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you turned the ones you love into the angriest mob; [Pidge]
[ Despite typically trying to keep himself distances from Strade's...'activities', Ren pretty much always knows what's going on in the house. Really, Strade is more than happy to regale him with the gruesome details when he has a new 'friend' over.
So once Strade's found Pidge in the basement, taking advantage of her unconscious state to get her tied to the pole, Ren's already aware that someone is here. Somehow, some way some unfortunate person has magically found themselves in Strade's basement.
Of course, Strade is kind enough to wait for Pidge to awaken on her own before he starts questioning her. After all, he wasn't in the habit of hurting kids, so Pidge presents...a problem. His basement is pretty damn obvious, what with the bloodstained floors and the excessive amounts of power tools. Sure he could just kill her but for her to be here, it meant she must have lived in the neighborhood and got in somehow. And if someone's kid went missing...
So with a frustrated sigh, he'd made his way back up the stairs, calling back that he'd talk with her more in the morning when he'd figured out what to do with her.
And so Pidge sits in silence for a few hours, only the occasional sounds of footsteps making it into the soundproofed basement.
But as the hours pass, something changes.
The basement door opens, but not with the enthusiastic force it normally does. It's slower, quiet. Like whoever is doing it doesn't want to draw attention to it. It's hard to see that area of the basement in the dark, but hearing the light footsteps on the stairs is much easier. Then the sound of bare feet on cement, cautiously approaching. Something about the movement sounds uneven like every other step is slightly difficult to make.
From the direction of the stairs, a pair of familiar eyes shine in the dark, focused entirely on Pidge. Once he's sure she's still restrained though, Ren approaches slowly, unsure if she's sleeping.
He looks far worse than he ever did in Duplicity, even dealing with the most ridiculous of the city's bullshit. Where Ren in Duplicity is cheerful and confident, this Ren looks...exhausted and terrified. He's covered in various shades of bruises, both on his face and across the parts of his chest and his arms that his tank top exposes. What isn't covered in bruises is marred by angry red knife wounds, some stitched up and some scabbing over. Even approaching Pidge, he looks timid and ready to bolt any second. There's something metal and bulky around his throat, like a collar. A red light shines faintly on the side of it.
In a word, he looks far worse than anything he could have ever actually described to her.
He turns briefly back to the basement door, biting his lip and ears twitching as if he's listening for something. ]
What is he even doing? Y-you look like you're just a kid...
So once Strade's found Pidge in the basement, taking advantage of her unconscious state to get her tied to the pole, Ren's already aware that someone is here. Somehow, some way some unfortunate person has magically found themselves in Strade's basement.
Of course, Strade is kind enough to wait for Pidge to awaken on her own before he starts questioning her. After all, he wasn't in the habit of hurting kids, so Pidge presents...a problem. His basement is pretty damn obvious, what with the bloodstained floors and the excessive amounts of power tools. Sure he could just kill her but for her to be here, it meant she must have lived in the neighborhood and got in somehow. And if someone's kid went missing...
So with a frustrated sigh, he'd made his way back up the stairs, calling back that he'd talk with her more in the morning when he'd figured out what to do with her.
And so Pidge sits in silence for a few hours, only the occasional sounds of footsteps making it into the soundproofed basement.
But as the hours pass, something changes.
The basement door opens, but not with the enthusiastic force it normally does. It's slower, quiet. Like whoever is doing it doesn't want to draw attention to it. It's hard to see that area of the basement in the dark, but hearing the light footsteps on the stairs is much easier. Then the sound of bare feet on cement, cautiously approaching. Something about the movement sounds uneven like every other step is slightly difficult to make.
From the direction of the stairs, a pair of familiar eyes shine in the dark, focused entirely on Pidge. Once he's sure she's still restrained though, Ren approaches slowly, unsure if she's sleeping.
He looks far worse than he ever did in Duplicity, even dealing with the most ridiculous of the city's bullshit. Where Ren in Duplicity is cheerful and confident, this Ren looks...exhausted and terrified. He's covered in various shades of bruises, both on his face and across the parts of his chest and his arms that his tank top exposes. What isn't covered in bruises is marred by angry red knife wounds, some stitched up and some scabbing over. Even approaching Pidge, he looks timid and ready to bolt any second. There's something metal and bulky around his throat, like a collar. A red light shines faintly on the side of it.
In a word, he looks far worse than anything he could have ever actually described to her.
He turns briefly back to the basement door, biting his lip and ears twitching as if he's listening for something. ]
What is he even doing? Y-you look like you're just a kid...
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This was not home.
This was some weird basement that looked like it belonged in some horror movie, and Pidge could honestly say that waking up here, tied to a pole, was never going to be her favorite memory. Of course, having some strange guy hovering over her just as she woke up probably didn't help anything, but whatever. She'd dealt with worse. Maybe.
Trying to speak to him was pretty much pointless as well, because it seemed like he was just as confused by her being here as she was. Which meant either he was lying, or he genuinely had no idea how she got here. At this point, Pidge isn't sure which of those she prefers.
Either way, there's nothing she can really do while he's sitting there gawking at her. As soon as he leaves, though, she's tugging at her wrists in an attempt to free herself. Unfortunately, he's better at knots than problem-solving, and eventually she gives up when it starts to hurt.
She can't be sure how much time passes, or even what time it is, but the fact that she still can't feel Green is somehow worse than that. Pidge was hoping that if she ever managed to get away from Duplicity, the bond would fix itself, but apparently that's not happening.
Or maybe she's still in the city somehow. At this point, it's anyone's guess.
It's only the sound of the door opening again that snaps her attention away from those sorts of thoughts. Only something's a little off this time, and she can't quite put her finger on it.]
If you're not going to let me go, you might as well-- ...Ren?
[She'd automatically looked up at the sound because, frankly, there was nothing else to see when it was this dark. But seeing Ren here, in shitty horror movie basement world, was probably the last thing she would've expected.]
What are you doing here? What even is this place?
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But his wide-eyed stare at her is broken by the absolute confusion that comes over his face. ]
I...How do you know my name?
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Instead she's had however long it's been to think, and most of that time has been spent coming up with increasingly dire scenarios for how she could've ended up here at all.
It occurs to her now, after managing to get a better look at him, that this is not the Ren she saw this morning.
... Or whenever she last saw him.]
I know a lot more than your name.
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W-what do you mean?
[ Then he goes pale. ]
Do you watch Strade's show...?
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I doubt you'd believe me if I told you.
[Which is probably not a good thing to say, either, but it's too late to worry about it now. It's her turn to stare after that next comment, though, because hadn't he told her Strade was dead?]
No, nothing like that. [After hearing about it before, she didn't even want to try to imagine what his show was like.]
You know, you don't look much older than me.
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I'm 19. You look... [ Ah, he doesn't want to insult her... ] Not 19...?
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And she can't help but snort laugh at the phrasing.]
I know what I look like. [And she's willing to bet that's what kept Strade from doing anything more than leaving her tied up in the dark for hours, not that she's complaining.]
He said he doesn't know how I got here, and I don't remember coming here. So...?
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[ Ren hesitates, tail flicking anxiously. This was easier with grown adults, older and larger than him, who were yelling at him and begging him to save them. Pidge is so calm. ]
Strade, he...doesn't usually go after people who aren't adults, but...
[ Ultimately, wouldn't Strade have to kill her? ]
Do you live nearby?
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[Even if it could've been worse. She's not even sure how she's so calm about all of this. Maybe it hasn't really sunk in yet.]
At least there's a line.
[Not much of one, but sure.]
Not even remotely nearby. What about you? I mean... before you came here?
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[ But Ren was, if nothing else, curious. And Pidge was surprisingly relaxing to talk to. It makes his chest a little tight. The first person he'd been able to talk to besides Strade in nearly a year, and knowing how this was going to end...
But where he was before... ]
I don't know. I don't even know where we are, so we could be half a country over from where I lived. I'm not allowed past the porch.
[ Tugging at the collar idly, Ren gingerly sits down. Everything in him aches. ]
I know you said I wouldn't believe you, but please tell me how you know me?
[ But then Ren perks up, leaning in a little eagerly. ]
Wait, is it because I'm missing? Is my family looking for me? Strade said no one was, but--!
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[Which it was, kind of. So, technicalities.]
We're in the same boat as far as that goes. No idea where we are, or how I got here. Pretty sure I wouldn't be allowed past the porch, either.
[This is absolutely not the time to be making jokes, but she really can't help herself sometimes. She's quiet again when he sits, and it's about all she can do to keep from cringing at his expression.]
We've met before.
[Obviously she can't tell him everything. There's no way he'd believe it, and quite frankly, she wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't lived it.
His questions should've given her an easy in, but she's never really lied to him before and she doesn't want to start now.]
I'm sure they're looking for you. [Except she's pretty sure she knows how this story ends, and she can't seem to really remember much about what he'd told her about his family.]
What else has he said?
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Speaking of... Ren frowns a little, suddenly guarded. ]
If we met before, then wouldn't I know your name too? And why aren't you freaking out?
[ When people woke up in this basement, they cried. They screamed and shouted and begged. They cursed Ren for not freeing them or tried to sweet talk him into it. But not this girl. ]
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[In fact, the odds of him not thinking she's completely out of her mind were pretty slim to none. But whatever, he'd asked for it.]
You were 21 when we met. This place was just an unpleasant memory you told me about after the fact.
[As for why she's not freaking out... It's probably more habit than anything else at this point. As far as she's seen, Strade is just an ordinary guy, and she's almost entirely sure that she's faster than he'll ever be.]
I'll tell you my name when we get out of here.
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This place was just an unpleasant memory you told me about after the fact.
His expression isn't exactly hopeful. More the expression of someone who has hoped and been disappointed far too many times. It's not that Ren doubts there's the possibility of someone being from the future-- after all, he was a beastkin. Strade associated with demons and nagas. Time travel would be unsurprising. ]
After...?
[ She seems sure they're going to leave, but... This was Strade. Strade was impossible to escape. ]
That's... Y-you're just saying that so I'll let you out. There's no way... Y-you don't know what he's capable of. He brings people down here for fun.
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[She's still trying to decide how much of the truth she should drop on him, because if he's having a hard time believing this part...]
I'm not asking you to let me out. [It doesn't take a genius to realize that he's terrified of what the other man might do to him.]
No offense, but you don't know what I'm capable of. He brings people down here because he thinks hurting someone is the only way to really know them. [He's wrong, obviously, but somehow she doubts trying to explain that now would be a good idea.]
You're not like him, though. I know you don't want to hurt people.
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There was no way she could have just...know that. That Strade was just doing it for fun was something obvious, easily guessed. But for specific reason...
Why would he tell her something like that? ]
Who are you to me? Just...tell me.
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[Cliff notes version? More like overly simplified version.
But, baby steps.]
And before you ask, I really don't know how I ended up here. This isn't the kind of thing that just happens all the time.
past ren is a mess
This Ren takes a second to look shocked before turning bright red, quickly bouncing to his feet and stepping back. ]
T-that's--!
[ Unable to stop himself, Ren hesitates, looking at her bound hands. What if she's telling the truth? If she was supposed to be his girlfriend in the future, it'd be wrong to leave her here, wouldn't it...? ]
Really?
shh no, he's adorable
Or, well, this old side of him.
If circumstances were different, she might be more amused.]
I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. The abridged version, anyway.
[That's putting it mildly, and she can't quite shake the feeling that they don't have a lot of time before old what's-his-face reappears.]
So uh... just between you and me, what are the odds of him deciding to let me go? Since you know... minor. And as far as he knows, I do live around here, and my parents are looking for me right now.
punches spam inbox
[ Ren's eyes drop to the ropes keeping her bound to the pole. ]
He'd make it quick and he wouldn't torture you, but--
[ Apparently Pidge's instincts are right because Ren's interrupted by loud, heavy footsteps from above them. They're quickly approaching the direction of the basement door.
Ren, still standing in front of Pidge whips around, going so tense his tail visibly fluffs in panic. He begins to back up as the footsteps begin at the top of the stairs, only hitting a pile of cardboard boxes, nothing he could hide behind.
His claws scrabble at the cardboard uselessly, and finally, Strade emerges, looking far less cheerful than he had before. His eyes scan over both of them, a smile that doesn't meet his eyes emerging as Ren cringes away, breathing quick with panic. ]
Did you get bored, fuchs? You know you're not supposed to be down here. I hope he's not bothering you too much, Fruend. He knows better.
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[It's not comforting in the least, but at least she'd been expecting it.]
How kind of him.
[Before she can say much more, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupt the moment. So much for that.
She's quiet again as she watches Ren's panicked response. It really is odd, seeing him this way, when he's always seemed so confident.
It's not a sight she enjoys, to be quite honest. Strade's presence, while not unexpected, isn't really something she's in the mood for at the moment. But what can she do, honestly?
She has to fight the urge to roll her eyes when the man immediately starts in on Ren.]
He's not bothering me at all. In fact, I asked him to stay so I didn't have to be alone.