Her knees buckled as she felt the pressure in her head. Pain, rebellion, failure, all flashing through her mind, crowding her own thoughts, overwhelming her senses. It was like an alarm had gone off, a sudden urgency taking hold and not letting go. More than she was ready for, more than perhaps she could handle.

Her hands balled into fists, she could taste blood from gritting her teeth, her fangs digging into her lip. She never liked the flavor of her own blood, not minty like the color would suggest, but sour, salty. Like something her body knew wouldn't be an effective source of sustenance, something that wasn't outside itself.

It took all her willpower to keep them both on their feet, to reach over and touch his cheek, to not squeeze and harm from the tension. Her hands were shaking. "B-Blue, please, you...you have to...get a hold of yourself... This is...this is just what they want!"