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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.

Comments

[juryduties]

what do you want to eat

( texting toki like this while he's out and about breaks the immersion, if he's being honest. toki is his ransom, his retribution, his pet. magnus keeps him in cages and chains when he's feeling ornery, and he allows him to occupy the space at the foot of his bed when he's feeling kind (or, more accurately, lonesome). but recently, the hope in toki's eyes has dimmed, so he's tossed him a bone, given him a phone, allowed him to play angry birds. no internet, no outside phone numbers, just mind-numbing games for a mind-numbed captive.

keeping toki and abigail separate has been better for everyone. they're too strong when they're together, and magnus doesn't need to be undermined by anyone.

the days are growing longer; a truck could be driven through the space between dethklok's first attempt at infiltration and now.

it's probably because, like magnus predicted, no one is coming to save him. )

[dethangel]

[It takes Toki a moment to even register that there's a new message. The games are all he has, right now. Everyone he knows outside of this place probably has no real idea where he is, or they got lost, or there's a big scary guy telling them to solve his riddles, and any minute they'll be busting down the door.

Any minute.

His imagination isn't working so well anymore.

Oh, right. The message.]

burgers

[It's honestly the first food he can think of, but he's worried if he takes too long to decide, he won't get anything.]

frys

[Maybe he can allow himself another indulgence.]

[juryduties]

( magnus is only humoring him because he's got no one else to text. message boards aren't taking his bait, and news outlets are running with this "no comment" bullshit every time toki is mentioned.

it's like, he didn't go through all this trouble for his efforts to not be noticed, damn it. )

don't get greedy
pick one

( one [1], and magnus might entertain it. )

[dethangel]

donts they gots the meals what you gets both???

[He probably should't push it, but... now that he's thinking about both, he really wants both. A semblance of normal. Something he'd get if he was home where he belongs.

The burger's probably better than the fries, if he only gets one. It'd be more filling, probably be easier on his blood sugar.]

burgers.

[juryduties]

the meal deal??
with the kids' toy??







fine

ketchup, mustard?
you want all that?

[dethangel]

yeah i wants the toy.

[If he's got to deal with this, he should at least get a toy out of it. He almost feels a little smug, like he managed to pull something over on Magnus.]

just ketchups.

[A pause.]

thanks

[juryduties]

👍

( and he fills the emoji with all the animosity he can muster.

a few minutes later, toki gets a picture of the meal sitting atop a tray at what looks to be a murder-themed fast food restaurant. a toy in plastic wrapping, a bundle of steamy fries, and a burger with sesame seeds speckling its buns. ketchup dollops the patty.

the next image shows magnus taking a massive bite, a selfie in which he's still wearing his sunglasses since he can't run the risk of being spotted. the images after that have him eating fries. )

great recommendation

[dethangel]

[Fuck, that looks good. Toki smiles as he looks at the picture, wondering how long it'll take Magnus to come back with it. He's using what's left of his imagination to think about what it'll taste like when he looks at the next image, and his heart sinks.

He should never have hoped for anything.]

oh.

[Fuck it, it's not like it matters. Back to his game, he supposes.]

ok

[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.