It's Understandable: A Tronnor AU

26. The Mission (Part Two)

Throughout the day, Connor felt like he had some sort of fire on his back. Not normal fire, but obedient fire; fire that did his bidding instead of burning him. And it wasn't red, but black and purple, intense and imperial, making his chest puff out like he was in charge for once. Cauterizing each totem of the group who'd cruelly governed him, deflecting each dark wizard's staff; he felt closer to the throne of freedom with each defeat.

The stutter was magically gone, and a vocal steadiness took it's place. Saliva turned to fuel, he could say anything, and still sound like he had a point. Anything, though Troye suggested not blackmailing anybody else, as he thought it would probably be better if Connor didn't have anything like that over his head. Anything that would get him in trouble. 

By that, he by no means meant go easy on them. And that Connor refused to do. 

He'd already castrated one animal, but now it was time for the second taming. It was time for the homophobic, exclusive ferret known as JC Caylen to get told. It went a little like this: 

"Listen, I didn't chose to be gay, but I'm proud of my sexuality, and I am, believe it or not, human." Connor brought up spontaneously, firmly as they stood in the cafeteria lineup. His chin was tilted upwards, strong in effrontery."I just wanted to let you know that I demand respect."

JC, with a string of licorice sticking out of the corner of his mouth like a long cigar, quirked his eyebrow. "Whoa, man, calm your shit." He, a more chill opponent, shrugged, chewing his licorice lackadaisically. "It's fucking disgusting, you liking men, but whatever, I don't want a fight. I'll shut up if you're going to be so uptight about it."

Easy peasy, and he got a quick kiss from Troye to boot. In front of JC no less, which was even better. Moving on.

The third taming was to be a little bigger. A pack of hyena bro-types, all minor characters in the grand scheme of things, but still a shotgun as a whole.  

"I just wanted to say that you guys really put me down." Connor leaned forward intimidatingly, moving his vision across the cafeteria table. The boys, Joe, Sam, Jack and Finn stopped chewing and watched him weirdly. He kept his voice eerily indomitable. "I don't appreciate the way you talk about me or to me. I have feelings, and they are sensitive to acts of human indecency. Or bullying, if you will."

"What brought this on, mate?" Joe scoffed condescendingly, poking him rather hard with his plastic fork. "We don't talk about you like anything."

"Or at least we don't try to." Jack added dismissively.

Connor squinted his eyes, relishing the nearly unnoticeable squirming that took over the group. He pumped his voice with crawly distaste. "Well, you need to try harder."

The boys all tried covering their discomfort with varying eye rolls and shrugs. "If it's really that important to you, whatever you're talking about..." Sam bit into his sandwich indifferently, "...I guess we'll stop. Right guys?"

"Sure, it's chill. Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever."

Lemon squeezy. He got no apologies, but he was okay with that, because what he did get was another kiss from Troye. Those always validated the true awesomeness of what he was conquering.

But now was not the time for celebration. Not yet, because it was time for the fourth taming, the most daunting task of all. The boss of the entire game, Satan and her dogs, the hellfire trio: Beth, Caspar and Kian, if you will. For the rest of the day, Connor ran through an example colloquy in his head, the only one he'd outlined, making sure he had enough arrows in his sheath to take down the dragon when the time came.