Posts: 56
Preferred Name: Scotty
Character Name: Zeke
Main Account: Kyne
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Post by zeke on Jul 27, 2015 22:09:56 GMT -5
It was dark. It was dark and it was noisy and Zeke wasn't sure where he was or how late it was but he just needed to stop and rest for a moment. There had been men on his trail all night, some kind of hired muscle and he didn't care what they were there for only that it was something he didn't want to give, something he didn't have. Tucking into an alleyway behind a trash bin, and out of sight of the main roads in the Lower Class District, Zeke ran shaking hands through his hair and leaned his head back against the wall of some business or other.
Fuck. What was he going to do?
His thoughts were more than a little cloudy as he strained his memory for somewhere that might give him work so he could get debt collectors off his ass. It'd been weeks since he'd managed to get any kind of work, days since he'd had his last fix, and he wasn't sure when he'd eaten. Or what it had been, even. What was the point of eating anymore, anyway - his stomach hurt but so did the rest of him, and everything kind of tasted the same and made him want to throw up. Maybe he could just..... rest here for a bit and it'd make sense. The past day had been nothing but paranoid glances of his shoulder and constant moving and he was so, so tired.
Zeke closed his eyes and released a heavy sigh. He needed to do something, he needed to get some Magix - the good stuff, the real stuff, none of this cheap stuff - and a few days rest and then... maybe things would make sense. It sounded like a plan, even if he didn't really have any of it figured out. Damnit, he just burned for the feeling of clarity it gave him, for sparks and light and all of that magic at his fingertips again. He needed it.
The sound of voices and footsteps shook him from this thought and he jumped, creeping back up onto his feet. Zeke dared a peek around the corner and saw someone he recognized from earlier. Shit. Not caring if he'd been seen or not, he ran down the alleyway, skidding around a corner only to come face to face with...... a wall. Unscaleable and uniform and heavy concrete brick. Slowly he turned, palms placed flat against the cool grey slabs and he waited to see if he'd been followed.
No, please no. He couldn't be caught here.
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Civilians
typical noodle conversations
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Post by Samuel on Jul 27, 2015 23:44:49 GMT -5
He honestly couldn't understand why this invalid was trying so hard to run away. It wasn't as if he had anything to gain from it, now did he? The man-Zeke, he believed- had nowhere to turn to. No one would want to offer him refuge, riddled with the effects of withdrawal as he was, and he would hardly make it much farther on his own. It would have been easier for the both of them if he'd just surrendered himself, that was certain. But Samuel- or as the runaway knew him as, Zwei- couldn't exactly complain. It was fun to watch the addict scatter about like a rat trapped in a maze.
And while the withdrawal was no doubt making the man paranoid enough on his own, he'd seen no harm in adding a little fuel to the fire. If he was going to expend so much effort into catching this husk, he might as well make it amusing, no? So he'd had his workers following the man for a few days now. Never confronting, no. That would have been to simple. Just making sure he saw them repeatedly, having their footsteps fall a little louder near him, letting whispers of his name flow through the crowds he tried to hide in. He was sure it was hell for Zeke, but that was the point, wasn't it? He had to be punished a little bit for trying to run away, that was only common sense. Samuel was going to get his due one way or another, and even if Zeke was denying it on the surface, there was no way he didn't recognize that as well. In his current state, running any further would more than likely just end in him dropping dead. And while Samuel could make a decent enough sum off the parts of his corpse, there was probably more value in keeping him alive. But he could live with either scenario. The same couldn't be said for his walking corpse of a 'friend'. But either way, the entertainment value of this game was beginning to run low.
He wondered if Zeke could sense that his time was running out, or if it was just the withdrawal effects making him seem so skittish. Probably a healthy combination of both. Well, nothing like having your most deeply rooted suspicions confirmed, no? Samuel nodded slightly, and the workers who had been following Zeke began to move. He was cornered, though he wouldn't recognize it for another minute or so. So while panic was no doubt beginning to seep in for the runaway, Samuel casually began his stroll towards where he knew the wall blocking the other man would be. His guards were already there when he finally reached the end of the alley, as he'd planned. Always better to arrive fashionably late.
Samuel's eyes flicked up and down the man in front of him slowly, assessing his physical state for a long moment before a pleasant smile broke out on his face. "How are you, Zeke? You look simply awful." He wasn't expecting much of an answer. He knew the man had issues speaking, since it was part of what had put him in this terrible spot in the first place. But what kind of a businessman would he be if he went easy on him? It wouldn't do to play favorites, after all.
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Posts: 56
Preferred Name: Scotty
Character Name: Zeke
Main Account: Kyne
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Post by zeke on Jul 28, 2015 0:19:51 GMT -5
There was no hope for him at this point, not while he was cornered, not while he had so many reasons to be running. Zeke could only wait, counting the seconds that felt like hours as footsteps grew closer. He had nothing, no weapons no anything other than himself to use and even that was fairly useless. He knew he couldn't hold his own in a fight against armed and trained men, knew all he could hope to do would be to catch them by surprise and keep running.
Hands back against the wall curled into tight fists and he steadied his breaths, steadied the shaking from the chills. Let there only be one or two, let them be slow and easy to get by. Please. Anything. Despite his wishes, though, they seemed far more capable than he was willing to mess with. They just.... stood there. Waiting, and Zeke glanced around for an opening, panic hurrying his pulse and breathes despite what he tried to do. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck - - -
And then there he was, an asshole of a face that Zeke wouldn't ever chance forgetting. Zwei, a not so legal dealer whose shitty magic had been what he'd nearly killed himself on. Annnd incidentally, the one he owed most of his debt to. Of course this is who would be coming to collect. Of course. The man greeted him with a question, telling him how awful he looked. Zeke knew that thanks very much - he was a lot more concerned with how he felt nowadays the make sure he looked particularly presentable but fuck him for asking questions he knew he'd get no answer to.
Lips curled back into a sneer - the best he could do without being able to tell this asshole where to fuck off to, and he glanced around for whatever opening he could get. Maybe.... maybe whenever a move was made or something. He needed to get out of here, get somewhere, anywhere but here and god his head was spinning and his body tense. He didn't even know if he could move quick enough when it came to it but he had to do something he was cornered and he needed a way out.
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Civilians
typical noodle conversations
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Post by Samuel on Jul 28, 2015 20:52:25 GMT -5
Was he at all surprised? It made sense for the one who had the most to lose from his death would come looking for him. Well, relatively speaking. Samuel didn't expect to lose much sleep if the man in front of him did pass. But he would lose some amount of money, and while it was nothing compared to the sum he still had, he couldn't just let someone slip out of their debts. He had to be fair to everyone, did he not?
Of course Zeke didn't respond, but that look of hatred was amusing enough. Samuel laughed lightly, his shoulder shrugs. "So I take it you've had better days." From the way his eyes darted about, it was clear he was still thinking of a way to escape. "By the way, I recommend not running. My guards have itchy trigger fingers." And he'd hate to end their fun so early. He clapped his hands together in front of his face, the smile still on his lips. "But anyways, let's get to business, shall we? We both know why I'm here, so we can skip all the boring details I think." Zeke probably wouldn't be able to live long enough to hear the entire list of what he owed, anyways.
"Now, I don't want anyone to think I'm unfair or cruel in my business practices. So I'll give you a chance to prove that you alive is worth more than your corpse." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small data stick and tossing it to Zeke. "I made sure to bring your favorite." He gave the man a moment to look over the magic stick, although he was sure he was more than familiar enough with it to know what it was just from touch. He might have some kind of pride, but Samuel doubted it would win out over the addiction. That was how he'd designed his magic to be, after all. High addiction rates with little of the actual power or quality provided by Magix. Zeke could call it shitty all he liked, but it achieved just what he, and the Secret Police by extension, wanted. Its low price helped it to become wide spread throughout the slums and lower class, and the addiction kept people coming back. As for the people who could afford better, they weren't the ones the Secret Police generally needed to worry about anyways.
"Of course, I'm not just going to sit here. I wouldn't want to make things too easy on you, you know." He pulled out his own stick of Magix, twirling it in his fingers for a moment before holding it towards his port. "Ten minutes. Let's see what you can do."
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Posts: 56
Preferred Name: Scotty
Character Name: Zeke
Main Account: Kyne
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Post by zeke on Jul 28, 2015 21:39:29 GMT -5
There was no hiding the way his eyes went wide a moment when he saw it, when he realized what was being tossed at him and he almost couldn't coordinate himself enough to catch it. Impulse drove him to step away from the wall a moment to catch it and once he did he withdrew back immediately, trying to get a hold on himself. Hands shook around it, fist closed tight so he couldn't see it couldn't look at it but he knew it was there, he knew it, he needed it and it would be so easy right now. But - - but this could easily be a trick it might just kill him but did it matter? He was trapped he was cornered he was probably going to be killed so it didn't matter, it didn't and if he had any chance this was it.
No, no no no no, no I don't need it I don't not right now need to wait need to be safe.
A shaking breath in and out, uneven, unsure of anything and the quiet voice in the back of his mind telling him to wait and use it later got quieter and quieter. There - there might be no later. There might be no later there was just right now and god he needed it, he really did.
It's not the right stuff, it isn't, it's his shit and I can wait, I can wait I can wait I can hold out a little longer.
Eyes unfocused at the ground in front of Zwei's feet, he could feel his pulse racing as his body practically begged to be allowed to feel magic again, and without thinking he had reached up to the port on the back of his neck but his hand was closed so tight over the data stick that his nails were denting into his palms. No, no I can't, I can't right now no this is a bad idea, I can wait. But he couldn't, he couldn't and it was right there. I need - I need to wait I can't I cant I can't. Hands shook, grip loosening, chest tight, panic, sweat, the alleyway was closing in on him, Zwei's fucking smile his fucking smile that fuck.
The data stick found its way to his port, hands barely making sense of their own movements and like water in the desert he soaked it all up. His pulse was still racing and his breaths already uneven - the latter of which was horribly dangerous - and none of that helped with the way the world seemed to wobble here and there around him. Static fuzz, pins and needles down from his elbows to his fingertips and a crackling noise began to hum up around him like the blanks spaces on a radio.
Remember to breathe, remember to breathe, god it felt so much better already he felt so good, invincible, and Zeke moved away from the wall, wobbling still but less than he had in days and things just felt so clear.
Ten minutes, just ten minutes to feel alive again, to fight for that feeling and take it for himself.
Zeke moved towards the man to the farthest left, lightning trailing him and cracking forward at his target. The hot, somehow sterile smell of ozone sparked under his nose and he already felt short of breath, already felt his heart skipping a beat from the static in his body but he didn't care because it felt so good, so right to be charged with energy like this. If he could just take out one of them he could maybe run, maybe get somewhere before it started to wear off or overload him, before his limbs wanted to spasm and the power was just a memory again.
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Civilians
typical noodle conversations
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Post by Samuel on Jul 28, 2015 23:18:52 GMT -5
Note: Have permission from Scoots to beat the fuck out of Zeke. That poor bastard. With the way he looked so desperately at that magic, Samuel was almost insulted that Zeke didn't thank him. But with all the other things no doubt on Zeke's mind, he supposed he could forgive him. "You're welcome, by the way." Forgiveness didn't mean he wouldn't let him know about his error. He'd just repeat it in the future otherwise, and Samuel cared very much about making sure that others were learning correctly. Education was important, after all. But he was sure Zeke knew that well enough. Ignoring it was what had ended up kicking him out of the Upper Class. Some people never really learned though, did they? Such a pity.
When Zeke had finally stopped trembling enough to make the choice that Samuel had known he would, he brought his own data stick up to the port behind his ear. Two doses for himself, but he wasn't particularly worried about any overuse. He knew how to take care of himself, after all. More than husks like Zeke could say. Samuel let out a slow sigh as the endorphins began to run through his system, the breathe coming out in a fog before him. Perhaps it wasn't as addictive, but there was no denying the rush of pleasure that the drug brought. He felt wonderful, and while he was sure Zeke felt the same, Samuel actually had the power to back it up.
His grin widened as he took a step forward, watching Zeke carefully. When he moved towards the guard, Samuel quickly shot an icicle out to the side, blocking off the lightning strike before crashing against the wall of the alley. "Just you and me, Zeke. If I let them play too it wouldn't be fair." And he'd like this to last at more than a minute. His feet shifted on the ground, kicking against it and sending several spikes of of ice shooting up from the bricks towards Zeke. He wondered how fast he could move. Electricity generally helped with speed...but that was provided the person could stay on their own two feet.
A hand went up and he grabbed a small bottle of water one of his guards had tossed to him, taking a swig from it before tossing the remaining contents at the addict. Maybe if he got lucky he'd electrocute himself and get knocked unconscious before he ended up getting himself killed. Not that Samuel wouldn't kill him afterwards if it seemed fitting, but at least he'd get to go out knowing he didn't off himself on accident. |
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Posts: 56
Preferred Name: Scotty
Character Name: Zeke
Main Account: Kyne
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Post by zeke on Jul 29, 2015 1:54:35 GMT -5
There wasn't a lot that Zeke could do or get away with cornered in an alley, but with the static buzzing in his system and racing through him, he couldn't even begin to consider that he could fail. Crackle of lightning sprang from his fingertips towards one of the two henchmen but a heavy, sudden bolt of ice interrupted it. Zeke glanced to the side to find Zwei cutting him off from attacking the others, turning on his heel to face him and moving to attack him instead. Zeke barely got to move before the other man kicked at the ground, a spray of iced spikes shooting up out of the ground towards him.
Fuck, fuck! He wasted precious time moving back, just barely quick enough to avoid being stuck through by sharp pieces. This sent him stumbling back though, feet not quite sure where they were landing and when balance was recovered he knew he had to keep moving. How many seconds had he already used up? It was only 10 minutes that he had, six hundred precious seconds and he couldn't tell how many had passed.
Static around his fingers, bright and loud and reaching out to strike; head spun even more than it had before because now it was getting hard to breathe, now all he could smell was burnt air and it stung his throat. Already he could feel the ill effects, already the purposefully poor quality of the Magix was showing. Zeke stretched out to strike lightning at the man but a spray of water hit him as he did so. Electricity sprung through the water, it turned back on him and he felt his muscles seize up as the shock shot through them.
The lightning coursed back into him, tying his throat closed, locking his legs and he lost his balance and was unable to save himself. The ground caught him, unforgiving and hard and lurching under his dizzy head. His heart beat in his throat, a sudden thumpthump and a break and a thumpthumpthathump, unsteady, struggling - fuck, the feedback of electricity into his system was too much. Muscles spasming, hard to breathe - fuck, no, not this, not this.
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Civilians
typical noodle conversations
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Post by Samuel on Jul 29, 2015 19:31:27 GMT -5
It didn't matter how many seconds were left of Zeke's magic. There was no way he was going to win in his current state. A child would probably fare better than him in a fight at this point. A child might have been smarter than him too. Certainly they were better worded. Or was that too insensitive? Well, what Zeke didn't know couldn't hurt him. So Samuel would have to be sure he made that joke out loud at some point later.
He laughed to himself as the man stumbled backwards, advancing slowly towards him. Eyebrows raised as the water caused his attack to backfire on him, his gaze following Zeke as he toppled to the ground. "Is that all? I didn't even use magic for that last part, you know. My own brand isn't exactly top quality, but it should let you get at least one real attack in." But he shrugged his shoulders, getting close to Zeke and leaning down. Ice spread out from where he stood, freezing Zeke to the ground. "But I suppose it can only do so much with such shoddy ingredients, right?" His hand moved out for a moment to touch Zeke's head, but then retreated. "Wouldn't want you to get nippy. I hate getting shocked." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a gun and holding it just out of Zeke's reach. "You know what this is I'm sure. But don't touch. It's meant for responsible people."
Samuel turned the weapon around in his hand a few times, considering it and the man on the ground in front of him. "You were really worthless, you know that? Couldn't stay in upper class, a mediocre entertainer at best. You didn't even manage to put up a fight at the end of it all." He laughed. "But...I'd like to see how much worse you can get. If I stopped it here your life would have been far too easy." He paused, tilting his head for a moment to look at Zeke. "But I'm rambling. Goodnight, Zeke. We'll have quite a lot to talk about when you wake up." The easy smile returned to his lips, and he raised the gun up before smacking the butt of it against the other man's head.
Pushing himself back up to a standing position, Samuel nodded towards one of his guards, who moved to pick the unconscious man up and throw him over their shoulder. They probably had a few good hours before he woke up. Plenty of time to get done what was needed. He did hope Zeke lived through it.
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Posts: 56
Preferred Name: Scotty
Character Name: Zeke
Main Account: Kyne
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Post by zeke on Jul 29, 2015 21:11:58 GMT -5
warning: the not fun side of torture /hit
Zeke felt like he couldn't move, not voluntarily - his body wanted to twitch as the last bits of electricity shot through muscles and though he tried to pick himself up, cold suddenly crept up from the ground and into him. It only took a half a second but then there wasn't just cold air but ice on him, chilling and constricting. Panic, he began to panic, he pulled back but it was so cold and he was stuck, only able to manage to raise his head and hold as steady of eyecontact as he could manage with Zwei. He flinched back a bit as the man talked once or twice, leftovers from the electricity, and his breath came and went in quick, staggering breaths.
There wasn't much Zeke could do other than not just give up and back down. The line between angry and afraid, between bone sneakingly terrified and immeasurable hatred was blurred and he couldn't be sure which was keeping him going any more. Instinct just to live, to fight, to struggle despite how much his body just wanted to quit - - Zwei tried to rub in the loss but the words just fell past him. So what if he was worthless? He knew that, he knew his mistakes were his own and no one else's. The gun in the man's hand, though - - that was where Zeke's eyes fell as the other kept speaking. He... was he just fucking with him before he killed him? Probably? He was incredibly lightheaded now, unable to properly slow his breaths so that he could just fucking take in some air.
Zeke heard the words just as he realized what they meant, just as the butt of the gun cracked into his head - and then there was nothing.
It was actually not sensation that stirred him awake at first but sound, the distant sound of talking. A sterile medical smell only just barely hiding the scent of blood. The whir and beep of machines; a... hospital? No -where then? His body felt.. well, not numb but it ached so much all over that it was hard to say where more aches began and others ended. A woozy thick feeling filled his head and he wasn't really what he could call awake. The vague thought of danger willed him to be more conscious but beyond the flash of a bloody floor and the feelings of tight straps keeping him still, he couldn't really..... think. Too sore, too weary - he faded back out into a fuzz.
Sudden sharp pain brought him out of it. Eyes wide open, muffled wordless noise escaping a mouth that was tightly gagged. Hurt - it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt fuck it hurt and he struggled against everything that held him down. It was weak and pitiful, ineffective - but he couldn't think to do more do anything else when his head burned like fire, like staring into light.
Stop, stop stop make it stop, but he couldn't even beg he couldn't speak - fast and shallow breaths once again, heart racing faster than the lightning could take it but this wasn't good, this wasn't like magic this was torture and he tried to jolt somehow free, somehow. Somehow. Please. Everything was too much, too bright too hot too sharp and with teeth clamped tight down against the gag his mind couldn't take it any more and things just.
Stopped.
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Civilians
typical noodle conversations
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Post by Samuel on Jul 30, 2015 1:03:38 GMT -5
warning: the more conscious side of torture :'| Blood, forceful surgery, stays vague though bc pg-13
Well, there was one good thing they could say about Zeke. He was easy to transport, frail bodied as he was. And easy transportation was always helpful when smuggling people into the slums. Not that he needed to be too careful, since the Secret Police were aware he did this sort of thing every now and then. But it was always annoying to have some dolt member of the Common Police trying to wave him down and then having to kindly explain to them the amount of ways he could get them fired. So for all their sakes, it was very nice of Zeke to fit so nicely in a somewhat inconspicuous sack.
When they finally reached one of his establishments, Samuel quickly got to work strapping the other man to one of his surgical tables. The room wasn't terribly clean, but the table and his tools were, and that was all that really mattered. He thought the disorder added to the atmosphere, and if something unhealthy did accidentally get into Zeke's system, there wasn't really any actual loss. After making sure he was bound tightly, he placed the gag in his mouth. Wouldn't do to have him bite his tongue and die that way. His assistants began slipping an IV any various sensors into him, the images with his vitals soon flickering into the corner of Samuel's vision. A pair of gloves were quickly pulled on, and a smile spread across his face. Time to have fun, then.
xx
Samuel sighed slightly as he finished the last stitch on the back of Zeke's head. Well it was certainly good that he'd been strapped down, with the way he'd tried to squirm around so much during the surgery. Not terribly smart of him, since one wrong move and Samuel might have cut into something important in his brain, rather than just his chip. Though as he'd said before, it most likely wouldn't be much of a loss. But he supposed he couldn't blame the man too much, seeing as he'd had no anesthetic for the duration. It had been a kindness though, really. Zeke already had so many drugs running through his system, it would have been cruel to add another, no? He was sure that Zeke would find it in his heart to forgive him either way. Not like the newly made Scavenger would have much of a choice, either way. Samuel hummed to himself as he pulled the bloodied gloves off of his hand, tossing them at one of the assistants to be thrown away.
They started to wheel Zeke off into another room, and Samuel followed slowly after. This one was slightly nicer, although mainly just because it lacked the bloodstains. The assistants carefully flipped the man over onto his side ( probably best to stay away from the back of his head for now, although that would have been amusing as well ), strapping him down once more. But...Samuel didn't want to be overly cruel to Zeke. He'd denied him any sort of painkillers during surgery, so it was only fair to let him have some to help with the after math. So he was sure to leave a nice little pile of magic sticks next to the unconscious man. He kept the lightnings near the bottom of the pile, because he didn't want to make it too easy for Zeke to get his fix. His attendants would make sure he didn't overdose, but otherwise he'd let the man have his fun for now. Samuel yawned, stretching his arms above him before moving into another room. Zeke probably wouldn't wake up for quite a while, so he might as well go deal with something more interesting until he did.
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