Remnants of the Earth
INTO THE PAST => Flashback Threads => Edanith FBs => Topic started by: Rhi-Rhi on September 04, 2012, 01:54:37 pm
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There wasn't much to do in a sleepy frontier town like Greenhaven. Even the name was boring. With one school that covered all grades (and with so few students that classes were often combined) and a single burger-and-milkshake joint, there wasn't much for a group of teenagers to actually do. Gods help you if you caused trouble; everyone knew everyone else here and the news would get straight back to your parents before you could say "grounded".
And when your parents were military and your sister was an esteemed Mordecai, you were expected to serve as a good example.
Ari hated it.
Even though he was born out here, he felt more at home in the city, on the rare occasion that work took his family there. There was more to do, more to look at, and it wasn't just the same few dusty faces over and over again.
Here, the only real entertainment was the burger shop. It was where all the kids gathered after classes to play billiards or take advantage of the one arcade machine, some outdated fighting game that they'd duel each other on. Lose, and you had to eat the strange concoction of milkshake-and-condiments that the winner created specially for you. It was stupid, but it passed the time. You had to get creative in places like this.
"Hey! Whitehead!" one of the girls called to him with a grin, a spunky rancher's daughter. She'd taken up position at the machine and slipped a coin in, and she bounced another coin in her palm. "You on for another helpin' of humble pie?"
Ari snorted and rolled his eyes. "Tch. Ya only won last time 'cause Mel was grabbin' my ass," he said as he took up position next to her and popped the coin in. Okay, so that was a lie. He could tune out the playful groping well enough; he'd just never been good at these games to begin with and didn't have much interest in them, except when his honor was challenged.
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Darvish had come into Greenhaven under the guise of a traveling merchant. He had arrived in the early afternoon traded and sold some items to the various adults in town and charmed the shit out of them with one old lady even offering him a place to stay for the night. It was so sweet but he politely declined, saying he could not take advantage of her kindness like that, it just wouldn't be right.
He didn't pay any noticeable attention to the teenagers and kids in town but he did scout them briefly as he went about his day. He had been all over town and he knew word would spread about the kid merchant who was in town. By evening he had noticed that the teens started to gather at a local burger joint and he bided his time till all the pretty things he had seen were inside.
He had stopped in there at lunch time and knew the layout of the place already, he was entirely prepared for this. He was well aware that he was handsome and charming when he wanted to be but he went out of his way to look cool for this part of the plan. He had donned his brown leather bomber jacket, tussled his wavy shoulder length hair and headed in to the hangout. His eyes were immediately drawn to the teens playing on the old arcade machine, one that he was fortunate enough to know very well.
He could feel eyes on him, he was new, cool and different, so of course they looked at him. He had ten minutes now that he had entered the establishment. Ten minutes to seduce and captivate these kids. Darvish strode up behind the two playing the machine, particularly behind a pretty white haired boy he saw enter earlier. "Can I get next game?" He asked as he watched the screen.
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Ari looked away from the screen when a new voice sounded behind him, and that was all it took. The girl--Bridget--gave a whoop of triumph as she KO'd his character.
Ari let out a curse and stepped back from the machine. "Yeah, go for it. And no, Bridget, I'm not drinkin' your shit. Last time I did I spent the night pukin'." It had been some awful concoction of chocolate shake, mustard, ketchup, salsa, salt, artificial sweetener, torn-up napkin, and gods knew what else. Maybe it made him look like a pussy, but Bridget was kind of the reigning champion when it came to making the drink of nightmares.
Glancing at the new guy, he watched him curiously. He was older than the lot of them and obviously not from around here. There was something mysterious and dangerous about him too--dangerous in a safe way, though; rebellious and cool. Maybe this was the new merchant he'd heard some talk about but hadn't really paid attention to.
Bridget blinked over at the new guy, and Ari watched as she flushed at the sight of him but tried hard to keep her cool.
Ari stood back with the rest of the kids to watch. "So, you the new guy?"
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Awww he lost. "Sorry about that, let me defend your honor." He was really cute up close too, the white haired boy. The girl was attractive enough to fetch a good price too, there were plenty of treasures here, but Darvish already found his spoils. The captain let him pick one to play with before they went to sale, while other crew members would do similarly, Darvish had to get special permission since sometimes he went a bit too far with the toys.
He smiled at the white haired boy as he put in his coin. It was a friendly, charming smile. "Is it that easy to tell I'm new in town? Yeah I travel around selling stuff so I probably won't be staying to long either." He selected his character and turned to this 'Bridget'. "Since it seems like you guys do dares based on this game, how about if I win not only does this kid not have to 'drink your shit' ...which I'm not sure I want to know what means, but it counts as his win since I messed him up. Ok?"
He selected his character without waiting for her answer.
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Bridget flashed the man a mischievous grin. "Okay. And since you're 'defendin' his honor', if ya lose, you both gotta drink it," she said, and pressed the start button.
"Bridget! Go easy on the guy!" Ari laughed and stepped closer to them. "I dunno, man, ya might wanna reconsider that. It seriously ain't worth it. I'd rather take the blow to my honor than have my insides explode. This girl'll kill ya if ya don't watch it."
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Not only was Darvish not going to drink anything these kids cooked up but he was not going to lose. And it took Darvish all of fifteen seconds to prove his skills at the old game. After the quick and crushing defeat he turned to the white haired boy and let out a light-hearted chuckle. "You were saying?"
He then turned back to Bridget. "I have played this game before, had one of these where I grew up. No hard feelings right?"
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Bridget let out a groan and relinquished the machine, and Ari flashed a grin her way. "Looks like the reignin' champ is officially dethroned."
"Suck it, Whitehead," Bridget said, then smiled charmingly up at the new guy. "Nah, you won fair and square. Good game."
Ari replaced her at the machine and slipped a coin in. "Guess that means it's us, eh?"
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Darvish smiled back at the girl before turning to 'Whitehead' who had taken Bridget's spot at the game now. "'Whitehead' huh? That is an unfortunate name, is that even Edani?" He teased as he selected his character, a different one from before.
He would come up with a better name for his soon to be new toy, something sweeter like the delicious looking teen. There would be time for that later though, soon the boy would be his and all of these kids would be cargo on the Angel. Just a few minutes now. "So what happens if I beat you... I'm sorry I really don't want to call you 'Whitehead'."
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Ari shook his head and snorted a laugh. "Nah, the name's Ari," he said. "She just calls me 'Whitehead' so much I've learned to filter it out as background noise."
He selected a character--his favorite one, some fighter with stretchy limbs--and then grinned over at him. "I dunno. Your pick. That's kinda the point of dares, ain't it? I'm just not drinkin' anything. If you lose..." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, since you're new, I'll be nice. If ya lose, why don'tcha buy us some more fries."
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"Alright Ari. Well when I win you have to... lick the floor." He chuckled. "I am no good at creative dares." He grinned before hitting start, his green beast-like guy going after Mr. Stretchy. Just a few more minutes... and hopefully Ari could beat him quick without it being too obvious that he was throwing the game.
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"Ha, alright. Deal!" Ari said, and pressed start. After some of the other dares he'd taken, licking a floor didn't sound half bad.
The match lasted longer than Bridget's, and before long he'd KO'd his opponent. Ari threw a fist in the air. "There! See? Goddamn. I'm actually not terrible when I can focus!" he said, then grinned up at the merchant.
"Alright, pay up, mister...uh..." He let his arm drop and scratched the back of his head. "What's your name again?"
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Darvish put his hands up in mock surrender when Ari beat him. "I guess I should have used my best character again, I got cocky..." He smiled at the beauty. "My name is Darvish... and it seems like fries are on me huh?" He chuckled nodding to the merchant and then pulling out his wallet to pay for it all. Great now all the kids would be paying attention to him. One minute to go...
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All the kids were paying attention to him, impressed that he'd actually pay up. Already the mysterious merchant was starting to become quite popular here--an adult that looked cool, acted cool, played by their rules, and didn't talk down to them. And that splurged on fries on a dare. More of them were starting to wonder what else they could get out of him in the name of a dare, since most of them were on a more limited allowance.
Ari grinned. "Yeah, don't worry. Next round, I'll make ya chew gum someone's stuck beneath a table or somethin', so I don't rack up your tab too much. It's cheaper," he said with a wink. He produced another coin. "Up for a rematch?"
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He watched as the kids were all enamored with him and how awesome he was. After paying for the fries he made his way back to the cute white haired boy who wanted a rematch already. How sweet he thought he had won on his own! And he winked at Darvish, what a perfect play thing he would make before going to sale! If he survived the playing even.
The other's were getting and eating their fries so Darvish moved nice and close to Ari and leaned into whisper in the boy's ear. "There isn't time for that Ari..."
It was barely a second later that the other guys from the Angel bust through the front and back door, all of them with guns out and ready, one even shot the employees of the place. Darvish grabbed his pretty white haired boy and put his gun to the boy's head. "Everyone put your hands up, we are going on a little ride kids~" His voice was clear, commanding and deadly serious.
If anyone tried to run they would get shot without hesitation.
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Before Ari could comprehend Darvish's words--maybe the guy had to leave?--the doors burst open and it was like a scene out of some movie.
His mind didn't connect what he was seeing with reality at first. Ari stared, frozen to the spot, as armed gunmen swarmed into the place and started firing, flinching at the piercing sounds of gunfire and the shrieks of the other kids but unable to move for the life of him. He watched, transfixed, as a waitress dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks, the fries she'd been carrying scattering about her. Red stained the floor and Ari had the vague, irrational thought of please let that be ketchup. Some part of him knew he should be fleeing and yet he couldn't, mind one great big petrified blank, another part of him afraid that if he moved he'd attract attention and get shot but if he didn't he'd get shot and this couldn't be happening.
The other kids reacted in a myriad of ways, some freezing like deer while others dropped to the floor and curled up and others threw up their hands. No one said a word and when the gunfire faded, there was utter silence but for a few stifled sobs. Ari was still trying to process everything when he felt someone grab him, felt cold steel at his temple, and heard Darvish's voice.
Reality started to take hold.
"D-Darvish?" he got out, throat tight. "What's goin' on?"
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Darvish watched as the others rounded up the kids and one even stole the shop's money, he'd have to get back what he paid for those fries later. The other kids had bags thrown over their heads so the couldn't see and their hands tied behind their backs before they were led to the door. It wasn't like Darvish and the other crew members hadn't perfected this process.
Awww and his sweet white haired beauty was so scared~ those cracked words coming out so quiet among the controlled chaos. "I'm so sorry Ari... I'm sorry about all of this... but we have to go along with them or we will all be killed. I won't let them hurt you though, I promise." He whispered softly in the boy's ear so no one else could hear, and he managed to sound genuine too.
He pulled Ari's arm behind his back and led him to the door with the other kids. When they reached the outside of the shop it was like a different world then it had been 10 minutes ago. There were bodies in the street, but at least the entire town hadn't been sacked. The kids were quickly marched to a small transport ship that had landed just outside of town and any adults that tried to help the kids were shot immediately.
It took about 7 minutes to get all the kids to the transport ship and for the ship to take off again, heading to meet up with the Arbitrary Angel up outside Edanith's atmosphere. Darvish held on to Ari the whole time, gun to the boy's head while whispering sweet words to him. "It will be ok, I promise. I'll protect you."
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The next few minutes passed by in a surreal blur.
He wasn't sure how he made it to the transport ship on his own two feet; his legs shook as he walked, knees wanting to buckle, and then he saw the bodies. More bodies, laying there in the street. Some were facing away from him, but some, he could see the faces. People he knew, passed by everyday, even exchanged talk with. It became hard to breathe.
And then he saw the ship.
They were leaving Edanith.
Gunshots went off but he didn't turn to look; he didn't want to see who it was, and he didn't dare move with the gun pressed to his head. It would all be over once he boarded that ship and he knew it--but it was a choice of fighting and dying here, or living longer, and he wasn't ready to die. Someone was going to save them, right? Someone was going to stop this. They'd be intercepted before they got on the ship. His parents would come. Maybe his sister. She was supposed to be coming into town today...
No one came. They boarded the ship and he was left with Darvish, who was still holding onto him, still pressing the gun to his temple, and saying all those things that didn't make sense but that he wanted to believe, because nothing made sense right now but those words offered hope.
Ari stared straight ahead, not really seeing anything, unable to stop shaking. He felt ready to vomit, stomach tied up in a painful knot and breath coming too fast. He felt the ship shudder as it took off--the first time he'd being on a ship and this was how it was--and only vaguely heard what Darvish was saying.
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Ari was terrified and Darvish was more then thrilled by it. He turned the boy around and hugged him briefly. "Don't be scared Ari, I'm here." He whispered before they docked on the Angel.
The other pirates marched the kids to the brig, but Darvish held the gun to Ari's back and grabbed his arm again, leading the white haired boy to his room. Once the door was closed and locked he let go of Ari and put his gun away. "I'm so sorry Ari..."
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Don't be scared. The words were so ludicrous, Ari would have laughed if he wasn't so petrified. He was scared out of his fucking mind right then and he was not ashamed to admit it; he'd seen his friend rounded up like cattle today and friendly neighbors and innocent restaurant staff killed, shot in the head like they were nothing. He was being taken gods knew where, away from everything and everyone he knew and he had no idea what was coming next or what would happen to his friends.
He didn't respond to the hug, neither to reciprocate or push Darvish away. He just accepted it and yet, foolishly, ridiculously, found something in the gesture comforting. Maybe he would help. Maybe he was a double agent. Maybe he didn't want to be here either.
The boarded another ship and he was lead along again. This time he did risk turning to look as they went, risking a final glimpse of his friends as they were herded away in the opposite direction, which made no sense; why had he been singled out?
Their march came to an end inside another room, and Ari didn't bother to take a look around and get his bearings. The instant he was released and that gun put away, some of the paralysis wore off.
He spun around to face Darvish, eyes wide and panic-stricken. "Will ya please tell me what's goin' on?" His voice was higher than he would have liked, bordering on hysterics, but fuck if he cared right then.
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Darvish nodded in response to Ari's question and moved to sit on the small bed, patting it for Ari to do the same. "...They are pirates Ari... and... I suppose I am too. When I was a teenager I was kidnapped too... but one of the pirates gave me a shot... a chance to join them, instead of being sold off or killed... and I did what I had to, I still do. I had to go into the burger joint and distract you all, or I would have been shot just like they shot the employees there... and the towns people in the street. I had to Ari."
He let out a heavy pained sigh, knowing how convincing he could be when he said these things. "I have been forced to do these things time and time again and it never gets any easier, but they let me live if I follow orders... I am sorry Ari... I am sorry about your friends."
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Ari took a seat on the edge of the bed only because he felt too shaky to remain upright. Still, he perched there uncomfortably as though ready to spring away at a moment's notice, too jittery to relax, hands gripping the edge in a white-knuckled grip. He could still see their faces, eyes glassy and distant...
He swallowed hard and did his best to absorb Darvish's words. He was a prisoner, too. His stomach clenched. Kill or be killed, huh?
Sorry wasn't going to help anything, though. Those people were dead and he and his friends were here. Everything else felt meaningless. But why was he telling him this? Unless he could help?
"What's gonna happen to them?" He looked at Darvish. "Why aren't I with them?"
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"They are going to sell the others Ari..." Darvish said softly. "I could only save one of you... Ari, you can... you can prove your worth and join the crew... if you don't you will be sold into slavery like the others... or killed. I don't want to see that happen to you."
He reached out to lightly touch the boy's knee. "I'll help you Ari."
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His stomach churned. Slaves. He thought of Bridget, so pretty and spunky, winding up sold away, never to see her again, along with all the others...
He jumped a little at the contact, the touch bringing him back to reality, and he took a deep breath. Those were his choices. Die, be a slave, or work the system. They weren't good options, but fuck, it wasn't hard to figure out which one he was gravitating toward.
"Ya will?" he said, and added, "Why me?"
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"...I thought about choosing the girl... Bridget, but you seemed to need my help more... you... reminded me of myself." He pulled his hand off the boy's knee and put it around his shoulders instead.
"I promise to take car of you Ari, one day we will get out of here. Okay?" Darvish gently pet that pretty white hair and hugged Ari to his side.
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Ari couldn't help it. All the stress of the day caught up to him in that moment and he couldn't help but lean into the Darvish, not realizing until then that he needed the security that gesture provided. It was something familiar and safe and concrete in an upside-down world--and this was all he had.
He leaned his head against his shoulder and had to take several deep breaths to try to calm down. Even with this new goal and sliver of hope, he felt like he was going out of his mind and so much of this still felt unreal and disconnected. "Yeah," he said. "Okay. Thanks."
He glanced up at Darvish. "The others...there's really nothin' we can do?"
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Darvish kissed Ari's temple, the same one his gun had pressed against earlier, and rubbed the boy's back. "We can just hope that were ever they end up... its not too bad, anything else will just result in their and our deaths..."
Ari was so lovely, and already so trusting~ how wonderful. Just knowing he had the boy right where he wanted him was exciting. "At least we will have each other Ari."
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Ari's stomach clenched again and he felt on the verge of being sick. Too much was happening too fast, too much information coming at him as he struggled with the reality that his friends really were going to be sold off and he was really here and none of them were going home. He grimaced and got to his feet, legs still rubbery. Darvish's words were only a small consolation; this was a man that had helped kill people he knew, round up his friends, kidnap them all.
And he wanted to help him.
He couldn't do this right now.
"I don't wanna think about it," he said, and rubbed his face. "Do ya got a bathroom?"
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Aww poor thing looked like he was turning green. Oh no. "Not in here I don't." Darvish stood up and put an arm around Ari's shoulder. "We have to go across the hall, you have to do exactly as I say without question. Especially if there are pirates around. Ok Ari?" He guided the boy back to the door and unlocked it.
Outside there were other pirates coming and going, Darvish grabbed Ari by the arm and dragged the white haired boy down the hall a bit to a large dorm style bathroom with showers on one side and urinals and toilets on the other, the sinks were straight ahead, with a large mirror above the sinks. Darvish let go of Ari's arm once inside and checked to see if anyone was in there. Coast was clear. Darvish locked the door. "Whatever you need to do Ari..."
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Ari nodded in acknowledgment and let himself be lead along, outside the room and to the bathroom across the way. He wouldn't have disobeyed even if he had the choice; he didn't know where anything was, and where the hell would he go, anyway? They were in space.
Which was yet another thing he had to wrap his head around. Gods, he was doing so much crazy mental gymnastics right now, he didn't even know where to start.
Inside the bathroom, he made a beeline for the sinks, leaned over them, and splashed cold water over his face. He took deep breaths, willed himself to calm down, willed his meal to stay in his belly, and willed the cold water to wake him up. Wake up, wake up, wake up...
He didn't realize that he was whispering that out loud.
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He looked like a boy whose world was crashing down around him, perhaps because that was exactly what was happening. It was hard for Darvish to conceal his delight, but he managed to do so very well. The older male walked behind Ari to hear those whispers of 'wake up', but this was no dream; it was a living nightmare.
"Ari... let me help take your mind off things." Darvish's tone was smooth, gentle and sweet like honey as he hugged the white haired boy from behind and pressed his lips to the younger male's neck. "Please... if you let this overwhelm you, you'll never survive."
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Ari was still splashing water over his face when Darvish hugged him from behind, bringing him crashing back to reality. He was still here, nothing had changed. This was real, and--and Darvish was kissing him?
He stiffened in surprise and leaned away from the touch. Sure Darvish had kissed him before, on the temple, but that had felt comforting, brotherly almost; this felt a little too familiar, too invasive. "Uh..." He shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure how to respond. "Alright, I think I'm done."
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He felt Ari stiffen and shift uncomfortably. There was plenty of time to take it slow, but Darvish really didn't want to... still the sweet act had a time and place, and unfortunately to do this right it was here and now. Darvish backed off to make Ari more comfortable. "...I'm sorry... I'm used to... never mind."
Darvish turned away, acting like it was too hard to talk about, clamming up. "I wasn't... I was just trying to make you feel better." The act was important here. Soon Ari would be his, eating out of the palm of his hand.
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Ari turned around to face Darvish, back pressed against the sink, and grabbed some paper towels to wipe his face dry. Okay...so maybe the guy was kind of socially awkward or something. He guessed being kidnapped and forced to fucking kill people would do that to a person.
"I think I just need some space right now," he said. "No offense. I...I get what you're sayin', but I kinda feel like shit right now."
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"...I understand." Darvish said softly. "...we will be sharing a room for now, but I will try and give you your space and let you adjust... I know how hard this all is."
Fuck did he wanted to just slam Ari against the shower wall and rip off his clothes. Space? Darvish had no desire to give Ari space, but he'd do it to make the fun later even more enjoyable. "If you are ready let's head back to the room."
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Ari took a deep breath. Figured he'd get no privacy anywhere here.
"Yeah. Gimme a second."
He made quick use of the urinals and washed his hands before he returned back to Darvish, hands in his pockets and head down. "Ready." As ready as he'd ever be. At least he no longer felt in danger of puking, still nauseous but not unbearably so. Now he just felt exhausted.
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Once Ari was ready to go back to the room Darvish pulled out his gun, unlocked the door and grabbed Ari's arm. He whispered 'I'm sorry' once more before dragging the boy out into the hall. A few crew members snickered as they walked by, and then one, that pretty blond cook, glared at Darvish as they walked past each other. Ykan looked down at the white haired boy but didn't say anything. If that meddling bitch tried to say anything Darvish would bash that pretty face in.
Darvish dragged Ari back into his room and then let go of the boy. "I'll get us some food in a bit. Just try to relax ok?"
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Try to relax. Ahaha. Right.
He would be collapsing from exhaustion and mental fatigue soon, though, but that wasn't the same as relaxing.
Still he nodded at Darvish's words and headed over to the bed, gave the room a once-over to find that there wasn't a second bed, and let out a low sigh. At this point, he really just wanted to be left alone. What Darvish was doing...he didn't know how he felt about it yet. He appreciated that he'd saved him, but resented him for putting him in this position to begin with, for lying to him, for killing his neighbors and kidnapping his friends. Part of him wanted to be grateful for being saved, but the other knew he wouldn't have needed to be saved if not for him.
And part of him resented being singled out--felt guilty, irrationally, for being chosen when others hadn't, when everyone else was being sold off.
Why him?
It was both a relief and utterly terrifying.
But he couldn't properly process it all with Darvish right there. He couldn't process much of anything. He rubbed his face with a hand. "Alright. Sounds good," he said, and added, "Uh...where do I sleep?" He probably couldn't right now, but he could at least pretend, and hopefully get some time to himself that way.
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"...there's only the one bed." Darvish said after a moment. "You can sleep in it though, I will figure something out..." He stood by the door. "...I have some things I have to do Ari, and then I'll be back with some food, ok?"
He wanted to kiss the boy good bye, confuse him more, but Ari wasn't ready for that yet, it wouldn't work out right. "I have to lock you in, I'm sorry... but I'll be back soon, try and rest at least." And with that the older man left the room, the lock turning so that Ari was left alone in Darvish's room.
-
As soon as Darvish was gone, as soon as he heard the lock click into place, Ari let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, though the tension in his shoulders didn't ease up. Finally he was alone. Finally, he could hear himself think and, hopefully, process some of what the hell was going on.
First, he needed to deal with the panic. That had never really gone away; it had just gone into remission. But as it sank in that he was locked in, it returned, and now that he was alone with his thoughts, he was also alone with the horror of what had happened.
He needed to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't do anything. Torturing himself would do nothing.
What he really wanted to do was crumple onto the bed and cry--and he hadn't cried in years, had never had a reason to--but the idea was embarrassing, even alone. And he was far too wound up to sleep, even if he was exhausted. He needed to keep his wits about him. Needed to think. He closed his eyes and pressed his palms to his eyelids, took several deep breaths and held them, and tried to think. Think. Think. Think.
First things first--he should find out more about his captor. Maybe he could find something useful. Anything that could help him if ever he got the chance to run and needed to identify him--or, though it was unlikely, anything that could help him contact the outside.
Even though Darvish was friendly, even though he was on his side and had helped him, even though he had a believable and sympathetic story, he was still a pirate and a killer and holding him hostage and it felt dangerous to snoop, but he did it anyway, ears straining for any signs that he'd returned. The instant he heard footsteps, he planned on throwing himself onto the bed and feigning sleep. Working as fast as he could, he walked a circuit of the room and rummaged quickly through what he found--mostly books and booze, nothing of use there. He riffled through his closet and felt inside the pockets of his pants. Nothing. Of course. All he was really getting was that he liked to read and drink.
A chilling thought hit him: maybe the room was so empty because he'd planned all this.
Shuddering, Ari moved to the bed and opened the drawer of the bedside table--and promptly slammed it shut.
It was full of lube and condoms and other unmentionables. Uh. Awkward. Not to mention useless. The guy got a lot of tail. Kudos to him.
With a sigh, Ari flopped backwards onto the bed with an exasperated laugh, tired and stressed to the point of deliria. Fuck. This was so fucking ridiculous.
-
Darvish had to report to the captain briefly and explain that he had already taken his 'cut' for this job and that he was relinquishing his last toy to the next sale. The last one was pretty but he was too compliant... too dead inside already. Still, he paid one last visit to the pink haired boy who he had moved to the brig just before going down to Greenhaven.
The prettly pink little thing was a good fuck though, especially since the whole Ari thing seemed like it was going to take a while to do right. After getting his rocks off he showered and then headed to the mess hall for some food. He joked with the rest of the crew, some of which were asking about his pretty new acquisition. The usual stuff. If they could have a go at the white haired boy, how long it was going to take till Darvish had the boy wrapped around his finger, if he was going to fuck him tonight... and the whole time Darvish could feel the blond cook's magenta eyes boring holes into him.
Well he didn't give a fuck what Ykan thought, it wasn't like they were even mildly friendly with each other. He took some food for the two of them and headed back to his room, all in all he had been gone about an hour. He unlocked the door and saw Ari slumbering on the bed. "Hey... I brought food." He said softly closing the door behind him and locking it again.
-
Darvish's voice roused Ari out of sleep and he gave a little jolt. Shit. He hadn't meant to pass out like that.
With a grunt, he leaned back on his elbows and blinked blearily up at Darvish. "Oh. Sorry," he said, rubbing at his eyes, before focusing on the food Darvish held. "Thanks."
He wasn't hungry; his appetite was still soured by everything and he still felt like a bundle of nerves, but he forced himself to eat just the same, if slowly. Ari hardly even paid attention to what he was eating, just focused on getting it down and keeping it down.
"All done with everythin'?" he asked between bites, just to fill the silence.
-
"It's ok... you need rest, I understand." He said softly as he sat next to Ari, eating with him. "The food is pretty good today at least, it depends who cooks it... some days it is pretty awful..." He said at least seeming like he was lightening the mood.
"I... well I am done for now..." He said softly trailing off and looking down at his food. "I think I have to entertain tonight..."
-
Ari paused, food halfway to his mouth. "Entertain?"
The way Darvish said it, it didn't sound like anything good.
-
Darvish lowered his head a bit more and gave the other a small glace before hiding his face. "I'll have to bring you to the brig before he comes."
-
"Wait...what?" Ari lowered the food back to his plate. "Who's 'he'?"
-
"...Ari don't make me say it." Darvish didn't look up at the white haired boy. He just played with his food on his plate and let out a sigh. "...one of my higher ups is coming by to fuck me tonight Ari."
-
Ari was silent for a long while, a sick feeling taking hold of his gut. He probably shouldn't have been surprised; these people had murdered people, imprisoned people, rounded them up like cattle. It wasn't such a stretch that they'd...do that to people, too.
The only thing surprising about it was that they'd assault one of their own crew.
What the fuck kind of place was this?
"Sorry," Ari said, averting his eyes and staring down at the bed, not sure what else to say, or if there was even a right thing to say. "Just...fuck that. Fuck these people."
-
"...I'd rather not." Darvish said finally taking a bite of his food. "Besides... they do the fucking... I mean... I'm used to it by now. I'd... I'd rather it happen to me than to you..."
-
Ari looked at Darvish then. There was something kind of terrifying about seeing the guy that had kidnapped you, killed people, and promised to save you suddenly looking all broken. All abused.
"They do this shit to their own fuckin' crew? The fuck is this place?! I thought ya was pirates, not...not...some fucked up sex slave shit. Are ya a sex slave or somethin'? Am I? What the fuck is goin' on? I thought ya were one of them!"
-
Darvish pulled himself together and looked at the younger male. "...I've never really been one of them Ari. They keep me around cause I obey... I do what I am told as long as I don't have to... you know, kill anyone. I don't even keep bullets in my gun Ari. I just want to survive. I am crew in name only... I told you didn't I? I was just like you... but I won't let them hurt you. I promised I'd protect you and that is what I'll do."
He was good at playing people, and Ari was buying it. Why wouldn't he?
-
That didn't really answer many of his questions, but Ari felt too sick to point it out--he didn't really want to know.
Ari set his plate aside on the bed. He was still hungry, since he hadn't eaten much, but he could no longer taste it and had lost all interest. Besides, if he ate anymore, he might lose it all with how he felt now.
"Well this place is sure a fuckin' delight."
-
"...you get used to it. You may hate me, and I may not be great company but at least you won't have to suffer this place alone like I did." Darvish took a small bite of his food. He hadn't eaten much either, it was part of his game. Besides... he could eat after he took Ari to the brig if he wanted.
He set his food aside and looked at his watch. "...if you're done eating we should head down to the brig now... I don't want you hear when he comes."
-
"Yeah. I'm done."
Rising to his feet, Ari looked anxiously toward the door and back, arms folded over his chest as though for protection. "Um. You're gonna come back for me, right?" he said, shifting uncomfortably. "You're not just gonna leave me there after...ya know..."
-
Darvish stood too. "You may have to stay there for the night... but I will come back for you first thing tomorrow." He said softly and seriously, like a promise as he took his gun out of its holster. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back... we have to make it look like your my prisoner."
-
Ari eyed the gun nervously, and then looked back up at Darvish. He didn't like this. Didn't really trust that he'd come back for him, or that nothing bad would happen while he was in the brig. But what choice did he have? And what purpose would Darvish have for bringing him up here, feeding him, and reassuring him if he just planned on tossing him away? Seemed like an awful lot of effort for nothing.
He let out a sigh and turned his back to Darvish, hands behind his back. "Alright. If ya say so..."
-
Darvish held the boy's hands by the wrists. "Just stay quiet and keep your head down ok?" He said softly as he lead the other out into the hall and towards the brig. Of course there were several reasons he couldn't bring his pretty new toy to the main part of the brig. It was times like these he was so appreciative of the special holding cell just outside the brig proper. It was a small, solitary, dark room that was mostly sound proof with only a small sliding metal opening at the top. The rest of the brig was made up of normal barred cells, like a small prison, but they usually held the salable catch, Which right now contained of the pretty boy's friends and neighbors.
He unbolted the dark solitary cell and lightly nudged Ari inside. "You'll be safest in here, just try to get some rest." He said trying to sound reassuring.
-
"What? In here?" Ari said, voice hushed as he twisted around to stare at Darvish with wide eyes. Even though Darvish had pushed him inside, he stuck a foot out passed the door frame so the man couldn't shut the door.
He glanced back into the dark room, and then at Darvish, and shook his head. "Uh, don'tcha got somewhere else?" Anywhere else? Ari wasn't generally claustrophobic or afraid of the dark or anything, but the idea of being stuffed in that little metal box and left there for gods knew how long...just the thought turned the small meal he'd eaten sour.
-
"Ari... If I put you somewhere else... you wont be... safe. Do you understand?" He said sounding sympathetic. "I will be back for you I swear. Please just try and rest." He reached out to gently ruffle the boy's hair. "Please."
-
"I...okay." Ari glanced back at the room and shuddered, then locked eyes with Darvish. "Okay, just...just don't leave me here, alright? Promise you'll come back?"
He didn't like how small and panicked his voice sounded as he stepped backwards and into the black room. "And, uh, can ya leave the little window thing open?" Gods, he sounded pathetic. But he didn't want to be alone on this ship. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, when his only thoughts were his awful memories--and his awful reality.
-
"...yeah sure I can Ari. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." With that Darvish closed the door and the heavy metal sound of it locking echoed in the small room. The light coming in through the little window thing was faint but at least it shed a little light on things. Darvish walked away with out another word to his little toy, had to leave the dear wanting more of course~!
What neither of them had realized when the door closed though, was that the room was not empty. Nikephoros was huddled in the darkest and furthest corner from the room, hugging his small and slender frame as he watched the other boy, his eyes were more adjusted to the dark at this point. His own long pink hair seemed so bright to his eyes he didn't know how the others didn't see him. Now that they were alone he wasn't even sure if he should say anything to the other boy. Maybe it would be best not to draw attention to himself... he wasn't being spoken to. He should stay quiet.
-
As soon as Darvish left, Ari pressed his back to the door and slid down it until he was seated and hung his head in his hands. He felt like he might puke. For several long moments he stayed like that, forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths through his mouth and out his nose to try to calm himself down, but now that he was alone, now that Darvish was no longer around to utter soothing words, he felt the familiar panic rising up again as reality gripped him.
He missed his home. His family. His parents. His sister. He just wanted to go back. Oh gods, what was the last thing he'd said to any of them? Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods...
A creaking sound made his head snap up, but it was just the sound of the walls settling. However, that was all it took. By then, his eyes had adjusted to the dark--and he was able to see just enough to learn that he wasn't alone.
It was the light hair that caught his eye first. It was the shine of eyes that alerted him next.
"FUCK!"
Ari jerked to his feet and jammed himself back against the wall, even though he was already pressed back against it.
"Who the hell are you?!"
-
The other boy's startled jumping startled him too. Nike raised his head and pressed himself further into the corner. He winced as the other cursed. When people cursed at him their fists were usually soon to follow. He opened one eye again after a moment, after he realized he wasn't going to be hit for being stupid again.
"N-Nike... Nikephoros Bellamy, sir." 'Always say your whole name when introducing yourself, and even if the master decides to call you something else never forget your name'- his mother's words echoed in his head. "I-I'm sorry if I scared you... they probably forgot they put me here. I'm sorry."
When the door opened he expected that man to come take him again, but he didn't and selfish as it was Nike was glad.
-
When Ari saw the other kid was just as scared as he was, he relaxed. Kid sounded more frightened than him, and less violent than he had been prepared to be. He let out a breath.
"S'alright," he said, and drew his knees up to his chest. "Uh. I'm Ari. Ari Maxwell. Um...ya weren't taken from the hamburger place, were ya?"
-
This boy didn't seem too scary after all, he also seemed older than Nike now that he got a good look at him. "It's nice to meet you Ari Maxwell." He said trying to be polite.
"Hamburger place?" Nike was confused by this. "No... I was being delivered to my new master but the ship was hijacked, so now I will probably be sold to a different new master."
-
The kid's words formed a cold lump of dread in his gut. Master? Of course. This was a ship of slavers. But hearing that again reminded him of the situation, made it feel less dreamlike. He hugged his knees tighter.
"So...you're...you're a slave?"
-
Nike nodded a bit. "Yes, I'm a slave... I always have been. What about you?"
It seemed like this boy was kidnapped. He wondered what that would feel like, to be free one minute and then not the next. It seemed hard.
-
Ari tensed, unnoticeable in the dark. "Fuck no I'm not! Never have, never will. And what do ya mean you've always been one?"
-
He'd only seen someone in denial like this once before but that was a woman in her 30s. It was sadder to see this boy not understand what was coming.
"My mom is a slave... I was born a slave." He explained.
-
"That's fucked up," Ari said, not knowing what else to say to something like that. And now that he was face to face with an actual slave, reality was harder to deny--and doubt came crashing back down on him. What if Darvish was wrong? Or lying? And he was going to be sold off anyway?
Once again, that familiar anxiety was starting to build up inside him, eating at his insides like acid. "How can ya be so fuckin' fine with that?"
-
"Fine with it?" What else was there to be? It was what it was. He was a slave, it was a fact. He had never been anything else. Even so...
"...I'm not fine with it. I-I mean... I wasn't fine with being sold. I wanted to stay with my mom..." He said softly.
He had never said such a thing out loud before and the words stung his throat as he knew he should not say such things. His wants mattered not. He had been sold and that was that. He had been captured and that was that. His opinions on it didn't matter.
-
His mom. Ari felt his heart clench uncomfortably, his breath catching in his throat. His mom.
Up until this point, Ari had been so focused on surviving, so focused on his own present condition, that he hadn't really had time to think about everything he had left behind. But as soon as Nike mentioned his mother, Ari couldn't help but think about his own.
And how he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. Had he even told her he loved her before he went out with his friends? Probably not...he never said that enough...
He felt his eyes begin to burn, much to his own shame, and he quickly looked away and hoped the dark would hide his eyes. "Um...yeah..."
-
The pink haired boy scooted a bit closer. Nike could tell Ari was upset, and not just about his new found situation and surviving it. He was upset because it just hit him that he wasn't going to see his family again. Nike had seen it before- gone through it in silence when he was sold.
"...does your family know where you are? Maybe they can buy you back at some point?" It was rare but if Ari's parents weren't slaves themselves they could save up and buy him back. He heard of kids being sold to cover family debt with the promise of getting them back eventually... He never heard of it actually happening though.
-
Oh gods oh gods oh gods...
"Um, no, they uh...they..."
Fuck, he didn't even know if they were alive.
Ari felt his lip tremble, and he bit it to try to stop it. But it didn't stop the hot tears that slipped free and rolled down his cheeks, which he was quick to dash away--but not quick enough. Like a dam that had gotten a hole in it, what started as a trickle soon burst into a choked sob, and Ari twisted away from Nike in embarrassment and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes.
Fuck...
-
Nike slid closer to Ari and awkwardly pat the older boy's back. "I'm sorry... " he said softly.
He wasn't sure how to help the other. It was... He could understand in some ways how Ariimust be feeling but he had no way of making it better. Not really. He just hugged him. "Its ok to cry now... Get it out... Hit something... But never in front of them ok? Cause... You can't show them that. You can't let those in charge of you see your emotions." He found himself repeating things his mom told him. Tears streaming down his cheeks too.
"You just... You remember your name, and who you are. You don't let anyone take that. Even if you have to hide it inside yourself for a long-" He swallowed and squeezed Ari as reassuringly as he could. "Long time."
-
The way the other kid was talking, it made it sound like...like this was his life now. Like this was it, he was a slave, and...oh gods. He sucked in deep, shaky breaths, trying to control his breathing, his tears, but just ended up choking. Drawing his knees to his chest, he pressed his forehead to them and clenched his eyes shut as his tears soaked through his jeans.
This had to be a dream. Please, please let it be a dream.
"What...what happens to us?" he said quietly, muttering into his knees as he hugged them tighter.
-
Nike frowned as he watched the other boy hugging himself. "I think... From here we get sold. I am not sure. They just brought me here recently. They seem to like to use the people they take first. Some are luckier than others. Maybe they will leave you alone?"
What good would lying do for the other boy. He rubbed his own face to dry the tears. He was just glad Darvish had finally lost interest in him. He didn't want to spend one more night with that man that was for sure. He was almost looking forward to being sold. He rubbed his still bruised ribs, trying not to think about that guy.
Nike looked back at Ari. He wished he could do something to help the other boy.
-
Ari snapped a look to Nike. "Use us? Like...?"
He trailed off, growing pale, remembering Darvish's fear and his talk of some man coming to visit him. That's why Ari was here in the first place, to avoid all that. His stomach twisted and he looked away, quickly dashing away his tears and sucking in a shaky breath.
Oh gods help him.
"No one's ever tried to like...fight back?" he finally asked, voice small.
-
Nike frowned more. This was hard. He didn't want to take away Ari's hope, but he didn't want to lie either. Having grown up knowing his place and what would become of him, what he was and would always be...
It was all very different for him than what Ari was going through.
He moved closer and pulled off the skin tight, charcoal, sleeveless shirt he had been dressed in to meet his new master- before the pirates attacked the transport ship he was on, and winced as it peeled away from his bruised ribcage. "I got this without even fighting back. Just because he 'wanted to see what the colors looked like on my skin'."
He pulled his shirt back down and looked at the ground. Eyes down when you are not being spoken to.
"There are a lot of them, and they have weapons, and we are in space. If you fight back it makes it worse, and there is no where to go anyway."
-
Ari stared in horror at the bruises. They looked awful; were his ribs broken? It looked really bad...and he wasn't even being given any treatment? Did they want their slaves to die?
He shuddered, glad when the boy hid his bruises again. Okay. Good point. Where the hell would they go? They were out in motherfucking space, the pirates had weapons and numbers...
But gods, there had to be a way...
"Who did that?" he asked quietly, grimacing. He wanted to at least know who to watch out for, which ones punched when provoked and which ones did it out of sadism. "Was it...um...Darvish said something about a man, and...er...that's why I'm down here. To hide from the fucker."
-
Nike went silent when he heard his abuser's name. He had not seen who brought Ari in so it was the first time the fact that this kid was his replacement fully kicked in. Of course. It made sense. Ari was probably more the pirate's type. He had spirit, which made him breakable. Moldable. Nike was already too compliant and trained, something he realized pissed Darvish off more than utter resistance most likely would. Darvish seemed the kind Of man who liked to break in his own toys. Nike was already worn down.
After a few moments of silence he grasped for the best way to gently explain this to Ari. It was times like this he was grateful for two things. That Darvish was not the first sadist he had met and that he had not been a virgin prior to Darvish. He felt bad Ari.
"...Darvish is a manipulative and sadistic compulsive liar. He is the one I was... He did that. I don't fit his ideals though. ...maybe if you play along it won't be as bad?"
-
...What.
No. No way.
But this kid had no reason to lie.
The blood froze in Ari's veins and he just stared at Nike, uncomprehending for a few beats. "Darvish? You're kiddin', right? Ya thinkin' some other guy 'cause...uh...Darvis h? No way..."
But the sight of Nike's bruises flashed in his memory and his stomach did another anxious flip-flop. He rubbed his sweaty palms onto his pants and swallowed hard. Darvish? He was the sicko? He'd lied to him? Pretended? And there, beneath the fear, a spark of anger kindled and he sucked in a deep breath, fists tightening.
Holy fucking shit.
"How the fuck do I 'play along'? Just...just keep pretendin' I don't know? Fuck!" He slammed a fist into the wall, ignoring the pain that blossomed as his skin split. "I shoulda fuckin' known! Fuck I'm a moron!"
-
Nike flinched as Ari's fist connected with the wall. He wasn't afraid of Ari really, it was just a knee-jerk reaction.
Maybe he shouldn't have said anything. Maybe the ignorance would have been better for Ari but at the same time he couldn't not tell him. He had to known not to trust that man. "You should act like you are grateful, but don't be too obedient, pretend you trust him but don't be too compliant either. That's all I can say. I can only guess what he wants from how I 'screwed up'. I wasn't his 'type'. I am sorry Ari." He muttered softly.
He didn't think Ari was a moron, but he wasn't like Nike. There was no trust for him to put in anyone because this was all there was for him. This was his life and expecting anything different was foolish.