This chick Val was going to be answering some questions as soon as he woke up and talked to Jan. But first he needed to calm Julian down a bit, if that was possible.
"You are not going to die." Evgeni said, pausing his playing. "Where is here?" Perhaps Julian knew something that would help them find him. Right now the surroundings were pretty minimal and not realistic. He couldn't count on the dream being very accurate.
He listened to Julian try to speak clearly and narrowed his eyes. It was taking a lot to keep that red light from flaring up again. Knowledge of dreams and physical trauma suggested something seriously wrong with his friend. Julian was having trouble talking and there was the strobing annoying light. "You were drugged, yes?" He asked a little uncertainly. It might, depending on the drug they had given Julian, cause the slurred speech and a pounding headache before it wore off. To get him to cooperate in a kidnapping Evgeni could see the use of drugs. Chloroform was a likely suspect and would produce a headache as it wore off.
Julian wrapped his arms around himself, succumbing to his very practical and, from what Evgeni could tell, real fears of dying. "You are not going to die." He asserted with some of his usual confidence and impatient imperiousness. He was worried that Julian might indeed die but if he was going to help his friend then he needed the human to calm down.
The people holding him were pronounced crazy, or at least one was. Julian said the guy had wanted him to play the violin. That coincided with the strange requests that kept occurring in the dream when he had arrived. Evgeni had assumed that it was some fear of Julian's that he might not ever play again or, more likely a reaction to his helpless state. Julian played the violin very well but it did not help break him out of captivity. Evgeni had thought that the inability to play was Julian's subconscious way of telling himself that his skills were inadequate to the task at hand.
Apparently not. The request seemed to be very literal. Someone kidnaps a violin soloist, drugs him and then asks him to play? It made no sense; especially since he knew that the reason for the kidnapping had something to do with this Val woman.
"You need to be listening to me." Evgeni reached out and took hold of Julian's upper arms. He resisted the urge to shake his friend, suspecting that wouldn't do his headache any favors, even in a dream. "You are NOT going to die."
"Jan and myself, we are looking for you. You did not come to performance. Understand?" Julian might not have any idea how long he had been gone. They weren't entirely sure either. Was he kidnapped prior to earlier tonight? No, the drugs would have worn off before then. So it seems they were fortunate to have caught Julian's disappearance early.
"You need to be telling me everything you can remember about place." He looked at Julian intently. "How did it sound? Was there unusual smell? Lots of traffic noise? Birds and wildlife?" Was he somewhere in the city or moved out to the countryside? Evgeni would have wagered in the city because it would have taken longer to drive to somewhere remote which seemed counterproductive to knocking him out with chloroform. Plus if they were trying to get something from this Val like Julian said then they would want to be around to get it. "Tell what you remember or show." He gestured to the box they were in and its lack of details. Hopefully Julian understood it was a dream and that he could control the surroundings.
Or he could just explain that. "Is dream. Calm is being good and helpful." Of course Julian could decide that if this was his dream then Evgeni wasn't really here and therefore he could sit out on a nice beach somewhere. That wouldn't be very helpful at all. They could do that after information was gathered. He could leave Julian with a nice hammock next to the ocean and a pina colada.
Now That's A Hangover (private)
Julian was aware of pain before he was aware of anything else. His head was throbbing and spinning. Even with his eyes closed the world was spinning. He moaned softly. He was lying on something lumpy and uncomfortable, and it smelled musty. He definitely wasn't at home, or in a hotel room. He had no idea where he was or what the hell had happened.
He cracked one eye open and regretted it. A harsh light from above stabbed into his eye like a knife. His stomach roiled and he immediately knew that he was about to be sick. Instinct said to move, but he couldn't. He managed to hang his head over the side of whatever he was lying on, and threw up on the floor. And then promptly blacked out again.
Hours, days, or years could have passed before he came to again. It was even less pleasant than before. The light over head still jackhammered into his skull. His head was going to explode, he was sure. He could smell musty fabric and his own vomit. Wonderful. And to top it off, he still couldn't remember anything.
Fortunately, although his stomach still flip-flopped, he didn't get sick again. He lay on his stomach on what appeared to be an old mattress. Inches from his face, on the concrete floor, was the source of the smell of sickness. He rolled his eyes around, looking at he room without moving. It was concrete, floor to ceiling, and tiny. The source of the painful light was a single light bulb suspended over to one side. There was a little alcove in one corner with a toilet and a chipped old sink. No door, not even a wall. The only way into or out of the room appeared to be a metal door in the corner.
Julian focused on breathing for a little while. Over the next couple minutes the events of the last night (?) filtered back in. He remembered being at the long bar with his friends. Making peace with Val. Drinking way too much... damn it, and going to the hotel with Val. He'd woken up, showered, and left the room... and then he'd been hit on the head.
He lifted a shaking arm and gingerly felt the back of his head. His blond curls were matted with blood and there was a sizable goose-egg at the base of his skull. He pulled his hands away and pushed himself up, and immediately realized that was a mistake. This time, at least, he made it to the toilet.
When he was done throwing up everything he'd eaten in the last year or so Julian washed his hands at the sink. He had a hard time seeing blood since his car accident, and that combined with the lingering nausea from being hit on the head had tipped him over the edge. With a wad of toilet paper he did his best to clean the blood from his hair but there was a lot of it and he suspected he was just smearing it around. He could even feel it on his shirt. At least it was in back, where he didn't have to see it.
Wobbly on his legs, he staggered toward the mattress and managed to mop up with some more toilet paper, after which he was sick again. Not feeling stable enough to make another trip back to the musty mattress he just sat on the floor and leaned against the wall next to the toilet, the side of his aching head against the hard cement.
Julian closed his eyes and tried to figure out where he was and what was happening. His brain definitely wasn't working right, and he'd read enough to realize he probably had a concussion. Patting his pockets he realized without any surprise that whoever had taken him had also relieved him of his personal belongings, including his wallet and phone. His violin, too, was gone. He shuddered. Why the fuck was this happening to him?
Evgeni
10 years ago
Julian Stephenson
10 years ago
Julian tried to focus on Evgeni's words and listened to his reassurances. Evgeni wanted to know where 'here' was, and he looked around, wincing at the movement, trying to work it out.
"I don't know," he said, desperation lending his voice a hint of panic. "Underground I think. A basement maybe. It's a little cement room with a heavy metal door. I haven't been able to see what's outside. It smells old, like it's an abandoned building or something."
Evgeni asked if they drugged him and he shook his head very carefully. "They hit me," he explained. "Pretty hard. God, it fucking hurts."
He twisted to show Evgeni the back of his head, where his blond curls were sticky and matted with old blood and the fabric of his shirt was stiff with it. Carefully he turned back, watching his friend when he insisted Julian wasn't going to die. Julian very badly wanted to believe that.
Evgeni reached out and braced his hands on Julian's shoulders and Julian could feel them - really feel them, as if this was the most realistic dream he'd ever had. His eyes widened and he hoped what he heard was true. Jan and Evgeni might actually look for him, if it had been long enough that he'd missed their gig. Julian never, never, missed a performance or a rehearsal. He was always there, always early, and he loved playing with the band. His friends would have cause to go looking for him, and they knew he'd been mixed up in some trouble with Val a few weeks ago.
He clasped his hands over Evgeni's and tried to feel the warmth of them, how incredibly real they were. He took a deep breath. "I don't hear traffic," he said slowly, enunciating the words so they came out as best he could get them, "but I think I'm still in the city. The building feels old. But I have no windows. I think there are boxes outside. Smaller ones. I haven't been able to see though."
He tried to conjure up a clear picture of the two men, the first one who'd beaten him, the one who'd wanted to play the violin with him, and then the woman in the scrubs. "These people have been in but there's at least one more."
He hadn't seen the man who'd hit him, the one who was supposedly in trouble for being too enthusiastic about it. "When I was attacked before they had me give Val a message." A picture of Val, standing next to Julian. "They wanted something she had."
His head pounded furiously and he lost his focus, slumping where he sat for a second. "Please find me. I think they want to trade me for whatever she has. They said they were waiting for Val to contact them but I don't know if she will."
He looked up and the dream fogged away for a second. "Someone's coming."
"I don't know," he said, desperation lending his voice a hint of panic. "Underground I think. A basement maybe. It's a little cement room with a heavy metal door. I haven't been able to see what's outside. It smells old, like it's an abandoned building or something."
Evgeni asked if they drugged him and he shook his head very carefully. "They hit me," he explained. "Pretty hard. God, it fucking hurts."
He twisted to show Evgeni the back of his head, where his blond curls were sticky and matted with old blood and the fabric of his shirt was stiff with it. Carefully he turned back, watching his friend when he insisted Julian wasn't going to die. Julian very badly wanted to believe that.
Evgeni reached out and braced his hands on Julian's shoulders and Julian could feel them - really feel them, as if this was the most realistic dream he'd ever had. His eyes widened and he hoped what he heard was true. Jan and Evgeni might actually look for him, if it had been long enough that he'd missed their gig. Julian never, never, missed a performance or a rehearsal. He was always there, always early, and he loved playing with the band. His friends would have cause to go looking for him, and they knew he'd been mixed up in some trouble with Val a few weeks ago.
He clasped his hands over Evgeni's and tried to feel the warmth of them, how incredibly real they were. He took a deep breath. "I don't hear traffic," he said slowly, enunciating the words so they came out as best he could get them, "but I think I'm still in the city. The building feels old. But I have no windows. I think there are boxes outside. Smaller ones. I haven't been able to see though."
He tried to conjure up a clear picture of the two men, the first one who'd beaten him, the one who'd wanted to play the violin with him, and then the woman in the scrubs. "These people have been in but there's at least one more."
He hadn't seen the man who'd hit him, the one who was supposedly in trouble for being too enthusiastic about it. "When I was attacked before they had me give Val a message." A picture of Val, standing next to Julian. "They wanted something she had."
His head pounded furiously and he lost his focus, slumping where he sat for a second. "Please find me. I think they want to trade me for whatever she has. They said they were waiting for Val to contact them but I don't know if she will."
He looked up and the dream fogged away for a second. "Someone's coming."
Evgeni
10 years ago
Evgeni listened to the description, nodding carefully. It seems Julian had been paying as much attention as possible despite his addled state. Underground in an abandoned building that smelled old and where there was little to no traffic. It could be on the harbor somewhere; that might explain the lack of traffic sounds. Julian didn't mention boat sounds but then he was underground so those might be hard to hear.
It turned out that Julian hadn't been drugged at all. They had hit him on the head and from the amount of blood, problems with speech (even in a dream) and the pulsing red light Evgeni would guess that Julian had suffered a serious concussion and needed a hospital.
He hoped Jan knew where to find this Val person and she better be doing whatever it is that she needs to do to get Julian back or she was going to have one pissed off Tsar after her. She wasn't the only one with connections to the underground and the Russian mafia didn't play these kinds of games.
"Small boxes. Got it.†So maybe an abandoned warehouse or something or a factory that also did shipping. Whatever product it had been would have to fit in small boxes. That might actually be very useful. They had a decent amount of information to actually narrow it down considerably. It was possible that he and Jan could find Julian on their own without even needing to find this Val.
Evgeni looked over at the woman that Julian placed in the dream. She seemed perhaps familiar, maybe. Or maybe she looked like a lot of redheads; you think you should know them but they all blend together.
"We will find you.†He gave Julian a pat on the shoulder. "I promise.â€
His friend said that someone was coming. Evgeni nodded and stood. "I need to tell Jan information so we can find you. So we must wake up.†It sounded like someone was going to be waking his friend up anyway. "Be strong on inside. However, if you think it would help, look weak on outside.†He knew all about being kidnapped and tortured, only too well. "Good luck, my friend.â€
((OOC:Evgeni out ))
It turned out that Julian hadn't been drugged at all. They had hit him on the head and from the amount of blood, problems with speech (even in a dream) and the pulsing red light Evgeni would guess that Julian had suffered a serious concussion and needed a hospital.
He hoped Jan knew where to find this Val person and she better be doing whatever it is that she needs to do to get Julian back or she was going to have one pissed off Tsar after her. She wasn't the only one with connections to the underground and the Russian mafia didn't play these kinds of games.
"Small boxes. Got it.†So maybe an abandoned warehouse or something or a factory that also did shipping. Whatever product it had been would have to fit in small boxes. That might actually be very useful. They had a decent amount of information to actually narrow it down considerably. It was possible that he and Jan could find Julian on their own without even needing to find this Val.
Evgeni looked over at the woman that Julian placed in the dream. She seemed perhaps familiar, maybe. Or maybe she looked like a lot of redheads; you think you should know them but they all blend together.
"We will find you.†He gave Julian a pat on the shoulder. "I promise.â€
His friend said that someone was coming. Evgeni nodded and stood. "I need to tell Jan information so we can find you. So we must wake up.†It sounded like someone was going to be waking his friend up anyway. "Be strong on inside. However, if you think it would help, look weak on outside.†He knew all about being kidnapped and tortured, only too well. "Good luck, my friend.â€
((OOC:Evgeni out ))
Julian Stephenson
10 years ago
Evgeni's last words lingered in Julian's head, affecting him profoundly. Be strong on the inside. He'd had to do that so often in the past few years. He could do it some more. He didn't want his captors to know how terrified he was.
The dream had been so very realistic, he found himself cracking his eyes open to feel a continued sense of hope. He never missed performances. He had to believe that Evgeni and Jan would be looking for him. Maybe they would go to Val. At least someone would know he was missing. Would they find him in time? Maybe these guys were telling the truth and as long as they made an exchange with Val, Julian would be let go.
The door opened slowly, no longer creaking. Julian remained prone on the bed. Look weak... well, he was definitely weak. Maybe if he acted worse than he was (which wasn't hard - he felt pretty bad), they might go a little easier on him. He could hope. They hadn't hurt him since he'd arrived.
He closed his eyes, trying to pretend he was still asleep or at the very least, too weak to rise. That last one wasn't horribly far from the truth.
((ooc: Julian out))
The dream had been so very realistic, he found himself cracking his eyes open to feel a continued sense of hope. He never missed performances. He had to believe that Evgeni and Jan would be looking for him. Maybe they would go to Val. At least someone would know he was missing. Would they find him in time? Maybe these guys were telling the truth and as long as they made an exchange with Val, Julian would be let go.
The door opened slowly, no longer creaking. Julian remained prone on the bed. Look weak... well, he was definitely weak. Maybe if he acted worse than he was (which wasn't hard - he felt pretty bad), they might go a little easier on him. He could hope. They hadn't hurt him since he'd arrived.
He closed his eyes, trying to pretend he was still asleep or at the very least, too weak to rise. That last one wasn't horribly far from the truth.
((ooc: Julian out))