PRISON WORLD #1: Spidermarvel (tw violence, harassment, discrimination)

[spoofer]

Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: F.A.T.E.S. has alerted the population of Xistentia that the enemy has created something new, a Prison World where others refugees of the Multiverse are being brainwashed into destroying each other.
Date(s): July 29-August 5
Warnings/Notes: None, please mark your subject headers with content.

SPIDERMARVEL PRISON WORLD

She was really nice and bought me a churro.

PRISON WORLD: SPIDERMARVEL

It's New York City in 2017, and Enhanced humans came into public perception after the great Battle against alien invaders 5 years ago. Unlike the Hulk or Thor, rumor has it that most of the Enhanced superpowers in New York developed because of ambient radiation-- hard to say whether that was from the alien weapons, or the nuclear bomb that other humans themselves sent to try to level the city. There's blame to go around. People still find Chitauri tech littered about the city. However, for most of the residents, life hasn't changed much; the trains still run on time (or not), the grocery store still carry your favorite brand of cup noodles (or not), and you still have to bring your boss that coffee (or face their wrath). Mandatory Enhanced Registration has begun to cause friction at work and school, murmurs of dissent. Now and then, an Enhanced loses control-- such as the unknown individual who exploded all the windows in Grand Central Station the other year. Or you see news stories of Enhanced being harassed by people wielding incredible weapons, from forcefield generators to tractor beams. Burglars and pranksters seem to have gotten their hands on this technology as well.

In another life, you might have been once an orcish princess or a steampunk scientist, but these days, you're someone different. The new identity and the new body fit you like a glove. You know your friends and your prospects same as you know your own life.

Pax Sanctum Club

There's one place in New York City where Enhanced and purported allies can be out and about in peace: a speakeasy named Pax Sanctum. It sounds like some hippie shit, but inside, you have green ambient light, sleek white bar, bottles of every liquor type you could want. Rumors vary about peace enforcement here. Some say there's an empath scanning the place constantly, others that there's someone who can manipulate time itself. Older patrons know that the location has moved twice in the past three years, without incident, but no doubt with good reason. Regardless, the bouncers descend quickly whenever a conflict seems to get heated.

And it so rarely does. The ambience is light and sexy. Now and then, you'll find a pyrokinetic showing off lighter fingers to an impressed crowd or an animated debate about current events compared to historical parallels. One level down the stairs, there's even a dancefloor where you will occasionally find dance battles between equally uncoordinated Enhanced and non-Enhanced. It feels like the kind of place where you can let your guard down.

The week's password is Arachnid— there's a Spiderman fan in management somewhere, evidently. Tell the bouncer behind the big metal door.

The Explosion

At 11:42PM on Wednesday, August 2, an explosion rocks the club.

Boom! Glass explodes, people hit the floor. The origin seems to be the dance space at LG 2. An electrical fire erupts immediately, filling the air with a thick, cloying smoke. It's not clear whether the attack was from an Enhanced or a non-Enhanced-- but the fear instantly kindles. People of both kind scramble to form groups of their own, and fight for the two exits. Soon, the sirens of police and fire services begin to echo in the distance, promising interrogations for those who linger. How many people here are un-Registered? And say, didn't you see someone acting a little suspicious right before the blast? Is that them there? And what will you do, when you come across someone bleeding?

Or better yet, when the first punch is thrown, by a couple of angry, drunken survivors right outside there in the nightclub's back alley?

After the explosion, what started as a single incident of violence sends ripples throughout the social fabric of New York City in the weeks after. Police report that the rates of Chitauri-influenced weapons on the street doubles, and even mundane weapons are being bought off the black market at even greater rates than that. Further, every day the news seems to sensationalize stories of stressed Enhanced losing control of their powers... and the Mayor is beginning to make examples out of them, with harsher sentences, rushed proceedings. Whether or not you're Enhanced, the streets are a dangerous place to roam.

NEW CHARACTERS: SAVE ME

Maybe you know that someone's been watching you for days, even weeks. Maybe you noticed— this person you may have known forever, but started acting a little oddly just a few days. Maybe you figured it was sickness or stress, especially after the August 2 explosion. Even people who didn't care about politics at all are starting to take notice now, choosing sides, storing up water... even weapons, the likes of which mankind had never seen before the era of the Chitauri and Enhanced. But this is when it happens: when someone comes to you and offers you the device, the innocent-looking cellular phone, that will change your whole identity.

Or maybe you just stumble upon it yourself. Seemingly a lost phone, a free phone, sitting out innocuous.

Daemon Activate

You pick it up, and immediately, your mind begins to morph inside your skull, disorienting. Your body doesn't change, but you remember who you are. The phone screen lights up, then unexpectedly projects holographic text into the air in front of your face: Activate Portal to Xistentia?^[1]

Unfinished Business

You pick No. Not right now.

Your mind is flooded with memories of your past, your true homeworld. Your true identity crashes into the false memories that this world brainwashed into you, disorienting, heavy; rapidly, your life here begins to feel like a dream. Luckily, you don't forget the helpful details of passing as a native. Nonetheless, the revelation probably comes at a bad time; in the middle of your workday or on the bus, somewhere public, where people are here to see you... as well as the daemon that's now trying to give you a whole infodump about Xistentia and the battle between F.A.T.E.S. and D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. It might be a good time to find somewhere private to go and get that portal out.

Or maybe you're staying because you have unfinished business in this world. Friends or even enemies who might also need to be awakened and helped. Luckily, your cellphone-- or daemon— tells you that there are others in this world on a similar mission from Xistentia. Maybe you can contact them through your daemon.

Escape to Xistentia

You pick Yes.

A portal of glowing light opens in front of you, smelling of ozone, churning with atmosphere. Step through, and you immediately find yourself with the unsettling yet painless sensation of being pulled through space and time. The very molecules of your body supercharge and come apart, shot through the multiverse, and come out on the other side arranged back in your original configuration.

You land facedown on a sandy beach. Your daemon is still with you, but chances are, it no longer looks like a reassuringly ordinary cellphone. It tells you:

"The date is August 12, 2017, F.A.T.E.S. Standard Time. Local Population: 333. Welcome to Xistentia. The city is due East."

OLDER CHARACTERS: RESEARCH & RESCUE

One minute, you were in Xistentia, a refugee from your dying world. Charged with studying D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. the enemy of the entire Multiverse or rescuing others from its clutches. You're lying on a stone table, some kind of magic machine in the Telexistence Temple, surrounded by other people from a variety of worlds, all of them anticipating the same unknowns as you are.

The Moment of Lucidity

The next minute, you're a resident of New York City, totally immersed in your new identity; strangely fixated on keeping your cellphone in hand, but there's nothing strange about that in 2017. For a few days, you were part of this world, completely convinced of a life as rich as your original.

And this is the moment you're back. Suddenly you remember everything, lucidity hitting you like a thunderbolt. You suddenly realize your memories were false, your diet, perhaps even the shape of your body. It's deeply disorienting, and it probably throws you off in the middle of whatever you're doing, whether it's filling a takeaway cup with soda or delivering a speech to a packed auditorium. Suddenly, the false identity you were given sinks into the background; you can still remember enough details to fake it (and maybe take it), but you know who you are.

Hopefully no one here will notice you literally just lost your mind.

Do Your Research

The research part of the mission turns out to be pretty easy! All you need to do is carry your cellphone around wherever you go. You're easily mistaken for someone playing Pokemon! Go or texting avidly wherever you walk. The screen shows you nothing but code gibberish, with the occasional flicker when you're near someone else from Xistentia or an awakened person. It's a good excuse to get out and about.

And maybe also an accidental cause of getting in trouble. After all, whether or not you're a part of it, there is a war brewing between two groups of people, and many of those who haven't taken a side are nonetheless on-guard for danger at any given time. You're as likely to come across verbal harassment as violent revenge, or someone using advanced Chitauri-influenced weapons to knock over a liquor store or throw their weight around.

Rescue Rangers

If you visited this world the week before, in wraith mode^[2], you've recovered those memories too. It might help you recall some of those who now need rescuing.

Or maybe you're going at it blind. In any case, you equipped with a pre-activated daemon in hand, as well as you're own. Your duty now is to find world-hopping refugees that D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. has trapped here, and match the naive device to its new owner with some form of consent-- whether by trick or explanation. How hard can it be? It's 2017. Everyone needs a cellphone.

Small complication: the entire city is fraught with war and paranoia. And maybe the naive daemon in your hand keeps blinking at you signals that ID someone on the wrong side...

Get Home

Your daemon will show you the way home. And dump you on back on a familiar beach amid a screaming chaos. You're welcome!

Footnotes

1. Daemon will take/resume its true form in Xistentia, as soon as the character lands on the beach.
   
   
2. Wraith mode refers to existing characters who had played in the TDM, able to be seen and heard only by the other refugees.
   
   
3. Updated plotting thread for new characters is here.
   
   
4. OOC plot post is here. IC network infodump for existing characters is here.

Comments

janus lefevre ⚔ original character ⚔ ota

[bangitybang]

open, immersed;

[perish the thought, but in this world, janus lefevre is a mobster.

maybe someday, it'll occur to them that that's not so different from what they were known to be in their homeworld. young vampires had feared janus' kind, wolves had warned their young, and sex demons-- that had been a whole other ball of wax altogether. here and now, in new york city, they avoid cops, pay off cleaners to dispose of bodies, are feared by the public in a mythological kind of way, typically out of sight and out of mind, but infamous on the news. that is, they were right up until this shit with the aliens.

maybe you catch janus reading a newspaper about it, sitting outside. enhanced registration! the explosion at pax! protests in the street! or maybe you catch them on the job, sitting in a park, surveilling their next mark, either an enhanced some bigoted consigliere wants taken care of or another person of interest. they look casual because that's how they're trained and they're good at their job, available to give you a cigarette or share half a breakfast bar.

whether in this world or the next, they've always been one of your friendlier murderers.]

closed to vex;

[one minute, the telekinetic was on his way home in the dark, a little drunk, a little nostalgic. there was a rustle of movement, but there are people around, so that was hardly surprising; the city doesn't sleep and it tends to make a shitton of noise while it's rolling around in bed all night.

the next minute, he's waking up in a chair. zip-tied. a heart monitor clipped on his right thumb, the machines to his left blipping and beeping rhythmically. there's an iv strung over his shoulder, wound up around a collar fastened tight around his throat. it could be sexy in other contexts. it would be sexy, probably, were it not for the fact he's been kidnapped into a windowless concrete room, and whatever's flowing through the tube into his arteries makes his head feel like it's clogged up with cotton wool, the reach of his telekinesis turned fuzzy and approximate.

there's a young man sitting across from him, on a flimsy-looking stool; something janus had figured, they wouldn't be hurt by too badly, if it were turned against them. pale face, dark clothes. janus stares at him.] I don't know why Giovanni wanted you, [they tell him.] I wasn't told. You can tell me if you want. It's not going to make a difference.

[vexy]

[ Vex couldn't say this was the first time this had ever happened to him. In fact, he doubted that it would be the last if this fellow was anything like his last captors. His mouth had gotten him out of more than one jam, and into several more but in the end he was a survivor and he'd do what he did best: survive.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was sexy and could feel heat centering around his groin in response to all the bindings and the dangerous atmosphere. However, he felt hungover in the strangest way- like his mind was underwater when he clearly wasn't. Likely a telekinetic block of some sort, clever. ]

Ooh, 'ello gorgeous. [ He almost purred, though even being seductive managed to sound obnoxious due to his accent and that devil-may-care look of his. ] Giovanni? Never heard of 'em, luv. But that doesn't matter now dossit? He's not here but you are. What's your name, darling?

[bangitybang]

James, [says janus, lying and not trying all that hard to cover it up. vex's reaction is kind of amusing— bravado under impossible circumstances. although janus would sooner avoid ever getting into such a situation themself, there is some admiration to be had for the telekinetic's manner under duress. although. is that. is he getting a stiffy?

it takes all kinds, they guess. giovanni's kind of a socially conservative ass— janus wonders on how many levels it was that the mobster took exception to this one. it probably took more than gay panic.]

I'm supposed to experiment on you with pharmaceuticals until I kill you, [janus points out.] You should probably be appealing to my better nature about this whole thing. Crying. Telling me about your family. Or trying not to look at my face. It'd probably work better if you were a woman, but that's what people do.

[vexy]

Mm, issat right Jimmy? I can't say I have a better nature, myself. And I don't suppose you have much of one either, since you've got me all rigged up here. [ It was a terrible too, one that managed to strike fear deep into his core but Vex reacted to fear... differently than most. ]

Look, lovely, since we're both bad boys, and we both know we're bad boys, we oughta have some fun then. What's the use of all this gear if you're just gonna kill me, yeah? I could do things between your legs that you've never even dreamed of.

Because honestly, I don't have a family, or friends, or much of anything so shuffling me off this mortal coil isn't going to accomplish much, issit? Maybe you'd be doing me a favor even! But if you want to make me your woman for a bit at least we can get off before you off me. [ Eyebrow. Wag. ]

[bangitybang]

[this is definitely not the standard fear response. janus stares at the faerie. granted, what with working among criminals, janus has met a lot of weird personalities. ones who had affected indifference when confronted with their imminent demise. others who had shat or cursed or quoted some pretty fucking eloquent shit. this is different.

janus squints. starts to smile despite themself. the fuck is this guy.] This a British thing? [they ask.] Damn, son.

I'm pretty sure you aren't giving yourself enough credit. Giovanni hates you people, but you have to be special to get his attention. He bought me a lot of benzos to play with. [janus starts to stand. pull some gloves out of their pocket, their fabric black and shiny.]

[vexy]

Oh yeah, we're all like this in the UK. Randy and ready to go.

[ He flashed Janus a wink which might have made it difficult for them to figure out whether he was joking or not. With Vex it tended to be a 50/50 chance. ]

Bollocks to ol' Gio, yeah? He's not here, isshe? If you wanna play, let's play. I'm up for anything

[ Literally, apparently. The growing bulge in his tight leather trousers was no lie. ]

powerpose, tw torture, lmk if needs changed

[bangitybang]

[there's a stupid shitty joke on the tip of janus' tongue about how their gloves aren't thick enough for this shit! but they're a little impressed. if you can't be brave, you might as well be horny, and it would appear that vex is very much both. sometimes enhanced seem just like real human beings.

who'dve thunk it, right?]

My money's on, you like to hurt people too.

[they lean over the top of their own chair then. there's no need to get up. the space between them is narrow enough that they have no worry of knocking over the iv stand or anything-- when they jam a fist solidly into the erection in question. in the next life, they'll regret it; in this one, janus soul is light as a feather.] You don't seem like the type to take "monster" as an insult.

[vexy]

Who, me?

[ A statement that would be only more sardonic if he fluttered his lashes while rolling his eyes, the sneer was a bit of a give-away despite the tone being light. However, his urge to be light soon diminished once his vision blacked out as an indescribable pain shot through him.

His howl was entirely pained, nothing pleasurable about it. That was one way to get rid of Vex's erection... No warning, straight for the junk. ] Agg-- son of a-- bloody--! [ His sentences were fractured as his brain seemed to process nothing other than pure pain. Well, he'd definitely had better torture-sessions before he had to say. ]

Well, y-you'd know monsters wouldn't you!? [ He managed to growl out angrily. ] What happened to the 'experimenting with pharmaceuticals' part?!

we should figure out how to maybe ffwd this to vex's lucidity +/- intervention

[bangitybang]

[it's not the most elaborate torture that he mafia had ever thought up. janus shrugs with their shoulders, regarding the faerie with critical interest. vex isn't wrong about one thing; they know monsters.] The pharm is for locking down your powers, [they tell him.] Makes sense to figure out if they work when you're highly motivated to use them. Hence the pain, clear indications I have to kill you, stuff like that. It's kind of an inexact science, but I'm not exactly a scientist.

[just proficient but expendable. a lot of the grunt work criminals fit this description.]

Are you trying to use them right now? [janus cocks their head and, not to rhyme or anything, but they let a certain part of their soul go dead. it's an ugly part of their job, an echo of the other.]

[vexy]

No. Why would I? This is like a brisk walk in springtime, darling. [ He managed to joke, even though he'd hate a brisk walk just as much as he hated Janus' fist on his genitals. ] You'd have to do a lot more for me to do my party tricks for you.

[ He rolled his eyes, as if Janus was boring him with their methods. Meanwhile he was just counting down the minutes to how long it would take the love of his life to track him down, rescue him, and made a bloody smear of the fellow having their way with him. ]

tw torture! and ffwing a little

[bangitybang]

[it goes downhill from there. not that there had been any real hope of renting a pony and skipping across town holding hands, but it's definitely worse after janus punches him in the eye. and then when they get their boss on the phone, ask questions, breaks two of vex's fingers. keeps asking him if he's going to try his powers, if he's trying already, if this is what he calls trying, if this is how he was when he killed the mayor.

who he's working for, too.

janus is amiable for the whole of it, which is probably just their torture style. a steady voice, other than the spot of tension before they wind up and unload a punch into vex's gut. a small smile. they think they're perceptive, clever, and in control, and mostly that's true

but there are a number of things they don't expect, don't catch. they don't notice when vex goes into an odd little reverie and snaps back subtly but unmistakably different. and they certainly don't notice the faint, sub-seismic trembling of the metal in the door, the zips on their clothes, the pipes in the walls, or vex's inert cellphone resting on the table, that suggest that someone has come to find their boy.

and then they make the mistake of leaving vex alone for a bit. mostly, they have to go pee. even a monster has their needs]

[mordacita]

[ There will be signs of his arrival, Rafa is sure. There are side effects to utilising large swathes of electromagnetism. there's the likelihood that hair will start standing on end, that metallics will vibrate. One force calls to another. The light is likely to change, both in quality and intensity, because that too bends towards him.

He likes to think that he's a subtle person. Careful, clever. All those things.

But the truth is, he's always had a flair for the dramatic. This power of his lends itself to that. So it is that he does not simply enter the room to collect his boy. He pushes, and the entire windowframe flies free of the wall, shattering the glass and leaving a hole which Rafa hovers outside, his arms outstretched, his cloak swirling capelike in the wind. There's light around him, or behind him, or both; moving around him in waves, responding to the power he's using. He extends a fist, and the broken frame smashes hard against the door, denting a good chunk out of it.

Rafa's feet touch down inside the room seconds later. He's hooded, and the hood shades his face. ]

It seems I am late. [ He says, simply. He sounds calm, but anyone who knew him well would hear the undercurrent of fury in his voice. ] The noise should draw him back.

[ Rafa approaches, making to free Vex from his bonds. ]

How badly are you hurt? I'll make him feel it ten times over, I assure you.

[vexy]

[ Vex wasn't the hardiest of foes, he was downright cowardly and everything he did was motivated by survival. However, survival told him that double-crossing Rafa, the man he loved, in any way shape or form would lead to a death which would make Janus' torture-tactics feel like a walk on the beach.

Still, he howled when his fingers were broken, when his eye was blackened, shakily sassed with replies of 'what powers?' 'mayor who?' 'i'm self employed, thank you, would you like to see my taxes?' - ow, his stomach. At least it wasn't his groin this time. Somewhere during all of this he began to come to a slow, but distinct realization that something was wrong.

More wrong than being tortured and having his powers suppressed, but like this entire world, his entire life wasn't supposed to be like this. It clicked when the vibrations began, and the clear thought of 'Rafa' struck his mind. Rafa. The beach house. His teeth in his neck, the sound of the ocean-- Xistentia.

But before he could yell about this revelation to Janus the blighter was gone. Where did they go!? Vex didn't have much time to think before he heard the massive noise and was faced with, not the leader he loved, but the vamp he loved. ]

Bloody hell... [ He groaned because normally he'd be overjoyed for this rescue, but he knew how damaged he must look, which meant that Rafa was going to completely obliterate a creature who was actually innocent. And as tempting as it was to not give a damn, Vex was trying to turn over a new leaf. ]

Shit, love, listen to me. It isn't his fault, he's under a... ugh, what do you even call it!? Agh! [ The moment Rafa got his hands free he yanked the IV out, needing his head to be clearer to try and explain this. ] Ruddy thing... [ He hissed as he rubbed his uninjured hand against his stinging shoulder. ] This, all of this, this is going to sound mad, but it's not real. We're not meant to be here!

[mordacita]

[ Of course it sounds mad. It sounds completely unreasonable, in fact, and Rafa doesn't countenance it for a moment. Instead, his eyes fix on the IV, and then slide back to Vex. ]

What have they given you? Be still and let me see.

[ He comes up to Vex, reaching to touch his face and examine his injuries. His eye, bruised from a battering. His body held tense, indicating a beating elsewhere. Possibly more than one. His hands barely working, the fingers standing at odd angles. Rafa takes a meticulous mental assessment, coming to the conclusion, firstly, that it could have been much worse, and secondly, that Vex would be in agony.

How he knows that it could have been worse is, incidentally, not something he focuses on. He knows from a glance where those bones have been broken and what force would have been used, knows that the extraction could not have been finished because Vex isn't hurt enough for that. His torturer had still been working on him. Rafa knows it, and isn't sure how he knows.

His fingers trail gently over Vex's jaw. This is a side of him most people never see. It also conceals violence beneath the surface. He's going to ruin the creature that did this to Vex. No one will look at them, and think it could have been worse He reaches up, smoothing Vex's hair back and meeting his eyes with careful intent. ]

I will get you home. I will take care of you. Sit, please. Rest. Do not worry for your captor. They'll beg for death before I'm done with them.

[ Inside, there's a shudder of recognition, of assurance. A mental catalogue unfurls in his head, as he imagines the payment he'll take from the one who did this.

[vexy]

Just a... drug of some sort to stop my powers. Look, darling, please listen to me, yeah? I'm not mad, I know you think I am, that whatever they did to me buggered me up, but I promise you I'm not.

[ They were words he didn't often use, at least outside of BDSM play. Words like 'please' and 'promise' were rare to nonexistent away from the bedroom. He was desperate to show how serious he was, how clear he was thinking, but he didn't know if Rafa could hear him. Knowing how much they loved each other in this world he probably wouldn't have either in his shoes.

It was tempting to stay. The thought of ignoring the existence of Xistentia, of staying in this world where he was loved without opponents was like a siren's call. It would be so easy to let Rafa prove his love for him by torturing Janus, to know that he inspired that action within his lover made his heart pound.

But he couldn't do that, it was an illusion that was meant to shatter. He woke up, which meant it was only a matter of time before Rafa did as well. Nothing good ever lasted forever for him, so he accepted the fact that he'd have to 'the right thing' here, no matter how much he didn't want to. ]

Wait a moment, yeah? It'll come back to you, you'll remember too. You'll remember Hunter and Shane and remember your home is with them, not me.

[bangitybang]

[this is the moment that janus chooses to come back into the room. they smell of cigarettes, which was the vice they'd been tending to, and also a little bit of mcdonald's french fries, because those are delicious and torture is hungry work. self-care is important, you see.

they had had very specific expectations about what they were supposed to find in the basement, upon their return. they had assumed vex would be confined to a chair, broken or at least steadily along his way to breaking, frightened, and alone, prepared to resume their good work. although most of the checklist is met, it turns out that one rather key detail is off.]

Wh--

[—o the fuck are you, is what janus meant to say. but it's a stupid moment to waste on talking, and their muscle memory is already reacting even though idiotic questions are coming out of their mouth. they whip out a pistol, point, pull the trigger, already trying to shove themself small against the edge of the ceiling and descending stairs, for cover. it's not the best move you could make, with the people involved, but to be fair: he doesn't know who rafaello is.

never mind what.]

lmk if you want any of this changed!

[mordacita]

[ Vex has continued to show signs of being drugged with some kind of hallucinogen. Shane is a familiar name, of course, but it's been a very long time since he was with Rafa. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. Shane, a teacher and a pacifist, has no time for Rafa's mission, despite being just as Enhanced. Rafa does not belong with him.

Of course, all of this only serves to make Rafa more angry with Vex's captor. Hearing Janus behind him, he straightens, and his eyes unfocus. Janus' bullet halts in mid-air, and Rafa turns, ignoring Vex now. He'll deal with him afterwards. Now, he raises his hand, and his eyes settle on Janus. ]

I think you have asked enough questions.

[ At which point bullet flies back. Were Rafa feeling merciful, he might have sent it straight between Janus' eyes. As it is, Janus has blackened his lover's eyes and pounded his skin and broken his fingers. The bullet doesn't fly for their head. It flies for Their right shoulder instead, the one supporting their gun arm. At the same time, Rafa makes a fist, and that gloriously metal gun twists and deforms, wrapping itself around the hand that had shot it. It wraps around, and then Rafa takes hold of it, and uses it to haul Janus into the air. He holds them there, suspended, while he walks towards them. He's calm and quiet, his heels clicking on the floorboards. His voice is soft. ]

Now. Shall we begin? Vex, do retake your seat. You are injured, and I am far from finished.

[vexy]

[ Exactly none of Janus' checklist was met, as Vex was far from broken, frightened or alone. In fact, he had been fairly confident through that entire ordeal that Rafa was on his way to rescue him- as love was a hell of a motivator. He groaned as if Janus was the most inconvenient houseguest he could ever possibly have, and really it was one hell of a situation because he was going to have to play hero and rescue the little blighter and he was shit at playing hero! ]

Rafa! Will you listen to me for one bloody moment!?

[ He was doing his damned best to stand, but that was difficult given how long he'd been tied up and how dizzy the drug made him. He reached out to grab the back of Rafa's shirt with his unbusted hand and tugged insistently- before Rafa pulled away from his grasp. ]

Look at him! He's just a kid, he didn't do any real harm!

[ Different tactic? It was the best he could do, his groin still hurt from the kick earlier and maybe it wasn't a bad idea to let Rafa rough them up a bit. But no, focus Vex, focus. Xistentia, not this illusion. He tried to act more like the fae this Rafa knew, maybe it would catch his attention more. ]

Even a bit pretty, yeah? We were just startin' to get friendly! C'mon, go easy on him, for me?

[ Something Vex never asked for: to go easy on anyone. He was the one always encouraging Rafa to do more terrible things! But it's not like he could tell him to be worse, that'd really screw janus sideways! ]

I uh, I think I wanna keep 'im! You know, as a pet?

[bangitybang]

[this is not pronoun correction o' clock or maybe janus would say something about him being used. but to be fair, the whole thing is a rather under-developed aspect of their identity, even moreso in this world than the other. anyhoo, they probably wouldn't throw down about this issue, when

when you're being shot and hung up in the air by mutantkinesis. metallokinesis by a mutant. enhanced. nothing about these people is explicable to ordinary citizens like janus, and a half-handed grasp on the half-baked theories of genetics and chitauri radiation does nothing to comfort them. murder, they know. the basics of medicine. don't get hit in an artery! the food you should eat for maximum caloric intake during crisis, how soon you'll need to stop before your health goes to runny, cramping shit.]

Fuck, [janus says. and that's all they say, except maybe a couple more fucks under their breath, twisting and kicking, trying to take the strain off their shoulder or break free, it's hard to say which. but they're like a fish caught on a hook. the look they shoot vex is difficult to clock as confused, even though they are. surely vex isn't trying to save them. surely--

but is a pet any better? probably not.]

[mordacita]

[ Rafa has complete confidence in his abilities to hold Janus suspended, no matter how much they wriggle. The metal gun clamping their hand stays in place, likely doing nothing more then straining their wrist as they try to pull away. Meanwhile, Rafa is staring at Vex. ]

A pet?

[ He says, skeptically. Without doubt, this is an argument that would work better were Rafa still a vampire. Then, he would remember having thralls in his lifetime, and would remember feeding from them, playing with them, and generally, in every way that mattered, keeping them as pets.

This Rafa lacks that experience. He has followers, not servants, and certainly not slaves. That would be against everything he believes in, everything he fights for. ]

He tortured you. Your hand is ruined. Your eyes are black, your nose is most likely broken.

[ Of course, as he says all this, he's getting worked up again. He turns to Janus, this time focusing on the bullet he'd placed in their shoulder. Rafa's eyes narrow, and the bullet very precisely moves, driving itself towards Janus' collarbone. Rafa brings it against the bone and presses, not enough to break but certainly enough to hurt. ]

I dislike that. I believe you are owed an apology. Would you like to give it before, or after I puncture your lung? It will be harder to speak then; I recommend acting now.

[vexy]

[ Vex had a distinct feeling that it was the absolutely wrong request, but what else could he do? Plan A hadn't worked, plan B was strange but maybe he could somehow jog Rafa's memory if he continued down this path. ]

Think about it! You, me, a-- [ He grunted as he forced himself to stand and slowly hobbled to Rafa to place his nice hand on his shoulder. ] Uh, pretty little friend? I tell you, he was bloody good at torture, maybe we could use someone like him.

And this? [ He acted as if his broken hand was no big deal as he shrugged, and tried not to wince as another shot of mind-numbing pain went through it. His hands were his most precious body part, not that he'd understood at the time as to why- now he certainly did- and he'd whine whenever he got so much as a paper-cut, let alone shattered bones. ]

I'll heal, yeah? 'n my face is still gorge and you know it. [ He leaned in to give a light kiss to Rafa's jaw, careful not to bump his nose into his cheek because ow. ] C'mon. For me? Let's keep him. I bet he could get to like us and our cause. You know he could've been a helluva a lot worse to me, all things considered... I think he wants to join us, deep down inside.

[bangitybang]

[that is definitely not true, janus thinks.

but then agony bursts through their shoulder, a red flower of pain where rafa is fiddling with the bullet inside their flesh, and they change their mind somewhat. it could be slightly true. sometimes resisting torture isn't so much about giving them nothing, as keeping your claws in your objectives. being alive is a good objective. sure, loyalties matter too, but right now-- all that janus has to offer to the mafia is the fact they aren't immediately shrieking they're willing to change sides like underwear.

they clench their teeth against a groan, arteries jutting in their forehead, their jaw. this would be a great time !! (or you know, at least a timely time) to suddenly become lucid, but they don't quite yet.]

[mordacita]

[ Vex is a problem here. A confusing problem. Rafa doesn't understand what's wrong with him, though it's very easy to blame it on the drugs. His eyes narrow. He cannot conduct a painful interrogation while his second in command undermines him in his own ear.

This needs to be fixed. Vex needs to be fixed. He needs to get him home.

Perhaps the prisoner can wait. ]

Very well.

[ He lets Janus drop to the floor. Then, still tugging on the gun wrapped around their hand, Rafa drags them over, and crouches down to look into their face. ]

I do not know what you did to him, but believe me: you are going to tell me. I do not think you will enjoy being our pet.

[ But for now, it's a reprieve. He looks at Vex. ]

Does that please you at last? When I am done with him, you can have the remains.

[vexy]

[ Vex exhaled a quiet breath of relief when Rafa relented. Who knew saving a life was about a thousand times more difficult than just taking it? Oh wait, he should've know that he'd been a hitman in this life and his real one.

Ugh, his head hurt. His hand hurt. His heart hurt. His everything hurt and he just wanted this to end. He whined under his breath, 'just bloody remember already'. So he could get this over with. So he could get back his lonely miserable life. The one where he wouldn't spend every night in Rafa's arms, gazing into his eyes, feeling the kisses that were meant only for him.

Vex clenched his fist and yelped when it turned out to be the injured one. ] -- shit! Agh! No! I mean, yes! I'm so ruddy pleased, I'm over the moon! [ And he bit back the urge to scream 'wake up already! ] Let's take him home.