[semi-open] june log;

[hardcase]

WHO: Randall Flagg & You
WHAT: Reconnecting with his followers, bonding with cellmates, jailbird life
WHERE: The dungeons
WHEN: Pre-event and probably all of June

[ closed to lloyd and nadine ]

[ His connection with Nadine is broken, so he can't call her down whenever he wants her. Lloyd, too, is out of his reach. He can do nothing but wait for his bride and his right-hand man to choose to pay him a visit of their own free will.

It's a sort of powerlessness he isn't accustomed to, and isn't fond of. When they come down to the dungeons he perks right up, a big smile on his face. ]

There you are. I was missing you, you know that? My heart's a-longing for you both.

[ Hey, he's in no position not to schmooze right now. If this kind of attentions keeps them coming back, he'll provide it. ]

[ closed to cellmates ]

[ He's got pretty good cellmates, all things considered. None of them have seen him for the vile creature he is yet, none of them are looking to pick a fight with him and play King of the Cell, and sometimes they're even good conversational partners. So, it's only sensible to keep them on his side.

As soon as Nadine and Lloyd leave, he takes the food they've snuck him (mostly fruits and pastries, with a few pieces of chicken) and divides it evenly by four, keeping one portion for himself and giving the rest to his cellmates. ]

That should tide us over for a while.

[ Yes, he could take it all, but that might start a fight and he doubts it would endear him to the others if he stayed in the corner eating his spoils and snapping at anyone who came close to him like some kind of hungry animal. ]

[ cells - open to visitors ]

[ When he's not chatting up his cellmates, Flagg spends most of his time leaning up against the bars, peering at the visitors that come down. He doesn't speak to them unless they stop, he'll just sit there humming something (usually his own rendition of Jailhouse Rock) and eagerly make eye contact whenever he can.

It makes him feel like he's trying to be the most interesting animal at the zoo, hoping that the next tourist will stop in front of his cage and feed him from an overpriced bag of peanuts instead of moving on to the next exhibit.

Luckily, he's not too bothered by dehumanizing experiences. He hasn't been human an over a thousand years at least, so this is all 'been there, done that'.

If someone stops in front of his cell, he'll give them a big smile. ] Howdy.

[ rec yard - open to other prisoners ]

[ Flagg makes sure to check up on anyone he's spoken with here when they get sent to the yard. Though not as valuable as his cellmates, it's still to his benefit that more of them are with him than against him. Eddie Dean's a lost cause, so with him Flagg keeps his distance aside from shooting him a fierce grin every now and then.

With everyone else, though, he'll approach, maybe touch them on the shoulder if he feels like they're close enough for that, and say: ] How're ya holding up?

Comments

for eddie;

[hardcase]

[ continued from here ]

[ The ball hits him in the shoulder, and it hurts. Of course it hurts. He's pretty much human right now, with no accelerated healing or super-fast reflexes. In his true form he could catch a bullet in his teeth. Now the best he can do is take the hit without flinching and deal with the rapidly forming bruise. ]

That's not very nice of you, Eddie. Hasn't my dear Roland taught you manners?

[ Roland may object to thinking of Flagg as his Man in Black, but Flagg has no such hesitations and Roland is his Gunslinger.

He bends down to pick up the ball, examining it for a moment. Leather, stuffed with something like wool. He can see a bit of it poking through a fraying seam and he brings it to his mouth, biting down on it as if it were an apple.

Dry, old leather that's been kicked around by the feet of endless prisoners tastes rancid in his mouth and yet he can't help but flick his tongue against it as he pinches it between his teeth. Flesh is flesh. Teeth on one side and fingers on the other, he tears the shabby ball in two, tightly packed wool spilling out like a blooming flower as he lets it fall to the floor. Now it can't be used against him anymore, too bad about ruining the fun anyone could have with it. ]

[opioid]

You think you deserve manners from me? You've gotta be yanking my fucking balls, man, there's no—

[ Eddie's words die on his tongue. For a split second there'd been a thought at the very back of his mind, looks like he's going to take a goddamn bite out of that thing, and then Flagg took a goddamn bite out of the thing, and suddenly Eddie doesn't know what the fuck to say or do. He's not even one hundred percent sure he knows how to breathe.

There's a feeling somewhere at the top of his gut like he's going to puke and with desperation he swallows the rush of stinging, wispish saliva that always heralds an upchuck.

Belatedly, he finds his voice. ] What the fuck did you do that for?! [ he yelps in a rush, as if he hadn't just stood there in slackjawed silence as he tried to process what he just saw. ]

[hardcase]

I'm a big guy, Eddie. You've seen what they feed us here. You think that's enough for someone like me? I'm skin and bones, man!

[ He licks his lips, staggering towards Eddie like some sort of animatronic creature from a horror movie. He's not really gonna eat the guy; in his current state his teeth aren't sharp enough to make any quick work of him, and he's pretty sure his pitifully human stomach would get some sort of indigestion.

But it's fun to play. ]

C'mon, just a taste. [ His fingers are splayed and his dirt-covered fingertips look almost claw-like in the right light. ] It'll only hurt a bit. Just a pinch, like a needle.

[gardienne]

[Whilst his visitors were there, Eponine had sat as far away as possible in their little cell, all huddled together with her knees drawn up and her face firmly buried in them. She tells herself that she doesn’t want to know, if she can’t see the treats that Flagg is getting, she can’t want them. It doesn’t work: she sneaks peaks over, and her mouth waters. How long has it been since she’s tried proper chicken?
She doesn’t move when the visitors go. Watching him enjoy his spoils would be even worse than watching him get them. It doesn’t occur to her that he might share. Why would he? But he does anyway, and she lifts her head, eyeing both him and the food warily.]

Is it a trick, M’sieur? I know you ain’t a unkind man usually, but food does funny things to people. Please though, do not tease me with such stuffs if you will snatch it back. My stomach can’t stand it, Sir.

[hardcase]

I wouldn't dream of it. It's all yours, hon.

[ He steps back and starts gnawing at his own chicken drumstick, looking up a little to avoid staring at the food he's given everyone else. ]

It benefits all of us to survive together.

[gardienne]

Really?

[It has been a long time since anyone has given Eponine anything without expecting something from her as well. She eyes Flagg with suspicion as she moves, almost animal-like, to her share of the food. She snatches it up and pockets what she can, hiding it about her person. The chicken though - she can't help herself. She raises a piece to her face and just inhales it's scent before she starts to nibble on it.]

D'you know how long it's been since I had a piece of chicken, Sir? I cannot even remember how it tastes proper. Your friends are lovely, you know, to remember you.

[hardcase]

One of them is my wife. I know she's missing me.

[ But he's glad that both Nadine and Lloyd are outside anyway. He needs allies up in the castle. ]

When we escape, we'll feast like kings, I promise. [ A lofty promise, but one he feels comfortable making. If they never escape...well, he's got bigger problems than a lack of food in that case. ]

Rec yard

[not_caroline]

[Coraline spends most of her lunch hour just sitting on a bench watching the other prisoners do their own things, unless something more interesting comes up. She's a very slight figure, the grossly oversized tunic hanging over her hands as she sits with them gripping the edge of her bench, though she takes a moment to lift one and tousle her hair back out of her face, and the sleeve slips as she does to reveal a sorely burnt wrist, already blistering unpleasantly. Trying to sit in the sun means her back is to him, though, showing off the Tower symbol on her as well.

She doesn't miss the heavy man approaching, though, and looks up with open wariness in her eyes as she shrinks down a little. Just because she's not scared of the grown men in her cell doesn't mean she has the same opinion of the other cells just yet.]

Um-- I'm... okay? [Her voice is strongly Australian accented, and just a little tremulous.] The whole "being in a literal cell" thing isn't, like. Great, I guess...

[hardcase]

No, it isn't.

[ He says, still smiling. On the inside he's furious about the fact that he's locked up in here, on the outside he's cool as a cucumber.

But he frowns a little when he catches sight of her burnt wrists, if only because it would be odd to smile at that. ] Did they hurt you on the way in?

[not_caroline]

[She glances down at her wrists when he mentions it, pushing her sleeves back for a moment to check them, before she pushes them back over her hands again, giving the man another uncertain side glance before she keeps her eyes down. Demure and scared, she think is the best route here.]

I think the guards did something to my cuffs, they-- um, they were burning me, when I was taken to my cell.

[hardcase]

Haven't seen those burns on anyone else.

[ He holds up his own hand, with his wrists in perfect shape. ] Of all the people they chose to give the burning cuffs to, they chose you?

[ From looks alone she hardly seems like the most threatening prisoner, although if a cowardly guard wished to torment someone they may pick the person who doesn't look like they can fight back. ]

yard time yard time

[reignfall]

⟪ Waiting has occupied so many of her waking hours by now, it should no longer impact her at all. Days at court can be filled with waiting: waiting for a plan to come to fruition, waiting for an enemy to make a crucial misstep, waiting to hear news from wars, fronts, council meetings. To have claimed a seat for herself within the latter after her son's coronation has only enforced how heartily sick she has become of biding her time.

Twice as bitter is the cup she drinks from now. Imprisonment knows nothing but an endless thirst for a patience she can scarcely muster.

Flagg finds her in the yard, in a spot she seems to regularly claim for herself, working a piece of fabric likely torn from a blanket into a serviceable ribbon. Her golden hair is long and unbound, and troublesome without the means to have it braided and tied.

From his touch to her shoulder she does not flinch – but the flicker of surprise (then quickly quenched offence) in her eyes when she meets his own merely suggests she has been expecting someone else. ⟫

I have endured more interesting hells. What of you?

[hardcase]

[ He laughs. ] That's a good way to put it.

[ If he spoke about the hells he's endured, he's certain that most of the people in earshot would think him a liar. When he says he's been through hell, he means it quite literally. ]

It could be worse. At least we're not being beaten or put in the stocks for the rabble to jeer at.

[reignfall]

No mutilation and no heads on spikes. What are they waiting for?

⟪ She finishes her work on the ribbon, and there is, for once, a twist of humour in her voice.

Onward, to the braiding of her hair, which she first must comb through with her fingers. ⟫

I would not dally like this without good reason. ⟪ She tilts her head. ⟫ Perhaps that is why we are made to share our cells with others. It is the sort of thing that could solve the problem one by one.

[hardcase]

Hell is other people.

[ A reference to a play he knows damn well Cersei can't have seen, but he chuckles to himself at his joke anyway as he watches her braid her hair. ]

I'm afraid they've done rather poorly, then. I quite like my cellmates. [ He runs his fingers through his own hair, which has gotten a bit messy without a brush. ] But they have my wife upstairs, and I know she misses me terribly.

[nadine_he_loves]

[While Nadine is angry and distraught at being separated from Flagg, at least she's using her time in the castle above to learn as much as she can. Or try to, anyhow, it isn't as easy a task as it may seem.

Still. There are some things she's learned, and Lloyd's been socializing and getting the measure of their fellows. So down they go, with food hidden on their persons, to visit with and report to Flagg.

Nadine goes to the bars quickly, slipping a hand between them to reach for him. The sight of him, smiling and welcoming with his eyes, makes something in her stutter and twist in hurt and want alike. Again the lack of feeling him strikes her, but she pushes it away.]

We're here now.

[jealousbitch]

[ As far as Lloyd's concerned, he and Nadine make a pretty good team. She's learning the magic and doing the book stuff, and he can focus on the people part of it. The locals aren't exactly interested in him getting chatty, but he's thinking that everybody else stuck here like they are will feel a certain way about it.

He hangs back a step or two, letting the two of them have their moment. It's gotta be hell being so close and so far.

Flagg's words make his heart feel aflutter, but it's not difficult to butter him up. ]

We'd have come sooner, but they ask too many damn questions.

[hardcase]

I know. It's not your fault.

[ He takes Nadine's hand in one hand, and Lloyd's in the other, squeezing them both gently. He smiles, his eyes full of good cheer. ]

Have you found anything out? [ He doesn't ask in a demanding way, he's still happy to see them even if they've got nothing. It means they're still loyal, even when he has to telepathic hold on them. ]

[nadine_he_loves]

A little.

[Nadine grasps his hand, forehead to the bars. The heat of his skin is welcome, a physical connection in place of the spiritual one they usually share. This is worse than in Boulder, at least then they could still communicate in their special way, she could still hold him and feel him and be with him for snatches of time. Here? When she leaves this room he's gone from her.

She wishes she had more to offer, something helpful or useful, but... at least there's something. More knowledge, a slightly better understanding of this world they've been brought to.]

I've been researching, Lloyd's been chatting up other 'free' prisoners. And we've both tried our luck with the locals. They weren't lying about sharing their magic, I've already learned a little. Magic...it's connected to this...big thing towering out in the wilderness, I guess? But there's a lot of it here, and from what we can tell, magic is really important to Thorne. I think their society might be based on it, or revolve around it. They still aren't letting us just roam around wherever we want, though, so we've only seen what they let us see so far.

[gunbunny]

[Hello new best friend. Sure, they haven't exactly been being starved, but more food was...well. More food, want it. Given the absolute lack of anything else to do here, eating was one of Jesper's new only ways to pass the time. He takes his pieces and, not sparing a thought for the future, pops some of the pastry in his mouth.]

Don't suppose they can smuggle some drink next?

[hardcase]

I doubt it.

[ It's been a long, long time since he could get drunk so hell, maybe he should ask Lloyd to bring him some alcohol, but he doesn't want to make his already shaky situation even worse. ]

Unless we all want to get thrown in solitary, but I hope I haven't annoyed you that much already.

[gunbunny]

Do you think they have that?

[Jesper leans forward, pleased as punch for the chance to chat out all the questions and nervous energy that's been building up in him (over the last ten or so minutes, honestly, since he's been talking away anyway. But that's still a surprising amount of energy).]

For all the pulling us in naked and chained bits, it's not a bad set up. Maybe there's not a lower level.

Cells- visitors

[moremilkplz]

[He really should stop doing this. There's enough to watch and poke at outside and at the castle. People to talk to and mages to bug until they stop being cagy about when the hell his powers are going to come back.

But today is not that day, and Homelander strides in to the dungeons again, head held high and this time, he brought an apple and a cup of some kind of weird herbal tea. It smells like Madelyn did when she claimed to be on a medically prescribed juice-cleanse. It tastes like dishwater.

He stops at Flaggs cell, smiling brightly.]

Well, hello.

[hardcase]

Hello there, friend.

[ He lets himself look a little bit more eager to see Homelander than he would for most of his guests. It's a contrast with his usual laid-back persona, but he gets the sense that this one likes to feel needed.

If Flagg panders to his ego enough, it might eventually get him something better than fruit and whatever that concoction he was carrying was. ]

Didja bring that for me?

[moremilkplz]

[No, not even a little bit. He brought it down here to eat it while watching the hungry prisoners salivate.]

Of course I was, buddy!

[And isn't that a sight for sore eyes, the way the guy's eyes light up just from seeing him and Homelander feels just a little bit better. It's miles better than the blank looks he's been getting lately and he, well, he needed this. So, thanks. Friend.

He hands it over, the apple and the tea and leans against the bars.]

How's prison-life treating you?