outofclothes | ||| 008 spam/video

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[Stark spends some of his time on the deck. He's not really interested in busting down the door to get to the Bridge. He's actually far more interested in watching everyone else make incredibly doomed and failure-prone attempts to get in there. Even if they're just considering it, he is probably going to laugh to himself.]

[It's from his spot on the deck he makes his broadcast, puffing on a Malediction already.]

Just a quick poll, how many of you are actually planning on trying to break into the Bridge? More importantly, do you think there will be a unicorn or a pegasus running on the rainbow in there?

[He's a cynic, what can he say?]

[The Admiral is dying and the boat's crashing and burning with him. There's really not much else to do about it, but this is a tenacious and incredibly stupid bunch that will keep running full-tilt into walls to survive and get ahead if they think that's what they think will make it happen.]

[Stark used to be like that, but that got burned out of him a long time ago.]

Tell you what though, one of you manages to get the door open and survives, I'll send you a bottle of Aqua Regia, some Cubans on me with a stripper of your choice.

spam - ned.
[Stark doesn't knock. Because Stark doesn't even use the door. Ever. He steps through a shadow somewhere else on the Barge and comes out of a shadow in Ned's room without any warning. He likes the element of surprise.]

Hey there, Sunshine. How are you holding up?

[Still sore from yesterday? He sure hopes so! C8]

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[Finally, the Piemaker forces himself to look at Stark, unable to hide all of the anxiety and apprehensive terror wrapped up tight around his heart. Nothing he says bodes well, and if he's mentioning Digby after so many weeks of silence, it can't be anything good]

I don't understand.

Of course you don't. It wouldn't be a surprise if you knew.

[Stark smiles and it's sunny as ever. You'd almost think he was being genuinely friendly. But Stark is rarely, if ever, genuinely friendly. And not with Ned.]

But hey, don't stress it. I've been taking good care of Dogby for you.

[He's come to loathe surprises; nothing good ever came of them. Now terrified for his dog, the Piemaker forces himself to ask,]

Please.

Please, can't you. Just let him go home? He came here when I was a warden. I'm an inmate now. He shouldn't be forced to stay here just because I'm forced to stay here. There's no...contract he signed.

Sorry, no can do.

[Not that Stark would if he had the ability to send Digby away. He's too much of an obvious weak point to exploit and fuck with.]

[But he still says it with a face and tone of voice like he's genuinely sorry.]

[He's so paranoid and has been so burned in the past by Stark's 'promises' that he knows his word is both final and not to be trusted.

Closing his eyes in defeat, he leans his forehead against his arms, focusing on managing his breathing despite the slight hiccups of fear.]

[Stark raises a casual eyebrow.]

But hey, what's there to get upset about? It's only a dog, right?

[That would be Stark setting Ned up to fail as he so often does. He either tells the truth and gets 100% caught in a very terrible lie or he lies and Stark calls him out on it anyway.]

[His fists clench tellingly; no. It's not only a dog. It's Digby. His best friend since he was seven years old, who followed him to this Barge and who he ended up making a prisoner just as much as he was now.

Tell the truth, or continue with the lie..?]

I..

If it's only a dog. Why. Why...bother with it? It's not. It isn't hurting anyone. You should let him...it.

You should probably just let it go.

That's just my opinion.

[Stark studies Ned for a moment, pausing before taking the next drag of his cigarette.]

You know, you're right. I should let him go. I mean, it's not like you can graduate a dog, can you?

Smart thinking, Ned. I'll just take him out of the Room and let everybody know he's running about the Barge. I'm sure he'll be a good therapy dog or something for some of the other inmates. And probably some of your favorite wardens, too.

No.

[The objection is quick and forceful and comes from terror and panic of his best friend at the hands of the crazy and the merciless. Wherever Digby is now - he hasn't seen him since he was demoted - he's safer than wandering out in the hall.

He does his best to cover for the upset, swallowing anxiously]

...N-no. I mean. I'll take him. I'll take...care of him. He won't leave my room.

[Stark raises a brow at the sudden objection as though he's really surprised at the panic and fear. He, of course, is not. Ned's lie was thin from the start. But he's enjoying watching Ned scramble and squirm to keep the lie up.]

Oh Ned. [He delivers a playful punch straight to the bruised rib.] You're always so damn giving.

I could never ask you to do something like that. Besides, you think he'd be better off let go, right? That's just from one cage to another, don't you think?

[With a choked gasp of pain, the Piemaker grabs for his ribs again, bending over with his eyes squeezed tight. The bruising exacerbated, fire races through his ribcage. He bites down, struggling to cope without crying out.

It takes him a fair moment or two to manage to answer Stark, but when he does it's right back to the negotiating, to try and get the only person he loves who's still alive out of harm's reach]

It's. It's no trouble. He doesn't. He won't...mind. You won't see him. What's the...harm?

[Stark appears to take a moment to think it over. He finishes his cigarette and comes dangerously close to putting it on on Ned, but ends up putting it out on the floor and leaving it there.]

You know what? You're right.

[Stark stands back up.]

We'll do it by a trial basis. I'll bring him by tomorrow.

[He knows Ned won't believe that's all there is to it because it isn't and Stark's doesn't bother to hide it in his tone that he's got something cooked up. He's just waiting to see if Ned will ask whether or not that's all there is to it.]

[It's too good to be true. Of course it is. There has to be a catch.

The Piemaker freezes in place when the cigarette comes near, and only just manages to stop him from sagging in relief when it fails to touch his skin. He remains on the floor, both happy that Stark is leaving and anxious as hell about what it means for Digby. So much so, he begins to preemptively bargain for things he thinks Stark might want]

I. No, I mean. Thank you. Th-thank..

I'll come by, I can. I can clean your room and. And if you let me, I can get together enough rotten food to start cooking again, anything you'd want..Or not. I don't. If that's not waht you want, I don't...

Now Ned, don't be a kiss-ass. Nobody likes that, not even me and my ego.

[Stark heads back over towards the shadow he came from, but pauses and turns around.]

But since you're being so nice and want to be helpful, I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it or that I'm ungrateful. We'll take that silly thing off you tomorrow when I bring Digby by. I think you've earned it.

Then you can give Digby the best belly rub of his life.

[Stark grins and winks before taking a step back and turning into the shadow to leave.]

See you tomorrow, Ned.

[The Piemaker stands up, mouth gone dry as he gapes in horror at his rapidly disappearing warden.

Of course. Of course that's the game. It's even crueler than he could have imagined.

He's going to be forced to kill his own dog]

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