Author Topic: That which yields is not always weak. [glooob!] [M/TW] (Read 17787 times)

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #180 on:** October 05, 2015, 01:59:41 pm »

Esha's heart sank. She knew she could expect no better, but...gods. She had been hoping for at least a little more time to recover, but...at least she wasn't to be taken. Not that this was any better. It was no less a violation, and made her stomach twist all the more.

Practice. She assumed she knew what they meant.

But disobeying was not an option, and she rose to her feet, eternally grateful for the painkiller. Hopefully, there would be more where that came from.

She limped along with the Steggadonians, head down, shoulders slouched in defeat. Whereas before she may have tried talking to them, questioning them, now she just didn't have the energy. She just had to hold out until she was extracted. Just had to survive long enough to get out of here. She held that single thought in her head like a beacon and hoped it would give her the strength to last that long.

Daglobster · « **Reply #181 on:** October 05, 2015, 02:04:32 pm »

"Awful quiet today," one of them teased.

"Reckon Skerro taught her nice and good..."

They shared a laugh, and one of them looked back at her. Now that she'd see them from behind, she'd be able to see that they carried these gigantic, multi-barreled revolvers on their rear hips. A matching pair.

"Job's simple for today. Make sure things stay where they are. Clean messes, get a drink to anybody who asks for it. And..."

The other took over from there.

"Suck off anybody who wants it from you. That's your practice. Better do it good, too. Skerro'll hear what happens if you did a bad job. Skerro'll punish you, and then it'll be off to Maddok for ya."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #182 on:** October 05, 2015, 02:17:46 pm »

Wait.

Clean messes? Get drinks for people?

Esha blinked up at the pair in surprise. She had been anticipating an entirely different situation--like, maybe being tossed into a room, forced to...service...myri ad Rivideans. It seemed the sort of barbaric thing they would do to her. This? This sounded more like a party. No less bleak than what she'd been picturing, but there was at least the slim the chance she could keep herself a little scarce and busy fetching drinks. And if it was a party, she could gather more information. Maybe nothing that would help her, or even help her cause, but...

Gods. She needed a mission. Needed a distraction. Anything to keep her sane. If that was learning a bunch of unimportant facts and listening in on useless gossip, at least it was something. And maybe...maybe she'd see Korto. He was no friend--he'd made that clear--but if she found him, maybe she could convince him to take her off to some secluded space, pretend she was...servicing him, and escape for a while.

Maybe, maybe.

Maybe the Steggadonians would grow wings and fly away.

Right.

Her gut twisted with fresh nerves, her damaged fingers twisting on themselves, and she swallowed hard and looked up at the pair. "Is this...is it a party, sir?"

Daglobster · « **Reply #183 on:** October 05, 2015, 02:34:54 pm »

The two Steggadonians registered her words, and shrugged at one another.

"You did it last time."

"That's right, I did."

The one on the left wheeled about and extended an arm, intent on giving Esha a stiff backhand to the cheek.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #184 on:** October 05, 2015, 02:43:03 pm »

Esha cried out, head snapping back, and she stumbled into the wall and caught herself against it. Tears sprang up in her eyes and she sucked in a shuddering breath as she braced herself. And yet even as her vision blurred, she managed to glare at the brutes.

And here they had mocked her for being quiet.

Daglobster · « **Reply #185 on:** October 05, 2015, 02:48:03 pm »

"What'd we say about speaking, slave?" said the one who hit her.

"Don't fucking do it."

They watched her, waiting for her to do something.

"And it's not a party, either. You're pretty unlucky, slave; You're workin' the mansion's guard lounge."

The other chuckled.

"All those strong fighters, relaxin' from their shifts. Lookin' to... Unwind."

"Maybe we'll see you there, slave."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #186 on:** October 05, 2015, 02:58:06 pm »

Esha went ashen at the news, her ears going back.

...Not a party at all.

This was exactly what she'd been initially fearing. She was literally being tossed to the wolves, then. Tossed to a crowd of soldiers. Her legs turned wobbly and she took a shaky step back, shaking her head.

Daglobster · « **Reply #187 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:00:25 pm »

The Steggadonians looked at each other, and then at her. The one on the right cracked his knuckles.

"Now now, slave. Let's not get frisky. Come here."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #188 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:08:48 pm »

Frisky? She was the opposite of frisky! This wasn't friskiness, this was fear!

She tensed up, eyes moving between them, noting the one cracking his knuckles and feeling that nausea rise in her throat. She had no options here. Get beaten and be tossed into a den to be sexually abused, or just...be sexually abused. Either way, it was still going to happen. She couldn't run from them, and even if she could, there was nowhere to do.

Hugging herself tightly, she drew in a shuddering breath and took a step forward. At this point, it wasn't even about escaping pain. It was only about minimizing it. If that meant one less beating, then...that was about as good as she could hope for.

Daglobster · « **Reply #189 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:17:11 pm »

"'Atta girl," the Steggdonian who cracked his knuckles said. The other looped one of his fingers under her collar, and he used that to tug her along as they moved.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #190 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:25:44 pm »

Esha walked along as he tugged her, keeping pace so she wasn't dragged or choked, her mind racing. Was Korto a soldier? Would he be there? Gods, please say he would; he could still help her, maybe, but there were a million reasons why he might not be there, too, or might not be able to do a thing for her.

But she couldn't help but hope.

And couldn't help but hope that, maybe, there were more Rivideans than just him that were merciful. If he was on their side, helping for whatever reasons he had, didn't that mean there could be others?

Still her chest was painfully tight as they walked, her body a bundle of nerves.

Daglobster · « **Reply #191 on:** October 05, 2015, 03:59:18 pm »

Fortunately and unfortunately for Esha, the lounge wasn't her final destination. Because when they rounded a hallway, there was none other than Skerrondus waiting for them. The Steggadonians froze in place, before relaxing. Skerrondus was in his full suit of armor, holding his helmet under one arm and toting some kind of triple-barreled machine gun in the other.

"Boss?"

Skerrondus beamed at the two Steggadonians.

"Change of plans, boys. NutTurna Klan's crossed the line. We're going to war!"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #192 on:** October 05, 2015, 04:13:43 pm »

Esha froze with the Steggadonians, her heart stopping and chest squeezing with a pent up scream as Skerrondus loomed into view. For a second, she felt fuzzy, faint; maybe he'd changed his mind, maybe he'd decided yesterday wasn't enough. She felt sick, her face going pale, until he spoke.

...War?

With another Klan?

Did that mean...did that mean she didn't have to...?

She swayed a little as relief flooded her, though she knew it might be premature, and was surprised that it was war, of all things, that was giving her that relief.

Thank you, gods.

Of course, there was still the question of what that meant for her--whether she'd be dragged along or remain prisoner here.

Daglobster · « **Reply #193 on:** October 05, 2015, 04:48:58 pm »

"Esha's coming with," Skerrondus said, and he took a chain from his belt and latched it right onto her collar.

He pulled her in, nice and close, and put a hand around her neck. He stared down at her, yesterday's events replaying in his mind. From the way he smiled, she'd be able to see just what he was thinking of.

"I've got something to show her..."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #194 on:** October 06, 2015, 10:32:32 am »

Pulled in close, Esha's shoulders wanted to hitch up around her ears (which would have been an impressive feat), and her skin utterly crawled. She was tense in his grip and quick to lower her eyes, not wanting to look him in the face, for just the sight sickened her.

And then, his words.

Yesterday was a blur. She remembered much of it--too much--but a lot of it had begin to blur and melt together as her mind rejected it and tried to process it all at once, and sheer agony and misery had blotted out a lot, but she remembered enough. Her breath caught and she tried to shrink back from him, ears laid flat, and finally she gathered the courage to look up at him.

Please don't let it be what she felt it might be...

Daglobster · « **Reply #195 on:** October 06, 2015, 03:20:22 pm »

"We're going to have ourselves a hell of a time," Skerrondus said and looked up to the Steggadonians. They smiled, and walked away. Skerrondus took up her chain, and tugged her along, wrapping the chain around his wrist.

He looked back at her, steel teeth gleaming.

"You're coming with me in my WarFortress."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #196 on:** October 06, 2015, 06:43:44 pm »

What?! Oh gods, but her shiv! It was still under her cot! What if someone cleaned the room and found it?!

More importantly, what if she needed it?

The blood drained from Esha's face as she stumbled along with Skerrondus, feeling like she might sick up all over again. It was bad enough being here with him, but at least she had her cell--that was time away from him. If she went with him...

She might not have any time away from him at all.

Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods...

And yet, she clung desperately to hope. If they went away from here, out of this fortress...maybe she could escape...

And yet, still another chill went through her as she realized with every step she took that she was going farther and farther from Korto, the only ally she had here.

Daglobster · « **Reply #197 on:** October 06, 2015, 07:15:20 pm »

Skerrondus tugged Esha along for a solid few minutes. They passed through rooms and courtyards filled with milling soldiers, all gathering about and getting ready. Soldiers left and right, going to armories, garages, and causing an overall ruckus.

Soldiers whooped, hollered, and otherwise got excited, and when they hit the fortress' main courtyard, it was packed with a staggering variety, vehicles of all shapes and sizes, and none the same as the last.

They moved past this, however, and approached a giant garage with Skerrondus' insignia plastered all over it in offensively white paint. Skerrondus raised an arm, and the garage door split and slid apart, revealing the very symbol of the Rividean domination of Jeth.

The Hare Krushinya, in all of its titanic glory, towering over the two of them, a treaded titan, the very same vehicle that crushed the Feylini armed forces. The hull was patched and adorned with pieces of Feylini tanks, and from the main cannon dangled a wreath of Feylini skulls. All of their foreheads were stamped with Skerrondus' insignia.

"Looks different up close, doesn't it?"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #198 on:** October 16, 2015, 12:49:49 pm »

It was awful, how small, insignificant, and helpless she felt.

You just have to hold out, Esha told herself. Live long enough to get out of here.

But she was afraid she might not make it--or worse, that there might not be much to extract by the time help came.

She felt dazed as she was tugged along, dazed from being just purely overwhelmed, and yet a little dazed from her painkiller, too. At least, she thought it might be the painkiller that left her feeling numb, but maybe that was shock, too. Shock and denial from yesterday, and the fresh shock of what she was seeing today, and what she'd almost been through--and what she might go through yet. So many soldiers. So much wicked technology, much of it plundered from her own people and bastardized.

And when they finally reached their destination and Skerrondus unveiled the grand finale...

Once again, Esha felt her stomach cramp up and breath catch.

She knew that vehicle--that rolling fortress.

She'd seen it all over television when she was younger.

The titan that had turned the tide in their ages long war.

Esha's hand flew to her mouth and she took a step back.

That was who her "master" was?

HIM?

Her heart beat so hard she thought it might fracture her ribs. "It...it was you?"

Daglobster · « **Reply #199 on:** October 16, 2015, 03:39:50 pm »

"The one and only, Esha," Skerrondus said, his voice a purr. He tugged her along as he went to stand by the thing's massive treads. He laid a hand on it, claws scraping gently against the rust-speckled metal.

"She roars like the thunders of Harnhalla itself. I remember the day she was first deployed," he said, even as a ladded was lowered down so they could board it.

"Sometimes, I remember the screams from when I drove her through your planet's weakling army. They soothe me."