chrisisofaith | IC Contact

[ The delay, at first, seems reasonable. He'll have to go through processing, get to whatever Dominant he's chosen's home, get settled and so forth. He's probably messaging Jon, Martin, others of his various friends and lovers. He'll get to Hawke eventually.

But hours go by. Many hours. Hawke begins to grow anxious.

But really, it's probably nothing. He does this sometimes, if he's very busy.

Only never this long. Actually he doesn't, does he? He near always responds or at least reads Hawke's messages within a short amount of time. ]

10:04am champioff says: What about you?
10:04am champioff says: Did you need me to get Festival?

10:28am champioff says: Sent Jon a picture of Gauntlet, thought you'd want to see it too. He tried to climb my leg.

10:47am champioff says: I'm hoping you're just taking care of a lot right now with the transfer and all. I'm here if you need me though.

[ He sends quite a few light-hearted texts like that throughout the morning and early afternoon. When it starts to grow dark, though, and he still hasn't heard anything, the tone shifts to worry. ]

8:32pm champioff says: Chris its been hours are you alright?
8:32pm champioff says: If I don't hear back by 9 bells I'm coming to look for you
8:33pm champioff says: It can't have taken this long to get settled.
8:33pm champioff says: please answer me

8:44pm champioff says: I'm on my way there now.

[ He's not sure what he'll actually be able to do but that's a problem to impose on other people when he arrives. If they don't tell him what's become of Chris, it will be a very serious problem. ]

They've gagged me for being 'smart' with the guards.
It's going to be a long week.
Who did you end up calling to get you out of the zoo?
I haven't heard from Martin, yet, but I assume no news is good news.

kk

( oliver will make himself comfortable in the window, then. one of the front ones has had it's screen pushed out, sill wide enough that oliver can sit on it comfortably with one leg resting on the sill, and one hanging outside the window. the weather's not total shit, which clearly makes this an ideal place to lounge while waiting for someone to show up. )

[It's a little while yet before a response comes, after warm water and sleep have done what they can, Chris blearily reaches for his phone. His phone with a bunch of tiny fires in it. He feels dread swell in his gut, but finds his resolve.]

I saw Tim leave with Martin. He's safe. Promise.

Gagged you how? Is your jaw okay?

[It wasn't all of Jon's questions, but one step at a time.]

[It's a struggle to respond to her by the time he actually checks his phone. Hot water and sleep have done what they can and the curl of Jacob's arms have left him fuzzy...but once he sees her message, it's like lightning through him. When did she send that? What time- ten minutes to spare to her ultimatum and Chris types as quickly as he can.]

Don't

[Gods, if she went there and asked around, what would they tell her? Who bought him? The fight? Everything?

Probably not. He suspected that was not something they'd be boasting about outside of their friends. Still...]

I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to leave it that long.
I'm safe now.

[He's already putting out the fire that is Amelia by the time he's sifted through Hawke's texts. Some of them make him smile, but the rest sear sharply with guilt. He should have tried harder to send a text when he got here. Anything to make them not worry during the five or so hours he'd been passed out. He's sore and stiff where he's sat up to gingerly lean against the headboard of the bed, but this is important.]

Please don't, Wolfe. I'm not there and they'd not likely take your questions well.

I'm safe now. I'm sorry for worrying you.

With a mini-cock shaped thing they shoved in my mouth and strapped to my head.
I'm sure they think they're funny.
It's fine.
I'm just annoyed.
As long as they take it off tomorrow so I can record, it shouldn't be an issue.
I hope the zoo wasn't too awful.
I know it wasn't very long, but I did worry about you and Martin going in there.
You just never know.

[She said thirty and and that meant she was leaving in thirty minutes, so his message comes with just enough time to keep her from bashing her way through everyone at the Zoo for answers.]

What happened? Who took you in? Do you need anything?

[If he says anything worrying, she's going out anyway. He can't stop her.]

Sorry I can't make it coffee flavored for you
Martin was fine, they made some stupid fucking comments about him as he was leaving, but Tim came pretty quick.

[He types several things that all get deleted. 'Ravens is typing' goes for a bit loner, then stops.]

Jacob took me in. His dom bought me.

I need you not to go to the People Zoo and ask them anything. Leave it.
Please

[That sets off so many alarms that it almost physically hurts to restrain herself from destroying her phone. Something happened. She knows it. Chris doesn't say things like this to her. Ever.

Something is wrong.

No use telling him what he already knows.]

Who's Jacob's Dominant? I'm afraid I don't know him at all.

[ The notification noise stops Hawke mid gait, nearly in the middle of traffic but manages to take a leap onto the curb before anything happens, already pulling his phone from his pocket.

Thank fuck, it's Chris. He's alive and in condition enough to text coherently. He's not sure exactly what circumstances he's concerned for that would prevent Chris from being able to do so but his mind can provide a hundred terrible scenarios and he tries to ignore each and every one. He'll find out what actually happened before he goes down any of those roads.

Working purely on feeling and adrenaline, Hawke presses the call button next to Chris' name instead of responding to the text, nearly dropping his phone through getting jostled by a surly pedestrian. To his discredit, he is standing right in the center of the sidewalk on a busy intersection. Hawke shuffles off to the side instead, listening for the ring and barely breathing. ]

[His cheeks color at that first comment, but he's fast realizing that there's something more going on here.]

Chris, are you still in the Zoo?

[He curses softly to himself when Hawke calls and starts the slow and painful process of extricating himself from the bed. It’s going to go to voicemail soon, though, so he clicks the green button without raising the phone to his ear.

There’s a sound of a pained hiss and a murmur of a low, male, voice followed by Chris’ lighter timbre. Something akin to ‘the other room.’ And ‘back to sleep’

It’s a few more seconds before Chris’ strained voice gives its best approximation of normal when he answers.]

I appreciate your eagerness to call me, but a heads up would have been nice. I’m sorry for worrying you.

[He doesn’t tend to apologize twice ever, but it just feels…necessary.]

Jacob Frye, the proprietor of the Arena and one of my boyfriends. His dom’s a woman named Rosita, she got me for him so he’d not break into the Zoo to come after me

[How long can he string this along? He’s not planning it for once, just reacting. He ached too much to put that much thought into it.]

[Not even a comment or deflection. Was Jon being sharp or Chris sloppy? Or both. Gods knew he didn’t have the heart or head to try very hard right now. Not while he rests as carefully as he can, each breath too sharp.]

No

[He can’t leave that there]

Jacob’s dominant picked me up. Rosita.

I fucked up

[ It's an evening for rarities then because Hawke is hardly ever speechless, yet he still doesn't say anything right away when he finally hears Chris' voice. It's a relief - he's safe, he's clearly with someone he trusts based on the tone of that soft conversation - but it also opens a whole new world of worries. Hawke's intuition catches on several things all in quick succession.

Chris never apologizes twice, even when he has done something wrong. One is always enough.

The sounds he made getting up were pained, injury not just soreness. He has enough experience with both to tell the difference.

He'd been silent for hours, which given that he had explicitly said he would let Hawke know when he was safely away is suspicious. Chris never breaks his word purposely, which means something happened.

There's something in his voice. His tone is tired, soft likely to keep from bothering whoever he's with, but the undercurrent to it tugs at his chest, aching. ]

Sorry...

[ Just to say something, so Chris knows there's more than just the sounds of traffic and the city on the other end of the call. He just needed to hear Chris' voice. To make sure he's really alright. ]

You gave me a scare. What happened?

[ He's not alright, though. Even before Chris answers, he's decided that much on the quality of his voice alone. So he doesn't ask if he's alright, he doesn't demand to know where he is even though it's a fight to swallow that question. He just wants to know what happened to make it so Chris had vanished unexpectedly for so long. ]

Edited 2023-02-16 07:09 (UTC)

[It's a few seconds for Jon to respond because that name rings a bell. He checks the network and...]

You were purchased by a SIN Guard?
Fuck!
How long?
Why the hell is he even contracted to someone like that?
I'll see if I can contact her.
Pay her to trade you to Kyle or Amelia or Festival.
Anyone else.

Edited 2023-02-16 07:14 (UTC)

[This time he’s quiet on purpose as he shuffles into the living room to find a pillow to make sitting easier. This would be more manageable once he had his magic back.

But Hawke asked him what happened and he can feel a tightness in his throat as he tries to work out the words.]

I got into a fight with the SIN guards. About five of them. They took my magic and…frankly beat the shit out of me. I wasn’t in much of a state to text for a bit.

A few hours ago. I took a bath and then fell asleep. I don’t know if she’s trustworthy, but she helped me and she’s not here now. This is Jacob’s house.

[She probably only helped him for Jacob, but still.]

Please, Jon. Until you’re out again, I want to be here.

[ Magic suppression. Chris is no weakling, he can hold his own in a fist fight too, but five armed guards against one unarmed man is not a fight, it's brutality. ]

No, I imagine not.

[ That sickly film of worry and frustration that had clung to Hawke's heart since he learned where Chris was to be sent grows thicker. Tighter. His own voice sounds leaden to his ears and feels it on his tongue. He tries to push through it, telling himself silently that it could have been worse. Could have been a whole lot worse. ]

You're still hurt. Can I come to you? I'm no replacement for a healer but I can do something at least.

[ Please let me do something... ]

[He’s quiet again. Hawke will come and he’ll likely need access to the injuries. He’ll see where there’s still faded sharpie written on his skin.

Even without, he was a fool to consider Hawke wouldn’t find out.]

I’m at the Hollow. It’s Jacob’s house in the forest. I’ll send a pin.

I…thank you, Hawke.

[ The long pause makes something in Hawke's chest twist painfully, but he exhales a little in guilty relief when Chris agrees. The pin is sent soon after and he's able to start moving again, this time in the right direction. ]

Of course. I'm not going to leave you to hurt on your own.

[ He pauses a moment. ]

I know you're not alone, you're with Jacob, I just mean if I can help I'm going to do all I can.

[ He switches ears, looking both ways briefly and then crossing the street at a jog to race against the light turning. He's not far, thankfully, though he'd not grabbed a heavy enough jacket for the snow that's still on the ground. Right now it hardly matters. ]

I'll be there shortly. Do you want me to stay on the call until I get there?

[ Something in Chris' demeanor makes him not want to hang up. He doesn't question it, just keeps moving, desperate to get there as soon as possible. ]

[Yes.

What a foolish and childish thing, he berates himself.]

No, I’ll go unlock the door and maybe find some tea. Or a drink. Don’t need to hear me working on that. Don’t tell me you’re walking here, love, even you get cold.

[ The no sounds like a yes and Hawke takes it as such, guiltily more for himself than for Chris. He needs to keep hearing him, be reassured that he's out of that place and out of immediate danger. ]

It's faster on foot, I don't have to follow the roads.

[ Or in his panic he'd forgotten than taxis exist, but it all amounts to the same thing. ]

So tea, if you don't mind. It's soothing to make and I'm certainly going to need a cup when I arrive.

[ That much is true. His hands are starting to ache from the cold, but he's not going to waste the mana warming them when the movement is doing well enough. He needs his magic for something more important than cold fingers. ]

I can see the edge of the wood now anyway. I'll try and be quiet coming up, so as not to wake Jacob. I assume that's who you were talking to when you answered? I'm glad he was able to get you.

[ As if this is a normal conversation. As if it's not taking everything in him not to run full tilt to the Hollow and arrive gasping for breath on the porch. Even so, his steps over the call become more rapid as they begin to hit more snow now that he's off the main city streets. He's not running, but only technically. ]

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un: thearchivist; text (evening of the 15th)

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