Let the Games Be-Gin... [Tag: David]

[Tomas Amos]

When Tomas came to with a sharp intake of breath, he realized two things - 1) he had one too many last night, and 2) he was fucked.

The broken light bulb reflected in his glasses. He sat up, fingers running through his  hair. Where was he?

The walls of the room were sour-white, paper peeling in pieces. Decay stagnated the air. Not Dev’s apartment then. For one thing, there was a conspicuous lack of pizza boxes and strewn rum bottles.

Tomas rubbed his head, trying to massage out the ache that squatted nastily at his temple. He glanced down at his fingers. Blood spotted the tips.

… huh. Was it from the fall-?

---

The night came to him in flashes. The drinks streaming into his glass, blue and clear, mint dancing on the surface. The throbbing lights, the thudding bass, the churning of bodies, mist fogging the floor… his best friend pushing him into the crowd, stuttered talk, tongue ties, the turning of backs -

‘You miss all the shots you don’t take,’ Dev had said with a grin, and Tomas had one too many…

He stumbled outside. The wall provided relief against Tomas’s dampened back. He just needed to recompose himself - that’s all. Try again. He slapped a fist into his palm. Get it right this time. Maybe if he opened with a joke…? Yeah, YEAH! That could do it! He took a step back towards the bar, posture straight, face determined-

- and then his world exploded.

---

‘Maybe that last shot was a mistake,’ Tomas groaned. Still, there were worse things than landing in a drunk tank. He rubbed the tattoo on his neck. A storage chest sat near him, a teddy bear slumped on the lid. His boots shifted on the debris-ridden floor. A bathroom leered, looking very much like the realm of a crackhead. His eyes traveled further…

Bare abs met his direction. Tomas's brows shot up. The shirtless stranger was asleep, a muscular arm dangling off the bed. The man's dark hair was ruffled, a halo upon the pillow...

Stop staring, idiot. Tomas tore his eyes away. A flush arose on his cheeks. This was not the place. Against his better judgement, he stole another glance. A thin beard framed the stranger's angular face, sharp and well-groomed. Tomas tilted his head. The man was fine..  distractedly so. The stranger's lips seemed to twitch in a familiar lazy smile...

The bartender from that night.

… what on earth had he gotten himself into?

[David L. Jefferson]

David was having another crazy dream and those dreams don't seem to have stopped. It didn't take David long before he woke up. He noticed he was on a different bed then he got up and noticed that he was in a different room. It seemed like he was in a less fortunate room because the walls and his surroundings looked old and abandoned.

He didn't know if the bed he was sleeping on was infectious or not. He hoped not. What happened to the decent room he was in? He felt himself without a shirt on and kinda panicked because he didn't remember at the moment how he became shirtless, but then remembered that he was shirtless because he had to attend to Maya's wound, so David wasn't trippin over being shirtless for a while. Even though he felt a bit weird exposing his body for anyone to see. He wouldn't mind it and it could be the perfect distraction but also a lost of focus of trying to escape, like that could ever happen. Well, sure the body exposure can save anyone from boredom if they wish but they we're more important things to worry about.

"Agh, how many room switches are we gonna do? What does this person want with us!?" David thought to himself, David didn't even notice the other guy there until he turned around. As it suddenly helped recolation that David met the man at his bar, the cute novelist and they talked for a few hours, he believed his name was Tomas for sure.

He had forgotten his last name ever since he been there. God knows for how long they been there, David was pretty sure that night was the busiest out of the other nights and David wasn't sure who was drunk at that time, maybe he took a few shots himself? David wasn't really sure, but David remembered all day at work he had a funny feeling thinking that it must've been intergestion in his chest, if he knew this would happen he would of never went to work that night.

All David could remember was that Tomas was the last guy he talked to before he came here, could they both been kidnapped as well on the same night? Possibly. David remembered searching for Tomas after an interesting conversation, which was odd. Why would the kidnapper place people who knew David with him obvisiously the kidnapper was an mad stalker. David saw that Tomas's face looked puzzled and stressed and so was David honestly. Now he could try to comfort Tomas at least before things get weird.

David had ideas but he didn't want to jump in any conclusions. This all could be a big coincidence. First it was his uncle, Maya and now Tomas? What was the purpose of all of this? Furthermore, Tomas may have some suspicions himself regarding David was with him that one faithful night.

"Tomas? Are you alright?" David asked in concern for Tomas mood at the moment. That's all David could think to say at the moment until he can grasp what was happening.

[Tomas Amos]

[OOC: Credit to Meg for the 'toy' dialogue]

The bartender stared at him, eyebrows furrowed as if in thought. His muscles twitched under the toxic light of their prison.

'Tomas? Are you alright?'

Was he alright? He wasn't sure. He was caught victim by a wave of dizziness, the room a vortex buffering him to and fro. Could be the aftermath of a hangover or - a ringing pierced his ears. Focus. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Focus on the moment.

'I've had better nights - last I remember was being at... uh - what was it... well, never mind that. Where are we? I mean, this can't be a prison cell because I don't see any bars, but I could very well be mistaken... ' Tomas teetered around the room, 'but on the other I don't recall prisons having showers in private cells -' he stiffened, realization smacking him in the face.

'Wait. Wait a moment. How - how did you know my name was Tomas? Maybe it's the hangover talking, but I have no recollection of telling you who I was last night and surely there's hundreds - thousands of customers! I mean - unless you're excellent at your job - but on the other - why... why would you be here with me? Unless...'

Unless he was the kidnapper. But that would be ridiculous, right?

Right?

He felt sick. Tomas rubbed the back of his neck like a physical mantra. Relax. Relax. Review the facts. Here he was, confused, hungover, and possibly drugged. The nausea certainly pointed to it.

And even if he wasn't in a jail, this was still clearly a prison. The door? Shut. The windows? Inaccessible. On the other side of the room - a stranger. Cool. Cool, cool, cool. Fight or flight. Flight was not an option. So...

What would Dev do?

---

'Listen, if you ever land in prison... establish dominance.' Dev took a drag of his cigarette.

'Dominance?' Tomas squeaked.

'Those people will look at you as their new toy. Stand your ground. They bite, you bite back harder.'

---

Alright. Well, if the kidnapper thought Tomas was a weakling, well - he had another thing coming!
A crescendo of pain crashed against his head again. He had to be quick. He couldn't let the stranger see he was still weakened.

Tomas scanned the room. There had to be something, anything... ah-ha! This would have to do. He snatched it off the chest in desperate triumph.

Tomas span around, the item clutched in his hands like a gun.

'STAND BACK. I HAVE A BEAR AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT.'

[David L. Jefferson]

'I've had better nights - last I remember was being at... uh - what was it... well, never mind that. Where are we? I mean, this can't be a prison cell because I don't see any bars, but I could very well be mistaken... ' David looked at Thomas confused. Poor thing he can be suffering from something, but David wanted to listen to what he was thinking.

"but on the other I don't recall prisons having showers in private cells." David continued to look at him blankly.

'Wait. Wait a moment. How - how did you know my name was Tomas? Maybe it's the hangover talking, but I have no recollection of telling you who I was last night and surely there's hundreds - thousands of customers! I mean - unless you're excellent at your job - but on the other - why... why would you be here with me? Unless...' David eyes widen as he realized that Tomas was straight up trippin.

"Whoa! Okay first of all this is not a prison and I don't know where we are, and I have very good memory on who I serve. Don't you remember that I was talking to you the most than anyone else! You we're most likely drunk man." David reassured him.

David didn't know or understand what the fuck Tomas was talking about. Have he been in prison before? David started to wander.

'Dominance?' Tomas squeaked. David was once again confused but he let Tomas have a moment. David thought he heard something from Tomas but he must've mumbled it. This got David concerned.

David saw Tomas scanned the room in a search for something and David just watched him being confused but also observant because Tomas was about to see the other side of David too if he tried some sudden moves. David then saw him clutching an item in his hand which made David jolt up a bit. Agh! Things have to get weirder for him. First Maya and now this psychopath. This made David's nerves get bad with the sudden self defense shit that Tomas is trying to pull on him, but David also understood it as that could be his way of frustration of how he ended up here with him in the first place. David looked at Tomas without fear. I mean he can easily grab that item from him and then what would Tomas do but if David was dangerous he understood his response he just didn't understand why he jumped so fast into thinking he was the enemy. If David was the enemy why would he be concerned about how he's doing. All David knew was that Tomas was doing too much and wasting too much damn energy for something he could use on the real kidnapped, but seeing him like that was kinda cute.

'STAND BACK. I HAVE A BEAR AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT.' David sighed. David went forward and swiftly grabbed the bear placing it by his side and standing back where he was.

"Okay, so what we are not going to do is point fingers! Secondly, Mr. Crazy; I'm crazy too! Thirdly, clearly, your memory decided to quit on you, I met you in the bar one night, I even introduced myself as David Johnson, and I told you that I was gonna serve you the whole night if you pleased and you agreed, and I think it was that last night I worked there; then I ended up in a dirty basement, then had two room switches and you'll be my third. I'm not placing danger or harm to you in any way or form, but I guess you react differently to sudden stress; that's why I took the damn bear away from you. We can use this item for something useful. For the way I was trying to find small weapons in the other room. Phew, seeing this thing was a relief, thanks Tomas." David exclaimed jokingly as he knew what Tomas intention was but he just wanted to say thanks just because. He then placed the bear in his pocket.

"but... I'm not the kidnapper. I'm a victim just like you Tomas. Unfortunately they are other people. My friends and possibly your friends as well, but I can also see why you acted in self defense mode was because I saw you in the bar and you saw me and we we're the only ones who knew each other at the bar, but to assure you. I did not place anything in your drink either. I believe we both got kidnapped on the same night with different times Tomas. So chill." David exclaimed crossing his arms.

[Tomas Amos]

David continued to stare at him, his arms across his chest like a bouncer. What the bartender said made sense. His tone was firm, but his eyes held a kind light to them.

If David had indeed been the kidnapper, Tomas would have been dead. Or worse.

'Room switches? Other people? This has to be a joke... right?' Tomas looked around, scanning for cameras on the ceiling. 'Okay, gigs up! You can come out now...'

Tomas grinned for a minute... and then faltered.

No confetti. No cheers. No audience laughter.

Maybe it was like that game show, about the comedian who demeaned himself in the promise of freedom and fame from an unseen, unknowing audience. Nasubi. A man stripped naked. Scratching at cards. Hoping with each card there was a chance for money, food, survival. Was that what it was then? A game? Except instead of one man, it was apparently many... and Tomas played along.

The scars ran deep still, apparently.
Silly fearsick fool.
He was better than this.
He had to be.

'I -' Tomas turned to face David, his cheeks flushing red. '... thank you. I guess they hit my head a little hard there.' He gave an uneasy chuckle. 'I still don't remember much... bits, and pieces, like a puzzle with the pieces scattered... but I'm getting ahead of myself. David, huh? Nice to meet you, again.'

He held out a hand, a peace offering.

[David L. Jefferson]

"To answer your first question Tomas, no this is not a joke! And apparently this is sadly real."

'I -' Tomas turned to face David, his cheeks flushing red. '... thank you. I guess they hit my head a little hard there.' David nodded.

"They hit me hard in my head as well man. We are just both confused."

'I still don't remember much... bits, and pieces, like a puzzle with the pieces scattered... but I'm getting ahead of myself. David, huh? Nice to meet you, again.'

"It's okay, Tomas. I know you wasn't intentionally trying to hurt me once you've realized that I wasn't the enemy here. Oh and Nice to meet you again as well. When Tomas took his hand out, David shook it firmly.

"We good, man." David said patting Tomas in the back softly. "When we get out of here,surely we could meet up again sometime." David exclaimed with a warm smile to Tomas.

"You... You are a book writer right? Published anything?" David exclaimed with a neutral tone.