Greetings, Miss Delgado. A little bird told me that you wanted to get to know me. Tell me, child, how has your life been since I entered it?
Daddy? Oh, Daddy, itâs been amazing! I know that you love me, more than anyone. Real love, not like those shams, those people who called themselves my âparentsâ. The people who called themselves my friends. Liars, all of them. But youâre no liar, Daddy. Maybe a bit slippery in wording, sometimes, but never a liar. It makes me so happy, it makes my life so much better, knowing those things.
Everything has changed ever since you first spoke to me. Things are clearer now. Iâve realized to much. Youâve made me see, and I am free because of it. Daddy, I love you.
I donât think they do, and if someone tried to tell me different Iâd tell them itâs a load of bullshit. But nonetheless, I do a fine job of giving hugs.Â
Notes:Â Zachâs self destructive but typical behavior is interrupted by a grudgingly welcomed approach of company.
Extra Notes:Â N/A
Zach Reynolds
To say he had expected her to duck into a room and slam the door would have been a lie. Zach didnât anticipate the slamming of the door anymore than he anticipated slamming right into it, shoulder first, with all the force of the momentum his furious running after her had given him, like a freight train with no way of stopping. Indeed, by this point, he was running like some sort of machine fueled by hate and driven by blind rage. It wouldnât have occurred to him to stop and slow down even if he had seen the door and her going through it. He would have continued on with the intent of knocking it down, barreling it over, and getting her.
Once the shock of hitting the door passed, he quickly became enraged that she had escaped. He didnât think any deeper into it, still driven by the red haze of his own rage, and as a result let out a shout of rage before slamming into the door again. He did it several more times, each hit harder than the one before it as his frustration fed into his determination to break the door down. But, when he felt a sharp pang shoot through his shoulder, he stopped and slumped down the ground.
With his back to the door and his breathing coming in quick, shallow bursts, Zach felt his thoughts flood back in as the mess of red goop that had been his focus moments before slipped away. He was left feeling drained and still upset, but it was a passive sort of things that came as a relief after the tension that had built up in him throughout the entire day. His hands were pressed against the tile floor rather than curled into their usual fists, and he stared ahead with a blank expression. âWhat nowâŠ?â
After several minutes of silence, he forced himself to stand. For another minute, he stood in front of the door with a look of confusion as he listened for Katerina and heard nothing but his own breathing, and perhaps what could have been hers in the background. He huffed at last, slammed his fist against the door once more, and then set to walking down the hall, slowly and with dragging feet.
He had significantly tired himself out, and he knew Katerina was probably equally out of it behind the door. The muscles in his legs ached from being used so hard for such a long time, his arms hung limply at sides, and his breathing had yet to even out entirely. More so, he felt mentally exhausted. He was bitter now instead of tense, and it was solely because she had won the twisted game that he had ended up playing. Because of those feelings, not only did he not feel the need to apologize to her, but he also anxiously informed himself that if he saw her again anytime soon, he wouldnât be able to restrain his temper from flaring up once more. âDamn.â
Katerina Delgado
The rapid, hard thumps subsided, leaving a note of silent finality behind. Kat's laughs had faded away, too, lost to the thought of Zach successfully breaking down the door. The warm glow of victory had been shot down by that fact, and for a minute, Kat had laid tense and ready to roll, jump, and dart away all over again if that door gave in. But it didn't. The silence was like a blanket, and Kat felt in her gut that she had won the game. She felt like laughing again, but as the tiredness of her body decided to make itself apparent, she found that she didn't have the strength nor the breath for it. She relaxed, laying languidly eagle spread on the cool tile floor, closing her eyes and reveling in the peace that her victory had left behind.
Her eyelids burst open at the sound of another thud against the door, but within moments, Kat deduced that - as it hadn't sounded as strong, loud, or enraged as the others - that he wasn't trying to beat his way in anymore. She flopped back down, having to catch her breath with aching lungs all over again. She vaguely wondered, as she slowly rolled her arms and legs, looking lazily at visible cuts and bruises, if Zach felt as beat up and just tired, like she did. She was pretty sure he did, and the conclusion brought a smile back onto her face. Beyond the tiredness that held her limbs, there was something more, Â a something that showed in her smile and buzzed in her mind. It wasn't the feeling of victory, but more the feeling of something accomplished. She'd messed with the bull and narrowly avoided the horns, and even thinking about that near miss had adrenaline back in her blood. She had absolutely destroyed her boredom, and she knew that she'd be left with the high of that old adrenaline and its very memory for perhaps days to come.
Rolling over and letting her cheek cool on the pristine white floor, Kat once again closed her eyes, deciding to give up on thinking. After another moment, she decided to take a nap. By the time her faint chuckle had faded away to nothing, she had gone right under and into the cozy, soft blackness of sleep.
Gist: Hayden's proposal of playing a game is answered.
Etc.: Sucky gist is sucky, but whatever.
"Ooh. Weeelll..." Katerina smirked and leaned in close to Hayden, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his lips pulsing into her own. "I want to play... Catch-me-if-you-can!" Giggling, she lithely jerked away from him, giving a little half-twirl. She knew that she shouldn't be toying around with Hayden, but she could hardly resist. It wouldn't mean anything, if the "game" even amounted to something in the first place. They built their relationships and played with them, but in the end, they all remained more like brothers and sisters than anything. Twisted as it was, it was Katerina's truth, and after a year, she'd simply come to accept it. Thinking about things always led to overcomplications, and that was the last thing Kat felt she needed - that any of them needed. So, more often than not, she simply let things happen, going along with the others, following in their footsteps more than making her own. It was just easier that way.
Besides, who wouldn't want a little fun, here and there? Hayden was good-looking, he was a gentleman, and he seemed like he'd enjoy proving himself in as many aspects of life as possible, which meant that he couldn't be a terrible lover. And with the no strings attached factor, what was there to lose? Absolutely nothing. It was pure fun, light hedonism, a dabbling in loving and casuality. Katerina was up for whatever game Hayden wanted to play, she thought, even if it wasn't her suggestion. She was ready to be entertained, to have fun, and to just be free inside her cage.
Alright, Iâm no shrink or anything, but I think thereâs something you should take into consideration. One, not everybody shows affection the way you do. So if somebody likes you, you may not even realize it, because the way theyâre showing it is totally foreign to you. And two, your Satan-induced power doesnât work on the rest of us. So there you go.Â
I guess you're right... But I've always wondered if that's a lie. If our powers do affect the others, somehow. I believe that they don't, but I can't be entirely sure, sometimes. Mm. I think I just need a hug right now.
Oh. I... I'm sorry. [she stares at the ground] I don't really know what I want, I guess. I want people to like me? I want real friends who want to be around me and like me for the person I am, and not some Satan-induced power? I dunno. Maybe I just need to think for awhile... But if you want to stay, that'd be okay, too.
What the hell, Eric. You don't get it, okay? It isn't that - I couldn't care less about being fawned over. I could live without it as long as I had people would borderline cared about me. It's an entirely different matter with Zach, and honestly, it doesn't matter to me as much as it used to. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but I didn't use it because he doesn't give me enough attention. Ugh. Just... Whatever. Leave me alone.
Tagging: Alicia Keller and Katerina Delgado
Location: Some random halls within the Institute
Time: Late afternoon, perhaps.
Notes: Alicia and Katerina play âwho can upset the guards best?â.
Etc.:
She laughed softly, feeling a great sense of joy swell around her, it hadnât been that long ago that the most recent game Alicia had played was tag, and to play it today with a new friend was even more exciting, granted there was a lot more at stake than a playground reputation and some immature friendships. âShake we shall!â Alicia grinned as she recalled the handshake they had made up over the foolish idea of fighting off impostors. A simple game of tag wouldnât really require that much exertion, after all, there were much worse games to play.
"Okay!" she chirped, letting her laughs subside staring at her watch. "Seventeen more seconds. You go right, I'll go left. Fourteen more seconddssss..!" She giggled and wriggled and glanced up at Alicia with excitement. "Okaayy, let's count down... Five... Four... Three... Two... One!" And without another word, Kat twirled around and took off, launching down the hall as silent laughter rolled off her frame. She flew past a few guards before picking her prey. He seemed to be bored, not paying the slightest attention to her, unlike the others and their watchful eyes. She skidded to an abrupt stop in front of him, her expression suddenly solemn. She turned to face him fully, tilting her head to the side, eyes wide and sweet. And she lunged at him, her eyes going tight around his middle. "Oh, daddy! I've missed you!" she cried, burying her face into his chest. She could have sworn she felt some rumbling laughter in the back of her head, if only for a moment.
The guard, who really could have not been any older than her, gasped and spluttered, but made no move to make her let go. Kat pouted, but even though it might waste time, she was determined to have success with him. She squeezed harder, smirking to herself as she said in her best baby-doll voice, "Daddyy! Telll meee... A story!" He looked down at her, startled again, but still made no move towards her. Katerina rolled her eyes and took a step back. "You made me waste my time!" she screamed, her face suddenly enraged. She stamped her foot and made a threatening step forward. She heard the other guards snicker. This seemed to throw him into action, and he took a step forward, his hands going to her shoulders. Katerina's face split into a grin and she jumped back, turning and running off again, yelling, "THANKS!" as she did. Around the next corner, she made the tally mark on the inside of her elbow before covering the skin back up and hunting quickly for her next victim.
Notes:Â Zachâs self destructive but typical behavior is interrupted by a grudgingly welcomed approach of company.
Extra Notes:Â It was in Daddy's best interest that she wasn't incapacitated, I think.
Zach Reynolds
Zach didnât pay any attention to the chair once it was clear it wasnât going to hit her. It had crashed into the wall, metal bending and snapping in some places, but the wall took it like a champ. Still, his attention was focused on Katerina, and though he had skidded past her, he was right behind her as soon as she was on her feet, hands nearly grabbing her long hair as he neared closer to her. Unfortunately, that seemed to work in her advantage, and put a foot or so more between them as she darted ahead a little further.
Through the maze of hallways and corridors, on the chase continued. Zach was absolutely relentless, and wouldnât stop until she was either completely out of his reach or on the floor, bleeding. Aside from the curse words  he was spewing at her, blood seemed to be the only thing of which he was able to think as he ran after her. Bloodlust, ironically, was a well known, deeply rooted quality of these lashing outs, and while he was bleeding already himself, it wasnât something that faded on its own.
As the rounded yet another corner, the crumpled chair reappeared. It was obvious that they had made one giant, convoluted circle in all. The chair easily tripped both of them up before it was skittered to the other side of the hallway by their kicking feet as they tried to remain standing - or in Zachâs case, tried to lunge at her flailing legs like a big cat after a wounded gazelle. However, like any lucky animals, her thin legs eluded his grasp and she was up on her feet and out of the way by the time his chest collided with the floor.
âFuck!â he screamed, quickly jumping up after her to resume pursuit. Had he been listening, he would have heard the footsteps of the pair of guards that were following for the ensuring of each oneâs safety, but all he was listening to at the time was the mixture of her feet slapping the ground and her breathing which was rapidly becoming more and more labored, as was his own. The game of tag had been going on for some time by now, with seemingly no end in sight anywhere in the maze.
Katerina Delgado
The feeling of phantom fingers in the tendrils of her hair disappeared, and with a rush of victory that wasnât really yet hers, Katerina pushed ahead, despite how her lungs, legs, and heart were aching as they beat on. She had forgotten this part of the game, the part where she realized that Zach wasnât a toy to be played with. He was dangerous, very dangerous, but Katerina always forgot that. At least, she did until the exact second when a word spewed out of him just so, or a sound of feet following behind her was beginning to quicken. Then, as it always did, it would strike her like a slap to the face that she was in true danger. She thought as she ran, unwittingly becoming distracted as she turned corners and screeched as she nearly hit walls, rebounding from them and taking off even quicker before. As that feeling of horrible familiarity, terrifying deja vu hit her, she began to make up plans of escape from the game.
Her thoughts were lithe and fast, and she could hardly keep up. She was heavily distracted, and the white of the walls was disorienting. She scrambled around another tight curve and screamed as she began to trip - the chair, in all its mangled glory, laid all out on the floor, was under her feet and grabbing at her ankles. But she managed, unlike Zach, to stay on her feet, skidding and twisting and screaming. She felt her fingers against her leg, but the mere centimetres that separated them in that second that felt suspended in time were just enough for her and not enough for him, and so he fell to the floor, and she catapulted on. Her eyes were like a fast-motion zoom, darting and flickering, searching for safety. She heard Zach behind her, and knew that he was moving faster than he had before. He was going to catch her. If she didnât get away soon, sheâd give out, and itâd be over.
A door, an open door, finally came into her view. She gasped and pushed herself harder, her heart flying fast like her feet. She felt like she wasnât even touching the ground anymore. He was right behind her, closer than ever, but the chair had again given her just enough. Zachâs fall provided her with the secondâs worth of space she needed to dart inside the room and slam the door shut with enough force for jar her arms, and she fumbled with the lock. In less than a second, even though it seemed so much longer, Katerina had shut and locked the door, providing her with a safe haven from the thundering body that came slamming into the door within that very same second that the door shut. The force of his hit was much, much stronger than hers from slamming the door, and Katerina was thrown onto the ground.
She laid there for a second, waiting for Zachâs reaction to realizing that he had lost her, that he couldnât get to her, that he had lost the game. Katerina laid there, sprawled, eyes wide, mouth still open in shock, mind reeling, blood pumping hard and fast. But then she felt it. The real rush. She had won. She had gotten away. Dropping her head and not caring that it hurt as it landed on the tile, Katerina let herself have the last laugh.
After a year in the institute, it had become substantially easier for Camille to navigate throughout the large, maze like building. Although there were security guards generally positioned at every doorâor every other, if they were luckyâtonight, she didnât pay much mind to the individuals who watched her as if they were the only authority. They would get a taste of exactly whoâs authority she answered to later tonight, once the plan was set in motion. But for now, she simply continued walking in the direction of the recreation room, eyes twinkling.
Nothing delighted her more than the familiar sound of his voice in her head, as she had known the entire time that Lucifer hadnât forgotten about them. A surge of power rushed through her body as Camille relayed his instructions, everyone but the seven oblivious to the scheming that had already begun.Â
Turning around a corner, she stepped in to the familiar room and sat down on one of the couches, waiting for the others to arrive and begin their task. It was oddly quietâmost likely due to the fact that the television was offâbut Camille didnât bother becoming unsettled, simply reveling in the thought of breaking out of this horrible place and living how she wanted to. But first, those sleeping security guards looked like they needed a night full of excitement.
Hayden was full out grinning. He couldnât help it. Finally, finally, they had been contacted by him. It made all the waiting worth it. With his handâs in his pockets he glided down the hall, throwing a smile or wink at all the guards he passed. It was almost as if he could still feel his presence, the very nature of which caused his soul to shiver. Big daddy had finally come out to play, and they were ready. Turning down another corridor, he waltzed into the recreation room. He wasnât the first to arrive but two still needed to arrive. Hopefully they wouldnât have to wait too long. It was about time they got to play.
"Good evening, doll face." Hayden said with glee as he smoothly sat down on the couch opposite to where Camille was sitting. He threw one arm over the top cushions as he crossed his right leg over the other, exuding confidence with the pose.  He casually assessed the two guards stationed in the room, but they didnât seem to be focusing too much on the pair. âReady to have some fun?â he winked. It was about time they seven showed what they were made of, and no dreadful ordinary human was going to get in their way.
"Good evening to you, too, sweet cheeks," Katerina said, giggling as she bounced into the room. She'd been a few yards behind Hayden, enough to see him before he turned corners, but he hadn't heard her. She grinned as she walked over to the couch, wrapping her arms around Hayden's neck and shoulder's in a squeezing hug, holding him for a moment and playfully kissing the top of his head before bounding off to lay in an empty sofa, sprawling out over it and giving a wide smile in return to his playfully wounded expression.
She looked over to Camille with a bright expression, cheeks ruddy and eyes dancing with excitement. "It was so good to hear his voice again, wasn't it?" she stage whispered, wiggling her feet. "Like cool water over hot rocks. Calming steam and then...you can see things clearer again." She closed her eyes for a long second, remembering. But they popped back open, and the peaceful quiet was gone as she began to babble. "When do you think that Zach'll be here?" she asked, keeping her voice low enough, in case the guards got interested. "Soon? I hope so - we don't have all that long, and while I'm not particularly anxious to do it all in a hurry, I definitely don't want to keep Daddy waiting."
Tagging: Alicia Keller and Katerina Delgado
Location: Some random halls within the Institute
Time: Late afternoon, perhaps.
Notes: Alicia and Katerina play "who can upset the guards best?".
Etc.:
They had chosen their weapons, their watches were synchronized, and the rules had been set out. You could touch, yell, poke, prod, cry, scream, scratch, anything, to yourself and to the guard - as long as you used your better judgement. After all, neither of the girls wanted to get carted off to solitary confinement. But they did want to have a bit of fun, so it was going to be a fine, fine line that they traveled.
Katerina put her hands on her hips. "Are we ready to do this, 'Licia?" she asked, grinning widely. It was gonna be great, this little "friendly competition" that they were going to be engaging in. Whoever could get the most guards to move and touch them within five minutes would be the champion, even though it had been decided that there was no prize, besides bragging rights to being the best at bothering the guards. Katerina giggled. "Let's shake on it, and then we'll go on the first second of the first minute. If you're not back here by five minutes and thirty seconds, you lose. Do you have the mark to make the tally marks on your arm?" She couldn't help but make sure that Alicia had everything - it was a habit to check on her by now. "Okay, okay, let's shake!"
Notes:Â Zachâs self destructive but typical behavior is interrupted by a grudgingly welcomed approach of company.
Extra Notes: n0b0dee
Zack Reynolds
Zach was stunned that he had missed her. The pain drove through his fist and into his arm in a single pang, but he ignored it as he quickly dropped his fist and looked over to where she had ducked. A growl escaped his lips, and he pointed his bloody finger at her. His mind had been drenched with a red just as brilliant and freshly shed as the blood seeping from his knuckles once more, and it was hazing his judgment and his vision. Like the chains had slipped from his hold, they had now slipped from over the beast of wrath which was perpetually hunkered down within his chest, and now the only remaining option was to let it loose to run its course.
âYou fucking bitch!â he shouted, completely unaware of anything other than the need to grab her and break her, like some porcelain doll with that exact flushed smirk on its face. The guards had looked, presumably excited to have something to watch and perhaps break up, but they were as important to Zach as the paint on the walls. That is to say, they were useless unless he needed something to direct his hate toward, and right now he had Katerina for that purpose. Without a single word, he lunged toward her, feet hitting the ground to give chase as she set off herself down the hall.
Terrible images of outright murder flashed in the red confines of his mind as he ran after her, shouting obscenities as he did so. He could see her blonde hair flying and hear her giggles echoing around him, and it was driving him insane. While he wasnât at the point of being able to notice, the exhilaration of the moment was releasing all his pent up stress, and stretching the muscles in his legs was doing him more good than a little bit. âI am going to snap your vocal cords, you giggling whore!â
As they rounded a corner, Zach paused. In his peripheral vision, he had spotted a chair. With swift hands, he snatched it, completely ignoring the yelp of the guard who had been occupying it. He carried it with him for a few feet before stopping once more to launch it right at her form, which was barely six feet away from him then. The chances of actually hitting her with the metal chair werenât the greatest, but the with the strong, hard accuracy of his throw, they werenât slim either. She could have heard the guardâs yelp, the scraping of metal, or perhaps his grunt of exertion as he threw the chair. Either way, he took off toward her as soon as the object had left his hands, eye alight with the fire of adrenaline.
Katerina Delgado
Fear pumped through her, her heart pounding it out, but mixed with the adrenaline, it was a heightened and heady thing, crisp, sharp, wonderfully exciting. And he hadnât even started to chase her yet. No, he was pointing a finger at her, one with blood spatter. As she stared at it, and at that blood as it oozed from his knuckles, laid on his fingers, shined at her, she became aware of blood on her face. There was some of her shoulders. A touch to her hair proved that it was there too. âI hope you don't have an STD!â she mewled, grinning. She didnât think he heard her, but right after the words left her mouth, he threw himself forward. Kat was flying, half-turned the moment she saw his legs tense.
High-pitched giggles bubbled out of her mouth as she ran, sucking in the cold air, letting her adrenaline carry her onwards. The chase was wonderful, alleviating of the boredom for such and slapping away the cobwebs in her mind, body, and soul. She felt free. He was still behind her, shouting horrible things, words that dripped acid, and she loved it. Her giggles grew, and she was getting decidedly light-headed. âThere they are!â she called to him, spinning around a corner and running on even faster. âI was wondering where your insults were!â Before another peal of beautifully abrasive laughter could rack through her throat, Katerina noticed that the footsteps and shouting behind her had stopped. She froze, one foot in the air, head whipping around to see what was up. âShit, shit, shit! Is he gonna jump me? Did he go down another corridor?!â But she spotted him, her eyes landing on him just as he yanked a chair right out from underneath a guard. Her eyes widened, and about the time she gasped, he threw it, his grunt proof just how hard that throw was.
Shrieking, âHoly shit!â Katerina dropped to the floor, listening to the chair impact with the wall at the next turn. Despite the urge to see what damage had been done to either the chair or the wall, or maybe both, Kat knew that she had to get up and start running, fast. She heard his footsteps barreling towards her, and with a screech, she tucked her limbs in and as she saw his feet get closer from her vantage point on the floor, she rolled over until she hit the wall. She didnât know where he was, how close her might be, but all she could think of was escape. âWhat did I get into?!â she yelled, taking off again. But something told her that sheâd wasted a moment that she needed by complaining. Even as her feet - one missing its shoe - slapped to the floor, she felt like there was a pair of hands almost in her hair. âFuck!â
That sounds like an excellent use of our free time, Iâm always up for a spot of âhow to piss the guards off.â Oh but of course I still have the plastic knife, I have a whole collection of them in my room, theyâre not good for much but they come in handy when I want to mess about with anyone.
