WORSHIP ( ❥ ) DREAMNOBLADE [Reupload]

02. | HUMILIATION

Is this really how Dave felt placing lower than him in the individual score? Like his life was over? Was this really comparable?

"I see things didn't go so well," Dave said quietly, the sudden sound causing Clay to jump.

"Fuck!" Clay spun to face the brute, "Don't sneak up on me—how can you be that quiet when you're that big, anyway?"

"The same way you get really loud because I'm big."

Clay blushed hotly, turning red from anger at the same time, "S-Shut the fuck up! You ruined everything! My friends are never gonna forget about any of this or forgive me!" Clay tried shoving the man back.

"You made your choice and I gave you what you wanted. Why blame me?"

"Because both options were shit!"

"So why didn't you fight back? I let go of your hands and completely let my guard down—you could've easily lied to me and snatched that dagger from my hands and shoved it anywhere you wanted. You know you could have done that; you're not powerless. You decided not to. That was your choice. I am curious, though-—why did you let me fuck you?"

"I don't... I don't know," Clay muttered.

"You don't know or you just don't wanna say?"

"It... What else was there to do? You would've killed me anyway and it's not like I wasn't enjoying myself—no matter how fucked up it was..." Clay muttered, still angry at himself for liking any part of what happened.

"Kinda funny that a fucked up fetish of yours ended up savin' your life, isn't it?"

"How do you make everything so much worse every time you open up your damn mouth?"

Dave grabbed Clay's chin and yanked him forward into his chest, angling the shorter man's head up to stare at him. He put his other hand tightly onto Clay's shoulder, squeezing it harshly.

"When someone makes a joke, you're supposed to laugh, Smiley," Dave said, his voice dangerously low.

Clay fought his body's natural urge to shake from the fear that coursed through his veins, "N-No wonder they have to balance the events with numerical values—you're not fucking huma-"

"A poor attitude won't earn my respect, you entitled little brat," Dave spat, squeezing Clay's cheeks as he pulled his face in closer, "The rest of the people here may think that's impressive and brave but I personally think it's rather stupid. That's all bravery is—glorified stupidity. I've already spared you once, that's as many chances as one person gets."

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Clay croaked, "Why do you insist on making everything so hard for everyone else? I'm so tiny next to you—what's the point in asserting dominance over me if I'm so pathetic? Shouldn't I not matter enough for you to care?"

Dave stayed silent for a moment, pulling his hands back to his sides, hidden by his long cape.

"Because you all seem to have forgotten who's really in charge. Now you admit to bein' small, but only after you've lost and you can't pretend to be big anymore. Your stilts have been ripped away from you. You're not at all like what your posse claims you are; nothing you've achieved was truly by you."

"Is that the same reason you have nobody? Because all the rumors are true?" Clay snapped.

"You don't have anyone either—not anymore. Seems we're together in that sense, now, Smiley."

Clay sighed in irritation and turned away and left, running straight to the portal to leave the event entirely. When he'd been transferred back to the city square, Clay quickly ran back to his apartment, wading through crowds of people and tight hallways with even worse corners. As soon as Clay was inside his room he tore off that shirt and put one of his own on. He already could feel the weight of this new world of his crushing him, slowly suffocating him in its anguish. Dave was entirely right about fighting back; Clay thought about it. Before he agreed to anything, a million scenarios of him breaking free played in his mind-but something else took over. He let lust take priority above logic and reason.