a bit--more, probably, than she should. He depends on her for survival. She got him off the table and the needles out of his arms.

And thus is born a case of Stockholm Syndrome.

In other news, today is Free Comic Book Day. Hie thee to your local comic store and grab some goodies!

Snippet Saturday!

I'm having hell of a time deciding which snippet to post. So...have, er, this one!

To set the scene, Ben is strapped to a table by twelve points, needles in both arms, wrapped in a wolfsbane net that is growing roots into him and dumping painful (to put it mildly) toxins into his system.

Ben...

That was Janni's voice. Soft hands in his hair, soft lips on his. Oh, god, was she here? Had to get her out. Couldn't move, not even to open his eyes. Should warn her, then, but couldn't talk either.

He sensed her being ripped away from him, heard her shriek cut off in mid-cry, smelled her blood, felt its warm spray across his face and chest.

Wrenched awake.

Angeline stood beside him with a hand on his cheek. "That looked like a bad one," she said.

"Don't touch me...and get out of my head," Ben rasped, without opening his eyes.

"Oh, I'm not in your head, dear puppy, not yet. But I know a vivid nightmare when I see it." She removed the hand. "I can take them away."

"Can you take...yourself away? Let me die in peace."

"You don't have any peace. You're in ghastly pain, you're having nightmares and panic attacks, and that wolfsbane isn't going to kill you gently." Her nails stroked the inside of his forearm. "I'm willing to help you with all that, but you have to give me something in return."

"I'll give you the finger." He did so. Weakly.

She exhaled against his throat. "See, Benji, this is why I like you. Even in a situation like this, you're spunky." Her canine nicked him under the ear, and her tongue flicked out and licked away the blood that welled up. "I could just take what I want, you know. The fact that I'm asking is something of an honor."

"Honor among vampires." He almost laughed, but it turned into a cough. "That's new." Memories of Idna, who hadn't asked. "Have I mentioned that I hate vampires? And that you're not helping? Because I do, and you're not."

Snippet Saturday!

I'm having hell of a time deciding which snippet to post. So...have, er, this one!

To set the scene, Ben is strapped to a table by twelve points, needles in both arms, wrapped in a wolfsbane net that is growing roots into him and dumping painful (to put it mildly) toxins into his system.

Ben...

That was Janni's voice. Soft hands in his hair, soft lips on his. Oh, god, was she here? Had to get her out. Couldn't move, not even to open his eyes. Should warn her, then, but couldn't talk either.

He sensed her being ripped away from him, heard her shriek cut off in mid-cry, smelled her blood, felt its warm spray across his face and chest.

Wrenched awake.

Angeline stood beside him with a hand on his cheek. "That looked like a bad one," she said.

"Don't touch me...and get out of my head," Ben rasped, without opening his eyes.

"Oh, I'm not in your head, dear puppy, not yet. But I know a vivid nightmare when I see it." She removed the hand. "I can take them away."

"Can you take...yourself away? Let me die in peace."

"You don't have any peace. You're in ghastly pain, you're having nightmares and panic attacks, and that wolfsbane isn't going to kill you gently." Her nails stroked the inside of his forearm. "I'm willing to help you with all that, but you have to give me something in return."

"I'll give you the finger." He did so. Weakly.

She exhaled against his throat. "See, Benji, this is why I like you. Even in a situation like this, you're spunky." Her canine nicked him under the ear, and her tongue flicked out and licked away the blood that welled up. "I could just take what I want, you know. The fact that I'm asking is something of an honor."

"Honor among vampires." He almost laughed, but it turned into a cough. "That's new." Memories of Idna, who hadn't asked. "Have I mentioned that I hate vampires? And that you're not helping? Because I do, and you're not."