The coward opens first

The two of them seemed to consider for but a few moments. Shina had a look of resolve, but Smoke did not have the same determination in his eyes. Shina nodded to Smoke, but he gave a somewhat disappointed expression before turning to me.

His eyes were pathetic, the pleading look in them turning my stomach. "W-whatever you want, I'll tell you. I swear, I will tell you anything, give you anything, just let me out of here."

Shina looked at him with an expression of disgust mixed with horror. She turned to me keeping the fear in her face as I tilted my head unnaturally far in an exaggerated curious expression. "Well? Do you have a better offer? The deal was for the least useful, I didn't specify use."

She looked between us before facing me again, an exaggerated swallow showing her nervousness. "I-I can get you into the base, no questions asked."

Smoke butt in, trying not to be outshined in his attempts to survive, "I'll tell you how to find the stash, and all the codes and keys!" He gave a frenzied series of nods.

I slowly looked back to Shina, my twisted smile returning, "Well? What do you have? It's so entertaining, this bid race for your lives."

Her eyes danced around, clearly not looking at anything around but marking her quick thinking on how to fix this. She seemed to think of something, her whole body freezing and her breath slowing. She looked up to me, her determination returned, "I do not think we have been offering the right things."

I raised an eyebrow and leaned to the side, resting my neck on my arm instead of my chin to continue the wrong feeling I exuded. "Hmm? And why is that?"

She began to think again, but spoke as her eyes looked around at a slower pace, "You are a god of growth, you care not for what momentary things we can give you. A god does not crave a key to a box they can smash, they do not crave entry to a fort they can smite." She looked up at me, her eyes locking on to mine. "And you care not for our lives in this situation more than the entertainment of this bid-off."

It was at that moment my smile became genuine. I gave a laugh, "At last we bring lies into our talk." I use the power of my polymorph, causing a disorienting moment for me and them as I split my eyes between them. "Who has lied here today? Have I, and how many times? And the most important question," My eyes became more exaggerated slits and my voice returned to its distorted form, "Have you?"

Smoke started to panic, "I-I swear I have said nothing but the truth. I would not dare lie to a-"

My eyes both swiveled to him, giving me a thankful excuse to stop my disorienting charade "Hmm, but why should I believe that? I told you your life was on line, and with your reputation I would almost be disappointed if you didn't." I looked to Shina, "And you... I can tell you lied in desperation. From what I have seen you don't have authority, I would get in just as fine on my own." She grimaced, and Smoke had a look of relief flood over him. "However, I don't care."

They both looked to me in shock. Shina spoke in a quiet voice, "Why?"

I gave a genuine smile, "Because you have shown the potential for growth. You have a greater will than just to subsist. I can see in you a willingness to put your life on the line for something, and I admire that."

Smoke looked at me with a frantic look, "B-but she lied! You can't trust her! I would be far more-"

I jerked and grabbed his face with my hand, snapping my head to look at him with rage. "You question my judgement? Now then, how about I prove who was the greatest liar here?"

He squirmed and begged for mercy, but I no longer listened to his pitiful cries. I channeled my power, and at last got to use an ability I had been curious about.

Mark of Submission Activated

I watched curiously as I could see lines of twisted green magic, the same as my eyes, trace down my arm like elaborate tattoos. They reached my hand before focusing on my fingertips, and at last slowly forcing their way onto his skin. I could feel a resistance of sorts during this, though it was poor.

'Huh, I suppose that was the actual resistance to the ability. Would it be if he had greater willpower or perhaps magical resistance that it wouldn't work?' I gave an internal groan in frustration, 'That angel was quite unhelpful, almost none of his offers had any actual information listed past a general description. I will most certainly make that femboy pay some day.'

I shook out of my thoughts as I focused back to the task at hand. I watched the lines of light trace around his skin, before moving down. I watched closely as the lights stream around him, curious to see how this turns out.