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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 15, 2012 12:48:10 GMT -4
The very first thing that Kale thought when he regained consciousness was that the room was darker than it should have been. He always awoke to the light of the sun pouring in through the window of either his bedroom or the cabin that he occupied when the raids lasted longer than they should. The sight of darkness instead - pure, undiluted darkness, not even broken by the light of the moon or the stars - filled him with a strange, sudden fear and worry.
Where am I?
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Post by Cedar on Aug 15, 2012 13:06:18 GMT -4
Oryn blinked several times, panic beginning to rise as he realized that the blurred darkness refused to coalesce into definitive shapes and colors--there was only the unbroken, inky black of the place crushing down on him, forcing the breath out of his lungs. He fought down the increasing fear, trying to get a sense of his surroundings. Stone. He was lying on a stone floor. Tilting his head to listen closely for even the most subtle of sounds, he thought he detected the whisper of someone else breathing in the stillness.
"Hello?" he whispered tentatively into the darkness.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 15, 2012 13:38:41 GMT -4
Kale heard someone whisper, and turned his head in their direction. He discovered quickly that his movements were slower, and just the simple act of turning had caused his head to spin. Have I been... drugged...?
"Who are you?" he demanded. He couldn't see a thing; he couldn't even see whoever this stranger was. He hated feeling so pathetic... and not knowing whether this stranger was a friend or foe. "Why are you here?"
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Post by Cedar on Aug 15, 2012 15:49:26 GMT -4
Oryn flinched at the sound of the voice; despite having sensed the other person's presence, the sudden interrogation was frightening. Nor did he know how to answer. What was he doing here? "I don't know why I'm here," he replied finally, a certain defensiveness creeping into his tone. "Wherever 'here' is." He wasn't about to tell a stranger in the darkness anything about himself just yet; he'd already had enough painful experience involving such things.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 15, 2012 16:01:34 GMT -4
Kale frowned. So this stranger was a prisoner too... if this place was indeed a prison. "So... you don't know either?" he said slowly. He paused, contemplating, and then decided that he would try to speak to this stranger who was in the same situation as he.
"I don't remember anything... I thought I was at home, in my city, but this is definitely not Kinsley. The air feels different here; almost thicker. This place... is strange. I don't know where I am, or why I'm here..."
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Post by Cedar on Aug 15, 2012 16:29:29 GMT -4
Oryn relaxed slightly, deciding that a fellow prisoner would not be a threat. He also had to admit to himself that he didn't really mind friendly company in a place like this. "I... see." He wasn't entirely sure what else to say, and fell silent for a long moment. "Then we were both brought here against our will," he mused. "But... to what purpose?" He wasn't expecting an answer; how should this stranger know? "I'm Oryn, by the way," he added as an afterthought, deciding he would rather not be stuck...presumably underground...with a total stranger. And making conversation would take his mind off the fact that they were underground. He hoped.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 15, 2012 16:40:36 GMT -4
"I have no idea," Kale said in response to his question. Unless the Emeranians had managed to capture him, he had no reason to be in this prison. But the way the stranger spoke indicated that he was not from a sky city, so he doubted that this was the case...
"My name is Kale," he replied. "Kale Henessey."
He tried to sit up, to judge how far from any walls he was, but he soon realised that it was futile. His head was still spinning and his hands were bound, making it impossible to push himself up. He wondered how much longer they would be kept here before whoever had brought them here showed their faces... or let any light in this prison.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 15, 2012 23:58:56 GMT -4
The sound of voices woke Harley, though he was still bleary at first. "Who are you talking to, Holt?" he mumbled, opening his eyes and blinking a little. "Why's it so dark in here?" he asked quickly, fear and panic already audible in his voice. This wasn't the room he shared with his brother. He wasn't in his bed, but on a cold, hard floor. Wherever he was it was pitch black, the familiar glow of the nightlight no where to be found. "...Holt? ...Mom?" he called out nervously. The five-year-old boy managed to sit up and pull his knees to his chest, doing his best not to start crying.
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Post by Cedar on Aug 16, 2012 0:33:04 GMT -4
Oryn started at the plaintive voice of a young boy in the darkness, momentarily confused. What would a small child be doing here? But that was of no matter. The kid sounded bewildered, frightened. Though his hands were bound, Oryn managed to move in the general direction of the voice, stopping when he figured he was relatively close to the boy.
"Hey," he said softly. How did one comfort a tearful child imprisoned underground, when one wasn't at all secure oneself? "I don't think Holt is here," he told him. Whoever Holt was--maybe the kid's brother. "And it's dark because we're underground." He wasn't very adept at this, he decided, but Kale had fallen silent and he wasn't about to leave the child alone in the darkness.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 0:48:22 GMT -4
Harley jumped a little at the sound of Oryn's voice, and did his best to scramble away from the sound of the stranger. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice shaky. He couldn't keep his breathing steady, hyperventilating almost already from this terrifying place. "Where is he? Where's Holt?" He took a few more gasping breaths, still fighting the urge to cry. "Where am I? Why am I here? I wanna go home."
((Squid forgot something important but is too lazy to in character edit, so: Harley belongs to my Gifted universe, same as Zeke. His gift has to do with manipulating emotions. However, seeing as he's only five he's not really that good at controlling it in any sort of deliberate way. Basically, if he's terrified, the people around him will find themselves inexplicably terrified as well, same goes for happiness and whatever else. It's weak since it's not deliberate on his part, but until you get Harley calm, it'll be just a little bit harder for your own characters to calm down. Sorry 'bout that...))
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Post by Cedar on Aug 16, 2012 1:09:12 GMT -4
Oryn felt a sudden, undiluted fear shoot through his body, heightening the sense of panic he already felt in this place. He tried to breathe deeply, managing to slow his heart rate slightly, and reprimanded himself for not coming up with anything better to say to calm down the boy. Keeping his voice low and steady despite the intense fear he felt, he tried to answer what he could, though he knew almost nothing. "My name is Oryn. I don't know where Holt is. I don't know where we are, aside from being underground. I don't know why we are here, or how we got here. I'm sorry." He paused. "But we will find a way out, alright? There's always a way out" He hoped desperately that his words were true. And that the boy would calm down quickly. "What's your name?" he asked quietly, hoping that he wouldn't send the lad into further bouts of panic by speaking.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 1:27:24 GMT -4
"I wanna go home," he repeated sadly. The initial panic Oryn had caused was fading now, but he still overwhelmingly just felt scared. "My name's Harley," he answered in a quiet mumble. Oryn's other words only made him feel worse. "How can not know know anything? You're bigger... You're supposed to know stuff," he said. His breathing had slowed some, back to a more normal rate, but Harley was still trembling where he sat huddled in a ball.
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Post by Cedar on Aug 16, 2012 1:46:41 GMT -4
Oryn sighed, trying to come up with something comforting to say and finding nothing. "I don't know," he said finally, trying not to let the defeat in his voice show. Quite frankly, he felt nearly as much like curling into a ball as Harley did, but he didn't think displaying his own anxiety would help matters.
"Why don't you try to sleep, Harley?" he suggested quietly. "I'll watch over you." After a pause, he added, "I promise." A promise he would do everything in his power to keep. But he could not suppress the nagging doubt that it would not be enough...
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 2:00:23 GMT -4
Harley made a quiet noise showing his unhappiness at Oryn's answer, but he didn't actually speak in response to it. He was quiet for a long time before he answered Oryn's suggestion. "I don't wanna sleep," he grumbled sadly. "I wanna go home. I want my mom..." Again he felt the urge to cry and tried to hold back the tears. But this time he was less successful, and a few quiet tears started to find their way down his cheeks.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 16, 2012 3:01:50 GMT -4
"It'll be alright," Kale said gently, only just overcoming his shock. There was a child in their midst - a child in this horrific place. He wished that his hands were free so that he could hug the child and attempt to comfort him, but all he had was his words. He felt terrified, but he knew the child would be even more so. He had to try to comfort him. "Your mother and your brother are both alright, and we're here to protect you."
He tried to move a little closer to the child, Harley, but it was difficult.
"We'll keep you safe so you can go back home. I promise."
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 3:35:48 GMT -4
Harley started a little at the sound of a second voice, almost sending him into a panic again. His breathing and heart rate slowed again as Kale went on. "They're okay?" he asked, sniffling a little. "You're sure? Who are you?" He was quiet again for only a moment before asking more questions. "Do you know where we are? How'd we get here? Why can't I go home now..." He sniffed again, still unable to hold back his tears.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 16, 2012 3:42:11 GMT -4
Kale felt his heart break a little bit as he heard the fear in the little boy's voice. "I'm sure," he lied easily, keeping his tone gentle and comforting. "They're back at home, still asleep, and perfectly fine. And my name's Kale. I don't really know why we're here, but it'll be alright. They won't keep us here long... and don't cry. We're here to look after you."
He hated lying to this child so much, but he had no other choice. If he told the child just how futile their situation was it wouldn't help anyone. And he would try to protect this little boy, even if he suffered for it.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 4:00:38 GMT -4
Harley forced a small smile at this and finally more successfully got his crying to stop. He fell into silence then, just sitting curled up. No longer crying, but still unable to stop himself from trembling. He didn't know how long passed in silence before suddenly a bright light illuminated their dark cell. Harley squeezed his eyes shut immediately from the bright light, his eyes unappreciative of the sudden change. After a few brief moments he opened his eyes just a crack. It was still too bright to be comfortable, but he could make out the silhouette of a large man. Even with only a blurry silhouette, he knew immediately that this man wasn't Oryn or Kale.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 16, 2012 4:26:27 GMT -4
Once his eyes began to adjust to the light, Kale glared at the silhouette. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. "Why are we-" He cut himself off, catching sight of what was in the man's hands. A whip... a cat o' nine tails. At the sight of the nine seperate 'tails' of the device Kale moved backwards, backing away from the man and his weapon... and hopefully shielding Harley from it too.
The man smirked ever so slightly as fear manifested itself in Kale's eyes and moved forwards, seizing his hair in one hand and using the other to bring the whip above his head. He brought it down against Kale's back, the force of the blow ripping through the fabric of his shirt and leaving long red cuts across his skin. Each cut burnt, but he did not scream. At his silence the man's face twisted, and he brought the whip down harder on the existing wounds. He couldn't stop the cry of pain then, or the stars that appeared in his vision. The wounds throbbed, and he could feel his blood oozing out of them and dripping onto the floor.
"That," the man snarled, releasing Kale's head and practically shoving him back to the floor, "was for speaking out of turn."
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 5:09:49 GMT -4
Harley blinked a few times until his eyes had fully adjusted, and then he stared at the man, confused by the object in his hand. He'd never seen any such thing before, but a glance toward Kale told him that it probably wasn't good. He gasped watching the man grab Kale and beat him twice with it, each long tail opening its own wound on Kale's back. Harley stared in disbelieving horror for a moment, glancing between Kale and the man until eventually his eyes stopped on the man. "You can't do that...That's not right," he whimpered meekly. He wished immediately that he hadn't spoken when the man turned his attention to him. Harley shrunk back from the man's glare, pulling himself even tighter into a little ball. "Harley Lennart, you stupid little boy. I really thought I'd made the penalty for speaking out of turn quite clear," he sneered as he moved forward to grab the young boy by one of his arms. Harley struggled desperately against his grip, but the man held his small form easily. When the cat o'nine struck across his back he let out a scream of pain before the man dropped him back to the ground. Tears poured from Harley's eyes as he tried weakly to move away from the man again.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 16, 2012 6:23:31 GMT -4
Kale stared at Harley in horror, stunned by the act of brutality. He watched as Harley tried to get away from the man with the whip and tried to move closer to the boy, despite the pain that ripped through his wounds at the slightest movement.
The man's eyes snapped over to Kale and he tucked the cat o' nine tails into his belt, striding over to Kale before seizing his bound wrists and pulling them over his head harshly. Kale was forced to his feet, and higher still until his toes were barely brushing the floor. The bonds were removed, but before he could even think of trying to escape cold steel manacles were placed around his wrists and clicked into place. The man released Kale then, and he immediately aimed a kick towards his captor's family jewels. He stepped aside easily and swung his fist upwards, slamming his knuckles against Kale's jaw. He heard something crunch, and then he felt the harsh pain blooming on the side of his face. His breathing grew more laboured but he daren't make a sound - if he showed his pain, Harley would be even more terrified. "We'll have to teach you not to fight back, Henessey," he said simply. "That attitude will get you nowhere."
"Go to hell," Kale tried to say, but his jaw was already swelling. The words came out muffled, but his captor appeared to hear them nevertheless as another fist, just as cruel, struck him in the ribs. All of his breath flew out of his lungs, and he felt the sharp, burning pain of a broken bone.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 7:31:44 GMT -4
Harley managed to crawl only a short distance away. The open wounds on his back burning with every slight movement. Sobbing, he watched as the man hung Kale by his wrists and then beat him. "L-leave him alone!" he stammered, cringing before the man could even lay a finger on him. Again he thrashed as the man grabbed him, and again it was no use. The man hung him by his wrists just he had done with Kale so that his toes could only just keep all his weight from being put on his shoulders. He opened his eyes, not even realizing when he'd squeezed them shut in the first place. He saw the man turn to Kale for a moment, telling him with a calm smirk to watch. Then he focused again on Harley, quickly slamming his fist into the young boys stomach. All the air left Harley and he found himself unable to breathe. After a few moments he finally managed to inhale again, and he took several gasping breaths to make up for the lost air.
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Post by Cedar on Aug 16, 2012 10:22:48 GMT -4
"Leave him alone, you bastard!" Oryn growled as the man seized Harley, stumbling to his feet. The man turned and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him forward. Twisting, Oryn attempted to slide free of the man's grasp, throwing his elbow into his captor's stomach. The man's grip only tightened, and Oryn was roughly manhandled into the same hanging position as Kale and Harley.
"I thought you saw the punishment for talking back," the man observed, and Oryn felt the whip cut into his back twice. He drew in a sharp breath at the pain, but gave no other outward indication of the agony, choosing instead to glare resentfully at his captor.
"You cur. Have at me all you like, but torturing a child is a coward's play."
"You are hardly in a position to be slinging insults," his captor replied, bringing the lash down on Oryn's back several more times. Oryn closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain as the strokes of the whip opened older, similar wounds.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 16, 2012 11:09:22 GMT -4
Kale heard every single lash of the whip, and felt his own wounds sting with every strike that Oryn was forced to bear. "Bastard..." he muttered under his breath, thankful that he said the word too quietly for anyone to hear. When the man finally stopped he regarded the trio, drinking in the sight of the wounds he had inflicted. After a few long moments he nodded to himself, turned on his heel, and left the room before slamming the door closed behind him and surrounding them in darkness. He didn't bother locking it.
Kale stared at the doorway, where the last of the light had been before the door had closed and tried to ignore the pain from his injuries. He closed his eyes and tried to shift his body weight to his toes. It didn't help.
"I'm so sorry," he said, even though the words came out strange.
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Post by Cedar on Aug 16, 2012 11:29:44 GMT -4
Oryn shook his head slightly at Kale's apology, wincing at the pain the movement caused. "You have nothing to apologize for," he said, once he thought he could speak. "I get the idea he would have done the same regardless of what you said. And only a coward stands by idly while a child is tortured." A coward like I was, he thought, but kept that to himself.
He glanced worriedly over at Harley, seeing the small boy hanging pitifully next to him. "Harley?" he called softly, concern evident in his voice.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 12:07:24 GMT -4
Harley couldn't watch as the man whipped Oryn again and again. He had only been hit once and it hurt more than anything he could have imagined. Hearing the crack of it biting into Oryn, he cringed each time. Eventually the man left, and they all fell back into the pitch black of before. He was no longer bothering with even a pretense of trying not to cry. His back still burned with the pain of the wounds there, and his feet were already starting to ache from being forced to stand on his toes. But when he tried to lower his feet to take the weight off of his toes, his wrists and shoulders protested. He heard Oryn call out his name, but it took him a few tries before he could get any words out past his gasping sobs. "Y'all can't protect me. He just hurts y'all more bad," he said, his voice quiet.
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Post by Cuppy/Wonders on Aug 16, 2012 13:11:12 GMT -4
Kale frowned at the misery in Harley's voice, and turned towards where he thought the boy was despite being unable to see him. "We're not going to give up on you, Harley," he said resolutely. His broken rib stung once the words came out, and he resisted the urge to wince. It's not that bad, he tried to convince himself.
"We'll try to look after you as best as we can until help arrives." He knew that it was pointless saying the words, pointless telling the boy that he would protect him when he couldn't even if he tried. But he had to try to keep his hope alive. There was no point in them falling into despair already.
"Someone will come for us," he said, trying to keep his voice sure and optimistic even though he was sure he failed in both aspects. "They have to."
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 13:57:43 GMT -4
"No!" Harley protested. "I don't want y'all hurting worse because of me! I'd feel bad..." He bit back a whimper of pain as he dropped a few inches, unable to hold the position on his toes. When he relaxed his feet the chains around his wrists tugged painfully on his shoulders until he forced himself onto his toes again. His calves ached from it already, but the pain in his shoulders was worse, so he did his best to stay on his toes. "You mean like the police will come rescue us?" he asked, trying to force himself not to show how much it had hurt and make Kale and Oryn worry more.
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Post by Cedar on Aug 16, 2012 14:16:28 GMT -4
Oryn stiffened at the mention of the police, but realized that the police wherever Harley came from were not those he knew. "Yeah, maybe they will," Oryn told Harley, though he secretly doubted that anyone even knew they were here, let alone had plans to rescue them. But he tried not to let his own fear and doubt show. He shifted his weight between his wrists and his toes, trying and failing to find a more comfortable position. "Just be strong until they get here, okay? You have to stay strong." He silently promised himself he would do the same, for Harley if nothing else. But judging from the way his last promise had turned out, he began to wonder how well even this could be kept.
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Post by Squid (Carys) on Aug 16, 2012 14:26:52 GMT -4
"Strong?" Harley repeated quietly. "Like Holt always tells me when there's tornadoes... I can do that. I can be brave like when there's tornadoes," he mumbled, more to himself than to Kale or Oryn. His crying had finally slowed and then stopped, at least for the time, and he managed to hold himself a little steadier on his toes.
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