OOC
ICly, these two RPs happened roughly 24 hours after Toxin tranked Toad and tossed him in a cage. First...
Nevermind how long Toad's been unconscious--he's awake now and he's active. Ever since he realized he was in a cage he's been making efforts to escape it. Unfortunately, being without a door makes it a bit more difficult to plan such a venture. Adding insult to injury, his cargo vest is hanging at a good distance across the room, just inches out of his tongue's natural reach. This cage is made out of some good material, too, because all his attemps to kick the bars have left some dents, but nothing progressive towards his escape. Right now he's perched in the center of the cage like a frog on a lilypad, wondering when his captor will show.
It's been about fourteen hours. Toxin was starting to get worried that she had given Toad too much, but signs of him coming around quelled that. She's waited until he's good and awake to show, and now she comes in, the guard behind her bearing a tray of food. Mostly meat stuffs, since Toxin really doesn't know what Toad likes, other than pigeons. That rumor will probably never go away. Sending the guard away with a wave of her hand, she stops several feet from the cage, just watching him.
Toad stares at Toxin silently. So many thoughts race through his mind--most of them erratic and the result of alcohol withdrawal--that he can't begin to formulate a full statement... yet. Irritability is written all over his face, which is slightly greener than before. At least his color's coming back... sort of.
Fun, a staring contest. Toxin would win, but she really doesn't want to. Her eyes flash over Toad's form, narrowing as they see the telltale signs of sickness. Yep, it's gonna be nasty. "I'd ask if you were hungry, but you would probably just throw it in my face." she says, breaking the long silence.
Toad's dry lips part moments before he finally speaks. "I want a drink." A jug of perfectly good water still sits unopened near the back of his cage, but anyone who knows him can tell you that's not the kind of drink he's referring to.
Toxin shakes her head. "No." she says simply. "If you're thirsty, drink the water. I'll leave the food if you get hungry. But you're not getting liquor, and you're not going anywhere. Not until Magneto has seen you and had his say in things. I imagine he'll be able to convince you to stop drinking."
"GODDAMMIT I NEED A FUCKING DRINK," Toad snaps, slamming the full force of himself into the bars of the cage. "I can't just quit cold turkey, you stupid bitch! I'll fucking die!" Within the look of hatred on his face, there is a look of dead seriousness in his eyes. He had planned to have just one drink a day like the doctor recommended, but you know... Things happen.
Toxin doesn't move in response to Toad's anger. "I know enough about alcohol poisoning, Toad, to know that one day won't kill you. And that's as long as you'll be in here. Once Magneto's done with you, then you can have a drink. You'll need it by then." From the hardness in her eyes, there's little chance that Toxin will back down on this.
Toad sneers, slams his arms against the bars, then storms back to the opposite end of the cage and flops down. "You can't do this to me," he growls, then runs his hands through his hair to rid himself of a heavy feeling on the top of his head. He rests his forehead in his hands and keeps his eyes closed to let a moment of fever pass. "Why are you doing this to me," he asks, his tone turning pitiful. "Can't you see I'm bloody sick? I need 'elp! But instead you're gonna throw Magneto at me? Magneto's gonna KILL me, not 'elp me!"
Toxin just stays calm while Toad vents. She's so used to men getting angry around her, it doesn't even bother her anymore. "I can, and I am." she replies softly, shaking her head at him. "You know as well as I do what will happen if I let you out of that cage." She pauses for a moment, then shrugs. "You should have thought of that before you decided to go binging with Creed on a nightly basis. I seriously doubt that he'll kill you." And if Magneto really does intend to kill Toad, she'll have to intervene. After all, she does owe him one.
"'E's going to rip this new liver right out of me," Toad mutters, then slowly lifts his head to look at her. He stares at her until his eyes go out of focus, then closes his eyelids and leans his head against the bars his back is already situated against. "Creed..." A feverish laugh passes his lips. "I always get into the worst shit because of Creed."
Toxin allows herself to laugh softly. "He spent too much money finding it in the first place to yank it out. If I know anything about Magneto, it's that he hates to waste his own money." She watches him, her eyes narrowed. "He's the root of some of your problems, sure. Drink some of that water, will you? It will help with the sickness."
"I don't want water," Toad states, then opens his eyes to look at her again. "Why are you doing this to me, anyway? You dun' care about me. No one does, 'cept maybe Magneto from time to time. 'E paying you to do this or something?"
Toxin sighs a little, moving over to another cage nearby and sliding down it, sitting and leaning against the bars. "I know you don't." she replies, then pauses for several moments before answering. "Magneto would kill me if I let you kill yourself. And besides, where else am I going to get free explosives for the asking?"
Toad laughs, though it is feverish and momentary, and when it stops he looks a bit worse than he did a few moments ago. "Please, Toxin... Just one shot of whiskey? I feel like I'm about to keel over..."
Toxin smiles a little at hearing him laugh, then sighs, looking at the green amphibian with....could it be pity? Even compassion? "Oh, all right. Just a small drink, though." she says, pulling a metal flask out from under her belt. So she did plan for this. "Come here."
Toad stares at her suspiciously at first, then moves to sit next to the bars closest to her. That flask could be full of anything--drugs, tranquilizers, poison--but as long as it bears the taste of alcohol, he'll be satified.
And don't think the idea of tranking him again hasn't crossed Toxin's mind. However, the flask is probably half full of a good whiskey. She doesn't drink the nasty stuff. "Don't drink it all." she says softly, passing the flask warily into his hand. At least this will keep him from the shakes for a couple of hours. Hopefully, he'll give the flask back when he's done. She likes that flask.
Toad remains suspicious until he gets a good whiff of what's inside the flask. Nope, you can't mistake the smell of good whiskey. Despite her request, he knocks back the contents of the flask like a dying man in the middle of a desert, even behaving so desperately as to let the last drops fall into his mouth before he takes a breath. Meh! Not enough! Even half a flask of whiskey won't satisfy his current craving, but like she hopes, it will keep him from being as agitated as before. Toad lets the flask drop from his hand and it lands near the bars, well within Toxin's reach. It seems like a pitiful act, but if she reaches in to take it, he'll reach out quick to grab her hand with both of his.
Toxin watches him drink all of the whiskey, supressing a sigh. She saw that coming, and hopefully it will hold him for a while. And hopefully Magneto will be here soon. She'll have to leave to go back up to her office in a bit. Her eyes drop down to where the flask is, and Toxin eyes him warily. Ever so slowly, she reaches into the cage to pick up the flask. After all, she does like it.
When Toxin's hand touches the flask, Toad's hands immediately clasp hers and hold tightly to it. His expression seems neutral as he stares at her for a while, then he looks down at her hand, pets it a few times, then lets go. With a sigh he returns to the center of the cage and resumes his posture from when she entered the room, staring blankly ahead like a ceramic frog sculpture.
Toxin freezes when Toad grabs her hand. After all, if they get into a pulling contest, she's going to lose. And so she merely watches Toad, saying nothing while he stares at her. Then she gets....petted? Great, she's a pet. Things could be worse. Biting her lip as he moves away, she slowly picks up the flask and puts it back into her belt. "You never cease to amaze me, green boy." she murmurs, rising to her feet and heading for the door. As an afterthought, Toxin picks up the tray of food and sets it down just outside the cage. "You should eat." And with that, she makes her way to the door once again.
And a few hours later... (ICly I was only around for about half of this. Thanks to Mags for logging the rest and sending it to me.)
Even after hours, the phones keep ringing here at Succubus Entertainments. For the most part, Toxin ignores them, except to check the caller ID and see who it is. She'll pick up the occasional one and talk into it briefly, but otherwise, voicemail for the employees is handling the bulk of it. In front of her is a laptop, which she's typing on at a rapid pace, stopping to look at a piece of paper next to her every once in a while. The model Vice President for SE.
Magneto is far from being a model anything; citizen, father, tyrant. He's forever straying from the normal stereotypes for each title. The one thing you can count on him for, however, is being a true-blue mutant, which is why he arrives at Toxin's in a very unusual way - via the window. Sabella could have told the woman about his odd penchant for such dramatic entrances. The window panes rattle a few moments before they're thrown open by the force of his power. Floating there for several moments before fully entering Toxin's apartment, he asks, "You wanted to see me?"
Toxin is used to people appearing at her windows. It happens all the time, and fortunately, the window here in her office is large enough to accomodate Magneto comfortably. An arched eyebrow is all he receives at his dramatic entrance, and Toxin silently offers him a chair. "I thought you should know, the little green friend of ours whom you spent so much money on unknowingly tried to kill himself last night." she says calmly. He'll probably get angry, and the blonde woman has learned it's just better to stay calm. "Fortunately enough, I was there and stopped him. He's downstairs, resting comfortably for the moment. You need to speak to him, Magneto. He's very ill, and if I let him go he'll just attempt it again."
Well now, talk about cutting to the chase. Considering that Magneto was already quite miffed with Toad for having somehow made it out of his locked and barred room, thus escaping punishment once, this news from Toxin only fuels his ire. Flying into the room, he ignores the offered chair and opts for standing, arms crossed instead. "Lead me to him," is his only response to all of this. What else is he supposed to do or say?
Toxin rises from her chair gracefully, picking up the phone and tapping in a few numbers. "I've turned off the security systems for a few minutes. It will last until we're in the underground levels." She opens the door, dismisses the secretary outside, and leads the way out, not waiting for Magneto. He'll keep up with her. When they step into the elevator, Toxin gives a voice command, then rapidly types in a security code as the elevator starts to descend. "He's being held in a specimen cage...it was the only thing short of tying him up and throwing him in a closet that I could think of to keep him in one place."
Magneto remains dangerously quiet all the way down from Toxin's room and to the area where Toad is caged. His silence is surely a bad sign of what's to come.
Being locked up may have kept Toad from killing himself but it hasn't done much for his health overall. His skin pigment is far more yellow than green now, and every once in a while he twitches--the shakes. The jug of water that was left for him is now empty, most of it having been dumped over himself. His cargo vest is off hanging not within tongue distance (don't think he hasn't tried), which leaves him to miserably sulk in his sober state. He sighs in between moments of silence just to hear the sound of something.
Hey, it's not Toxin's fault that Toad hasn't eaten the food she had sent down. Stubborn green boy and his pride. She leads Magneto into the cage room, where Toad is currently the only occupant, stuck in a cage that appears to have been sunk into the ground, with no door. Pausing at the doorway, she leans over to Erik and says softly, "When you're done with him, I'm taking him to the Brotherhood infirmary. Alcohol or not, he will die in this state if left here much longer." This is contingent upon Magneto not flaying him alive in the first place. She steps to the side, letting Magneto lead the rest of the way in and staying a few steps back. She's not going to leave.
Yes, an infirmary will certainly be required once Magneto's finished with the slimey mutant. But that can wait - for right now, he plans on dealing with Mortimer in another fashion. "Good evening Toad," Erik greets calmly, leaving Toxin to stand back and watch the fireworks.
Toad stops mid-twitch when he hears Magneto's voice. Oh. My. God. She did. Toynbee would piss his pants if he weren't so dehydrated. Instead, he gazes out across the shadowy atmosphere of the room to where the voice originates. "Sir," is his response, like a child who's been caught stealing from his father's liquor cabinet. He remains seated with his back in a corner of the cage and his elbows resting on his knees.
Oh yeah. Toxin did. If there's one thing anybody can say about her, it's that she keeps her promises. Stepping deeper into the shadows, she silently waits for the show to start. And calls on her cell phone, very quietly, for several of the half-witted guards to be waiting with a stretcher. After years with Sabella, they don't ask questions.
Magneto steps closer to the cage, his cape fluttering behind him in such a fashion to block out much of the light from behind. Bathed in shadows the way he is, he looks like the devil incarnate. "Come here, Toad," is the next, soft-spoken sentence that escapes his cold, flat-lined lips. The other mutant had better follow that command, less Magnus will pick the cage up with his powers and give it a good shake.
What choice does he have? Mortimer clenches his eyes shut to allow a moment of fever to pass, then pulls himself to a stand and steps across the cage. A few steps are about as far as he can go and far enough to reach the end closest to Magneto. As soon as he gets there he stoops back into a froggish crouch with his shoulders sagging more than usual.
Magneto watches as the slimey mutant makes his way towards the front of the cage. He maintains eye contact, though keeps his gaze steady and his features neutral. It's not until Toad flops into his usual, lanky position that the master of magnetism reacts. Suddenly, his hand reaches through the cage, towards the younger man's neck. Snarling, he asks, "Care to explain how you landed in this predicament, you worthless sack of slime? Or shall I save you the trouble and simply rip out your billion dollar liver right now?"
Toad chokes but suppresses any expenditure of wind, fearing that an accidental exhale in Magneto's face might be taken the wrong way. His new liver's already aching as if it were preparing itself to be removed. "I don't.... know..." Fear gathers in his eyes as he uses his hands to steady himself against the bars of the cage.
Were he to breathe out on Magneto, there's a good chance that he would have had his windpipe squashed, though stinky breath is the least of his problems. "You don't know whether or not you want me to save you the trouble?" Magnus casually tosses back evilly, knowing full well what the answer was in response to. Still, right now, he's enjoying watching the little frogman squirm.
Well, at least someone's being entertained, because Toad is shitting his pants. At least he would be had he ate anything recently. But right now, the only thought on his mind is that he's going to die. "I was 'andling it," he blubbers, not really knowing what to say in this situation. "It just got a bit more difficult than I thought it would!"
Magneto shakes him, not believing for a second any of this nonsense. "Are you trying to tell me that I should have placed you on some sort of 12 step program when I renewed you of your pitiful life?" he growls. No matter how interesting of a scene that would have been, there's no way that Erik would assume his closest follower was as weak as all of that, and in need of such assistance.
Toad shakes his head rapidly. He's not weak! Really! He just loves alcohol a little too much! "No-no! I can 'andle it still! It's just... Creed..." Does any other word need to be spoken, really? Ever since that beastman first found amusement in making a green child get drunk off his ass, it's been a downhill spiral for Toynbee.
Well now, so there's the real root of the problem. Magneto should have known. As suddenly as he had picked Toad, up, Erik releases him. He then backs away from the cage and crosses his arms, now looking more thoughtful than angry. "Tsk, tsk, Mortimer. Blaming your incompetency on a fellow follower..." But seeing just who the follower in question is, it's not that hard to believe that what Toynbee said is exactly the truth of the matter. Looking back over at the cage, the master of magnetism asks, "Are you then trying to say that, should the threat of Creed be elliminated from your small, little pathetic world, that you would have taken better care of yourself?"
Toad falls back in a heap and takes a moment to breathe heavily. "It's... not that simple," he mutters as his posture sags pathetically. And truly, from his point of view it isn't. On the one hand, he values Creed's company in some sort of sadistic way. On the other, he is absolutely terrified of abandoning him. Creed means a lot of things to Toad: Protection, Friendship, Excitement, Disaster, Destruction, Pain, Terror--the list goes on and on. And even if the proverbial cord was cut, he'd still be left with the lingering alcohol dependency that he's acquired. "I dun' know 'ow this 'appened," he states after a moment of silence. His pathetic tone is ladened with a gradual build of sorrow. "Creed... 'E's a bully. Like all the other bullies that picked on me when I was younger. But 'e's not like them. 'E beats the shit out of me... 'E makes me do stupid shit just to make 'im laugh..." Tears are actually welling up in Mortimer's eyes. "But 'e also treats me like a friend. We do... friend... things together. So I just ignore all the 'orrible shit 'e does to me!" If there was anyone here but Magneto, chances are this conversation would never occur. But this evaluation has been a long time coming.
Oh, well... Now this is different. Suddenly, Magneto turns into Dr. Phil and decides to help Toad deal with his problems and fears of abandonement... NOT. The display sickens Erik, and though he remains calm, his features betray his disgust. "Pathetic," the master states, quietly. "With your powers, and your skill, you have no need of friends. And with a friend like Creed, you apparently have no need for enemies either." Waving off this whole display of weakness with one hand, Magneto begins to pace; if only to give him something to do other than crush the frogman and leave him to die a painful death in this moment of despair. "Here is what you are going to do, Toad. As much as I am smitten with the idea of ridding myself of your disgusting hide, there are still some plans in the near future that can only work smoothly if I have your assistance.. That fact - and only that - is the only reason as to why I have decided to let you live. However... Friend or not," and Magnus spits out the word 'friend' as though it's the most distasteful word on Earth, "You are going to have to either break up your little love-hate relationship with Creed, or learn how to manage your temperment around him, so that you're not led down the path of waste each time you decide to spend time with the great behemoth.." Warming up to his task, Magneto continues, "Secondly, you will fight off this alcoholism, else you want me to fulfill my earlier threat of crushing your liver into jelly. You can start by burning down your old haunt, and then ridding the island of all alcoholic substances. Get the juniors to help you, if you must, but if I hear of you putting one more bottle to your lips, then it'll be the last thing you'll ever taste, do you hear me?"
Well, of course Toad wouldn't expect Magneto to turn into Dr. Phil--that would be creepy. But at least he knows the truth of what's going on, and that's all that matters. He's used to degrading himself to get results, so he maintains his pathetic posture and listens closely to his new agenda, nodding where necessary. Waitaminute. Burn down his old haunt? It's not so much his haunt as it is Creed's, though, and when Creed finds out... "Yes, sir," he states without hesitation, letting the back of his mind work out the details of how he'll resolve this situation. Things may get worse before they get better, but at least they'll be over soon.
Oh, they'll indeed be over soon, if Magneto has anything to say about it. And that goes for no matter what happens. Either Toad cleans up the mess he's made, or he dies - it's that simple. Finished lecturing for now, Erik halts his pacing and turns to start coldly back at the cage, and the mutant inside it. "Now, while I have you here, unable to escape, let me make on last thing clear. As a fellow follower, Toxin was in the right for bringing this to my attention." This being Toad's alcoholism and his ongoing, unhealthy relationship with Creed. "Once you are again a free man, I suggest that you thank her for her thoughtfulness in saving your pathetic life. Should I hear of anything otherwise, you can believe that the consenquences will be dire. Do I make myself clear?"
Toxin. The name sends a spark up Toad's spine that could be good or bad. In his current state of withdrawal it might not be the best idea for him to confront her, but he does put it on his mental list of things to do. "Yes sir," he repeats.
Magneto isn't one hundred percent assured by Toad's repetitions of 'yes sir', but for the moment, it's the best that he can hope for. Without so much as a backwards glance, or a final order, the master of magnetism leaves the other mutant to his fate. At the door, he motions for Toxin to lead him back up and out, once again looking as though he's in complete control of the situation.
Nevermind how long Toad's been unconscious--he's awake now and he's active. Ever since he realized he was in a cage he's been making efforts to escape it. Unfortunately, being without a door makes it a bit more difficult to plan such a venture. Adding insult to injury, his cargo vest is hanging at a good distance across the room, just inches out of his tongue's natural reach. This cage is made out of some good material, too, because all his attemps to kick the bars have left some dents, but nothing progressive towards his escape. Right now he's perched in the center of the cage like a frog on a lilypad, wondering when his captor will show.
It's been about fourteen hours. Toxin was starting to get worried that she had given Toad too much, but signs of him coming around quelled that. She's waited until he's good and awake to show, and now she comes in, the guard behind her bearing a tray of food. Mostly meat stuffs, since Toxin really doesn't know what Toad likes, other than pigeons. That rumor will probably never go away. Sending the guard away with a wave of her hand, she stops several feet from the cage, just watching him.
Toad stares at Toxin silently. So many thoughts race through his mind--most of them erratic and the result of alcohol withdrawal--that he can't begin to formulate a full statement... yet. Irritability is written all over his face, which is slightly greener than before. At least his color's coming back... sort of.
Fun, a staring contest. Toxin would win, but she really doesn't want to. Her eyes flash over Toad's form, narrowing as they see the telltale signs of sickness. Yep, it's gonna be nasty. "I'd ask if you were hungry, but you would probably just throw it in my face." she says, breaking the long silence.
Toad's dry lips part moments before he finally speaks. "I want a drink." A jug of perfectly good water still sits unopened near the back of his cage, but anyone who knows him can tell you that's not the kind of drink he's referring to.
Toxin shakes her head. "No." she says simply. "If you're thirsty, drink the water. I'll leave the food if you get hungry. But you're not getting liquor, and you're not going anywhere. Not until Magneto has seen you and had his say in things. I imagine he'll be able to convince you to stop drinking."
"GODDAMMIT I NEED A FUCKING DRINK," Toad snaps, slamming the full force of himself into the bars of the cage. "I can't just quit cold turkey, you stupid bitch! I'll fucking die!" Within the look of hatred on his face, there is a look of dead seriousness in his eyes. He had planned to have just one drink a day like the doctor recommended, but you know... Things happen.
Toxin doesn't move in response to Toad's anger. "I know enough about alcohol poisoning, Toad, to know that one day won't kill you. And that's as long as you'll be in here. Once Magneto's done with you, then you can have a drink. You'll need it by then." From the hardness in her eyes, there's little chance that Toxin will back down on this.
Toad sneers, slams his arms against the bars, then storms back to the opposite end of the cage and flops down. "You can't do this to me," he growls, then runs his hands through his hair to rid himself of a heavy feeling on the top of his head. He rests his forehead in his hands and keeps his eyes closed to let a moment of fever pass. "Why are you doing this to me," he asks, his tone turning pitiful. "Can't you see I'm bloody sick? I need 'elp! But instead you're gonna throw Magneto at me? Magneto's gonna KILL me, not 'elp me!"
Toxin just stays calm while Toad vents. She's so used to men getting angry around her, it doesn't even bother her anymore. "I can, and I am." she replies softly, shaking her head at him. "You know as well as I do what will happen if I let you out of that cage." She pauses for a moment, then shrugs. "You should have thought of that before you decided to go binging with Creed on a nightly basis. I seriously doubt that he'll kill you." And if Magneto really does intend to kill Toad, she'll have to intervene. After all, she does owe him one.
"'E's going to rip this new liver right out of me," Toad mutters, then slowly lifts his head to look at her. He stares at her until his eyes go out of focus, then closes his eyelids and leans his head against the bars his back is already situated against. "Creed..." A feverish laugh passes his lips. "I always get into the worst shit because of Creed."
Toxin allows herself to laugh softly. "He spent too much money finding it in the first place to yank it out. If I know anything about Magneto, it's that he hates to waste his own money." She watches him, her eyes narrowed. "He's the root of some of your problems, sure. Drink some of that water, will you? It will help with the sickness."
"I don't want water," Toad states, then opens his eyes to look at her again. "Why are you doing this to me, anyway? You dun' care about me. No one does, 'cept maybe Magneto from time to time. 'E paying you to do this or something?"
Toxin sighs a little, moving over to another cage nearby and sliding down it, sitting and leaning against the bars. "I know you don't." she replies, then pauses for several moments before answering. "Magneto would kill me if I let you kill yourself. And besides, where else am I going to get free explosives for the asking?"
Toad laughs, though it is feverish and momentary, and when it stops he looks a bit worse than he did a few moments ago. "Please, Toxin... Just one shot of whiskey? I feel like I'm about to keel over..."
Toxin smiles a little at hearing him laugh, then sighs, looking at the green amphibian with....could it be pity? Even compassion? "Oh, all right. Just a small drink, though." she says, pulling a metal flask out from under her belt. So she did plan for this. "Come here."
Toad stares at her suspiciously at first, then moves to sit next to the bars closest to her. That flask could be full of anything--drugs, tranquilizers, poison--but as long as it bears the taste of alcohol, he'll be satified.
And don't think the idea of tranking him again hasn't crossed Toxin's mind. However, the flask is probably half full of a good whiskey. She doesn't drink the nasty stuff. "Don't drink it all." she says softly, passing the flask warily into his hand. At least this will keep him from the shakes for a couple of hours. Hopefully, he'll give the flask back when he's done. She likes that flask.
Toad remains suspicious until he gets a good whiff of what's inside the flask. Nope, you can't mistake the smell of good whiskey. Despite her request, he knocks back the contents of the flask like a dying man in the middle of a desert, even behaving so desperately as to let the last drops fall into his mouth before he takes a breath. Meh! Not enough! Even half a flask of whiskey won't satisfy his current craving, but like she hopes, it will keep him from being as agitated as before. Toad lets the flask drop from his hand and it lands near the bars, well within Toxin's reach. It seems like a pitiful act, but if she reaches in to take it, he'll reach out quick to grab her hand with both of his.
Toxin watches him drink all of the whiskey, supressing a sigh. She saw that coming, and hopefully it will hold him for a while. And hopefully Magneto will be here soon. She'll have to leave to go back up to her office in a bit. Her eyes drop down to where the flask is, and Toxin eyes him warily. Ever so slowly, she reaches into the cage to pick up the flask. After all, she does like it.
When Toxin's hand touches the flask, Toad's hands immediately clasp hers and hold tightly to it. His expression seems neutral as he stares at her for a while, then he looks down at her hand, pets it a few times, then lets go. With a sigh he returns to the center of the cage and resumes his posture from when she entered the room, staring blankly ahead like a ceramic frog sculpture.
Toxin freezes when Toad grabs her hand. After all, if they get into a pulling contest, she's going to lose. And so she merely watches Toad, saying nothing while he stares at her. Then she gets....petted? Great, she's a pet. Things could be worse. Biting her lip as he moves away, she slowly picks up the flask and puts it back into her belt. "You never cease to amaze me, green boy." she murmurs, rising to her feet and heading for the door. As an afterthought, Toxin picks up the tray of food and sets it down just outside the cage. "You should eat." And with that, she makes her way to the door once again.
And a few hours later... (ICly I was only around for about half of this. Thanks to Mags for logging the rest and sending it to me.)
Even after hours, the phones keep ringing here at Succubus Entertainments. For the most part, Toxin ignores them, except to check the caller ID and see who it is. She'll pick up the occasional one and talk into it briefly, but otherwise, voicemail for the employees is handling the bulk of it. In front of her is a laptop, which she's typing on at a rapid pace, stopping to look at a piece of paper next to her every once in a while. The model Vice President for SE.
Magneto is far from being a model anything; citizen, father, tyrant. He's forever straying from the normal stereotypes for each title. The one thing you can count on him for, however, is being a true-blue mutant, which is why he arrives at Toxin's in a very unusual way - via the window. Sabella could have told the woman about his odd penchant for such dramatic entrances. The window panes rattle a few moments before they're thrown open by the force of his power. Floating there for several moments before fully entering Toxin's apartment, he asks, "You wanted to see me?"
Toxin is used to people appearing at her windows. It happens all the time, and fortunately, the window here in her office is large enough to accomodate Magneto comfortably. An arched eyebrow is all he receives at his dramatic entrance, and Toxin silently offers him a chair. "I thought you should know, the little green friend of ours whom you spent so much money on unknowingly tried to kill himself last night." she says calmly. He'll probably get angry, and the blonde woman has learned it's just better to stay calm. "Fortunately enough, I was there and stopped him. He's downstairs, resting comfortably for the moment. You need to speak to him, Magneto. He's very ill, and if I let him go he'll just attempt it again."
Well now, talk about cutting to the chase. Considering that Magneto was already quite miffed with Toad for having somehow made it out of his locked and barred room, thus escaping punishment once, this news from Toxin only fuels his ire. Flying into the room, he ignores the offered chair and opts for standing, arms crossed instead. "Lead me to him," is his only response to all of this. What else is he supposed to do or say?
Toxin rises from her chair gracefully, picking up the phone and tapping in a few numbers. "I've turned off the security systems for a few minutes. It will last until we're in the underground levels." She opens the door, dismisses the secretary outside, and leads the way out, not waiting for Magneto. He'll keep up with her. When they step into the elevator, Toxin gives a voice command, then rapidly types in a security code as the elevator starts to descend. "He's being held in a specimen cage...it was the only thing short of tying him up and throwing him in a closet that I could think of to keep him in one place."
Magneto remains dangerously quiet all the way down from Toxin's room and to the area where Toad is caged. His silence is surely a bad sign of what's to come.
Being locked up may have kept Toad from killing himself but it hasn't done much for his health overall. His skin pigment is far more yellow than green now, and every once in a while he twitches--the shakes. The jug of water that was left for him is now empty, most of it having been dumped over himself. His cargo vest is off hanging not within tongue distance (don't think he hasn't tried), which leaves him to miserably sulk in his sober state. He sighs in between moments of silence just to hear the sound of something.
Hey, it's not Toxin's fault that Toad hasn't eaten the food she had sent down. Stubborn green boy and his pride. She leads Magneto into the cage room, where Toad is currently the only occupant, stuck in a cage that appears to have been sunk into the ground, with no door. Pausing at the doorway, she leans over to Erik and says softly, "When you're done with him, I'm taking him to the Brotherhood infirmary. Alcohol or not, he will die in this state if left here much longer." This is contingent upon Magneto not flaying him alive in the first place. She steps to the side, letting Magneto lead the rest of the way in and staying a few steps back. She's not going to leave.
Yes, an infirmary will certainly be required once Magneto's finished with the slimey mutant. But that can wait - for right now, he plans on dealing with Mortimer in another fashion. "Good evening Toad," Erik greets calmly, leaving Toxin to stand back and watch the fireworks.
Toad stops mid-twitch when he hears Magneto's voice. Oh. My. God. She did. Toynbee would piss his pants if he weren't so dehydrated. Instead, he gazes out across the shadowy atmosphere of the room to where the voice originates. "Sir," is his response, like a child who's been caught stealing from his father's liquor cabinet. He remains seated with his back in a corner of the cage and his elbows resting on his knees.
Oh yeah. Toxin did. If there's one thing anybody can say about her, it's that she keeps her promises. Stepping deeper into the shadows, she silently waits for the show to start. And calls on her cell phone, very quietly, for several of the half-witted guards to be waiting with a stretcher. After years with Sabella, they don't ask questions.
Magneto steps closer to the cage, his cape fluttering behind him in such a fashion to block out much of the light from behind. Bathed in shadows the way he is, he looks like the devil incarnate. "Come here, Toad," is the next, soft-spoken sentence that escapes his cold, flat-lined lips. The other mutant had better follow that command, less Magnus will pick the cage up with his powers and give it a good shake.
What choice does he have? Mortimer clenches his eyes shut to allow a moment of fever to pass, then pulls himself to a stand and steps across the cage. A few steps are about as far as he can go and far enough to reach the end closest to Magneto. As soon as he gets there he stoops back into a froggish crouch with his shoulders sagging more than usual.
Magneto watches as the slimey mutant makes his way towards the front of the cage. He maintains eye contact, though keeps his gaze steady and his features neutral. It's not until Toad flops into his usual, lanky position that the master of magnetism reacts. Suddenly, his hand reaches through the cage, towards the younger man's neck. Snarling, he asks, "Care to explain how you landed in this predicament, you worthless sack of slime? Or shall I save you the trouble and simply rip out your billion dollar liver right now?"
Toad chokes but suppresses any expenditure of wind, fearing that an accidental exhale in Magneto's face might be taken the wrong way. His new liver's already aching as if it were preparing itself to be removed. "I don't.... know..." Fear gathers in his eyes as he uses his hands to steady himself against the bars of the cage.
Were he to breathe out on Magneto, there's a good chance that he would have had his windpipe squashed, though stinky breath is the least of his problems. "You don't know whether or not you want me to save you the trouble?" Magnus casually tosses back evilly, knowing full well what the answer was in response to. Still, right now, he's enjoying watching the little frogman squirm.
Well, at least someone's being entertained, because Toad is shitting his pants. At least he would be had he ate anything recently. But right now, the only thought on his mind is that he's going to die. "I was 'andling it," he blubbers, not really knowing what to say in this situation. "It just got a bit more difficult than I thought it would!"
Magneto shakes him, not believing for a second any of this nonsense. "Are you trying to tell me that I should have placed you on some sort of 12 step program when I renewed you of your pitiful life?" he growls. No matter how interesting of a scene that would have been, there's no way that Erik would assume his closest follower was as weak as all of that, and in need of such assistance.
Toad shakes his head rapidly. He's not weak! Really! He just loves alcohol a little too much! "No-no! I can 'andle it still! It's just... Creed..." Does any other word need to be spoken, really? Ever since that beastman first found amusement in making a green child get drunk off his ass, it's been a downhill spiral for Toynbee.
Well now, so there's the real root of the problem. Magneto should have known. As suddenly as he had picked Toad, up, Erik releases him. He then backs away from the cage and crosses his arms, now looking more thoughtful than angry. "Tsk, tsk, Mortimer. Blaming your incompetency on a fellow follower..." But seeing just who the follower in question is, it's not that hard to believe that what Toynbee said is exactly the truth of the matter. Looking back over at the cage, the master of magnetism asks, "Are you then trying to say that, should the threat of Creed be elliminated from your small, little pathetic world, that you would have taken better care of yourself?"
Toad falls back in a heap and takes a moment to breathe heavily. "It's... not that simple," he mutters as his posture sags pathetically. And truly, from his point of view it isn't. On the one hand, he values Creed's company in some sort of sadistic way. On the other, he is absolutely terrified of abandoning him. Creed means a lot of things to Toad: Protection, Friendship, Excitement, Disaster, Destruction, Pain, Terror--the list goes on and on. And even if the proverbial cord was cut, he'd still be left with the lingering alcohol dependency that he's acquired. "I dun' know 'ow this 'appened," he states after a moment of silence. His pathetic tone is ladened with a gradual build of sorrow. "Creed... 'E's a bully. Like all the other bullies that picked on me when I was younger. But 'e's not like them. 'E beats the shit out of me... 'E makes me do stupid shit just to make 'im laugh..." Tears are actually welling up in Mortimer's eyes. "But 'e also treats me like a friend. We do... friend... things together. So I just ignore all the 'orrible shit 'e does to me!" If there was anyone here but Magneto, chances are this conversation would never occur. But this evaluation has been a long time coming.
Oh, well... Now this is different. Suddenly, Magneto turns into Dr. Phil and decides to help Toad deal with his problems and fears of abandonement... NOT. The display sickens Erik, and though he remains calm, his features betray his disgust. "Pathetic," the master states, quietly. "With your powers, and your skill, you have no need of friends. And with a friend like Creed, you apparently have no need for enemies either." Waving off this whole display of weakness with one hand, Magneto begins to pace; if only to give him something to do other than crush the frogman and leave him to die a painful death in this moment of despair. "Here is what you are going to do, Toad. As much as I am smitten with the idea of ridding myself of your disgusting hide, there are still some plans in the near future that can only work smoothly if I have your assistance.. That fact - and only that - is the only reason as to why I have decided to let you live. However... Friend or not," and Magnus spits out the word 'friend' as though it's the most distasteful word on Earth, "You are going to have to either break up your little love-hate relationship with Creed, or learn how to manage your temperment around him, so that you're not led down the path of waste each time you decide to spend time with the great behemoth.." Warming up to his task, Magneto continues, "Secondly, you will fight off this alcoholism, else you want me to fulfill my earlier threat of crushing your liver into jelly. You can start by burning down your old haunt, and then ridding the island of all alcoholic substances. Get the juniors to help you, if you must, but if I hear of you putting one more bottle to your lips, then it'll be the last thing you'll ever taste, do you hear me?"
Well, of course Toad wouldn't expect Magneto to turn into Dr. Phil--that would be creepy. But at least he knows the truth of what's going on, and that's all that matters. He's used to degrading himself to get results, so he maintains his pathetic posture and listens closely to his new agenda, nodding where necessary. Waitaminute. Burn down his old haunt? It's not so much his haunt as it is Creed's, though, and when Creed finds out... "Yes, sir," he states without hesitation, letting the back of his mind work out the details of how he'll resolve this situation. Things may get worse before they get better, but at least they'll be over soon.
Oh, they'll indeed be over soon, if Magneto has anything to say about it. And that goes for no matter what happens. Either Toad cleans up the mess he's made, or he dies - it's that simple. Finished lecturing for now, Erik halts his pacing and turns to start coldly back at the cage, and the mutant inside it. "Now, while I have you here, unable to escape, let me make on last thing clear. As a fellow follower, Toxin was in the right for bringing this to my attention." This being Toad's alcoholism and his ongoing, unhealthy relationship with Creed. "Once you are again a free man, I suggest that you thank her for her thoughtfulness in saving your pathetic life. Should I hear of anything otherwise, you can believe that the consenquences will be dire. Do I make myself clear?"
Toxin. The name sends a spark up Toad's spine that could be good or bad. In his current state of withdrawal it might not be the best idea for him to confront her, but he does put it on his mental list of things to do. "Yes sir," he repeats.
Magneto isn't one hundred percent assured by Toad's repetitions of 'yes sir', but for the moment, it's the best that he can hope for. Without so much as a backwards glance, or a final order, the master of magnetism leaves the other mutant to his fate. At the door, he motions for Toxin to lead him back up and out, once again looking as though he's in complete control of the situation.