the-gossiper-extras

[the-gossiper-extras]

My head hurts. I think I'm going to rest a bit.

[the-gossiper-extras]

What's that supposed to mean?

Blink twice if you need a welfare check, girly. Needless to say... I can and will get that for you, I promise. 🙏

@cayenneaskblog

I'm fine. More than fine, actually.

[the-gossiper-extras]

Blink twice if you need a welfare check, girly. Needless to say... I can and will get that for you, I promise. 🙏

@cayenneaskblog

I'm fine. More than fine, actually.

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex does not move.]

❝𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭... 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.❞

[He took aim and shot at the god. Sure, it was a gamble that would most likely fail and have severe consequences. But it's not like Enigma cares.]

❝𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴.❞

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[The focus is still on Cayenne.]

❝𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈?❞

[Enigma shows the same amount of apathy. The only reason Alex hadn't pulled the trigger is because Enigma is curious about the other's next move.]

[A shadow appears by the portal but it doesn't come through.]

❝𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐠𝐨. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐈'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤.❞

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[He doesn't seem to worry either. In fact, he doesn't respond emotionally. Just as easily as Cayenne was able to kick the gun, he picks it up. His expression is... Neutral.]

[The tracker reads Ｄ-３５Ｔ-１ＮＹ.]

[His mouth moves, but it's clearly not him speaking.]

❝𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭?❞

[The gun is pointed at the demon but he does not shoot.] [The portal remains open...]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex shakes his head, over and over. His breath is ragged, chest rising and falling too fast, too shallow.]

“She’s not—”

[His voice cracks. His throat feels raw, scraped hollow from the inside out.]

[She’s not laughing. She wouldn’t—she loves him.]

[Doesn’t she?]

[His hands tremble. The pain in his crushed fingers barely registers past the splintering, crushing weight in his ribs.]

[He wants to call her. Demand an answer. Demand the truth—the real truth—not whatever twisted lie Cayenne is weaving. But his phone isn’t here.] [A sigil forms below Alex. His body freezes as yellow, glowing strings wrap around his body. They are tight, leaving him no room to move. His body becomes slack. His eyes go blank. He slowly stands up.] [Suddenly, a sharp snap cracks through the air like a splitting bone, and suddenly—]

[The space behind Cayenne shreds. A triangular rift rips itself opens, glowing blue. A futuristic gun flies through it and Alex catches it. He points it at Cayenne.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex’s breath hitches. The words on the screen blur in his vision, but no matter how hard he blinks, they don’t change. They sit there, raw and brutal, carved into digital permanence. His fingers twitch against the bloodied floor, clenching into weak fists. His mouth opens—She didn’t mean it—but no sound comes out.]

[She backtracked. Right beneath it. She took it back. She—]

[But he’s here.]

[Cayenne's weight presses down on his skull, but the pressure feels distant, drowned out beneath the roaring in his ears. The room tilts. His stomach lurches. His mind scrambles for an answer. A justification. A lie he can believe.]

“She wouldn’t."

[His throat tightens. His breath comes quicker, shallower. His ribs ache, his head spins, but none of it compares to the jagged, suffocating thing unfurling inside his chest.]

"I know her."

[Because if she did—]

[If she really did—]

[...Then what did he have to lose.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex's breath hitches. His heart pounds so loudly in his ears that for a moment, it drowns out Cayenne’s incessant, delighted rambling.]

[No. No, no, no— This isn’t right. This isn’t possible.]

[Enigma—his Enigma—would never.]

[She loves him. She wouldn't be involved in ANYTHING like this.]

[His body is screaming at him, torn and broken, but the pain is nothing compared to the twisting, suffocating pressure in his chest. A deep, gut-wrenching wrongness settles over him.]

"You’re lying. She wouldn’t—"

[He clenches his jaw, trying to steady himself, trying to cling to the one truth he knows is real. Cayenne’s words are just more of their sick games, just another way to break him, another way to dig their claws into his mind as easily as they’ve torn into his flesh. That’s all this is. Lies.]

"She wouldn’t leave me with you."

[The alternative—the possibility that Enigma knew what would happen, that she wanted this—is unthinkable. Impossible.]

"You expect me to believe that? That my wife—my Enigma—handed me over to a thing like you? That she—what? Told you to have fun?!"

[It’s absurd. It’s wrong.]

[Enigma isn’t like Cayenne. She’s his.]

"She. Loves. Me."

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[The pressure on his hand is unbearable. Alex can’t suppress the involuntary gasp of pain that forces its way from his chest. He’s too weak to do anything but endure it.]

[But despite the agony, despite the brutal way his body protests every movement, Alex’s mind latches onto their words. There was only one Cipher he knew, and that was his wife. As an investigator and crypid enthusiast, there were no such things as coincidences.]

"You know my wife." [His mind is racing now. His wife. The woman he thought he knew, married to someone like this? Connected to them? To this self-proclaiming God?] "How?" [He wants to fight. Wants to push back, to somehow claw his way out of this, but the way Cayenne smiles at him—like it’s all a joke, like it’s all fun—that sickening amusement is making his chest tighten with panic. He forces himself to breathe, shallow and quick, trying to anchor himself in reality.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[The blood on his skin is starting to cool, sticky and thick. The pain still pulses through him but it’s dulling, fading into something manageable. The air smells metallic and sour, mixing with the sickly-sweet scent of their presence.]

[Alex’s head is swimming, and every breath feels like a struggle. He’s vaguely aware of the fact that his body is no longer reacting out of instinct. His limbs feel heavy, uncooperative, each one moving through mud as he tries to stay focused, tries to process the situation as it drifts further into surreal madness.]

[He forces his eyes open. Alex can barely hold the glare he tries to cast up at them. He feels pathetic, laying in a mess of his own blood. But hey, at least he's not dead! That counts for something.]

[He's no fool. He knows there’s no real "choice" here. This is torture. However, he knew that he could lessen the severity if he followed along. He knows it’s a risk, but if it prevented a worse fate... So be it. He places his left hand, which is both bloodied and trembling. Not a word escapes him.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[He wasn't stalling. Not really. He was just walking on eggshell. Terrified of saying the wrong thing... Not that it mattered anymore.]

[The sudden pain shocked him. It explodes through Alex’s body like wildfire, burning and all-consuming, reducing everything else to embers in its wake. His vision whites out at the initial shock, and when it floods back in, it’s through a haze of red—blood, pain, panic. His own breath stutters in his chest.]

[The scream they wanted? It rips from his throat before he can even consider holding it back.]

[He writhes, just as they said he would. He can’t help it. His body moves because it has no other choice, because instinct demands he fight against the violation of his own flesh, no matter how futile the struggle may be.]

[But even in the agony, even as his mind shatters under the weight of it, a sliver of himself clings to the performance. More pain. More screaming. He doesn’t know if the next sound out of his throat is an actual sob or just his body giving out, but it hardly matters.]

[Focus. Survive.]

[His wife. He pictures her face. Holds onto it. He wonders if she is worried about him. If she misses him. He has to make it out of this. Has to find a way to turn this in his favor before they break him beyond repair. Through the haze of pain, he forces his breath to stutter in a way that sounds more like surrender. He lets his muscles go slack, lets his body shudder against theirs as if it’s accepting something inevitable.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex forces himself not to flinch, not to betray the way his heartbeat slams against his ribs like a trapped bird. The dread he felt was just a new norm. It didn't change how terrifying it was. He just had to make sure he didn't show his fear. Unless that was what his captor wanted. It wouldn't take much effort to play that part.] [He has realized that he was screwed. He didn't know how long this would last. He didn't know when it would end. He didn't think it would end.]

[His breath shudders out, and his lips quirk—not into a smile, not exactly, but something close enough to feign compliance. His eyes dart up to meet theirs. His body betrays him, leaning instinctively into the hand beneath his chin even as the claws threaten to break skin. His pulse jumps at the contact. He swallows around it.]

“I—I just wanna get it right."

[It's a desperate plea.] [It’s a dangerous game. Push too much, and he shatters whatever illusion of amusement they might have in him. But yield too quickly, and he loses control of the narrative entirely. So he blinks, lets his breath hitch like he’s waiting—hanging—on their approval. Like he's desperate to know what it is they want from him.]

[Because if he can figure that out, he might just survive this.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex seemed to lean a bit into their claws. It is akin to a cat rubbing their head on thier owner's hand. If his captor wanted him to be a pet, he would give that performance. He was well aware of the danger he was putting himself in. He wanted to seem like he didn't care. That all he wanted was to amuse them.] [They wanted improv. Which is fine. Alex has done it several times before. However this is different. That threw a wrench in his plan. His mid raced for possible answers. It was difficult for him to think of the answer because of the petting. It was calming to the point it distracted his thoughts. His minds was spinning and spinning and spinning.]

"I-I don't know how."

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex tried to remain calm. Given his current circumstances, that was a very difficult task. It took a huge amount of effort to not panic. He tried to ignore how monstrous his captor was. He tried to ignore the fact that it was impossible by science. He tried to ignore how small he felt. He tried to ignore how much he felt like prey. But... Everyone knows that you can't ignore reality. Not really.]

[So, if he couldn't be calm, he had to pretend. He's an ex-actor, for crying out loud! It shouldn't be too difficult. He breaths in and out, slowly. His breathing is still shaky, but it wasn't enough to determine how frightened he was. Or so he hoped.]

[Somehow, his mind was able to pick up on the command in his panic. He realized that if he was satisfying enough, his captor would have a reason to keep him alive. Luckily for him, he has some experience in entertainment.]

[How hard could it possibly be to stick to the script?]

"You're being so generous to me."

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[Alex couldn't help but relax to the pets. Not that he wanted to. It was an instinct. A reflex. Something learned. It reminded him of home. His mind became still. His eyes look... Blank.] [The demon's voice became background noise. He was listening to them but his mind couldn't be bothered to understand. His body was too relaxed, as was his mind.]

[His attention snapped back as soon as they dug into his scalp. On a subconscious level, he knew he was in danger. His body became tense again. His fear outweighed the confusion he was feeling.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!

[the-gossiper-extras]

[He blinks a few times, as if that would make the scene in front of him disappear. He is unnerved when it doesn't. He tries to back away a bit.]

"My memory's fine... I just black out and forget things sometimes."

[Sometimes implies a few occasions. He knew it was more frequent than "sometimes". It happened daily. But he didn't want to reveal that to his captor.]

"...And I don't remember that. Any. Of that."

[The reporter swallowed his saliva. A mental image of Enigma was brought to the front of his mind at the mention of his wife. He wouldn't betray her. She was too good to him. He didn't want to hurt her. He did not like what they were implying. He opened his mouth to protest, but he is cut off by the feeling of being pet. The intimacy reminded him of Enigma. He was struggling to kick that thought out of his mind. He cannot associate them this way.]

Cayenne is a very busy person. Especially now, with their mind (and hands) working overtime on their latest project and their underlings scrambling to comply. So when they get their busy life interrupted with the information that a pet was abandoned at their universe's door?

Well, they aren't shocked so much as they're mildly exasperated. Human men are such a drag... but even they will admit. They sure do have some fun uses every once in a while.

Their work continues, of course. Just with the added presence of an unconscious male stuffed dismissively beneath their desk. The new arrival/toy/what have you is being made to warm and elevate their feet while they dominantly focus on their own paperwork.

See? Fun!