Marie landed with a light tap of steel immediately in front of the church doors. For a moment she stared at them, telling herself firmly that it was no different from her previous arrangement, except for the bonus of Harmony not messing around in her head...but - ugh, rust her to hell if it didn't feel different. Intentionally not bucking against the control, purposely giving up chances to shed blood...could she even call herself a Steel Inquisitor if she did that? Going along with what they wanted, instead of what sh - what - He - what she wanted to do?
She growled quietly, shaking herself. Maybe she wouldn't open the doors. Or maybe she would, and would slaughter the humans therein before they could react. And then maybe never talk to another person again? whispered a thought deep in the back of her mind. Not even kandra? Maybe not even Harmony himself. Silence all around you and your body never yours, how does that sound?
And, breathed something even deeper, take their freedom away from them, too?
A hiss escaped her lips, contorted with anger. It wasn't the same. Whatever afterlife there was, they could do as they liked there. Taking one choice away from them wasn't even comparable. ...still, she thought about it. Her options weren't good ones, but they were there: kill herself (as always), drop a bit of metal and get out, wreak as much havoc as possible. Or go along with a plan that could've been right out of the broadsheets for how improbable it felt.
Her fists clenched, and she realized with a prick of surprise that she was still holding the little bauble the girl had dropped in her hood. Marie held it up and looked at it, not that that did much, and rubbed the pads of her fingers over it. Foil, maybe? That would match the thin skin of metal around it. She scratched some off and sniffed, then frowned. Reminded her of the Southerner. Like all those sweets she carried around...was it one? She tore away more of the foil, then tentatively licked the cone, a shape that consistently reminded her of a spike.
Oh.
Marie made a noise that she would have denied making til the end of her days. Oh, Lord Ruler, it was chocolate and it was indescribable. She tried to go slow, but ended up eating it entirely too quickly. She swallowed the wrapping too; she'd burn it or heal with gold if it was toxic and really she didn't much care, might not have cared even if she hadn't had those options, because it tasted faintly the same.
She pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead and exhaled heavily. There wasn't enough emotion in it to make it a sigh; just a swift breath out. She stood there, spikes angled at the ground, then stepped up to the church, choice made.
She pushed open the doors.
@people in the church