[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/60169326-d55e-4adf-8f6d-dfd795abf6f2.png[/img][/center][right][sub]Collab with [@Hero][/sub][/right][hr]
Max paused while Aaron continued his explanation, his hand hovering above the skull in feigned anticipation. Hearing that the Retriever got his ass handed to him was a fun little upside to this whole stupid test, but that only meant the Aaron he’d be fighting would be even more annoying than the real one. At least the gimmick to this test seemed simple enough. If the illusionary coin responded to his magic like it was metal, he’d likely be able to snatch it without any hassle, and barring that, all he had to do to was get under some Noila lackey’s skin to have the coin literally handed to him. That wasn’t a challenge; it was a Tuesday afternoon.

The mage turned his head to Eris in order to snidely ask permission to enter, but the words died in his throat as Aaron continued. What the fuck, was some asshole mage poking around in his head? Max turned a silent, contemplative glare on Aaron. Going off right now wouldn’t solve anything, and losing composure in front of two leeches was naive at best. If the clones were that unstable and easy to read, he’d probably have ammo to fire back with later anyway.

[color=8585ad]“Clone me sounds like a bitch. If all I have to do is make some whiny caricature of Aaron cry, I can’t see this taking too long,”[/color] Max muttered as he turned his gaze back on Eris, putting on his best Ismene impression without actively sounding mocking, [color=8585ad]“Shall I go in now?”[/color]

Now [i]that[/i] was what Eris wanted to hear. That said, he hoped the kid would be able to keep his head--he was pretty sure he had seen regular Sunny give him bruises--but a verbal battle did assuage any concern. Taking a step away from the skull, he gestured to it. [color=ccff99]“I’ll be expecting you back shortly,”[/color] He replied cheerfully.

Max gave a small nod and, with a deep breath, slapped his hand down on the skull. He really hoped this wouldn’t be like the teleportation spell at the beginning of the exam; throwing off his cool right at the start would be a hassle.

[center]-------[/center]

Max felt emotions slam into his chest and nearly burst out. They spun around far too quickly to pull apart, meshing into one massive crippling need for validation. He needed every eye on him now. Accomplishment was little more than a means to validate himself in a world that refused to give him the time of day, that thought of him as little more than a convenient stepping stool, a plaything to pick up and discard. The violent need to return that in kind filled him and then hopeless attraction that hurt more than it didn’t but it was inevitable.

The world went dark. There was shuffling, a cough, a sneeze, and then he was in the spotlight on a stage without dimensions. People in grey spoke and talked and moved on stage but no one paid him any mind. They passed in and out of focus to the cheering of an invisible crowd and roses would fall in sheets and pass right through the laquered wood. Suddenly, a voice called [color=ccff99]“Cut, cut, cut!”[/color] The greys faded away, leaving only Eris rolling his eyes. The blade he carried earlier sat in its scabbard on it’s hip and the clawed glove gesticulated wildly in front of him.

[color=ccff99]“You are [i]killing[/i] me, Maximillian! It’s only a few lines!”[/color] Eris groaned, his hand sliding down his face. [color=ccff99]“All you have to do is the same crap you do every day: be mean, be angry, throw in a little light sarcasm, and together you concoct the perfect tongue lashing. You’re just saying it to your parents, it’s not like you can fuck that relationship up anymore than you already have. What’s a little more, Wells?”[/color] Half a gold coin hung around his neck on a silver chain.

Fuck. The feeling at the beginning was clearly a clue into the clone’s psyche if Aaron’s explanation was anything to go on, but Max never expected the other mage to be so… [i]needy[/i]. Was Aaron really that eager for some vampire - for [i]every[/i] vampire - to deign to acknowledge him like the pitiful little mutt he is?

When the world came into being around him, Max only got more confused. A stage? Was Aaron [i]that[/i] fake that his subconscious was a fucking play? Or was this a facet of Max’s subconscious? The sunlit meadow could’ve gone either way, but this didn’t seem to fit either of the mages. Max watched the strange figures passing by with caution, unsure if they were about to attack him. All that talk of light bending and illusions and whatever Aaron was going on about last time they sparred already made him wary, but coupled with the strangeness of this whole situation, he was on high alert.

Until he heard a voice.

This wasn’t Aaron.

Fuck, he actually had no idea what made Eris tick. Evidently he wanted attention, but what was Max supposed to do with that? Eris wasn’t so hard to beat when he was playing word games and dancing around societal convention but if the leech was actively trying to kill him, with weapons that didn’t feel like metal, at that? He could only say ‘attention whore’ so creatively. His own clone sounded incredibly fragile comparative to himself, so he could only hope clone-Eris would start cracking immediately.

Max’s saving grace here was that Eris seemed intent to talk first. Maybe if he played along with whatever weird scenario he’d been dropped in, the vampire wouldn’t start swinging.

[color=8585ad]“Sorry Eric, directing might just not be your strong suit. Can you feed me my lines again?”[/color]

Eris let out a sigh, rolling his eyes as he gestured to one of the grey people. He muttered something unintelligible, and was promptly handed a script. [color=ccff99]“Alright, we’ll take it from the top,”[/color] He announced, the lights on Max dimming somewhat as Eris flipped to the appropriate page. [color=ccff99]“Your line is: ‘I’m like this on purpose.’ Do you remember the rest? Actually you know what, I might as well give you the lines before so you know where we are.”[/color]

Clearing his throat, the blonde sat up. [color=ccff99]“Pay attention and repeat after me: ‘I lash out because it’s easier than admitting how weak I am. If you had any ounce of dignity, you’d [i]do[/i] something.’ And then…”[/color] He gestured towards one of the extras on stage.

A voice Max would recognize as his mother’s replied, [color=cc00ff]“Why are you so cruel?”[/color]

[color=ccff99]“And that’s when you say ‘I’m like this on purpose’ and continue,”[/color] Eris rested the script on his lap, looking back at the mage. [color=ccff99]“Alright, once again, action!”[/color]

Oh, he wasn’t pulling any punches. Max was gonna play around for a bit, maybe strike a few stupid poses, but he already had his ‘in’ and letting Eris sit here and talk down to him was only going to gas the leech up.

[color=8585ad]“Hang on, hang on; I think I see the issue. Your writing’s boring. It’s all wordy and pretentious. Try something lowbrow, something cutting. I’m not feeling my own character here,”[/color] Max started with feigned concern, as if he were trying to deliver actual criticism on the script, [color=8585ad]“What self-important theater nerd are you trying to impress with this again? You really shouldn’t demean yourself like that.”[/color]

He almost mentioned slapstick, but he figured that would be an invitation to actually get slapped around. Maybe he should attack costuming next; Eris was really into his appearance. Would that be enough? Hopefully Eris would give him a specific name to dig in with, [i]somebody’s[/i] attention had to be more important to him than others. Plus that jackass deserved it for trying to drag his mom into this.

The blonde blinked slowly, turning his face away from Max. One of the people muttered something, and Eris clucked his tongue. [color=ccff99]“Dim the lights more, I think the heat is getting to him,”[/color] He called out, the lights turning into a cooler white. [color=ccff99]“Did you forget who wrote this?”[/color]

Without waiting for confirmation, the script appeared in the closest person’s hands, holding it out for Max to see. The title was ‘Innermost Thoughts’ followed by the author’s name: Maxwell Alderman.

[color=ccff99]“I [i]told[/i] you the writing would suffer, but you insisted that no one knew you better than yourself,”[/color] Eris waved the extra away, flipping through the script. [color=ccff99]“If you’re not feeling that scene, though, we can go ahead to page eighteen. Lights!”[/color] 

Once the lights brightened, they turned a royal blue, the stage taking on a more somber mood. [color=ccff99]“Alright, this one isn’t just for you, it’s for the light crew to practice, too. Start at the line, ‘The resignation is what I hate the most. I can act stubborn all I want, but the truth is that I can’t do anything. That’s just a fact of life.’ And then!”[/color] He snapped his fingers, the color turning indigo. [color=ccff99]“You continue with ‘It’s what I deserve.’ And then pause for dramatic effect.”[/color]

Max wrinkled his nose as the script was presented to him. The fact that this illusion even suggested he’d ever write something so contrived bothered him more than whatever nonsense Eris was peddling. Well, the part about him deserving this was pretty annoying, but still negligible. If he stayed on the defense, Eris was unlikely to slip, but what else was he supposed to attack him on?

[color=8585ad]“I think the most insulting part of this is that you slapped my name on this sentimental crap,”[/color] Max groaned as he gestured to the script. Eris thrived in false pretenses - he was a fucking actor. Max could only win when he strips away all the facades and starts talking bluntly, but doing that here meant he was likely going to get rushed by an angry vampire and whatever other deathtraps this stage was hiding. 

If Eris had to get close to hit him though, he might have a chance to just snag the coin. It wasn’t like the injuries were real, in any case. He hoped they didn’t hurt like they were real either, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath on that one.

[color=8585ad]“Let’s cut the bullshit; you’re gonna call me a whiny loser, I’m gonna call you an egotist, and the crowd is only going to clap because they’re just a made up extension of you. They’re not even real. It’s fake validation. In fact, I’m the only person here that [i]can[/i] validate you, so you’re tearing me down because you know I won’t do that.”[/color]

He braced himself preemptively for any sudden movements from the vampire, though Max assumed he’d get at least a bit of a back and forth before any fighting started. The important part was to look in control, Eris wanted him flustered.

Chartreuse eyes turned icy at Max’s words, but the blonde closed his eyes for a second. Eris let out a rather loud, clearly fake gasp, his left hand clutching the coin while the other went to his forehead as he looked distressed. [color=ccff99]“Oh no! You’ve stated the obvious! My one weakness!”[/color] He blubbered for a few seconds, his expression relaxing into a smile as he made himself comfortable in his seat, his chin resting on the palm of his hand. [color=ccff99]“See, you’re on the right track, but on the wrong train. None of this has anything to do with me--shameful, really--but I am willingly giving [i]you[/i] the validation you need.”[/color]

The lights turned into a warm yellow, and Max could hear Aaron’s voice repeating a line he had said to him previously: [color=f0d705]“Standing your ground like that is only going to make it worse, especially in your position.”[/color]

[color=ccff99]“Why else would you be so angry at yourself? You just can’t face the truth,”[/color] He informed him with a sense of glee to his words. [color=ccff99]“You’re not even on the same level as the Retriever. You’re worse than he is--at the very least he knows his place and accepts it. And what do you do? Put up this angry tantrum and hurt everyone around you, including the ones you love most, just because you know if you can’t change anything.”[/color]

The lights colored violet, his mother’s voice somberly saying, [color=cc00ff]“You’ve been distant all week.”[/color]

Eris clucked his tongue again, shaking his head. [color=ccff99]“Did you really have to pull away from your own mother like that?”[/color] For once there was no joy, no teasing, his expression one of pity as he looked at Max. 

Max rolled his eyes dismissively. Eris was really reaching here, which was annoying but not insurmountable. As long as he kept on the attack, they’d at the very least be stuck arguing here all day in a stalemate.

[color=8585ad]“I don’t need validation from some actor. That’s the difference between us, I don’t care what people think about me.”[/color] If Max was good at anything, it was doubling down on questionable things he’d already said. Call it spite, call it a coping mechanism; it didn’t matter. If he had to be an asshole to his mom to make Eris flounder, so be it. [color=8585ad]“Stop pulling memories out of your hat trying to reach for some emotional connection you can exploit. They don’t matter anymore than you do, and you’re just another vampire to me. Hell, you’re like that to everybody. Who honestly values some guy who plays pretend for a living?”[/color]

The mage made sure to keep his body language as dismissive as possible. He should’ve picked up on it sooner judging by their talk in the forest; Eris hated being ignored. Negative attention was still attention, so his usual strategy wouldn’t be so effective. Nice trick, whatever mind-reading jackass designed this test, give Max the one person here that he had to [i]not[/i] go off on to win.

Eris listened carefully, nodding along for the most part. He raised his eyebrows at the end, Max’s question seemingly lingering, and at that he frowned. [color=ccff99]“I have an answer to that. And I’ll give you one if you answer my question,”[/color] He seemingly offered an olive branch, his free hand gesturing to the crowd. 

The faces became familiar if he looked closely enough, each one looking angrier than the next. As the lights on Max suddenly turned off, the place was plunged into darkness for a few seconds until a spotlight shined on one of the grey people next to Eris. It was clear that he and everyone else in the crowd now had Max’s face. This one, however, didn’t share the anger, instead looking completely distraught.

[color=ccff99]“Who are you?”[/color] Eris asked. [color=ccff99]“An unlikeable asshole that doesn’t have to care? A scared and confused kid hidden by anger? At least, that’s what the rest of us see.”[/color]

Behind Eris, the rest of the faces became clearer, ranging from people in Max’s class to his family. Each one had their eyes on him, unmoving as Eris stood from his seat, joining them in staring at him.

[color=ccff99]“Who are you?”[/color] He repeated his question.

Well, that was creepy. Not that he didn’t see something like that coming, but it was still creepy. But it proved an important point; Eris couldn’t hurt him. He didn’t even remember half of these people’s names. Eris was screwed.

Max spread his arms in a highly exaggerated shrug, and he even dared a lopsided smirk. [color=8585ad]“I’m just Max. Slap whatever labels you want on me, it’s water off a raincoat.”[/color] No argument, but no concession either. They’d both give Eris a small victory, but blowing off the question left him powerless.

[color=8585ad]“Your turn.”[/color]

For a second, Eris seemed disappointed as he looked at Max. After some time though, he looked back at the crowd, gesturing to them. A familiar looking brunette and blonde stepped to the front--Ismene and Antigone--followed closely by a blonde and a redhead Max wouldn’t recognize. On his other side, Varis hovered for a moment before disappearing into the crowd, replaced with another man Max wouldn’t know.

[color=ccff99]“My family values me,”[/color] He replied in earnest, although the crowd shifted again, turning once more into the faceless people. They remained in place for a moment before Eris gave them a wave of dismissal, to which they slowly disappeared as he walked forward. He jumped up on the stage, walking over to Max and stopping in front of him.

[color=ccff99]“I’ll give you some unwanted advice that I’m sure you won’t take,”[/color] He stated, ruffling the mage’s hair before his hands reached behind his neck. [color=ccff99]“You’re not alone anymore. I’m here with you, if you want it. I’m sure I’m not the only one, either.”[/color] He took off the coin, hanging it in front of him for Max to take as he gave him a sincere smile. [color=ccff99]“At the very least, be just a little kinder to the people around you. It will be worth it, I promise.”[/color]

Max tensed imperceptibly as Eris approached, expecting a sucker punch or something. Instead, he got something arguably worse - weird sympathy. It took everything in him not to shiver. The mage snapped out of his daze when Eris held out the coin. That was… easier than expected. And just when he had worked up the courage to plug his fingers in his ears and yell ‘I’m ignoring you’ over and over again too.

[color=8585ad]“Hmmph. I told you Eris, you’re not important enough for me to hate you,”[/color] He grumbled as he snatched the coin from the vampire. The clone was being nice, so Max figured he’d at least give him half a compl- uh. Something nic- no. Something not entirely and overtly insulting? That worked. Besides, this thing probably just stopped existing once he left the skull anyway.

[center]-------[/center]

Max took a moment to collect himself upon reappearing in the forest, his head swivelling side to side as he made sure the test didn’t have a part two or something. His hand was tightly clutching the coin, and he could easily feel the metal resonating inside his fist. Still, he opened his fingers and poked at the coin with his other hand, as if to confirm it was real. Where’d it even come from?!

As much as he would’ve liked to deny anything happened in there and blow it off - and if questioned about it, he was definitely going to omit some parts - there was a unique opportunity here, and Max figured wasting it would be pointless. Clone-Eris was probably laughing at him, somewhere, but Ismene would probably get on his ass if she ever found out Max wasted his good deed of the day here.

The mage approached Eris, keeping himself reserved but not outright cowardly. He needed to keep his behavior off enough that Eris would notice but not so off that Varis would pick up on it too.

[color=8585ad]“A word, please, before you go in? I’d rather not embarrass myself in front of the count,”[/color] He requested quietly, doing his best to have his eyes read ‘urgent’ while his body language read ‘I’m a submissive tool’.

Eris was pleasantly surprised that Wells had popped out so quickly, his own strategy adjusting in his head. Well, it proved Sunny’s point at least--he would make sure to go in with that in mind. That said, considering their intention to go in together, he was sure Varis would say something he shouldn’t and end up pissing both clones off, so he was ready for that, too. That said, what Eris didn’t expect was Wells asking him for a moment. 

He caught his jaw dropping as he gave Varis a slight look, deciding not to wait too long as he gestured off to the side. Once the pair were far away enough, Eris inspected the kid for a moment. No scratches at all, these illusions really were something. [color=ccff99]“What is it?”[/color] He asked. 

Max leaned in toward Eris’ ear, lowering his voice as much as he could on the off-chance Varis’ super hearing was good enough to pick up him whispering.

[color=8585ad]“I didn’t get the Retriever in there - fuck you and your clone, by the way - so if you two manage to go in together, you might have him to deal with. Either way, they’re really fucking talkative, so I suggest you try squeezing dirt out of Cinnamon’s clone, he won’t be able to reciprocate with your copy.”[/color] He shifted back a bit after he finished, but kept himself close for the time being in case Eris had any finishing remarks or questions. Max had no idea what the hell was going on between them, but no vampire in their right mind would pass up free ammo for an inevitable power play.

Well this was a thing. An unexpected thing, but a thing nonetheless. Eris had absolutely no idea how to respond. It wasn’t so much the fact at what he said, but rather the fact that the kid was--dare he say--suggesting something that would actually benefit him. It was mind boggling, really, to the point where he genuinely just stood there for a few seconds.

After that, though, Eris looked behind him, and then back, trying to figure out why the kid was telling him this. Was this the clone and he had actually failed? No, he had the coin, this was the real Maxibald. But he couldn’t go discouraging this sort of thing, then he would lose what tiny sliver of trust (was this trust?) Wells had in him. Which, you know, he didn’t even know was a thing until now.

Finally, Eris lightly patted Max’s shoulder. [color=ccff99]“I’ll keep that in mind,”[/color] He replied first and foremost, withdrawing his hand as he finally decided to ask, [color=ccff99]“Why are you telling me this?”[/color]

Max let out a low growl in irritation. Couldn’t he have just said thanks and been on his way? A nod of affirmation? A simple ‘don’t tell me what to do, fucker’? Now he had to explain himself. He resumed his stance near the side of Eris’ head, muttering tersely, [color=8585ad]“Don’t get smug, when you get played like a fiddle, I do too.”[/color]

He didn’t bother waiting for a reply that time; instead he simply turned around and slumped back against a tree. Aaron had the right idea, groveling in the dirt like an idiot. A chance to rest while the vampires were inside the skull was ideal, given they wouldn’t be wasting time they could be spending on travel anyway.

[hr][@Achronum][@Obscene Symphony]