[ No matter how deeply into his own haunting he falls, she collides with him again. Her strong body wrenching and dragging at him, kicking free the vines his mind turns upon him — a reflection of the deep, horrible hold that Osiris has upon him. The depth of conquest written into his mind and soul, harrowing and precise. This is not a battle to be won by strength of arm, or machinations that he could offer her to combat the idea that she is outnumbered, ill-prepared. This is centuries of consideration and preparation, driven into his heart and fastened tight around his throat.
He thinks ( of the last thing he'd seen, before his arrival in Kenos / the haggard, sickly-gaunt face of his son / eyes rolling, mouth sown shut, crazed and tortured / crawling in the darkness ) and knows the one at fault is his own kin. Anubis suffers because Set will not concede to Osiris, and fighting against the god of life and death had only been a laughable series of bitter losses and pathetic demonstrations of how pitiably weak he was.
( Wars are fought with the head, he had told Osiris. And that thought rekindles within him briefly. Why, why has he been fighting with his strength alone against him? )
He drags himself onto his new limbs, ungainly as she drags him forth — stumbling upon hooves where he once had feet, feeling the length and power of his body ( how Hayame must feel, when she is not mired in her own self-loathing ) as he figures out the arrangement of limbs. The way he must push with the back legs and drive with the fore, the way he must hold Hayame's hand at arm's length to ensure he does not collide with her.
He tightens his grip on her hand and cusses: ] Oh, for fucks sake —
[ Fiery, tempestuous. Fine. If he cannot defeat what haunts him right now, he will retreat from it. Blind himself to it with the effort of keeping up with her. ]
no subject
He thinks ( of the last thing he'd seen, before his arrival in Kenos / the haggard, sickly-gaunt face of his son / eyes rolling, mouth sown shut, crazed and tortured / crawling in the darkness ) and knows the one at fault is his own kin. Anubis suffers because Set will not concede to Osiris, and fighting against the god of life and death had only been a laughable series of bitter losses and pathetic demonstrations of how pitiably weak he was.
( Wars are fought with the head, he had told Osiris.
And that thought rekindles within him briefly. Why, why has he been fighting with his strength alone against him?)He drags himself onto his new limbs, ungainly as she drags him forth — stumbling upon hooves where he once had feet, feeling the length and power of his body ( how Hayame must feel, when she is not mired in her own self-loathing ) as he figures out the arrangement of limbs. The way he must push with the back legs and drive with the fore, the way he must hold Hayame's hand at arm's length to ensure he does not collide with her.
He tightens his grip on her hand and cusses: ] Oh, for fucks sake —
[ Fiery, tempestuous. Fine. If he cannot defeat what haunts him right now, he will retreat from it. Blind himself to it with the effort of keeping up with her. ]
Go, Hayame! Let's see if you can outrun me now!