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[dethangel]

want a thread but can't find toki on a meme or don't like what's out there? you can hit him up here.

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[juryduties]

( he laments missing the expression on toki's face, seeing the way his smile contorts with dismay and disappointment. there's power in knowing he can hurt toki from afar, as proven by his stilted replies.

somewhere deep, deep inside, magnus knows that acts of cruelty won't make up for the pain of rejection, but he chooses to believe this will make him happy, and he convinces himself it works.

later, he returns to the lair, and later still, he checks on toki. he does this by way of tossing a cold bag of greasy fast food towards his somewhat spacious cage. it lands outside, beyond his reach. )

There.

Don't say I never did anything for you.

[dethangel]

[Toki's just staring at his phone when Magnus comes back, barely even acknowledging his presence until he hears the sound of something being thrown and hitting the floor. That gets his attention and his eyes widen when he realizes it's a bag of food.]

Hi, [he says, voice quiet. He doesn't talk as much as he used to anymore.] Th-thanks.

[His attention returns to the bag. He knows he won't be able to reach it, shouldn't give Magnus the satisfaction of even trying, but what if today's the day that he does? So he reaches out for it, straining, like if he just stretches the tiniest bit he'll make it.

He won't make it.]

[juryduties]

( it's looking like the phone was a bad idea, see as how toki hardly stirs when magnus enters the room. he has to wonder: why does he bother with nice things? give people an inch, they take a mile.

worse, toki's attempt is so sluggish, so distrusting, that magnus has to sigh. normally a struggle like this would earn a cackle, but he only feels sad for the both of them — himself mainly, but there's a little pity for toki, too.

he takes a seat beside toki's cage. after a moment of consideration, he lets his back rest against the bars. he leaves himself open. )

Listen, man. I know what this all looks like, but I'm not your enemy.

( the bag of food, he picks it up and passes it through the bars. surprisingly, there's food inside. it's cold and a little smushed, but it's exactly what toki asked for. )

We don't have to be like this.

[dethangel]

[A small dormant part of him notices that Magnus has his back to him, sort of. He can reach through the bars. But what's he going to do? Punch him? And then what? He doesn't have the right leverage against him, can't shove him against the floor and kick and kick and kick and kick and kick and--

The food. The bag. It smells like food, kind of, he thinks, if he remembers how to smell right. He takes the bag with a tentative nod and opens it up.

It's really food. Magnus didn't eat it all.

He looks up and over at him, head tilted slightly to the side.]

We... we don't?

[juryduties]

No. Of course not. You think I like that things are like this? ...Go ahead, eat up. Sorry it took so long to get here, buddy. Got a little tied up on the way back.

( he doesn't smile, but he relaxes something in his face, imitates the person toki met at band camp with his soothing intonations. )

...Dethklok's gonna replace you. You know that, right? Just like they replaced me. They'll replace anyone. They don't care.

The sooner you get that, the sooner we can be done with all this shit.

[dethangel]

[Toki can almost believe that Magnus is being nice. Except he remembers all the not nice stuff. He can't trust him like that, not really.

But he also can't not trust him. He's the only person he sees these days. He's responsible for everything that happens to him.]

No, they... they just got lost, [Toki insists, opening up the bag and grabbing the burger. He starts to eat quickly, just to make sure he can definitely get some of the food in.] They... they care. I know they do.

[juryduties]

Toki... you aren't listening.

( the patience ebbs from his voice, replaced by a hardness, a warning. his previous answer was the wrong one, but there's a chance he just misspoke. )

They don't care.

Say it. Say it now.

[dethangel]

[Toki freezes, fingers gripping his burger. Fuck. He knows he has to say it, or he's going to get in trouble.]

They... they don't care.

[They do care, he says to himself. It's okay if he says it out loud if he doesn't mean it.]