The Promises Meme

[alethiometric]

the promises meme • Comment with your character's name and fandom in the subject line. • Select an option or roll RNG for a prompt. • Play! prompts i. family. A promise made in the name of family, whether literal or metaphorical. ii. business. No personal feelings involved. Just a working agreement. iii. romantic. A promise to your lover, something that binds you together. iv. enemy. Looks like you made a deal with the devil. v. too good to be true. A promise with hidden caveats. vi. false. A promise you don't intend to keep. vii. broken. A promise you've betrayed. viii. fulfilled. The time has come to make good on your word. ix. bound. A promise you have to keep, whether by threat, blackmail or magic. x. secret. A pact you can't reveal. xi. forever. You're promising forever after. xii. never. You promise that something will never happen. Ever.

Comments

[mantichora]

[Luck indeed. Too bad for you all the interesting people also find you interesting, TJ.]

Is it, now? Hm. I imagine it must be.

[Her eyes flick to him, watching, and once she's assured he's not about to do something truly reckless like attack her, they go back to looking at her own claws.

She closes her eyes, lifts her head up, draws a breath and visibly focuses. With a wet and grinding sound the shape of her hands change, claws retracting and disappearing and bones turning back into something significantly less dangerous. Ordinary human fingers.

Her fangs are gone as well, when she opens her eyes, though said eyes are still slightly closer to yellow in color than green.]

"Martya xwar", to the Persians. "Martichora", to the Greeks. "Mantichora", in the Latin.

[grindr]

[ The name vaguely sounded familiar, something from something he'd read or seen a lifetime ago. It was a word he recognised as a name, but nothing more than that. Mythological creatures were a long lost memory from high school. In the haze of retreating panic, it just sounded like some foreign word. ]

Uh, is that supposed to mean something to me?

[mantichora]

Evidently not. [She's smiling again, almost glib.] Maybe I only wanted to see how broad your pool of reference for mythology is.

Now, what about the word "manticore"?

[grindr]

[ He kept a wary gaze on her, finally stuffing his phone back into his pocket rather than gripping it like it might save him from this nightmare. ]

Sounds like something I might've heard a long, long time ago... All that myth and legend stuff didn't really stick with me.

[mantichora]

Well. Google it. I won't bore you with all the details any more than I already have.

[She says it very ironically, well aware that 'boring' him is the last thing she possibly just did.]

[grindr]

[ His eyes widened slightly, brows lifting. An incredulous look painted itself over his face and, for just a few seconds, he gaped at her. ]

You consider this boring?

[mantichora]

Actually, I was trying to be facetious.

Though I do suppose in a way it's boring for me. It is my life after all. [The edge of her smile turns wry, wistful.] You live with the same reality every day for so long, it becomes routine.

[grindr]

[ Easy for her to say. She wasn't the one who nearly wet herself in fright. Finally, TJ heaved out a breath and shook his head. ]

Jesus, you could kill someone with a trick like that!

[mantichora]

There was a time when that would've been the point.

[It's an offhand remark, though. Already her head turns, looking away.]

Well, now you know my secret. As promised. Here's hoping you'll keep up your end of the bargain.

[grindr]

[ TJ barked an incredulous laugh and shook his head and the absurdity of it. ]

Yeah, like anyone would believe me if I said.

[mantichora]

Hm, I suppose you have a point.

[She was counting on that, actually. Another reason why she felt so secure in letting him in on the secret in the first place. But she had wanted to get that promise, all the same: see how he would react, if he was the kind of individual she really thought he was.

So far, he did not disappoint.]

All the same, whatever it is you swore on. I'm certain you'd hate to see it...compromised.

[grindr]

[ He canted his head to the side, a brow lifting. ]

All the better you don't know then, isn't it? Still, you shouldn't worry too much. I'm not the sort to kiss and tell, as it were.

[mantichora]

I know. Or rather, so I thought. [Another enigmatic smile. From her body language he can probably tell already she's preparing herself to leave.] So nice when your instincts turn out to be right.

[grindr]

[ TJ nodded, a little chuckle slipping from his lips. ] Probably happens a lot, I bet. I guess I'll be seeing you around?

[mantichora]

[Standing already with her back to him, face in profile, she speaks at first in an absent murmur.]

Not as often as you might think. [If people were really so predictable, after all these years she'd seem damn near omnipotent. But being surprised still every once in awhile is hardly something she'd complain about.

She turns back more to give him a sharp, promising smile.]

And oh, I am entirely certain that you will. Pleasant dreams, Mr. Hammond.