[ she stares at him, eyes wide and afraid, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. the thumb at her jawline feels more like a threat more now than ever, and it takes all her willpower to not do something rash like scream or try to break from jackson's hold. she can tell the moment when her words register, and the moment where they go sour in his mind-- even more than the scales and the claws, it's his eyes that scare her (and the lack of humanity in them). ]

It isn't you, this isn't you. I know you don't want to hurt anyone, Jackson. I don't date homicidal maniacs.

[ maybe it isn't the best way to talk to someone who has her life in his hands, but even now, his yelling does something to provoke her.]

You could kill me now, but you won't. [ an echo of her previous words. ]