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Post by eragon on Mar 3, 2020 2:15:15 GMT
While Xander had made it clear that there was no need for Bo to continuing stealing to pay for the maintenance of his drug habits, Bo didn't exactly have different means to provide himself with other necessities, such as food. The market, he knew from experience, was the best place to obtain anything he needed, and his empty stomach told him it was time for some grocery shopping. Besides, he reminded himself, it was as good a spot as any to keep an eye out for... Whatever it was, exactly, that Xander wanted him too. Traitors and suspicious activities, the other boy had said, although he hadn't really elaborated on how they would stand out, and Bo had been high enough that more than a few of the details of that conversation were fuzzy.
Still thinking about this, he walked through the crowded street lined with vendors selling their goods on either side, biding his time until he caught sight of a stall that was particularly busy. The vendor was selling different varieties of bread, and he was caught up speaking with several customers, evidently explaining a few different types to them. Bo continued walking casually but veered toward the stall. As he walked past it, still sticking to the edge of the crowd, he grabbed a loaf of bread and slipped it with the utmost ease into the bag hanging at his side. It took him only seconds, and as far as he could tell, no one had noticed; no one ever noticed. He merged back into the middle of the crowd smoothly, eyes alert for his next target.
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Post by starrea on Mar 5, 2020 1:22:51 GMT
Roman had been spending more time out of the castle as he tried to work up the courage to see Caspian. He always chickened our before he got very far. But, as he told himself over and over again, it was mainly to do work and the timing to slip away just wasn’t right. Anyway, he hadn’t even decided if he wanted to see Caspian again.
Every since Caspian had left, he had consumed almost all of Roman’s thoughts. He tried to throw himself into his work but he was finding it increasingly harder and harder to concentrate on anything other than the mysterious man who opened up a whole new world for him. It was infuriating. He found himself wondering and wanting things that had never crossed his mind before, things he shouldn’t have been wondering and wanting. Suddenly, and because of Caspian, the orderly world Roman lived in tilted and he wasn’t sure how to recover.
Even though Roman was lost in his thoughts about Caspian, he didn’t miss the kid slip some bread into his coat and walk off. Even when he was checked out, he was still far more alert than most. Desperate to throw into any distraction, Roman slipped through the crowd after the kid. He snagged the kid by the back of his shirt, pulling him backwards and slamming him up against a wall.
“I think you forgot to pay for that bread.” He got right up in the kid’s face, his massive frame looming over him as he stared down at Bo.
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Post by eragon on Mar 5, 2020 4:42:10 GMT
Bo felt a hand grab the back of his shirt, and before he could react, he was being dragged from the crowd and shoved into the wall of an adjacent alleyway. When he was finally able to catch sight of his attacker, he found a man standing in front him. A brief glance at the man's clothing told Bo that he wasn't a guard, so Bo couldn't imagine why he would take an interest in this matter even if he had seen the bread being taken, which still seemed unlikely in Bo's mind.
He wanted to step back, make space between the tall figure and himself, but there was no space to be found. Instead, when Roman leaned close to him, Bo's hands shot out and pushed against Roman's chest in an attempt to shove him away. "Get out of my face, of course I paid for it," he bluffed, seeming irritated. Internally, he felt a small worm of worry. No one ever noticed when he took things; what went wrong this time, and why did this man care? He replayed grabbing the bread in his mind, but he could come up with nothing that he had done differently that would have given him away.
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Post by starrea on Mar 6, 2020 16:02:56 GMT
His response was swift and unmerciful; as soon as Bo lied, Roman sent a fist crashing into his face. Despite Bo being significantly younger and smaller, Roman still packed an unnecessary amount of force into his punch. He relished in the position of power he was in and his fist itched to beat the boy’s face in until he learned respect, but he stopped after that one punch.
“Let’s try that again. I think you forgot to pay for that bread.” His voice was ice cold - daring the boy to try and bullshit him again.
Even though he had pulled the boy into a sparsely crowded alley, he did see some prying eyes looking. Violence in the streets wasn’t entirely uncommon, especially in regards to criminals, so he wasn’t worried about interference. If anyone did, he would just start arresting people. Perks of his position was that he was virtually untouchable.
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Post by eragon on Mar 12, 2020 16:02:25 GMT
There was no space to yield to the force of the punch, to stagger back into; the wall at Bo's back kept him pinned and made the blow worse than it otherwise would have been. Beyond this, he was caught off guard and had no time to try and shield himself from it or prepare himself for the stinging pain. In reaction and without thinking, he yelped and tried to jerk away, reaching a hand up to press against his face.
A moment later, rational thought returned to him, and the surprise was replaced with anger. He shoved Roman more forcefully this time, enough to make the man to take a small step back to re-balance. "I think you're mistaken," he spat, glaring at him and, now that there was a fraction more space, sidestepping so that he was no longer trapped against the wall.
The weight of the punch and Roman's age and size were all indications that this wasn't an altercation that he wanted to prolong, and he began backing away, eyes still on Roman for any further signs of threat. It was true that he was younger and smaller than Roman, but growing up on his own had forced him to learn a thing or two about how to defend himself, and he wouldn't be caught so unprepared if the man tried to attack him again.
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Post by starrea on Mar 12, 2020 22:56:14 GMT
Roman allowed the boy to take his space because it would be the last inkling of control he had over his life. He cracked his knuckles, his predatory gaze locking onto Bo as he watched the boy try to size him up. It was almost amusing, but not right now. He wanted to see the look in the boy’s eyes as he stripped away every aspect of control from him life and bent him completely to his will. It was the perfect distraction he needed right now.
“Since you insist on being a little shit, I have no other choice but to arrest you for stealing.” Roman drawled slowly, his eyes locked into Bo. He leaned forward as if he were going to advance on Bo again, but at the last second he took a step backwards instead.
“Follow me.” But this time, his command wasn’t simply a command. He willed his persuasive abilities into his words, not at all caring that Bo would undoubtably be aware that Roman was influencing his movements. He wanted Bo to feel completely powerless. And so he didn’t have to miss the show, he started slowly walking backwards, waiting for Bo to follow him whether he liked it or not.
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Post by eragon on Mar 13, 2020 21:50:58 GMT
"I didn't steal," Bo said angrily, still maintaining his innocence. He tensed slightly as Roman stepped toward him, prepared to defend himself, but then the man stepped back. For a moment, Bo couldn't make sense of the action except to assume that Roman was toying with him and that the step forward had been a feint.
For a moment, Bo wondered why on earth the man assumed that he would follow him, but then the order started to work its way into his mind, taking control, and his body responded as smoothly as if the instructions had come from him. "Stop!" He said, half to himself, half to Roman, trying to will himself to stop moving, but it didn't work. He couldn't control his own movements. He was powerless, and it was terrifying, more so because he didn't understand how Roman's power worked.
His gaze shifted to Roman. "What are you doing to me?" There was anger in his tone and in his eyes, underlied by a fear that he was still trying to conceal.
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Post by starrea on Mar 14, 2020 1:40:54 GMT
Roman knew his abilities would work, they always worked, but after the fluke with Caspian, it was all the more satisfying to see Bo’s face as his body betrayed him. The feeling of absolute power rushed through like a shot of adrenaline. His lips curled up into a predatory smile as his prey walked towards him and he started walking backwards, his eyes never leaving Bo’s face.
“Keep following me.” He repeated, willing his persuasive abilities towards Bo. The boy was like clay, ready for Roman to mold him however he pleased. He didn’t bother to answer Bo’s question simply because he didn’t have to.
After one hundred or so feet, Roman finally turned around and walked forwards only because it was too difficult to walk backwards the entire way to the castle. He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure Bo was right behind him, offering a sly smirk every time he met the younger Bo’s eyes.
Roman slipped Bo into the castle through one of the back entrances and lead him straight down the mostly abandoned hallway to the unused old servant’s wings. He pushed open a door - the room he had previously locked Caspian in, and grabbed Bo by the back of the neck and flung him inside. He followed and slammed the door shut behind him.
The room was tiny and barely furnished. There was a single old cot with a thin pillow and sheet and a bucket and that was it.
“Since you insist on being a criminal, you will be treated as one. This will be your new room.” Roman explained, leaning back again the closed door and looked at Bo with hungry eyes.
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Post by eragon on Mar 14, 2020 17:21:42 GMT
"What are you doing to me?!" Bo repeated, louder now and with a hint of desperation seeping into his voice as the inability to control his movements persisted. With each step they took, his panic was growing. He glanced down at his legs. Stop, he thought, willing them to obey him, but they didn't; they obeyed only the command sent by Roman, which seemed to block any of his attempts to withdraw it. He could feel the words Roman said in his head, like an echo that prevented anything else from getting through. He tried to avoid the man's gaze, feeling sickened by the sly smirk that Roman cast him each time their eyes met.
As they approached the castle and went inside, his fear grew, and he tried even harder to resist, but it was a futile effort. He watched Roman open the door to the room with a sinking feeling before being shoved inside. The only relief that entering the room brought was the fading of Roman's command to follow him. His mind, for the time being at least, was his own again.
He glanced around the room quickly, taking stock of his surroundings, then directed his attention back to Roman. "What do you mean?" He asked, feeling a pit grow in his stomach. He knew what Roman meant, but he didn't want to believe it. The hungry look in the mans eyes made him nervous, but not as nervous as the thought of being trapped in this room with no access to a steady supply of opium. He'd been using the drug regularly over the last several days, and he could feel the craving for his next dose beginning to creep up on him already.
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Post by starrea on Mar 14, 2020 17:37:03 GMT
Roman didn’t answer his question, but just silently studied the boy. Roman would have expected more anger, more indigence, but instead he saw true fear. Everyone reacted to imprisonment differently, Roman rationalized, but something felt different about this. He could already see the boy beginning to sweat, his eyes wide, and how fidgety he was. Suddenly, it all clicked together.
“Are you a fucking junkie?” Roman snarled, his smirk being replaced by a look of disgust.
He didn’t wait for an answer. He didn’t need the kid to confirm it. He pushed off of the wall, suddenly angry and unsure of how to express it.
“Here’s the deal. Welcome to rehab. When you’re done going through withdrawal, we’ll talk.”
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Post by eragon on Mar 14, 2020 17:53:35 GMT
"So what if I am?" Bo retorted, bristling at Roman's reproachful tone and look of disgust. It was none of the man's business what Bo did with his body or his time. He tensed as Roman stepped off the wall, feeling the pit in his stomach grow at the thought of being trapped in this room and going through such a harsh and sudden withdrawal.
Bo clenched and unclenched his fingers and made a noise of frustration, looking around the room once more. "You have to let me out," he said, his tone more strained than angry now. "I can't go without it. Let me out." He moved forward, trying to get to the door now that Roman was no longer physically blocking it.
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Post by starrea on Mar 14, 2020 18:21:05 GMT
Roman wanted to roll his eyes at the drama. It was weak to see how quickly they unraveled once their substance was taken away. This was a turn for the better though, because now Roman could justify holding this kid against his will. He would help him whether or not he liked it, and when he was done, this kid would be someone worthy.
“Don’t be so dramatic. You can and will go without it. I don’t know what you’re on but frankly, it doesn’t matter. Once you’re through withdrawal and have a clearer head, we’ll talk about what happens next.”
As the kid lunged for the door, Roman cocked his fist back and leveled a powerful punch straight to his face. It was almost sad to watch because he was amateur in a professional’s game. But it didn’t make it any less and Roman stepped back to block the door, one hand on the knob as he prepared to leave the kid to deal with whatever was to come alone. He hoped that the withdrawals wouldn’t be bad enough to kill him because he wouldn’t offer the kid medical care. If he was strong enough, he’d make it.
“I’ll drop off food and water once a day but I’m not going to come in until you’re done going through withdrawal. I suggest you try to meditate because you’re about to have a very bad week.”
And with that, Roman swiftly exited and locked the door behind him.
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Post by eragon on Mar 22, 2020 23:26:25 GMT
Bo stumbled back as Roman's fist slammed into his face for the second time that day. Instantly, he lifted a hand to press to his cheek and eye where the blow had landed, temporarily distracted by the pain. He heard the door open as Roman slipped out and scrambled back toward it, attempting to get through, but it was too late. He grabbed at the doorknob, trying desperately to turn it and pull the door open, but it refused to budge. Bo spent several minutes banging on the door, yelling, and attempting to yank it open, but eventually, he slumped down in front of it, staring at the meager room in front of him with rising panic. Such a sudden withdrawal would be more than unpleasant and possibly even fatal. Already, he could feel the craving for opium growing. Roman was right about one thing; he was about to have a very bad time.
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