[Maya's got the advantage here. Dahmia's not expecting Maya to move at all, and freezes up when Maya grabs her. There's a gasp-- and in her surprise, her grip on the knife loosens. It drops, clatters to the ground, disappears.]
What are you-- get off of me-
[Mia's voice doesn't sound like it's mimicked, or even like her own-- it's a sharp panic, like she doesn't even understand what's happening moment to moment like this.
Everything flickers, dark, like a stage light, and then off. Pitch black. Mia doesn't move, and Maya isn't forced to, but it feels less and less like they're on solid ground and more like they're floating. The air around them flashes with heat, and tongues of blue-white flames surround them, spaced out like stars; their reflections in the mirror make them look even starrier. And in those reflections, scattered among the stars, are still the corpses of people Mia knew; Several of Dahlia, some of Morgan, of Misty, of Godot and Lana and Phoenix and Jake and Terry Fawles and witnesses, witnesses, killers, defendants.
But in the middle of the circle, among the real flames, Mia and Maya are still alone. Several of the flames scatter out, like a circle, and familiar-looking chains shoot out from them to meet each other, crossing between Mia and Maya.
Behind Mia, a word begins to burn in the white space: MA (実), in kanji. Truth. From those flames, two more chains shoot through Mia, crossing in a way to avoid Maya's body altogether. They don't seem to pierce her, but blood begins to drip from her temple regardless. She looks into Maya's eyes, powerless and afraid, and croaks out a--]
no subject
What are you-- get off of me-
[Mia's voice doesn't sound like it's mimicked, or even like her own-- it's a sharp panic, like she doesn't even understand what's happening moment to moment like this.
Everything flickers, dark, like a stage light, and then off. Pitch black. Mia doesn't move, and Maya isn't forced to, but it feels less and less like they're on solid ground and more like they're floating. The air around them flashes with heat, and tongues of blue-white flames surround them, spaced out like stars; their reflections in the mirror make them look even starrier. And in those reflections, scattered among the stars, are still the corpses of people Mia knew; Several of Dahlia, some of Morgan, of Misty, of Godot and Lana and Phoenix and Jake and Terry Fawles and witnesses, witnesses, killers, defendants.
But in the middle of the circle, among the real flames, Mia and Maya are still alone. Several of the flames scatter out, like a circle, and familiar-looking chains shoot out from them to meet each other, crossing between Mia and Maya.
Behind Mia, a word begins to burn in the white space: MA (実), in kanji. Truth. From those flames, two more chains shoot through Mia, crossing in a way to avoid Maya's body altogether. They don't seem to pierce her, but blood begins to drip from her temple regardless. She looks into Maya's eyes, powerless and afraid, and croaks out a--]
Who am I?
[That echoes out into the space around them.]