[ She's...serious, isn't she? For just a moment, a little ripple of uncertainty shudders through him. When he was just a kid, when sweet cousin Richars would come to their home, Richars would do this. Or near enough to this. A bit different, because Richars was six years older than By, and outweighed him by a lot, and was far more physically fit. He'd chase Byerly down and throw him to the ground and kneel on his chest until he passed out. Or drag him to the pond and force his head underwater and not let him up until he stopped moving. Good old Richars. We're playing the Sanguinaire and Count Vororyn, Richars would say. And it was true - their famous great-grandfather had crushed Count Vororyn to death for refusing to obey the authority of Emperor Dorca - but the historically-accurate flavor of the game didn't make it any more charming for Byerly.
Byerly thinks fondly of his cousin. Or, well...He thinks fondly of the fact that Richars is now rotting in an oubliette, never to emerge again. Revenge is sweet, isn't it? Even incidental revenge.
And so he wonders why this is exciting rather than terrifying. Well. To begin with, he supposes, Natasha asks. And offers the ability to tap out. And also, there isn't that wildness in her eyes...Byerly had been stuck during those times watching Richars' face, watching the wild and ferocious delight and knowing: he will be happy if I die. Richars wasn't ever going to kill him deliberately, because hell would rain down on him for murdering his cousin, but if Byerly died by accident, Richars would have gotten a real thrill from it. It's not that Natasha isn't sadistic, because this is a sadistic act, this choking game, but...There are different types of sadism. Or maybe there are different types of people, and some of them have an admixture of kindness even if they are a bit sadomasochistic. ]
All right.
[ His grin is faded a bit. Not in an unpleasant way, not in a fearful way - he doesn't look afraid. He's just watchful now, his eyes steady on hers. ]
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Byerly thinks fondly of his cousin. Or, well...He thinks fondly of the fact that Richars is now rotting in an oubliette, never to emerge again. Revenge is sweet, isn't it? Even incidental revenge.
And so he wonders why this is exciting rather than terrifying. Well. To begin with, he supposes, Natasha asks. And offers the ability to tap out. And also, there isn't that wildness in her eyes...Byerly had been stuck during those times watching Richars' face, watching the wild and ferocious delight and knowing: he will be happy if I die. Richars wasn't ever going to kill him deliberately, because hell would rain down on him for murdering his cousin, but if Byerly died by accident, Richars would have gotten a real thrill from it. It's not that Natasha isn't sadistic, because this is a sadistic act, this choking game, but...There are different types of sadism. Or maybe there are different types of people, and some of them have an admixture of kindness even if they are a bit sadomasochistic. ]
All right.
[ His grin is faded a bit. Not in an unpleasant way, not in a fearful way - he doesn't look afraid. He's just watchful now, his eyes steady on hers. ]