[Emet-Selch would counter that an egg couldn't learn to resist anything, it would simply be crushed- but then, if it couldn't handle a bit of roughness here and there, then it was better for it to be cracked open now, so they could be done with it. More pressing than the topic of crushing, though, was Mettaton's next tease. His look flattens, even while the robot's hands explore his back, and if it wouldn't have meant unhanding him himself, he would've waved the idea off.]
Of all the thousands of offspring I've sired in my time, a dragon was never amongst them. Something like that, I would have remembered.
[He was not the father, and he would not be blamed for any slow-hatching reptiles. The threat remained. For the future.
For the now, though: the result of Mettaton's recent Crystal visit. A result of nothing, as expected, his lover's persistence and charm not something that would be effective on every entity. But Emet-Selch hadn't had any hopes left to raise, nor dash. And yet he felt a small bit disappointed nonetheless.]
So neither of us are enhanced, [He confirms, as his hand absently strokes along Mettaton's side.] nor recovered to what we're meant to be. Our pleas are, as of yet, unheeded.
[As he'd asked the Crystal himself, recently... to no better effect. No additional functionalities for his husband; no greater powers for himself. They were poor.
But for Mettaton's dramatic dismay-and-recovery, what would've been a look of mild commiseration turns into something thoughtful and skeptical both.
Unlike in Aefenglom, where Emet-Selch had mooched and then lived off a sizeable payment for being tortured, here he was mooching and... sort of, occasionally, doing something here and there. For money. It wasn't as though he were against work, or effort, only things that were dull (and the past month he hadn't done much of anything beyond cough up flowers). But he wouldn't leave Mettaton to save up on his own- at least, not when the goals were something they both wanted.
So he wasn't entirely without resources himself. But to ask together... the mage still frowns, looking aside again.]
If there's a rule against cooperation, 'tis not one written anywhere we can read it. But even should we collect our shards together, it won't obtain us everything.
[His hand twitches.]
--And should I find myself suddenly bankrupted for the sake of your business license I'll- [Not be able to do anything about it. Which deflates him slightly.] ...be less willing to humor your suggestions again.
no subject
Of all the thousands of offspring I've sired in my time, a dragon was never amongst them. Something like that, I would have remembered.
[He was not the father, and he would not be blamed for any slow-hatching reptiles. The threat remained. For the future.
For the now, though: the result of Mettaton's recent Crystal visit. A result of nothing, as expected, his lover's persistence and charm not something that would be effective on every entity. But Emet-Selch hadn't had any hopes left to raise, nor dash. And yet he felt a small bit disappointed nonetheless.]
So neither of us are enhanced, [He confirms, as his hand absently strokes along Mettaton's side.] nor recovered to what we're meant to be. Our pleas are, as of yet, unheeded.
[As he'd asked the Crystal himself, recently... to no better effect. No additional functionalities for his husband; no greater powers for himself. They were poor.
But for Mettaton's dramatic dismay-and-recovery, what would've been a look of mild commiseration turns into something thoughtful and skeptical both.
Unlike in Aefenglom, where Emet-Selch had mooched and then lived off a sizeable payment for being tortured, here he was mooching and... sort of, occasionally, doing something here and there. For money. It wasn't as though he were against work, or effort, only things that were dull (and the past month he hadn't done much of anything beyond cough up flowers). But he wouldn't leave Mettaton to save up on his own- at least, not when the goals were something they both wanted.
So he wasn't entirely without resources himself. But to ask together... the mage still frowns, looking aside again.]
If there's a rule against cooperation, 'tis not one written anywhere we can read it. But even should we collect our shards together, it won't obtain us everything.
[His hand twitches.]
--And should I find myself suddenly bankrupted for the sake of your business license I'll- [Not be able to do anything about it. Which deflates him slightly.] ...be less willing to humor your suggestions again.