Description
Name: Mason Knight
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Height: 5ā8ā
Hair Color/Style: Masonās hair has an unworldly ability to defy gravity. Though it is short to begin with, it tends to stand so straight people wonder if he combs it with hairspray in the morning. Dark brown and soft to the touch, Mason has taken care of his hair over the years. After a month of growing it he is beginning to display the signs of bangs, but it is still relatively short.
Eye Color: One thing Masonās never liked about himself is his eyes. He was cursed (or blessed) with eyelashes like a girlās, and behind those are speckled, gray-blue irises. They reflect light in such a way that his gaze appears shallow, lacking the brilliant color that gives most eyes their depth.
General Description: Though not overly bulky, Mason has a body that depicts years of physical exercise and training. Combined with his strong jaw line, wide shoulders, defined lips, and relatively clear skin, heās essentially a knockout. Perhaps the only thing about him out of place is his skin tone, which is much paler than the usual well-toned individual. Shaving isnāt much of an issue; his grandmother grows more facial hair than he does. He has no visible scars, no outstanding moles or freckles, and one piercing on the upper cartilage of his left ear. After being picked up by the collector, the area around his eyes and cheeks have started looking gaunt, and his lips are cracked and dry. He hasn't lost a lot of weight yet, but he can feel itās beginning to take a toll on him.
Personality
General Personality : Mason is painfully pessimistic. Though not depressed or sarcastic, his brain always jumps to the worst possible conclusion in most situations, making his opinion of most people rather low. He appreciates it, however, when heās pleasantly surprised, and smiles come easily to him. Heās very considerate of others' problems, especially uncontrollable ones, such as diseases or handicaps. On the other hand, he canāt stand not having control over himself, which is a constant battle in his own mind. He also has a fair amount of pride, which of course brings a certain level of stubbornness, so he rarely will ask for help even when he needs it.
Temperament : Mason tries his best to be easy going, but his success is limited. Though heās quick to smile, heās also quick to sigh or click his tongue to show heās irritated. He doesnāt hold grudges though, and always bounces back. Mason also lives for attention, and those that give it to him are typically well-received. He has several pet-peeves however, and committing any of them will instantly get you a dirty look. With people he likes, heās very attentive, and remembers even things they say in passing. He's a bit slow in noticing when people are upset, but if he does notice (or they tell him), he does what he can to make them feel better, which includes trying to be brave for the sake of others. It takes an awful lot to make him truly anger, but the quickest way to set him off is ignorance.
Demeanor: Mason is a social creature. Barely escaping the realms of showing-off, he likes eyes on him, and thus tries his best to be liked. Unfortunately, his partial deafness makes it difficult for him to follow spoken conversations, and as heās usually too embarrassed to ask people to repeat things for him, heās seen as someone who doesnāt care about what others have to say. His emotions are easy to read however, and itās pretty obvious to those that know him when heās gotten lost in a conversation. This goes for all of his feelings, from enjoyment to downright anger. The only feeling he tries to swallow down is fear, but how well it works is debatable. He also has a protective side to him to people he truly cares about, but shows it much more through actions than words. He'll do subtle things like pat your shoulder, move in front of you, or wink, but if confronted about it, he'll deny it's anything special.
Likes:
Dancing ā specifically ballet and jazz
Deaf events ā they give him a chance to interact with people who understand him
Old movies ā anything filmed before 1965 heās probably seen at least once
Reading ā he loves everything about it. It gives him windows to worlds he doesnāt know
Art ā He canāt draw to save his life, but he likes looking at it.
Dislikes:
Masonās dislikes are a bit more complicated. He canāt stand a few things, such as when people try to get his attention the wrong way. Shouting wonāt get you anywhere when he canāt hear you, after all. He also gets very frustrated when people get angry with him for not hearing them, or needing something repeated. That being said, he also canāt stand when people try to be āpolitically correctā around him, or treat him as if heās fragile. Itās a strange balance. Other dislikes include playing hide-and-seek, most modern music, and being questioned about his sexuality. He also finds unnecessary cruelness repulsive.
Some other ones: Pears, math, really quiet people, hats, bad weather
Fears: Two fear plague Mason above all else; losing his ability to dance via injury or something else, and losing his sight. Both are the core ways in which he interacts with the world. He often has nightmares about them. Night and darkness frighten him too, but not to the same extent as total sight loss would. He also thinks spiders are pretty creepy, but heād rather kiss a spider than endure the other two fears.
History
Basic History : Born to a suburban family with one older sister, Mason lived the first five years of his life uneventfully. He fell in love with dance when he was four, and has been doing it ever since. When he turned 6 however, he contracted Meningitis, and the disease left his hearing significantly damaged. He is still able to pick out loud and medium sounds, but they are muffled and distorted. His parents opted not to get a cochlear implant. He went to a deaf school for a few years to learn American Sign Language, and learned to adjust to dancing without clearly-heard music. When he was 14, he transferred to a hearing school that specialized in liberal arts, which allowed him to greatly improve his lip-reading. However, he had to work very hard to keep up with lessons that didnāt accommodate to him, and he had trouble making friends. His relationship with his family is love-hate, but overall they are very supportive and he has a good relationship with both his parents and his sister.
(Note: If any characters know American Sign Language (ASL), it's the best way to communicate with him. If they don't though, that's fine.)
So begins...
Almost four months heād been there, and not once had Mason Knight slept in his cot since the first time he woke up in it. His arms and back ached, and it was freezing, but he always slept on the floor. Specifically, in front of his door, his back pressed against it with his head safely out of the way. This was a strategy heād developed merely hours after his capture. After heād come back into consciousness only to think he was still having a nightmare. After heād admitted he probably wasnāt going to get to go home.
See, there was something important about the doors to all the rooms: they didnāt have handles. That meant that the only way to open them was by pushing. Mason decided on that first day that he was never going to let that man surprise him again. He was never going to be caught off guard because he couldnāt hear the door open, or the footsteps clacking on the cement floor. By sleeping in front of the door, he would always know when someone was trying to come in, meaning heād never be caught by surprise. Yes, this did mean he frequently dealt with being smacked into waking by Kitty coming in to yell at him despite it being totally pointless, or Reni to tell him about an idea sheād just formulated, but the blooming bruise on his back was worth it.
Luckily, this time around no one had come to bother him. He only slept in very brief intervals, usually of three or four hours, because letās be honest here: they werenāt really in a place where deep sleep was possible. Mason sat up from the floor, feeling the pop of his back cracking as he stretched before getting to his feet. He looked around his cell, and not for the first time contemplated punching the walls until his hands broke. A lot of the others were beginning to break down, especially the ones that been there the longest, and he was trying very, very hard to keep his sanity. But sometimes, during random moments like these, he just wanted to explode. His desire to go back to how it all was before overwhelmed him, and he thought just the sheer ache of those thoughts would kill him. He kind of wished it would.
Sighing, Mason shook his head and lightly smacked his cheeks. No, he didnāt want to die here. He wouldnāt die here. He had two parents and a sister waiting for him. He had a future waiting for him too, a stage with his name on it. He knew some of the other kids were forgetting. They were forgetting what their life had been before they had an overlord or a kidnapper or whatever he was, but Mason refused to let himself forget. He knew it he did heād turn just as crazy as they were.
Exiting his room, he looked around their little space for Reni, and smiled when he saw she was there. Mason gave a small smile to Timmy and Luna as well, the most he could muster, and didnāt expect one back. This wasnāt the real world, and it wasnāt rude to skip the pleasantries. He just was glad he wasnāt the only one up.
Walking over to Reni, he did nothing more than give her a little wave. He could never tell during first contact if she was going to speak to him or not, so he never tried to start an actual conversation with her, but merely announced his presence and waited to see. If she didnāt talk to him, he would go over to Timmy and Luna and try to follow their conversation. The only thing Mason wouldnāt do was sit by himself.
The other Captured were out and about. She spotted Timothy and Luna quietly conversing in the center of the room, Renita, and Mason Knight all out as well. Some must still be in their rooms... Susana thought, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and sighing, rather loudly.
She had never had much contact with the others, because she was in her room all of the time, slowly going crazy, but Susana knew the names from the others from conversations heard through the thin walls. Timothy had been there almost as long as she had, and she could see the affect of no food was starting to show. She was thinner herself, had dropped a few pounds over the months, but overall she was still relitivily healthy.
That was the Collector's game. Treat them with love and respect, feed them, let them free for a while, then lock them back in the basement, torture them, beat them till their skin was raw and bloody. Automatically, Susana's fingers found the scar from the cut she had gotten the month before, the time of her last beating. The silence was strangely peaceful, the time between the bursts of hell, but it was scary, frightening, as she never knew what was coming next. Susana longed for a meal. She quietly, almost silently, walked to the center, smiling timidly at the others.
In her previous life she had not been shy, she had been quite social, but now that she felt all alone, except for the few friends she had made among the others, she generally kept to herself. Susana took a seat on the ground, tracing one long finger in the dirt that had gathered there. She knew that the other's would stare, but her mind was elsewhere, away from the madness...
( I didn't know whether or not to tag everyone or just some, so I just tagged you all. Sorry if that is annoying, I am kind of new to the whole tagging thing, everyone is, after all, it is a new addition to RPG. Again, I apologize. Correct me if I did anything wrong tag wise, if you want. )
"You're going to die here."
"Tortured, screaming, gasping."
"He's going to starve you and then all of you of them are going to start ripping you apart, limb by limb and they are going to eat you."
"You're so weak. Pathetic. Fall for everything."
"It's your fault we are here."
"No one likes you, Roan."
Roan curled up in the corner of his small room and rocked himself back and forth, taking deep, steadying breaths. Or at least tried to. It was hard staying calm when you were presented with all your fears without an escape. He had to deal with this on his own. He wasn't even allowed the medications he had to take. He was getting weaker, and weaker, and not just from the lack of food. It was dark, and cold, and the shadows tortured him. His mind was starting to exhaust itself with all the hallucinations. The darkness and the shadows had only added to the stress and let his mind play and roam. The Collector didn't even have to torture him even when did. His own mind did that for the collector, even when the man wasn't present in the dungeon. That probably filled that horrid man with glee.
His stomach growled in its hunger and he tightened his hold around his middle as the voices cackled in his mind. He didn't dare look up. He was afraid of what he'd see if he did look. Last time he trained his gaze on something, the shadows had morphed into the collector's shape and the man had attacked him, clawing him and yelling at him. He had screamed and begged mercy only to have the hallucination vanish. The pain hadn't gone away. He had clawed at his own arms in his loss of sanity. It made him wonder what the others thought of him. Did they hate him for screaming? For being a big baby? There were others who had been here much, much longer, and he'd never heard them scream.
"That's right. You're just a big baby. You're older then them and you're the one in the corner crying."
"No one likes you."
"You're alone with us. Forever."
"You're broken."
"Shut up," he grumbled and pressed his hand to his ears.
That didn't work of course. The voices weren't part of the external world. How was he going to make them go away? He didn't want to be alone. He wanted to try and be friends with the others. Another girl had been brought in after him but he couldn't make friends. He was afraid of them. After the first week of him trying to get used to everything and surviving his first beating, they had all turned into monsters in his head. Every time he looked at them, their faces distorted and they all started to laugh and point at him. He knew that in reality they didn't, but it was hard to wrap his mind around that image. The illusions always felt so real and they could go on and on as long as they wanted. He had no control. He never had control.
Roan sighed and leaned his head back against the cold wall. He felt disgusting. His clothes were ripped and his sleeves were stained with blood from his own doing and that of the collector. How could he have even trusted that man? He had walked right into his trap without a second thought. For once, he should have listened to the voices when they threatened and warned him about the man. He had seen the face of the demon but he'd ignored it like it was just his own fancy. Tears fell down his face again and he was quick to wipe them with his sleeves, his dirty blond hair falling into his face in a tangled mess.
He was so tired. He hadn't slept. Couldn't sleep. The voices and the dancing shadows kept him awake. He was so light headed and hurting. He heard the voices outside of his room and turned to look at his door. He bit his lip a little. Should he go out into the main hall and try and talk to them? He always felt awkward around them. It was hard to communicate with them when he was feeling this way. He hadn't left his room in days. He had been abashed after he had screamed about a torture he had inflicted on himself. The voices told him to stay. He couldn't listen to them. He had to get out of this room. If he wasn't alone, maybe his mind would stop playing tricks on him for a little while. He swallowed his fear and managed to pull himself up.
Roan wobbled to the door before he shakily pushed it open and glanced out. Some of them were sitting by the door. Was the collector coming? He swallowed the lump in his throat. Maybe it was safer to just stay in his room. He shook his head. No. He couldn't give in to fear all the time. He stepped out of his room and gave small glances to the others. They looked human currently. He rubbed his arm a little. Where should he go? Where should he sit? Who should he talk to? He saw Timmy and debated with himself before he moved towards him. He was the closest to him. If he was ignored, Maybe he'd go to Mason. If that failed, he might curl up in a corner again. He ran shaky fingers through his hair and sat down a little away from Timmy and offered a tiny smile.
"H-hi.... What's... going on?" he asked.
Mason watched the others crowd towards the staircase, as if they were waiting for the collector or something. He wished he had been facing them, maybe pick up on what was going on, but he hadnāt the faintest idea why theyād want to go anywhere near that thing. Mason hated that staircase. He supposed it lead to freedom, but heād never see it that way because he couldnāt imagine escaping on his own. The only chance they had to him was if the police found them in time. Which, considering how long some of them looked like theyād been here, was unlikely.
He realized there were more people out of their rooms too. Kitty was out, which made him frown a little, but she looked really terrible so he couldnāt be too hard on her. And Roan. Even though they never really talked, Mason never forgot his name, or any of their names. Reni might have been his first choice for conversation, but the way he saw it, remembering each other was more important than anything. Because not all of them might make it through this. In fact, most likely none of them would. But it still mattered.
He watched Roanās face, timid and slightly confused, and he wondered how he could possibly be scared of anything else with the monster that was living upstairs. But, for some reason, almost of them were. They were scared of each other, and of making bonds and friendships, which honestly was something Mason desperately craved. He knew it was stupid, but he felt like it was the only thing that would get them through this with some sanity left. If he had been the first one, or alone, he probably wouldnāt be nearly as stable as he was. And all things considered, he was surprisingly stable. Reni being there had made things better, but still. Sometimes, he wondered if there wasnāt something wrong with him because he was so normal still. He wondered if three months of hell wasnāt enough to break him, or if he was forgetting how he used to be.
Mason continued to stare at the group without meaning to. He wanted to go sit with them, he really did. But he wasnāt sure if Reni would go over with him, and without a translator he worried his presence would just frustrate them. He could carry a conversation, of course, but he really had to focus, and it was hard with the basement so dim as it was. Heād barely spoken to anyone the first two months he was there. Most of them hadnāt even known he was deaf until he started signing with Reni when she arrived a month ago, and even now he didnāt think all of them knew because they spent so much time in their rooms. It was pathetic, but it wasnāt much different from how he felt when he transferred out of the School of the Deaf. He still cared what people thought of him, even when his life was balancing on the whim of a mad-manās fancy.
3 Months. Three flippin months! Reni kicked the wall in the basement, her face dark and fuming. She'd only just learnt the names of those she was stuck with. Her lip curled. She hadn't planned on being here long enough to count. The first week she'd gone through every inch of the place trying to get outā¦ She had almost regretted that. Almost. Sure she'd been beaten for it, but it gave her more of a chance of getting out.
She leaned her head against the wall.
One door. One way out. Can be done. It will be done. Hunger.
Reni rolled her eyes, now was not the time to be thinking about that. All that mattered was getting out. She had it better then those already in here. She'd only been there three months. Her fist jammed back into the wall. Damn it Reni! You've managed to get out of the stupid convent heaps of times why not now? She sighed, giving the wall one more kick before sliding down it, cross legged. She rested her head in her hands as she went over what she already knew.
Third step- squeaky. Thin walls, with thick, perimeter. Nine rooms. Eight inmates. One Collector. She frowned. There really was only one way out, the door. Her brow furrowed further as she tried to come up with a way that she could get out. Suddenly her face lit up. That was the problem. She had forgotten about the other seven people. Her face darkened again as the notion dawned that acknowledging that she needed the others, meant she wasn't going to get out by herself. She hated relying on others. She let another scowl crease her features, before letting her features soften. Her head was aching, and that meant she wasn't going to get anywhere this evening. She glanced up and saw Mason. He gave her a soft wave, before one of the girls that had been there the longest decided to cause some sort of pathetic revolution. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Especially when they claimed it was a good thing the collector was out.
One of the girls couldn't even stand on her own. The way Reni saw it, the only way out was when the collector was actually there. There was no way a group of starving kids was going to open a locked door, they needed the collector to a. leave it unlocked which was neigh impossible. Or b. Someone got a key, or they managed to get the collector to unlock it. Reni looked up at Mason, he seemed to want to go over to the revolutioneers as Reni rather sarcastically dubbed them. She let out a sigh, before briefly signing to him.
: There's no point. We need the Collector to open the door :
She signed rather laboriously, but she managed. She'd learnt American Sign while at the convent. She grimaced inwardly at the memory of Sister Margarita insisted that the older girls learn to "serve others". At first Reni had simply skipped classes and managed to become "to dumb" to learn. That was until some of the girls started picking it up faster than the sisters. That appealed to Reni. Being able to communicate silently, and without anyone else accidently "over hearing" was good. After that she'd made a bit of effort, but she'd only had about half a year to learn it, before she got "found".
Ah well. At least it had come in handy. She decided to give these delusional dreamers a bit of advice.
"Plan B would mean waiting for the collector to come back" she stated in an almost bored tone, before signing it to Mason to make sure he wasn't left out. "We are not going to be breaking the door down, the only one who can open it is him. Somehow he needs to be either tricked/forced into it, so enjoy you little "inspiration" while it lasts"
With that rather sarcastic remark, Reni leant her head back on the wall and decided to come up with a more useful plan B. Sure she hadn't been that gentle in her remark, but hey, she wasn't the most subtle person, and being half starved wasn't helping.
As he basically carried her over to Mason, Kitty couldn't help but feel... Safe. She hadn't felt that way in a long time.Ā
Who had ever shown her kindness without wanting something in return? They were always trying to do her favors for what she stood for. Money. Though he was thin, he still felt sturdy. It almost made her laugh. Wow. She as actually having some humane thoughts. Unconsciously, she leaned into his touch as he went up to touch her forehead. Her... Her brother had done that too... Before he died.Ā
She focused her attention back on him as he offered to get her some bread. He didn't sound annoyed like her mother would have. No, he actually sounded concerned. Maybe she was really sick. Kitty never thought about painful things such as her mother. And Luna didn't really seem to mind sharing.... Would it really be so bad to swallow her pride and take it? She reached out and reluctantly pulled away from Timothy to settle on the couch beside Mason. His smile had made her blush faintly. Not many people ever smiled at her.Ā
"Yes, I.. I would like some.. Thanks..." her voice trailed off into a whisper. her face blushed as she said the one word she hadn't said in years. It felt so strange coming out of her mouth and she tried making eye contact with Luna. It was her bread after all.Ā
"th-th-thank you, L-Luna," she muttered weakly. There she had said it. It mattered not if she had heard. Kitty rested her head on the arm rest for a second before turning to Mason.Ā
She offered a tentative smile. The few moments with Timothy seemed to have calmed her anger. For a few moments anyway.Ā
"Hi, I'm Kitty, Sorry for not introducing myself to you," she said, signing as she went. "How old are you? I'm... 16?" she signed it to him but furrowed her eyebrows. Was she really sixteen now? Or was she seventeen? She looked back at Timothy, panic flaring up in her chest. But as she saw his innocent blue eyes, it went away slightly. She waited for Mason's reply.Ā
Mason had watched with plenty of confusion as Kitty had pointed to him, then allowed Timmy to carry her over to him. He was having trouble keeping up with their conversation, though he saw Lunaās hidden bread and had to bite back a scowl of irritation. At what, he wasnāt really sure. That she had been smart enough to horde food for when they really needed it and he hadnāt? That she was kind enough to share when he wasnāt entirely sure he would have been? Or, just possibly, what would happen if the collector found out? Sometimes, he seemed to almost enjoy their various survival tricks, and other times he was infuriated by them. It was scary to think about. But mostly, what bothered him was that he was too proud to ask for any himself, despite the hunger that was gnawing at not just his stomach, but his entire body.
Snapping out of it as Kitty lowered herself next to him, he was rather surprised when she started to sign. He hadnāt realized anyone but Reni had the capability. Though he had watched her enough by now to know of her bad temper, he still felt immeasurable gratitude towards her for learning sign, and any bad attitude heād had about her was immediately washed away. Pleased, he smiled back at her.
:Iām 16 too,: he replied in sign, noting her unsure facial expression as she signed the number. You could tell a lot about a person by how they signed. Everyone was different, just like a voice. He noticed his own arms were shaking a bit, more than he would like, as he signed. He was ignoring the weakness going so long without food was causing him, ignoring the pounding headache and the way the ache settled inside him, but things like that were physical, unstoppable.
:I donāt mind that you didnāt talk to me until now,: he continued kindly. :This place makes it hard.: Mason knew the statement was vague, but he also knew Kitty would understand. Communicating, remembering, smiling, living, existingā¦ this place made it hard.
Not wanting to dwell, he asked her, :When did you and Timmy become friends? Not that itās a bad thing. I think we need to make friends here. Iām just wondering if I missed something.: Heād seen the way sheād looked at the small boy for assurance, though he had no idea what assurance such a person could possibly bring. He was small and timid, and Mason wasnāt sure, but he thought he heard Timmy call the collector āMasterā once. He was too afraid to ask if it was true or not, but either way, Timmy kind of creeped him out.
"Well, it isn't as if there was anything else to do!"
Reni found herself smirking.
"touchƩ" Reni whispered to herself. Normally she didn't like loud people, but she must admit that she enjoyed a bit of banter. She was sitting cross legged near the door frame of her room. She closed her eyes as she started to put together pieces of a plan of getting out of there. Eventually she let out a loud sigh. So far the pieces weren't coming together. If it wasn't fool proof, Reni wasn't sure she was going to dare try. She almost laughed at the comment. No she would try and attempt to put the consequences out of her mind. Her head ached. She was dehydrated, and that wasn't helping her thought process.
Suddenly Luna offered food. Reni's eyes flew open like a reflex. Her vision immediately targeted Luna and the eight hunks of bread before she forced herself to look away. She wouldn't take it. If she wasn't smart enough to do it herself, then it wasn't hers. There was no way she would rely on these people any more than she had to. That was when she caught Kitty moving over to Mason. She couldn't help but feel slightly curious, should she offer to translate for her friend? Sure she'd only known him for three months he'd really been the only one she could talk...communicate with. She did particularly feel that close to anyone else. That was when Kitty started signing. Reni couldn't help but stare. Her eyes lightened, and her face fell slightly before she managed to mask her feelings. It was stupid, but she couldn't help feeling a little irritated that Kitty too knew how to sign. A harsh, rather cold feeling enveloped her, and for the first time she thought she felt a little jealous. She immediately shoved the feeling aside. Even so, the smooth motions of Kitty's sign made her feel like lashing out. It was more the fact that she couldn't deny the fact that Kitty was better than her at it, and it made her cranky. As she saw Mason's face light up, her mood darkened as her eyes became even lighter, though she forced her face to remain passive. He would no longer need to talk to her, nor rely on her for translation and somehow that disappointed her. It felt good to have something no one else offered.
Eventually she could no longer control her irritation, so she retreated into her room, shutting the door behind her to block out the view of the two signers. Reni glanced over at the stupid cot, before she froze.
Stupid girl! The thought seemed almost happy as Reni grabbed hold of the cots mattress. Surely it would have a few springs? Probably rusty and week but at least it was something. Using her nails she ripped into it, but remaining slightly reserved in order to make the least mess possible. She was not going to get beaten for completely destroying the thing. Eventually she found a coil. Her face dropped a little. It wasn't quite as good as she had hoped but it would be useful for something. The wire was almost ridiculously rusty, though somehow it was still strong enough to remain embedded in the dumb mattress. Even so, it was something, and in Reni's mind, what was even better it gave her a task to work on. She gripped the bottom of it and started twisting, yanking it back and forth in an attempt to dislodge it.
She quickly realised it wasn't going to work. At least it gave her a new objective. She glanced down at the torn mattress. She was going to have to get out and acquire something sharp. She needed the collector to come back. She was either going to have to be very good in order to be let "out" and "polished" or whatever the collector decided to call it. The thought made her grimace. No she would not do that. The only other option wasā¦
Reni frowned. It might work, but it would hurt. She sighed. Yep, she was going to rebel. The worse she was, then maybe the collector might take her out to punish her better. The thought wasn't appealing, but it was better than sucking up to the man she hated. She would never do that, even if it killed her, and Reni assumed that might just be the case.
Kitty couldn't help but feel better as she actually started using her brain. She watched intently as Mason signed to her. She was starting to like him. He was being nice too... When she was sure she didn't deserve it.Ā
When he mentioned her being friends with Timothy, she cracked a rueful smile.Ā
:I doubt anyone likes me enough to want to be my friend: she thought for a moment. She would normally say it out loud as well but she didn't want anyone else to hear.Ā
:When I first came here, I was really nasty to him: she signed quickly. :there was no one for me to lash out at besides him and Number one was always in her room:
Kitty shuddered, remembering her first few months. :but when he looks at me, he doesn't seem to hold any grudges against me, no ones ever been that nice to me before:
"You're nice too: Kitty signed quickly. :and I'm telling you things that I would never tell anyone, guess I'm finally breaking down:
Maybe she really was breaking down. She felt like she could trust him when she knew she couldn't trust anyone. Maybe it was because he was deaf? Kitty mentally hit herself. Deafness is not a reasonable cause for trust. But she liked this conversation too much to leave.Ā
:im only here due to my own stupidity:
Mason turned briefly as Reni got up and left. He had no idea why sheād randomly departed like that, but it kind of worried him. He opened his mouth to call out to her to stop, but he couldnāt bring himself to do it. Everyone was out of their room now. Theyād all hear it, and he had no idea what it would come out as. Feeling guilty, he turned his gaze back to Kitty and focused on her. He would talk to Reni in a little bit.
Kitty was a good reminder of his theory that sticking together was going to save them. Mason had originally written her off as a bitchy, anti-social girl, but the fact was she needed someone just as much as any of them did. He had no doubt she wouldnāt always be this kind to him, but from now on he wouldnāt take it to heart. All of them had moments since heād been there when he worried theyād finally lost it, especially after coming back from a visit with the collector. But, though some were worse off than others, it never lasted. Even Mason had moments where if he didnāt have a room to retreat to, heād probably make everyone terrified of him. From now on, heād try to help her instead of just slipping away when she got upset.
He knew by the way she stopped speaking while she signed she wanted this conversation to be private. He looked at Kitty closely, watching her facial expression just as much as her hands. When she finished, he shook his head rather quickly, his brows furrowing together.
:No, it wasnāt,: he signed to her, looking slightly distressed. :He tricked us all. He followed us, and figured out exactly the right button to push. Made us hopeful, even.: Mason looked down for a second, not actually sure how that insane man had managed to get Kitty to come with, but he knew how heād been tricked. How heād been promised the thing in life he wanted more than anything, only to have it be the gateway right into hell.
Not wanting to dwell on his own issues, he continued, :Being here isnāt your fault. Itās not anyoneās but his.: For the sign for his, he pointed upstairs, his mouth contorting in utter disgust. :And heās the only one there is to hold a grudge against. As stupid as it sounds, weāre all in this together.:
Mason smiled then, just enough to show that although the sentiment was corny, it was also true. He decided right then and there he was going to make sure it happened. Though he sort of had trouble talking to the majority of them, he wasnāt going to let that stop him from getting them all on the same side. Once that happened, theyād be able to fight back any way they could. Normally, he didnāt think so optimistically, but he supposed Kittyās effort to talk to him had temporarily given him some hope.
:And, just so weāre clear, I wonāt tell anyone what you tell me,: Mason added. :Whenever you have something to say, Iāll listen in confidence. Or, whatever.: He shrugged and grinned at the wording, but Kitty would know what he meant.
All it took was that momentary pause between him signing and Kittyās reply to finally notice Austin had come into the room. Mason smiled in his direction and waved a bit, but didn't take too much of his attention off of Kitty. He always felt it was important that people felt like they were being paid attention to.
Kitty felt herself smile slightly as he listened.. well not exactly but he seemed sincere as well. Maybe she should apologize to Susanna? Kitty rolled her eyes. There was no need. Susanna seemed to be a really sarcastic person anyway. Kitty was sarcastic enough herself without someone to fight with.
:You're right: She signed quickly. :But I can't help but blame myself, I was a really stupid girl back then: She was really enjoying actually have a fairly decent conversation with someone. Maybe she shouldl have tried to talk to Mason sooner. She had always known how to sign and she had always known he was deaf so why hadn't she done this sooner? :Thanks for listening: She added wtih a grateful grin. Kitty finally felt some of the weight seem to lift off her shoulders as she talked to Mason. But suddenly, with all her arm movements, she felt exhausted. She shouldn't have been this tired should she?
:I'm going to check on my.. scratch, it may look kinda gross so you can look away: Sharlotte signed. It was hurting more than usual and her head felt heavy. She let out a weak cough, before rolling up her shirt. What she saw almost made her pass out. The long gash across her stomach was filled with bloody yellow pus and the skin was inflamed and blotchy, stretching tightly across her waist.
"Fuck" she swore. Infected. That wasn't good. She heaved. She couldn't help it. Nothing but a trickle of blood came out and she leaned against the arm rest, pulling her shirt back down. What was she going to do now? Her face felt hot. Fever most likely. "Fuck" Kitty whispered again.
Mason frowned in concern when Kitty revealed her wound. Infected injuries were no laughing matter, that kind of thing could kill you. Not for the first time, he felt an anger grip his heart that he couldnāt remember ever experiencing before he was taken. Not even when he was told he should give up dancing because of his deafness, or asked the most ignorant questions by hearing people did he feel that amount of anger, the kind that choked him. How could anyone treat people this way? If he wasnāt so hungry, it made have made him nauseous. He had an overwhelming desire to tell the collector this the next time he was taken out, but if he would ever actually have the courage was highly debatable. Improbable, in fact.
He was glad when Reni came back into the room, but it was very short lived. Her escape plans, though optimistic, always worried him more than anything. He truly didnāt believe it was possible on their own. He was afraid of the trouble it could cause more than anything, not just for her but for everyone. He realized he needed to share his opinion, but he hesitated for a moment. It was a discussion that involved them all; signing wouldnāt do. Kitty or Reni could translate for him, but that seemed redundant. He needed to contribute, be part of the group that he so wanted to be united. It was scary, and his nerves were riddled in angst, but he took a breath and began to speak anyway.
āUm, Reni, Iām not sure how good of an idea that is,ā he started, taking the time to make sure each word was clear. He knew from others telling him that he actually spoke just fine most of the time, but it was one of those irrational fears heād never shake. āEven if you managed to get what you need, fire is really dangerous, especially when weāre locked in. Weād probably all die of smoke inhalation first. Not to mention if he finds outā¦ he could make you afraid of fire.ā
It was terrible to even say, but it had to be voiced. The collector was sick, utterly and completely insane, but he also had a meticulous side. It wouldnāt surprise Mason at all if he put a stop to Reniās future attempts by burning her and threatening her with the very thing that was giving her hope now. He didnāt want that to happen to her. Out of all of them, Reni had to make it out of here as undamaged as possible. That, he realized, was probably one of his biggest fears.
Luna chewed her bread slowly, working her jaw until it spasmed and clicked. She had been watching Mason and Kitty's silent conversation in mild interest, able to translate only parts of it. Observation was something which she had fine tuned almost down to an art; she could sit and watch people intently, noticing everything about them, completely still - when she was in the mood. One thing about the occupants of the basement was that they made fascinating subjects.
Luna mused on this for a while, her eyes drifting over each one of them in turn. She noted the look on Reni's face when she saw Kitty signing; she watched Austin as he emerged from his room; she saw how Roan's face betrayed his fear. Each one of them was damaged in some way, whether physically or mentally. Where she fit into that, she was unsure. Why had the Collector taken her? What was it about her that attracted him?
Was it the scars, the livid, white, alien scars which littered her flesh? Or was it her - Luna, herself - was it something in the way she spoke, perhaps? In the way she dressed? Or maybe he knew how to watch people, too - maybe he could see that she was broken, just like she could see the others were.
Luna tore off another chunk of bread and placed it slowly into her mouth, enjoying the feel of it on her tongue. She leaned forwards with renewed interest as Reni exited her room again, and approached the door, running her hands over the panels. She could see the concentration on the girl's face, and the idea as it formed and she approached them. Her head cocked to the side as she listened, finishing her mouthful, and swallowing in satisfaction.
Fire. The idea held no appeal to Luna, and she wondered whether it didn't sound a little desperate. A fire down here would be more likely to kill them all than to have any effect on that door. She opened her mouth to say as much, but to her surprise, Mason beat her to it. She glanced at him, smiling and nodding.
"He's right. A fire would be more likely to kill us all than to have any effect on that door. And-" Luna yawned suddenly, her jaw cracking. "-you forget that this man is clever. I doubt he would leave anything to chance, and he certainly wouldn't allow us access to any materials that could start a fire if that door was flammable. Bread, anyone?"
Austin glanced around the basement room, silently watching the scene play out in front of him. He intently watched Kitty and Mason's conversation and when Kitty lifted her shirt to reveal the gash across her stomach, Austin was shocked. He knew she wasn't feeling well, but that wound looked awful. He remembered the germ-x he had in his room and decided it couldn't hurt to try and disinfect her. Well, it would hurt, probably a lot more than he originally thought, but what he meant was that it couldn't make it worse than what it actually was.
Before he got up to retrieve the bottle of hand sanitizer from his room, Reni appeared and announced her plan of escape: fire. As soon as the idea left her lips, Austin was shaking his head in dismissal. That wouldn't work... they would all die of smoke inhalation before He would get to them. He started to object but Mason beat him to it, thank god. Austin really liked Mason. The guy sounded like he really had his head on straight and from the first couple of conversations he had with him when Mason first got here, he knew he could trust him.
When Luna chimed in, Austin nodded in agreement. "They're both right, Reni. Escape is a good idea, we just have to find a better way to do it. I think you're onto the right track about getting his attention though. When he comes down here again, we should all work together to see if we can get some supplies, especially for Kitty. She's got a really bad wound." He motioned to Kitty, hoping she wouldn't get upset at him revealing her sore to everyone else. "She needs some medication, bad. We all need food and maybe some more clothes, a shower would be amazing. If we all stand firm and demand what we need, He can't single us out."
Austin stood up and walked toward Kitty and Mason, stopping just in front of them. "I- I found a used bottle of Germ-x in the basement a long time ago. It's in my room. Do you want me to get it for you so you can try to disinfect that?" He pointed toward her stomach. "I know it'll hurt, but it will at least get the germs off of it before it gets any worse." He looked at Mason and placed his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. Austin wanted to help, he really did, but he was worried that he'd overstepped his boundaries.
Timmy looked up from his interesting new friend when R-r-Renita emerged from her room. The girl lingered near the stairs for a while, and blue eyes tracked her motions. he was distracted quickly by another disturbance, however. Kitty was coughing. She'd cursed. Timmy had learned early in life that cursing either mean that something bad had happened or that he was about to be punished. Coming from Kitty it could be either. He swiveled his head to see. His eyes were met with a mildly repulsive sight, a festering wound. What was more disturbing was the blood dribbling from the girl's mouth. His brow furrowed. But she pulled her shirt back down, hiding the gash. That left only a matter of time before the worried thoughts were shunned to the back of his mind.
R-r-renita suddenly became interesting again. She'd begun to speak, and Timmy's head turned again. His hand fluttered to the ground like a wingless dove, and the spider took that moment to escape its tormentor and scuttle across the floor to the safety under the couch. The girl explained a plan, one that made Timmy shiver slightly. There was a difference between leaving to get food and leaving to go somewhere else, he figured. Considering that he didn't remember nearly anything from over four or five months ago, this was all he knew. Suddenly being loosed again to the world would leave him confused and more starving than he was here.
The boy's mouth tugged into a half frown as he contemplated. Near him red-head spoke up, and his frown pulled a touch more. he didn't speak though. Speaking took organized thoughts. Right now he had none. The boy Kitty had been talking with spoke, his slow words, apart from being calming, which they were, also filled Timmy with relief. There, another reason why the plan didn't work.
Luna agreed also, and the worried look evaporated from Timmy's face. Austin added his input, wiping all doubt. "Not only that." Timmy added softly, unable not to voice the thought that had blossomed in his mind. "He'd never let us leave, would he? He'd find us again, just like he got us the first time." he paused for a moment to collect the thought. "The only way to escape would be to off him." Which was likely to never happen. The thought itself was abhorrent to Timmy. He had no urge in the slightest to kill the source of his food and shelter. Who would?
Well, this bunch, for whatever reason, seemed likely to. Timmy regretted his blurted statement, but wasn't going to retract it. It was true, after all. he stared at the floor again, his nubby fingernails barely scratching the surface of the cool stones.
Kitty listened dully as Reni stated her plan. She could understand why it seemed good. They were all slowly losing hope. It seemed stupid not to try something.Ā
But Kitty still knew that Mason was right. She was surprised when he had started talking. His voice was clear and sharp. And he and Reni seemed closer than anyone else there. Maybe he would get her to see sense. She did not want to die of smoke inhalation. Nope. She refused. Her head was throbbing so she closed her eyes and laid her head down. When would this nightmare end? She was about to drift off to sleep when someone approached. She could always tell when someone was looking at her, as a rich heiress, eyes were something she had learned to tolerate.Ā
When some unfamiliar voice addressed her, she flicked open one eyelid lazily. Oh. It was one of the newer guys that she had not bothered to talk to... Such as Mason. Wow. So many people were being nice to her today. But something gnawed at her. What was his name? Why couldn't she remember anyone's name?
"Germ X?" she repeated hoarsely. She blinked her dark eyes a couple of times. That rang a bell in her mind. "Oh, isnt that hand sanitizer?" That contained alcohol right? That would hurt like hell but better to try and die rather than do nothing and die right? Why did she keep asking herself rhetorical questions? her eyes glazed for a moment before she tried to focus. Right. Germ X
"Ye-yeah. Could I have some please?" her voice was small and she tried to concentrate on staying awake. Hand sanitizer first, then sleep. Oh right. His name was Austin. He was... Cute. So were The other three guys. Hehe.Ā
Kitty chuckled to herself. She must really be going insane.Ā
Then Timothy spoke and she listened intently. Good boy. He had a brain after all. So did all the other people that disagreed. Either Number 8 was desperate or stupid.Ā
Desperate. Kitty was starting to feel it too.Ā
" I volunteer. I'll hint at it, or whatever. So, yeah."
Reni looked over shocked as she realised, Susannah she thought it was, had spoken up. She couldn't help but be surprised, normally Susannah was the one rejecting her ideas. She gave her a satisfied grin, and was about to go into details when Mason interrupted her.
āUm, Reni, Iām not sure how good of an idea that is, even if you managed to get what you need, fire is really dangerous, especially when weāre locked in. Weād probably all die of smoke inhalation first. Not to mention if he finds outā¦ he could make you afraid of fire.ā
Reni was taken back. The slow, deliberate wording held a harsh sense of reality. She took in a sharp breath. She had not expected, nor wanted to here something like that from Mason. "...make you afraid of fire"
She was about to follow on with a sharp retort of "No one's going to make me afraid of anything" but Luna interrupted.
"He's right. A fire would be more likely to kill us all than to have any effect on that door. And-you forget that this man is clever. I doubt he would leave anything to chance, and he certainly wouldn't allow us access to any materials that could start a fire if that door was flammable. Bread, anyone?"
Reni gave her a glare. The yawn and the casual tone in which Luna had just shrugged off her idea made her mad. For crying out loud, it wasn't as though anyone else was offering suggestions.
"They're both right, Reni. Escape is a good idea, we just have to find a better way to do it. I think you're onto the right track about getting his attention though. When he comes down here again, we should all work together to see if we can get some supplies, especially for Kitty. She's got a really bad wound."
"She's not going to be the only one if we don't get out" Reni remarked dryly.
"She needs some medication, bad. We all need food and maybe some more clothes, a shower would be amazing. If we all stand firm and demand what we need, He can't single us out."
Reni starting walking back to her room when Austin's next comment made her turn.
"I- I found a used bottle of Germ-x in the basement a long time ago. It's in my room. Do you want me to get it for you so you can try to disinfect that?"
Her eyes widened. By the time she'd come to the basement, there was nothing of use down here. But he'd been here longer. Her eyes narrowed, before she forced herself to soften her expression. If he had that, what else might he have acquired?
"Austin. Have you found anything else?" She inwardly kicked herself at the rather desperate note in her voice. She wasn't wanting food. No she wanted out. Anything might be useful down here...then again she doubted she'd be able to use it. After all it'd be "too dangerous". In Reni's opinion staying down here would just end up with them dead anyway. Might as well make having them a living hell for the collector, and who knows maybe one day she'd get out.
"Not only that. He'd never let us leave, would he? He'd find us again, just like he got us the first time...The only way to escape would be to off him."
Reni couldn't help but stare at Tim. He was normally rather quiet, and that was a rather big statement. Reni allowed a frown to crease her forehead as she mused over the idea. No. She would not resort to killing, no matter what sort of man he was.
Reni was getting frustrated. Everyone always had a share in shutting down the ideas, but no one offered their own. She couldn't help giving a side long glance at Mason, letting him know she wasn't happy about his comment. Her expression softened however. He was really the only one she had at the moment. Beside deep down she knew now it wouldn't work. Though she would never admit. She barely acknowledged it to herself.
Mason couldnāt help but tense when the girl named Luna mentioned being found again. He hadnāt even thought of that. What if they did get out? Would it even matter? Mason trusted the justice system about as much as he trusted the collector himself. And if anyone could manipulate the system, it was him. He could get out of jail, and find them again, and heād never be free the way he wanted. That was aterrible thought. Heād rather die than live the rest of his life just waiting to be found again. Every recital, every performance, Mason would look out at the crowd and wonder if he was there, watching with that evil grin he sometimes wore-
Austinās sudden appearance made him jump a little, breaking him from the horrible cycle he had been spiraling down. He realized he hadnāt been paying any attention, which was bad, bad, bad. Had Austin been saying something? Mason turned his eyes to Austin just in time to catch the tail-end of what he had been saying, the rest lost to him. He had disinfectant? For Kitty? He sighed in relief just as Austin put a reassuring hand on Masonās shoulder, having no idea how much he had actually needed just that bit of contact. It slowed his racing heart and quelled the anxiety that had bubbled up inside him. Mason smiled at him with as much sincerity as he could muster, which in a place as dark and dismal as this, he considered to hold the same weight a thank you normally would have.
Mason wasnāt able to keep up with both of the conversations at once, and as he had already fallen behind on the escape-plan one, he focused on Kitty and Austin instead. Kitty seemed both surprised and grateful at Austinās suggestion, which made Mason happy. He could tell she was a girl not used to kind treatment, not one bit, and it was really nice to see the way she opened up when she received it. He also was reminded what a good person Austin was, which he had thought when he first arrived here too. Austin was one of the only hearing people (who didnāt know ASL) that he was comfortable speaking with. He was definitely someone Mason thought he could get closer with, and maybe Austin would help him with his thoughts of bringing everyone together. He was clinging to that idea now, despite the voice in the back of his head whispering, āThis isnāt a kidās show, Mason. Making friends with everyone wonāt solve anything. Just one more person to cry over when they die down here.ā Mason chose to ignore it.
He glanced over at Reni, who gave him a hard look. Mason looked away guiltily. He knew she was mad at him for turning down her plan. She had a craving for escape that seemed different from everyone elseās, as if it wasnāt just survival that was at stake. He didnāt know how to describe it, but he hadnāt expected her to be particularly happy with him for turning her down. He had a strange feeling she was mad at him before too, though he had no idea why.
Looking at Reni, he signed carefully, :Can I talk to you later? In private?: He tried to give her an apologetic expression, but he doubted it would have much effect on her.
Susana thought about what the others had said, how it was dangerous, and she found herself slowly grin. She was crazy, but she thought it would be better to burn then to starve. Susana stood her ground, quietly inching closer to Renita.
" But what if it does work?" She heard her voice, and she kept going, stunned at her taking action. " What if the Collector is too stupid, too crazy, to figure out what we are planning on doing? After all, he was crazy enough to drag us down here. What if?" She continued, ending with, " I mean, sure, he was clever enough to steal us away, but now that we are here, it's like he has no use for us, keeping us down here... Why won't he let us upstairs? I'll tell you why. Because he is afraid. He's afraid that we will overpower him, escape, so he locks us down here. So when we are afraid of something, wouldn't he let us be, or would he try and promote our fears? Give us something to be afraid of."
Susana's eyes grew wide, she knew what she was saying made practically no sense at all, but she didn't care. " I guess... I guess it is kind of like fighting fire with fire." She giggled and her eyes fell on Austin, then on Mason, then Timothy, Renita, Luna, and Kitty, as if to ask, are you with me? " Why not give it a try? It's better then to sit and starve. And... It will take our mind off of, well, our minds. I don't know about you, but I am about ready to claw my eyes out." She grinned, and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ears. " So. Yeah. I'm done." Her head bowed, and she picked at her fading white dress, now stained a darker white. Why... She thought once again, and glanced at the others once more.
:Can I talk to you later? In private?:
Reni caught Mason's sign and apologetic, but all he got was a nod. If you could call it that, by anyone's else's interpretation it was a sharp jerk of the head.
Reni quickly turned away. She didn't want to see his apology, she needed out.
" But what if it does work?"
Reni started, and her head quickly jerked to Susanna.
" What if the Collector is too stupid, too crazy, to figure out what we are planning on doing? After all, he was crazy enough to drag us down here. What if?"
Reni frowned a little, she didn't particularly think of the man as stupid, but if Susanna's little speech got everyone on board, perhaps it was worth a few exaggerations.
" I mean, sure, he was clever enough to steal us away, but now that we are here, it's like he has no use for us, keeping us down here... Why won't he let us upstairs? I'll tell you why. Because he is afraid. He's afraid that we will overpower him, escape, so he locks us down here. So when we are afraid of something, wouldn't he let us be, or would he try and promote our fears? Give us something to be afraid of. I guess... I guess it is kind of like fighting fire with fire. Why not give it a try? It's better then to sit and starve. And... It will take our mind off of, well, our minds. I don't know about you, but I am about ready to claw my eyes out. So Yeah. I'm done."
Reni was a little shocked by the whole speech, but the girl did have some sort of point. Sure, the fire idea perhaps wouldn't work, but there were always alternative ideas- if they could come up with them.
"But we're all so happy starving to death" Reni stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm "And that is so much more comfortable than choking or possibly surviving."
She let her comment hang in the air a while. They could chew on that she thought rather irritably.
That was when Timothy let out a small groan and keeled over. She watched Luna make her way over to him, and decided to leave him to her. She doubted she'd help anyway.
Besides, they'd all be that in a matter of time. Unless they got out.
"I didn't find much. Just a small bell beneath my bed. I'd like to keep it, though. At least until it becomes useful."
Reni started as Austin spoke to her, before remembering his previous question.
Her eyes narrowed for a split second before returning to normal. The movement had been quick, a reflex to Reni's feelings. She had no reason to doubt Austin, but she had already formed an idea in her mind of the possibilities of what could be found, that finding nothing of use irritated her. She kept her mouth firmly, clamped shut. It had probably done enough damage already.
She headed back over to the door, leaning her back and head on it. That way if the collector came, she would be the first to hear him. And the hopefully the first to react. She had a bit of a bone to pick with him. The thought of her rants, made the corners of her mouth twitch upward slightly into a smirk. He was in for hell when he got back...that is verbal hell. Reni had no doubt she would be the one with the physical pain after, but perhaps there was something to salvage up there. She glanced back up at the door. The pain might just be worth it. After all, life is about sacrifices is it not?
