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 Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:16 pm
General Painite was pleased when Merlinite arrived, as they had planned, to find her and bring her the tools she wanted. He had not been expecting to be pushed into action so soon, but it seemed like Painite was on a war path now that she was on the move again, and he was not going to be able to stop her.
Not that he was sure he wanted to. He wasn't sure what was going on or where he stood. All he really knew was that he wanted to keep her safe, even if it did not seem like she needed it. He was quickly finding, being in her company, that he was getting in over his head.
Painite brought them to a cabin she had 'found'. It was occupied, once, but the previous owner had graciously given it to her, as well as his starseed, with very little fuss. There was a hole in one of the walls where he had accidentally discharged his shotgun, but she had not been hurt. He was currently resting quietly in a corner of the shack, near where Navi was being kept in fact, with a few new friendly flies that were all too happy to keep him company.
The cabin was not exactly large, with one main room that was split between a living area and a kitchen, and another room with a small bathroom nook and a bedroom. It had running water and electricity, at least until the next bill was due, so it would work for her right now. This guy was not much of a social butterfly, so she doubted anyone would come knocking.
She was not too worried about those details, though. Humans meant nothing to her. If someone did come sniffing around, they would just join the pile and become another meal for the flies.
Navi was bound in chains, secured with padlocks, and kept on the floor in the living area rather than any place comfortable. Furniture, including a TV and stand, had been tossed to the side to make way for her, a mat put down only to mark where she was meant to remain, more than offer any comfort.
Merlinite was sitting in the other room, on the bed, waiting for Painite to call him or tell him to do something. That was his job right now, and he was not certain enough with himself to make his own choices. It did not sit well with him, kidnapping this senshi, but what could he do about it? He was no traitor, damn it.
Painite, meanwhile, kicking Navi none-too-gently in the side in an effort to wake her up.
"Come on, my little friend, we've got some things to discuss," she said, flopping down and crouching next to Navi to watch her closely. She reached out and took Navi by the hair, shaking her head rather violently.
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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 11:10 am
There was no way of knowing how long she'd been out. Everything was a blissful darkness, no thoughts, no fear, no worries, no pain. There was nothing but the dark, and maybe the girl clung to that. Maybe she held on as tightly as she could, because waking was pain, and it was worry, and it was living each day half a lie. It was hard to be sure, but it didn't matter, because that merciful darkness was wrenched away from her and in it's place pain. Then the return of near crippling terror as Painite's voice filled her ears and she remembered what had happened. Not dead. The b***h wasn't dead, and she'd come back seeking revenge. Not specifically on Navi, their clash was nothing comparatively, but through her the general could torture Chaonis, Camelot. People that loved and cared about her. Navi sucked in a breath, hissing through clenched teeth to keep from crying out as fingers sank into ginger curls and yanked her head upright. Painite shook her, and despite her efforts Navi couldn't help but whimper. It was bitten off, stifled, but she couldn't stop it completely and she hated herself for giving the woman even that much. "What do you want?" The question was redundant. Navi knew.
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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 12:01 pm
"What do I want?"
Painite echoed the question with feigned consideration, letting go of Navi's hair and sitting back on the floor, looking at her captive and grinning ear to ear. That seemed like a pretty simple question, and it was clear from Navi's expression that she did not really need an answer. Painite never really took cues from anyone, especially not someone she was taunting.
"That's a tough question. I mean. I know I want you dead. By the end of all this, that's on the top of the goal list, but it's a matter of deciding when and how, isn't it? Obviously, I want you to suffer, like I did. Because you all deserve so much worse than what I had to endure, and I'm more than happy to share it with you. You first, my little friend, then your brave but stupid boyfriend. Maybe I'll do him a favor and corrupt him, hm? I got that idea in a dream, I think. Fevered though it was. I think I could do it."
She knew that she probably did not have the best chances of corrupting someone powered successfully, but hey. She was sure game to try!
"And then that Royal Knight will have nothing left, will he? His son, oh and his wife. I'll have to get her, too. I've got all these plans! Such a lot to do, but first, I don't want you to think I'm distracted."
Her speech was rapid and hardly seemed connected, like she was speaking but not really paying attention to what she was saying. She moved forward toward Navi suddenly, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her down into the ground. Tied up with chains as she was, it wasn't exactly a fair fight for Navi. Painite pinned her down so she was on her back, and Painite herself moved to straddle her midsection, perching on her contentedly.
"I bet your little boyfriend is already looking for you. How long do you think it will take him to get here?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:50 am
It was hard to be anymore scared than she already was, but watching Painite sink down to sit beside her, that manic grin, sent the blood in her veins to ice. Navi's chest rose and fell in frantic little breaths, close to hyperventilating. This was the worst possible situation to be in. Chained, helpless, and only God knew where, she was at the mercy of a crazy general with a personal vendetta and absolutely zero morals or remorse. It was the stuff of nightmares, worst than Navi could ever have dreamed up on her own. She was going to die here, painfully, and alone. She saw it in the woman's eyes even before she voiced her plans allowed. The best the girl could possibly do here was get her fear under control. Hard as it was, impossible almost, it was the only means of defiance she had against the general now. Fingers wrapped around her neck, jerking her forward before slamming her back against the wood floor, and her her head connected hard enough to send stars dancing across her vision. Dazed, there was zero resistance as Painite moved to straddle her waist, and it took a second or two before hazel eyes focused on the woman looming above her. She swallowed back the mounting panic, pressed her lips together to bite back any betraying sounds. Give her nothing.At the question she forced a smile that was all bravado. Of course Chaonis was looking for her, and Camelot, but how would they ever find her? Still, Painite didn't deserve to see what doubts darkened her thoughts. "He'll find me." It was a slim hope, but she clung to it.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:58 am
General Painite had long ago stopped thinking of anyone else on this planet as people. Or perhaps the concept of human beings, human life, no longer meant anything to her. Either way, Senshi were nothing more than toys for her to play with, and Knights were created only to suffer. Civilians were tools to be used for her ends: fodder. And so the Dark Mirror was finding its place in her estimation.
She was a fun little mix of all the other roles she had carved out. At least for now, until her use ran out.
"Look at you," Painite cooed gently, her voice deceptively soft, "all the terrible things that can happen to you, and you're being so brave. Your boyfriend would be proud, if he were here to see it. But he's not, not yet. And he won't be until I let him find you. Not yet, not yet."
"Do you know how much pain I was in?"
Painite shifted the conversation, her voice wavering a bit, going for tender and content to dangerously wavering. She pressed her hand against Navi's rib cage, finding the curve of her bones and looking very thoughtful as she did so. Her hand trembled before she found the perfect spot for her palm. She pushed down against the bone, and with her strength as a General, it was all too easy for her to cause the kind of pain she was remembering.
"I don't think you can ever really understand. But I'll make you all feel at least a little of it."
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:18 am
Navi grit her teeth as Painite crooned at her, stiff and unyielding against the woman sitting on her thighs, and it would have been her fondest desire to jerk and send the b***h toppling over her head, but to say she was in precarious situation would hav been the understatement of the century. Her life depended on doing nothing, saying nothing, that could possibly send the general over the edge more than she already was. Unless... Unless there came that point where endurance was no longer an option, and escape from the pain was all that was left to her. But even then, in that dire situation, Painite wouldn't have given her a quick death. It was impossible to keep her heart from hammering. As much as she could control her features, that rapid pulse gave away just how scared she really was. She swallowed, giving nothing to answer a question that would have been rhetorical, but closed her eyes as her head fell back against the hard wood of the floor. Give nothing, shut it out, She wasn't here. She wasn't here. She wasn't here. The touch jerked her back, made her flinch , and eyes were wide as that small hand slid along her ribs. The general pressed, slow and steady, and what started as uncomfortable became painful in the space of seconds. Navi bit off a pain sound, heels scrambling against the floor. She wanted to give nothing, no satisfaction, but as the bone cracked beneath that unrelenting pressure she couldn't help but scream.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:28 am
Painite smirked as she managed to draw a scream from the Senshi, shaking her head.
"Even the strongest rocks can crack, my little lovely," she said affectionately, moving her hand pointedly and pressing down on a new spot on Navi's abused rib cage, to emphasize her point. She was careful, though, and very precise in what she was doing, as if she knew just what would cause the right kind of pain. The last thing she wanted, after all, was to crush the bones completely and destroy all those tender organs underneath. No, this was measured, and clearly only designed to make Navi scream.
To Painite, it was music, and she was delighting in it.
Merlinite heard the noise from the other room, grimacing in response to it. He moved to the door, peering out and then moving into the room where Painite had their prisoner. He saw what was happening, but did not say anything immediately, just watching with his own pained, unsure expression.
Painite moved after a time of cracking and bruising various ribs, thinking it was nearing 'too much', though that was not a concept she often believe in. She stood up, moving off of Navi for a moment, before putting her foot on the area she had just been tormenting, bearing her weight on Navi's midsection.
"We've going to have so much fun, you and I. I'm going to keep you here until you have nothing left. When you die, it will be in pieces, and alone. All alone."
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:38 am
More screams to cut the false peace of the cabin. They were almost loud enough to drown out the crack of bone and that awful girlish laughter from the general as she played. Almost, but not quiet. The woman was wrong though, Navi wasn't strong. She was just a girl, a young woman. She didn't want this war anymore, it had worn her down to the bare bones, and there was nothing left but a deep rooted need to hold onto the one things she felt she had left. Love. Love of a friend that had fled the city to find fame in California, and love of a man who she never should have fallen for to begin with. They were out of her grasp, there at the tips of straining fingers, but she didn't know how to reach them, couldn't close that gap. Helpless, not yet hopeless. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as Painite 'worked', and not just for the breaks themselves, but the pain that now came from simply breathing. There was no relief, every breath strained bruised and broken bones, every breath was hard and ragged and shook on the way in and the way out. What carefully constructed bravery she'd had was crumbling away, and there was weakness and fear between the heavy cracks. She didn't see Merlinite, barely felt him, but his presence was of no importance to the dark mirror senshi writhing on the floor. Not unless he joined his master or took a stand against her.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:46 am
General Painite smiled almost lovingly at the display of Navi in so much pain and looking so utterly helpless. She was breaking, slowly, and it was so much fun to watch. But Painite did not want to rush things, and was feeling too pent up and excited to control herself. She moved away from Navi at last, moving toward Merlinite instead. He looked at her, hiding his previous expression and instead just trying to look expectant and obedient.
Waiting for her orders.
"I'm going to go out and have some fun. Hunt a few senshi, do something like that. Make sure our guest doesn't go anywhere, hmm? And that she's well enough for me to play with when I return. I don't want her giving up while I'm gone."
Merlinite nodded his head, and she gently touched her hand to his face, smoothing her fingers over the stubble that was growing while he was away from his usual routine. She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips, patting her hand against his cheek before she pulled away and sauntered off, disappearing into the night.
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It took Merlinite some time to come back. After Painite left, he made a run for it, too scared to face Navi, too ashamed to do anything at all. He made a habit of leaving the cabin whenever Painite went out, and had been talking to other Senshi, and even a knight or two, about his growing conflict.
He spent time with Navi, caring for her injuries, but the more he did for her, the more Painite tried to take away from her. She just thought Merlinite was doing his job, keeping Navi alive, and not actually trying to make her comfortable. Nothing he did could stop her from tormenting the poor senshi, after all, and he had made no clear effort to. As far as Painite knew, he was having as much fun as she was.
Tonight she was out again, probably cutting some innocent person into ribbons for the hell of it, while he struggled to drag himself into the cabin. He only just recovered enough energy to make it there, not teleporting but walking. He leaned on the wall once he made it inside and shut the door, looking at Navi miserably.
He had made a promise, but what did it mean? How could he protect her when so far he had done nothing but extend her suffering? He moved to her on wobbly legs, kneeling beside her and putting a shaking hand as lightly as he could on her shoulder.
"Navi?" he eeped out, eyes red, voice still ragged from the 'conversation' he had with Camelot not too long ago. "Are you okay?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:22 am
Was it relief when Painite went left her? Or was it just some other cruel torment. The beating would stop, but the pain remained, and the absence of the general didn't quell the fear, it somehow heightened it instead. When she was here, that was it, there was no expectation because everything was in the now, but when she was gone, only God knew where, There was that impending dread of her return, or worst, the absolute terror that the b***h was out hunting her loved ones. Even if it cost her pain, even if it cost her more, if the general was here, entertained with her, she wasn't out hurting anyone else. The other agent, the captain, Navi didn't quite know what to make of. The man never stepped in to stop Painite, never once said so much as a word, and he'd leave when the general did, escaping. But when he returned it was always to her side, voice soft, touch softer. It was emotional whiplash. She'd blacked out today, and in that, at least, there was a reprieve. The touch pulled her back, made her flinch, and that made her cringe, writhing against the floor as she struggled to breath around broken ribs and countless bruises. Movement hurt, breathing hurt, living hurt. She cracked her eyes open--one was blackened, the swelling finally starting to go down, but the bruise was dark and awful--to look up at him and his kind face, and fresh tears formed, spilling down her cheeks. Her lip was split, swollen and puffy, it split worse when she opened her mouth to talk. Dry and cracked from lack of water. "No." What kind of question was that, really. Did she look okay? When this had all started she'd yelled at him, threatened him, pleaded with him and begged. Nothing had worked, nothing she did or said had any sway. He was too scared of Painite and what she might do to do anything about the torment that was happening a room away from him. At this point she didn't have the energy to even try. Beaten, broken down, she wasn't eating much anymore, and the pain killers he slipped her barely took the edge off. Sleep was next to impossible except for those occasions Painite got carried away and beat her until she was unconscious. He was her guardian, caring for her, but he was also her passive observer, a witness to her torment. He set her broken bones, cleaned the blood from wounds, nursed her back from the brink and kept her alive. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice cracked with abuse, barely above a whisper at this point.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:30 am
Merlinite knew that she wasn't. She had been suffering for days now, and Painite showed no signs of stopping. Because of him, no one knew she was here, though he had the chance to help her. He could have taken her away from this place himself, if he really wanted to, but he was just too afraid.
Of everything. All of it. He was too much of a coward to do a damn thing for anyone.
He felt like all he was doing was making it worse. For himself, through all of his actions. For Painite by cavorting with her enemies. For Navi by tending her injuries and keeping her alive, just to suffer more. For Chaonis and Camelot by not just telling them where she was. He was a wrench in the gears of everyone's plans, and had no real place in any of this. No business being here.
It made him feel like the worst kind of trash. Painite was evil, but at least she was dedicated to what she was doing. He was in a constant state of uncertainty.
"I'm really sorry," he managed to choke out, wiping her tears away with his thumb, his hand shaking. He couldn't answer her question. He had no idea. "I just... I don't want you to die... I don't know what to do..." His own face was growing red again, tears threatening his vision, exhaustion and fear getting the better of him. His emotions were not exactly stable right now, and he trembled as he tried to focus on her, on helping her.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:50 pm
The apologies were beginning to lose meaning. He could say he was sorry as much as he wanted, but she was still there, still suffering. A part of her wondered if she hated him, the rest of her didn't have the energy to care. When he touched her cheek she flinched, eyes snapping closed again as she drew in a slow, careful breath. Lungs expanding up to the point of pain before she'd exhale. Everything had to be careful and slow, everything hurt. Licking her lips, she blinked up at him again, eyes not quite focused. "Do you care about me, or are you just scared of your boss?" She thought she knew the answer. "I need water," she rasped, coughing again and instantly regretting it. Her throat was parched, her lips dry. She'd considered not asking for it, but Merlinite wasn't stupid, he knew when she'd last had anything to drink, and he'd make sure she drank again before too long. It was essential to her survival, after all, and that was the captain's only job at the moment.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:46 am
Merlinite nodded, scrambling to hurry into the other room, her question still burning in his ears, to get a cold water bottle out of a cooler he kept in there for himself. Painite did not mistrust him, so she was not yet going through his things, as far as he knew, and maybe she just did not care what he was up to yet because he seemed so inconsequential to her. He returned to Navi after a moment, hesitating before he sat by her again.
"I'm trying to take care of you so they can find you," he said after a long, tense moment of thought. He carefully shifted her so she could sit up, leaning against him. After opening the bottle, he held it for her and offered her a drink before continuing the conversation, tipping it for her slowly and watching to make sure she could drink without too much trouble.
"I know it sounds terrible, but I can't just... I can't tell them where you are. But I'm trying to get them here. I know they're looking. I can't wait any longer, I'm just... I am scared of Painite. Why wouldn't I be? But I... I talked to Camelot and... look, I'm doing what I can."
He was not sure he believed his own pathetic arguments. He felt like he was just helping Painite torture Navi, and adding to it in his own twisted way. It was not what he meant to do, but she was suffering more and more because he was too much of a coward to stand up and do what was clearly right. He didn't notice that he was holding on to her protectively, almost clinging.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:13 am
Navi felt like she was at her limit. If it had been up to her there were times she knew she'd have just given up, and let go. This was Hell, it had to be, eternal torment and torture with only the barest perversion of relief between the worst of it. Merlinite was the only thing that kept her going, and that was not always her will. How many times had she asked him to just leave her be, to let her die already. Navi couldn't remember, but more than a few, surely. Everything was blending together now, she'd lost the concept of time, and there was no way of knowing just how long she'd been there. It hurt when he moved her, but then didn't everything? Wincing, eyes closing, she breathed through the worst of it as he gently settled her against him, and when she felt the plastic rim of the bottle against her lips she'd open them again, drinking slowly. Cold and clear, it felt wonderful against her throat, her lips. She drink greedily until it started to spill down her chin. "How," she wanted to know, head lulling to one side so she could roll her eyes up in his general direction. She couldn't see him, not at this angle, but it didn't matter. "How are you trying to get them here?" Navi tried to quell that hope that sprang up at the mention of Camelot, that the others were still searching for her. Hope hurt too much. Painite had hidden her away too well, without help how would they ever find this place? But it was hard, as hopeless at it seemed, she couldn't extinguish it all together. It welled up inside her, stung at her eyes and made her lips tremble. She wanted to see him again, she wanted it more than anything else. See his face, hear his voice deep and rumbling beside her ear as he told her he loved her. Sink into the warmth and safety of his arms and just let everything go as she always had. Again the tears fell, and she cried as he held her, as hope once again reared it's ugly head.
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