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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 3:10:07 GMT
(Yeah, actually that's perfect)
It's four in the morning. Well before sunrise. Victoria paces the shop anxiously on bare feet partially because she doesn't want to wake up Judas and partially because she can't remember where she's put her boots. She's a mess. For the past few days, there's been a small piece of paper—a note—posted on a streetlamp outside of the shop. She has the latest scrap crumpled in her fist. She can practically feel the ink burning through the paper and branding her skin. Each one has said the same thing: "Friday. We have business to discuss. Or else rue the day you turned your back on me." Such a flair for drama. Even without a name or an address, Victoria knows exactly who it is and exactly where he wants to meet. The only troubling thing is...everything. It's been well over a few months since she's had contact with him and frankly, she'd hoped she'd gotten rid of him. She should've known better. What's more disconcerting is the fact that he's somehow found out where she works. Victoria lets out a frustrated sigh and runs her fingers through her still-tangled hair, which has gotten a bit longer than she usually likes. Her footsteps stop, and so does her heart, when she hears a noise. Her immediate fear is that Judas has risen, but she laughs at herself when it's just a buggy clopping down the street. God, she's really a mess.
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 13:20:25 GMT
Jacob stirred in his sleep, the disorientation of having just woken up dulling his senses. Someone was moving around. Maybe it was nothing...?
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 13:43:44 GMT
Victoria gets lost in an internal debate. If she goes, who knows what he could do to her? If she doesn't... Well, it's sort of the same question. Part of her wants to believe he's just bluffing. After all, he wasn't usually the one to do the dirty work. But Victoria's kidding herself. He never bluffs. Just as she was gathering up the courage she needed to tell herself she would go, there was a soft clattering of metal. Victoria caught the automaton before any harm came to it, and she stood there with her arms wrapped around it, heart beating fast as she waited for her boss to storm from the lab.
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 13:59:08 GMT
Judas trudged out of the lab, still half-asleep as he stumbled his way towards the kitchen. He didn't even notice Victoria when he walked out with a glass of water, yawning, and returned to his mattress.
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 14:10:39 GMT
She breathes a sigh of relief, but stares after him. She could just leave now, without him having to notice, but it wasn't certain how long this "meeting" would be. After a bit of thought, Victoria pads into the lab, still clutching the note. She watches Judas sleep for a minute, pondering still why he'd made her take his bed. The mattress can't be all that comfortable... She's getting off track. Kneeling down, Victoria puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey... Sir..."
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 14:26:07 GMT
Judas's eyes opened a crack, revealing a sliver of light brown. He shifted to a position where he could see her better, still drowsy from the warmth of sleep. "Mhm?"
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 14:36:23 GMT
Victoria hesitates, breaking eye contact. "There's something I need to take care of. Some business with...an old client of mine." She pauses to stuff the crumpled paper into one of her skirt's pockets, trying to be as discreet as possible. "I should be back soon. I just wanted to let you know I was going."
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 14:50:37 GMT
At that, he became more alert, quickly sitting up. "And if it's dangerous? What if you get hurt? At least let me or Jacob go with you..."
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 14:58:38 GMT
"I don't know... But I can take care of myself. Besides, he might think of you or Jacob as a threat." She sighs. "This is my problem to take care of." She takes her hand from his shoulder, having almost forgotten it was there, and stands. "I'll be back by the time the store opens," Victoria promises.
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 17:26:06 GMT
"If you don't, I'm going looking for you," Judas sighed, rubbing at his eyes with one hand. "Be careful. Don't do anything stupid."
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 20:14:44 GMT
"I— Okay..." Victoria murmurs. She stands there for a moment longer, looking down at the sleepy Judas before she turns away. "I'll be back soon," she sighs, not risking a glance back. She finds her boots waiting for her just outside the laboratory door, and she wonders why she didn't see them before. Slipping them on, she hurries out onto the street before she can change her mind.
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 20:22:18 GMT
Jacob shook his head from his place next to Judas. "We're both worried about her. We both know that I'm going after her."
Judas sighed, crossing his arms. "You're your own being, Jacob, you can do things independently of me. Sort of. At any rate... just... what I don't know, I don't know." At that, he turned around to anxiously take apart a tiny mouse machine. Jacob padded slowly out the door, sniffing for Victoria.
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 21:05:08 GMT
Victoria wanders down the alleyway, keeping an eye out for her former client. Suddenly, a man seems to melt out of the shadows. He's dressed smartly, and in all black, of course. His blond hair contrasts sharply with the darkness, and so do his eyes, which are an unnatural blue. He's quite a few years older than Victoria, probably in his mid-twenties. "You made it," he says in a viscous voice and smiles.
"What do you want, John?"
"I'm just wondering why you've ended our little exchange, is all. I've missed seeing you," he replies in a honeyed voice.
"I've ended my runs. I don't dabble in the black market anymore."
"Oh, that's a shame. So you've traded me in for a boy from the colonies, hm?"
"I'm doing honest work now," Victoria says briskly. "Now leave me be. I don't want anything to do with you."
"Another disappointment. Come on, Victoria. Have some sense." John reaches out to grab her hand and gets a fist to the jaw in response. Just as she turns to make her getaway, a strong hand takes hold of her arm and drags her back. Victoria fights, but John's already turned into shadow once more, taking Victoria with him.
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 21:18:23 GMT
Jacob was turning a corner in an alley when he saw Victoria being pulled away. Eyes wide, Jacob barked loudly, attempting to get the captor's attention.
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Post by Silaluk on May 23, 2015 21:47:49 GMT
John glares at the boxer just before he vanished. A familiar.
In the next moment, they're in a small, dark room. John sits down in an overly-ornate armchair, decorated with various skulls, both human and animal. Victoria's on the floor, glaring at her captor. "Why, John? Let me go! Where am I?"
"Where else? My own place of residence. As for why... I'm not entirely sure myself. You are a pretty little mouse. Perhaps I wanted to keep you for my own," he tells her with a sickly sweet smile. "I think you'd like it here with me." John leans his head against his palm, wincing slightly at the bruise that's now forming.
"I'd rather be executed for my crimes," Victoria snarls, spitting in his face. The necromancer's eyes narrow dangerously as he daintily flicks the saliva from his cheek.
"I think a young lady like you should know your place by now." He swishes his hand and Victoria's pinned to the ground, bony shackles forming around her wrists and ankles.
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Post by Copper on May 23, 2015 21:52:05 GMT
Judas was running through the streets, searching for a familiar blue scarf. It had been a while since he'd had to do so much running-- it reminded him eerily of his days as a child racing through the favelas, being chased down by colonial police. But that was hardly on his mind at the moment. Jacob had told him that someone had kidnapped Victoria and disappeared. The dog was at his side sniffing the air wildly. What if someone killed her? Raped her? What if the anarchists got a hold of her? I never should have let her go by herself...
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Post by Silaluk on May 24, 2015 2:52:17 GMT
"You just stay there," John instructs condescendingly. "I have some things to take care of." Victoria bares her teeth at him in an animal sort of way, twisting around so she can face him as he walks past.
"I hope you rot in Hell!"
John grins at her before he closes the dark oaken door. "Mouse, I'm already there."
Victoria screams after him in frustration. If she had just fought back a little harder... If she'd just been a bit smarter and outwitted him somehow... Convinced him to leave. If she had just left before he could've taken her... Now she's stuck. Now her one fear's coming true: the fact that she's completely unable to help herself.
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Post by Copper on May 24, 2015 11:29:14 GMT
Judas looked up as Jacob began sniffing at the door of an old, abandoned shack. "I think this is it, boss! Smells like the both of them!"
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Post by Silaluk on May 24, 2015 13:31:01 GMT
Victoria can hear movement on the other side of the wall. Her eyes widen and she remains quiet for fear of John returning and doing who knows what to her. For all she knows, he could decide to dispose of her once the excitement of having a pet wears off. At least his creepy desire has saved her from that fate so far. She listens again, more carefully this time. A dog?
Victoria's concentration is broken by the opening of the door leading into the room. The next thing she sees from her position on her hands and knees is John in front of her. "Now then, has your temper subsided? Let's hope so for your sake, mouse." He smiles and trails his fingers over her cheek. "But I'm a forgiving man. You know that. And I'm sure you have the capacity to adapt to this place and my rules."
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Post by Copper on May 24, 2015 13:41:44 GMT
Judas leaned against the door, listening quietly as he slipped his jacket off, exposing the tattoos that covered his arms-- alchehmical symbols, spells, magical signs and seals. Jacob listened as well, using his heightened senses to mumble back words to Judas. Has your temper subsided... I'm a forgiving man... adapt to this place and my rules... At those final words, any plan to enter silently was wiped from Judas's mind. One of the symbols on his arm, a salamander enclosed in an inverted triangle, seemed to glow and burn on his skin as he placed a palm on the wood. Within moments, the door had disintegrated in a blur of ash and flame.
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