Yes. A mattress and a few blankets will do nicely. We can get that once I have this in order.
[ That shows Nikolai's priorities: chains first, mattress after. His own comfort comes second to protecting everyone else. Not that different to how things were before the monster, a bitter voice in the back of his head chimes in. Nikolai shoves the thought aside. It's selfish and self-pitying; he has no time for that kind of thing. ]
I'll tell you whatever you need to know.
[ He has to swallow back the temptation to be glib, to joke and minimize. It's so foreign to him, just talking openly about the beast in this way. Nikolai lets out a slow breath. ]
The person who made me like this could manipulate darkness. That's what the monster is, fundamentally. He made darkness... alive, which is merzost. An abomination. Grisha power isn't supposed to be able to create life. But he made an army of living shadows, and he- used that same power to put a shadow inside of me.
[ Nikolai's voice has gone cold, his expression hard and his jaw tight. No point in trying to talk about the nature of the monster without bringing up the Darkling, unpleasant as it might be.
He sets down the tools, taking a few steps closer to Onni and that fascinating musical instrument. Nikolai holds out his hands for Onni to examine more closely. The tips of his fingers are fully black, with snaking, scarred tendrils of black curling up his fingers towards his palm. From close enough, it's visible that the scars continue past the pigmentation, only fading into his skin around mid-wrist. ]
When I transform, my entire body becomes covered in scars like this. My eyes go black and I grow fangs that are black, as well. The wings I grow are made of shadows. They aren't solid, they don't- have bones, or blood, or muscles.
[ He'd caught glimpses of his own reflection in water, during those months in the civil war when he was stuck in his monstrous form. Nikolai won't soon forget how he'd looked, then. ]
For your wards, if it helps - the beast is very stupid. It can't read, or reason, or even recognize patterns. It's mindless. Physically strong and voraciously hungry, but mindless. Even a goose is smarter.
no subject
[ That shows Nikolai's priorities: chains first, mattress after. His own comfort comes second to protecting everyone else. Not that different to how things were before the monster, a bitter voice in the back of his head chimes in. Nikolai shoves the thought aside. It's selfish and self-pitying; he has no time for that kind of thing. ]
I'll tell you whatever you need to know.
[ He has to swallow back the temptation to be glib, to joke and minimize. It's so foreign to him, just talking openly about the beast in this way. Nikolai lets out a slow breath. ]
The person who made me like this could manipulate darkness. That's what the monster is, fundamentally. He made darkness... alive, which is merzost. An abomination. Grisha power isn't supposed to be able to create life. But he made an army of living shadows, and he- used that same power to put a shadow inside of me.
[ Nikolai's voice has gone cold, his expression hard and his jaw tight. No point in trying to talk about the nature of the monster without bringing up the Darkling, unpleasant as it might be.
He sets down the tools, taking a few steps closer to Onni and that fascinating musical instrument. Nikolai holds out his hands for Onni to examine more closely. The tips of his fingers are fully black, with snaking, scarred tendrils of black curling up his fingers towards his palm. From close enough, it's visible that the scars continue past the pigmentation, only fading into his skin around mid-wrist. ]
When I transform, my entire body becomes covered in scars like this. My eyes go black and I grow fangs that are black, as well. The wings I grow are made of shadows. They aren't solid, they don't- have bones, or blood, or muscles.
[ He'd caught glimpses of his own reflection in water, during those months in the civil war when he was stuck in his monstrous form. Nikolai won't soon forget how he'd looked, then. ]
For your wards, if it helps - the beast is very stupid. It can't read, or reason, or even recognize patterns. It's mindless. Physically strong and voraciously hungry, but mindless. Even a goose is smarter.