6/13 Issue: Not Today, Satan!

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Slarti
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Title: Damn Not Given
Nightscrawlearth Character: :icey :phoenix

6/13 Issue: Not Today, Satan!

Post by Slarti »

Timelined after Oh, Tandanna!

Arcade: Arcade straightened his brand new bow tie, picked to match Jean's eyes, and gave himself a grin in the mirror. He turned to watch Miss Locke finish preparations at the table, took one last look around the room, then shooed her away. "This is no time for you to be here. You would only make her anxious." He slicked back his hair and sauntered to stand behind the chair he had picked for his guest, then snapped his fingers to summon her to it.

Jean: "-swear to God we're burning these." Jean's brain and mouth both took time to catch up with her body's new location. "What the Fuck?!" With one of Jamie's filthy shoes still in her hands, she clutched it to her chest and pulled her feet up to look around in a panic. A room. Not white. A chair. Her ass was in it. A... table?

Arcade: "Language! That's not how a lady should speak!" Arcade tsked from behind her. "I really don't want to take away your mouth again before you eat the sumptuous meal I had prepared for us." He sneered at what was in her hand, wiggled his fingers, and it hopped from her arms to go sit in the corner. "I also don't want to restrain you...yet. So, keep your hands to yourself until the main event."

Jean: Jean screamed and fell off the chair, following the shoe's general path to put her back to the wall. "What the fuck!"

Arcade: A heavy sigh came from Arcade and he watched her as the shoe laces slithered out to bind her hands together. "Yes. Later. Be a good girl and come back to the table. You weren't asked to be excused and that's a no no."

Jean: His words didn't even sink in as she watched the laces from Jamie's shoe tie her already sore wrists. This was a dream. This had to be a dream. Be a dream, dammit! Jean was hyperventilating now and her head spun when she jerked to look up at her captor. Later?!

Arcade: Her wild eyes made him grin and he sent the chair to scoop her back up. "I have a proposition for you. Be a good girl and behave."

Jean: That was at least the second time he'd told her to behave and Jean tried to force herself to calm down. What. The. Fuck. She squeaked when the chair picked her up and plopped her back into its seat, then scuttled back to the table. Maybe if she was very still, she'd get another chance to get free?

Arcade: "See? Now was that so hard to do?" He ran his hand over his slicked hair and went to sit in the other chair. "What would you like to start with?" Arcade lifted the lid from the first dish to show her the large bowl, "Spaghetti? Or how about," he lifted the cover off of the plate, "some steak?"

Jean: Jean watched the guy, getting her first truly good look at him. He reminded her of something, but she couldn't place it. His red hair was more orange than hers, shellacked back with something, and he was still wearing a white suit. Dork. Her eyes flicked to the table, terrified of what might be under those covers, but it was - "What?" Her voice came out raspy from so much screaming. "They're... empty."

Arcade: Arcade's face contorted in disgust. How could she not see?! "You're.... an idiot," he mocked her tone and put the lids down on the table so he could snap his fingers, letting her see the sumptuous feast on the table. He then gestured to the plate furthest from her, "Funnel cake, then. Or perhaps a fried twinkie."

Jean: Her brows shot up. Oh, she wasn't the idiot here. She was busy twisting her wrists beneath the table, trying to free her hands, when the food appeared. Jean's mouth dropped open. It was like a carnival threw up on a Roman feast. Wow. It looked real, and she could even smell it.

Arcade: A slow grin spread across his face and he leaned on the table with one elbow, close enough for him to count the freckles on her nose. "I'm sure you'll be making that face multiple times tonight."

Jean: Jean closed her mouth with a snap of teeth that made her head hurt, sitting up straighter to put some distance between them. Nooooo. Nononono.

Jean: "And," she paused to clear her throat. "What makes you think that?" She tried to reach for her powers. Nothing. All she could do was hope Jamie's shoelace was worn enough to snap. Quickly.

Arcade: "There is no thinking involved. Merely knowing." A fork materialized in his hand and he stabbed a meatball from the spaghetti, offering a bite to her. "You're famished. In more ways than one."

Jean: He was right that she should be hungry. She wasn't. In fact, the smell of roasted meat was making her stomach churn, reminding her of Jamie's dupes. "Maybe that's because we haven't had food or water in... how long have we been here?" Jean was terrified what would happen if she denied him, however, so she leaned just enough a small bite.

Arcade: "Like I said, 'famished.'" Arcade gave her a grin and leaned in to take a bite from the meatball as well. "Isn't that tasty? Don't you want more?"

Jean: Jean had seen Lady and the Tramp, and they were not re-enacting it on her watch. "Yes... but my throat... could I have water?" She turned on the sad eyes, unsure how well they'd work since she had to look like hell. "Please?" she rasped.

Arcade: Arcade rolled his eyes and a glass with a tall straw appeared in front of her. "Wet your throat while you can. Once you're nice and lubricated, we can move onto the next part of the evening as I'm getting rather bored of you not wanting to eat."

Jean: Lubricated?! Jean fought to not react to that and took a tiny sip of the water to see if it was safe, then was unable to help herself - she was thirsty now that she had something to drink.

Jean: Eventually, she licked her lips. "Next part? I never said I wouldn't eat... I'm just... confused, I guess? ...how long have we been here, and we haven't had anything, but we're alive... it just doesn't make sense." Jean tried to sound as clueless and harmless as possible, keeping her tone high and breathy.

Arcade: Arcade adjusted his bow tie a bit at the way she made her voice sound and he stood, moving behind her chair again. "You live, and die, at my bidding. If I do not want you to be hungry, you do not need sustenance." He leaned down, hovering near her ear, "It's easier to play with toys that aren't hungry."

Jean: She swallowed and tried not to flinch away from him, stilling her hands in her lap and clinging to the shoe. "So that's all we are? Toys?" Jean closed her eyes. Don't. Freak. She was trembling a little, however. "Why?"

Arcade: That made him laugh. Why, indeed! "Why not?!" Arcade reached into her lap and wrapped his fingers around the shoe one by one. "Don't you enjoy playing with your toys?"

Jean: "But, we're people? I don't have toys that are living, breathing people..." Her words trailed off a little when his hand ventured into her lap. Jean swallowed and tensed.

Arcade: With one tug, the laces let go of her wrists and he brought the shoe into view, "Oh no? Do you not play with Jamie? He's quite amusing. Or what about your friend Elizabeth? She's a hoot! I almost took her, too, but her hair kind of clashes with mine and we can't have that."

Jean: "He's not a toy. Jamie is my fiance, and I love him. I don't torture him." She turned her head a little, watching the shoe. "So w-where is Elizabeth?" Not dead. Please not dead. “Did you kill her?”

Arcade: Before she could blink, the shoe was across the room and he had snatched her hand with the ring. "Fiance, hmm? Wrong hand for this, then. Unleeeessss... You're lying." He gave her a malicious grin, "Which, you should know, won't protect you from me."

Arcade: Arcade laughed again. She was funny! "No, not dead! What good are dead toys?! She's a toddler just like the rest of them."

Jean: "A toddler?!" That was out before the rest registered and she tried to twist her hand free. "I'm not lying! Why would I? What the fuck are you going to do to me now? So far you've made me watch the man I love die. Over and over and over. I didn't have any protection from that!"

Arcade: "The man you love. Well, we'll see about that, won't we?" He let her hand go free and pulled her chair back from the table. Arcade held a hand down to help her up, giving her a smirk as he did so. "Although, whether you love him or not is of no consequence to me."

Jean: Jean did not like the sound of any of that, but stood anyway, ignoring his hand. She was taller than him! Ha! "It's of consequence to me."

Arcade: Hmph. He used his hand to slick back his hair and led her away from the table to a cozy nook that appeared on the other side of the room. Soft pink draperies hung from the ceiling around a cozy looking loveseat. "Is it? And what makes you think that bothers me in the slightest?"

Jean: Pink. She might never want to see pink again, now. "It should."
Arcade: Arcade gestured for her to sit and gave a one-shouldered shrug. He fixed his bow tie, just in case the shrug messed it up, then perched on the arm of the small sofa. "I have a proposition for you." His eyes went from her red hair, to her toes, then back up, savoring every inch in both directions.

Jean: "What sort of proposition?" She could guess by that look. Her skin crawled and she crossed her arms over her chest where she stood. Left with just her sports bra and uniform pants now, she felt entirely too naked.

Arcade: "Since it bothers you so much that Jamie keeps dying, I'll let him go free, unharmed any more than he already is. Along with Anna and Tandy." He bared his teeth in a wolfish smile, "If you stay."

Jean: That was about what she'd expected, but hearing it aloud was worse. "Why would I even believe you? You'd just kill them and tell me you sent them off to live on a nice farm with a new family or something."

Arcade: "I would do no such thing! A deal's a deal, after all. What kind of monster do you take me for?"

Jean: "...you've killed Jamie at least ten times! He feels it! You clearly know that! You took away my mouth! You're keeping us here like animals!"

Arcade: "I was playing with my toys," he countered with a huff. "But, fine, if you don't want to do this deal, then I'll just take what I want." Arcade stood and shoved her down to lie on the sofa. "One way. Or another."

Jean: Her head hit the arm of the sofa and her temples throbbed. "Like hell you will!" Jean aimed a kick straight for the nads and the heel of her hand for his stupid freckly nose.

Arcade: She had managed to connect to his nose briefly before he had been able to fully sidestep. Arcade pulled out his polka dot handkerchief and dabbed to make sure there was no blood. "Ah, ah, ah," he tsked. Restraints slithered out to hold down her wrists and ankles. Legs far apart, of course. "That type of reaction will just make me punish you further, you realize."

Jean: "No! You fucker!" Jean fought the restraints, feeling the material digging into her sore wrists. If she had her powers, she'd incinerate him on the spot.

Arcade: Jean had a wonderful sense of humor and he cackled. "Yes! You get it now!" His fingers trailed over the band of her sports bra. How best to remove her clothes when she was tied up? His normal way wouldn't be any fun.

Jean: She arched away from him and spit at his face. Dead. This fucker was so dead.

Arcade: Arcade took a small step back in order to wipe his face with his polka dots. "Spit. That reminds me." He gave her an evil grin, "Used toys are so much less fun. As are things that spit up on you. I can take care of that little problem for you." He shook out the handkerchief, folded it neatly, and tucked it back into his jacket. "For us, really. I mean, can you imagine being a mother when you won't even share your toys?"

Jean: "There is no us," she spat, focusing on that until the weight of his words set in. Her stomach cramped, but lower in her abdomen, and Jean cried out. "What did you do!" She wanted to curl up in a ball as the cramping rolled over her, but couldn't move beyond the restraints. "God!"

Arcade: "You're right... What have I done? I forgot to lay out a tarp to catch the blood." Arcade grinned and a tarp appeared below the loveseat. "Much better. Two problems will be easily remedied now. Dead baby and no messy clean up! I love it!"

Jean: Jean's scream was wordless. She couldn't fight this, no matter what she did. No powers, no hope... no future. She hadn't been convinced she was pregnant, but if she was, she would have loved it. Welcomed it. A baby with Jamie - her hair, his eyes. She sobbed, only able to picture his bright, excited grin. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Arcade: "You should be." His voice lost the playful lilt it had had the entire time, now it was flat and stern. "No one refuses Arcade. And above all, no one gives Arcade used toys."

Jean: Still crying, she only half heard him. Fuck, it hurt! "I'm..." Jean pulled on the things holding her arms, willing herself to be stronger. "not talking to you! You fucker!" The restraints started to smolder.

Arcade: "As I said before, that had been the plan. But, then I recalled what the two of you had been talking about and dearie me, that would not do!" His grin crept back onto his face, "Once we're rid of this problem, we can go back to my original plan."

Jean: She felt hot, like she was burning up, and for her it was a relief. "I'd rather die." Flames rose on the restraints and Jean strained to touch the source of the fire. It will be okay.

Arcade: What in the hell was that?! Arcade sneered at the fire and tried to dampen it. "Oh no. You're not dying today. Just the baby you think you have. Possibly Jamie. But not you." It wasn't working. Why wasn't it working?! He saw the flames flicker in her eyes as well and hastened to hide his shock. "Never you."

Jean: He was right, in a way. She was Phoenix, after all. "You don't get to say his name." The flames were licking up her arms now and her hair rose in tendrils of flame. Burn him. Jean tried, but he was fighting back, somehow. She snapped the restraints and righted herself, feeling the raptor's wings start to rise.

Arcade: Well that wasn't good. Arcade flicked his wrist to throw the shoe at the creature since his powers seemed to not be doing much on their own. But that failed, too, so Arcade put his arms in front of his face and decided that now was not the time to play with this toy. He would have to figure out how to tame that fire first. "Not today, Satan!"
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