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6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 23:10:20 GMT

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What are kings, [break]
when regiment is gone,[break][break]
But perfect shadows in a sunshine day?

[break][break]

A week had passed since Barnaby had visited Caleb Harcourt.[break][break]

In that time, he'd been left in complete isolation. Meals, meager as they were, had been slid through a small slot at the bottom of the cell door. The ranger was expected to return the used tray there when finished, or endure the psychic punishment dealt by the only other living thing in the room — Barnaby's ALAKAZAM.[break][break]

Nothing else but stark white walls kept Caleb company. He was left alone, chained and collared, to dwell on his time in ROCKET custody.[break][break]

Until one day, without warning, BARNABY FINCH came to check on his guest. When he entered, however, it was without uttering a word — the two men made the briefest eye contact before Barnaby signaled for his ALAKAZAM to HYPNOTIZE Caleb.[break][break]

When he awoke he'd find himself bound to the single ladderback metal chair in the room. Naked, the red rope dug into his skin, causing it to blush a beautiful, enticing shade of pink.[break][break]

"Wake up." Barnaby beckoned, his voice suddenly sounding so close to Caleb's ear. As he spoke, the ranger would feel something cold and metallic tapping his cheek, goading him to consciousness.[break][break]

A knife.

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:22:58 GMT

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The week was a blur of pain and monotony. Caleb dozed in and out of consciousness, hardly able to sustain himself on what little food they afforded him. His stomach growled and his head ached. Where the metal of his restraints met skin, chafing it, there were angry red blisters forming.[break][break]
All the while, his thoughts fluctuated between anxiety for those on the outside (Isaac, the other Rangers who’d been at the Ancient Tomb, Angelo...), a sense of foreboding regarding when his brother might finally show up, and a bizarre, inexplicable, masochistic yearning to see Barnaby again.[break][break]
I just want to talk to him, he argued with himself. Try and help him remember...[break][break]
Remember what, exactly? Caleb couldn’t even articulate it, let alone describe it in detail. It ripped apart his mind as easily as the Alakazam could with its psychic torture.[break][break]
He got his wish, in the end: Barnaby reappeared. Enigmatic sapphires locked with churning seas of deeper blue, and then the world went black.
Groaning, Caleb opened his eyes, something sharp pricking the skin of his cheek. The velvet voice in his ear was enough to send a shiver down his spine, as well as fully rouse him from unconsciousness.[break][break]
"A chair," he croaked, finding a spark of defiance buried beneath his fatigue. "That’s new."

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[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

⬥ This tread takes place following the events of GOODBYE GALAR: RUSTED SHIELD[break]
⬥ This is the second of three torture sessions with BARNABY FINCH. It follows this thread[break]
⬥ Caleb is naked, and his Pokémon / Ranger gear are missing

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:30:46 GMT

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"That's right," Barnaby replied, a satisfied purr thrumming in his throat. "And if you want to leave this chair, you'll follow my instructions, like a good little brother."[break][break]

As he'd done in their first session, there was no urgency in the way he spoke or in how he carried himself. The ROCKET admin took his time with Caleb Harcourt, slinking around him like a wildcat scrutinizing its next meal.[break][break]

"For every one of my questions you answer honestly, I'll cut one rope. Answer enough and you'll be free from your restraints."[break][break]

Here Barnaby paused behind Caleb, but the man would still easily be able to see him — a large mirror was mounted on the wall in front of him, after all.[break][break]

"Once you're free, well..." Leaning down, Barnaby pressed his mouth to Caleb's ear, a hint of a smile in his voice. "We can discuss your reward if that happens."[break][break]

The moment was fleeting. Within seconds, the admin returned to his position facing the imprisoned ranger.[break][break]

"Understood?"

[attr="class","barnaby-notes"]

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:35:31 GMT

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Caleb frowned.[break][break]
Barnaby’s mouth on his ear was so very enticing. Despite the way his body tensed in reaction to it - explicit images (memories?) of those lips pressing themselves to other parts of Caleb’s body surfacing unbidden to his mind - Caleb had the sinking feeling that “honesty”, in this case, would be entirely subjective. Barnaby would decide if his answers were honest, and an unfair ruling could lead to the cutting of flesh rather than ropes.[break][break]
Caleb was all too familiar with the sick games Rocket liked to play.[break][break]
Did he really have a choice, however?[break][break]
“Sure, I get it,” he muttered, his tone compliant if feigning indifference. Unfortunately, the mirror revealed a different story: one man bound to another, totally within his control. “Honest answers only.”

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[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:43:19 GMT

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"Then let's begin."[break][break]

BARNABY FINCH watched Caleb Harcourt with a practiced eye, the flesh of his thumb sliding across the dull back edge of the knife in his opposite hand.[break][break]

Barnaby would take note of every twitching muscle, every slight deviance in behavior; the admin's observational skills had been honed over years of practical application, after all.[break][break]

He'd know if Caleb was lying.[break][break]

"What's your full name?"[break][break]

They'd start simple and build from there. Foreplay at its most basic.

[attr="class","barnaby-notes"]

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:48:05 GMT

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His full name? He eyed Barnaby, and immediately sensed the intensity of the other man’s sapphire gaze: precise and clinical, like an x-ray machine honing in on a broken bone.[break][break]
Right. This was typical. Barnaby would ask straightforward questions meant to reveal more about Caleb’s body language than who he was as a person.[break][break]
“Caleb Nolan Harcourt,” he answered truthfully, keeping his voice even. Nonchalant.

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[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:49:38 GMT

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"Good." Barnaby had already known the correct answer, of course, as it'd been provided by Zev Harcourt.[break][break]

One rope cut.[break][break]

But BARNABY FINCH didn't stop there. Where threads snapped and gave way, he did not relent, and instead continued to press the knife into Caleb's upper arm.[break][break]

There was something euphoric about the way sharp metal cleaved through wanting flesh. The heady metallic scent, the feeling of surrendering tissue, the groans of pain that came with release.[break][break]

The admin smiled, though it did not crease the corners of his lips.[break][break]

"You're a Ranger..." Barnaby began, languidly circling around the chair Caleb was tied to. "Tell me what you know about Laurence Anderson and his ties to Articuno."

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:54:22 GMT

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The knife bit into his skin and Caleb winced, grinding his teeth. Hot blood pooled at the site of the cut, and Caleb felt it slide down his arm and drip harmlessly onto the floor.[break][break]
He wasn’t a fool. He’d known the blade had a purpose beyond cutting him free.[break][break]
The next question gave him a moment of pause. This was a question about someone else - a fellow member of the League. For several silent heartbeats save for the sound of dripping blood and breathing, Caleb considered what he should say. He did not know Laurence Anderson well, they weren’t close. But was he prepared to betray a fellow League Ranger - a Head Ranger?[break][break]
Are they even looking for you? A quiet voice whispered in the back of his mind. Do they even care?[break][break]
“I barely know that guy,” Caleb growled. “Went and lost his fancy bird, though.” Articuno. The avian God of winter. “On the brink of losing his Avatarship, too, it seems like. They’re not on speaking terms.”[break][break]
It came easily in the end, though he hated himself for it.

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[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 2:56:27 GMT

[nospaces]

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Lost his bird. [break][break]

Not on speaking terms.

[break]

Though he showed no outward change in his demeanor, Barnaby was surprised to hear this information from Caleb Harcourt.[break][break]

As the ranger spoke, he watched for signs of evasion or fabrication. Someone in his position might lie and tell their captor exactly what they wanted to hear, rather than the truth.[break][break]

Was Caleb being honest?[break][break]

"The penalty for lying is much steeper than a few cuts, you know." Barnaby informed him, using the tip of his blade to incline the man's chin upward, forcing eye contact.[break][break]

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Caleb?"

[attr="class","barnaby-notes"]

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 3:02:41 GMT

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Until that moment, things had been painful, yes. But it wasn’t until Barnaby forced Caleb to look him in the eyes that the torture truly began.[break][break]

”I live to serve,” the king joked, his grin wry. ”Ask me whatever you’d like.”

[break]
“I can’t lie to you,” Caleb admitted softly, reluctantly, the ghost of a version of himself whispering bittersweet words in the back of his mind. Deja-vu pulled him under like an especially violent high tide.[break][break]
He stared into those beautiful, otherworldly sapphire eyes, and somehow knew with utter certainty that they would be his downfall in a million different timelines.

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[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 3:06:01 GMT

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[attr="class","barnaby-main"]

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A week in, and already Caleb Harcourt was breaking beautifully.[break][break]

Barnaby could see it in the way he barely maintained their eye contact, could feel it in the way his chin trembled slightly on the knife, could hear it in the way his voice softened into submission.[break][break]

He could practically taste it, too, on the tip of his tongue. A prickle of supremacy. It was delicious.[break][break]

"I can't lie to you."

[break]

To this, Barnaby arched a curious brow. It wasn't the sort of thing most would say in the ranger's situation. This felt more... intimate, somehow.[break][break]

"Can't you?" The admin asked, lowering his blade but replacing it with a tight grip on Caleb's jaw. He wouldn't be allowed to look away, and the intensity of Barnaby's gaze demanded an answer.[break][break]

"And why is that?"

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 28, 2023 15:20:00 GMT

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Ironically, this was the question Caleb couldn't answer. Every possible explanation that surfaced in his mind sounded more ridiculous and farfetched than the last. Was it all some made-up hallucination due to the trauma of his capture? If so, then why did it feel so real?[break][break]
Heat flared through his body as Barnaby gripped his jaw and forced the Ranger's head to remain forward, fixated on the Rocket Admin.[break][break]
Just tell him the truth. That's all he ever asked you to do.[break][break]
Which meant admitting he didn't know a goddamn thing.[break][break]
"I have no idea," he answered, his voice taking on a weary quality. "It's a feeling ... of having trusted you once. Like we were somewhere else for a long time and things between us were ... different."[break][break]
Not like this, his eyes seemed to emphasize.[break][break]
"You really don't know what I mean?" He murmured, all but begging for confirmation that he wasn't alone in his grief.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

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MADE BY GUNSMILE

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played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 28, 2023 23:02:27 GMT

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","barnaby-main"]

[attr="class","barnaby-words"]

“No.” [break][break]

His guest’s begging would go unacknowledged. Perceived, but ignored. Instead, Barnaby denied the ranger’s remembered emotions, his succinct answer coming out sharp and cold — severing the lifeline Caleb offered to another time and place.[break][break]

“That wasn’t real, Caleb. It was a dream.” Twenty years there, but only moments of unconsciousness on their plane of existence. [break][break]

“This is your reality.” Suddenly, with more abrupt force than he’d used before, Barnaby cut into the cord across Caleb’s left pectoral muscle. Threads easily gave way, leaving the brunt of the movement to bite into the flesh beneath. It was a sustained pressure; deep and personal, somehow. [break][break]

Another rope cut. [break][break]

A wound made above the heart, sure to scar.[break][break]

“Let’s keep going.” He instructed, removing the bloodied knife from Caleb’s chest. “Why does Zev want you dead?”

[attr="class","barnaby-notes"]

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played by

nellethiel

Caleb Sharpe

He/Him

October 13

Lavender Town, Kanto

Bisexual

League Ranger

Elite

6'4" / 193 cm height

Leave the past where it is: behind you.

awards

801 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @caleb

POSTED ON Aug 31, 2023 3:43:33 GMT

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[attr="class","calebtest2"]

[attr="class","text"]

No. Cold. Detached.[break][break]
The bite of the knife was far less painful than Barnaby's outright denial. Caleb had been so sure the other man would remember something. The Rocket Admin slashed at him, but it was the way Barnaby so readily dismissed their time together as a meaningless dream that gutted Caleb.[break][break]
Ironically, one man's denial could easily fuel another's.[break][break]
"Fuck you," he growled, anguished, ignoring Barnaby's question. "You're lying. You do remember."[break][break]
Something occurred to him.[break][break]
"Why are you in charge of me, anyway? How'd you convince Zev to give you the privilege?"[break][break]
Blood seeped from the wounds on Caleb's chest, stinging reminders of his current predicament.[break][break]
"You don't know why I'm here? Guess he doesn't want his precious Rocket peers to know." Caleb barked out a laugh. "I stabbed him in the Ultra Deep Sea. He doesn't want me dead, he just wants me to suffer for having bested him."[break][break]
Hot guilt surged through Caleb at the admission despite his vicious mockery. He regretted hurting his brother, because it wasn't his way to be violent like that, even against someone like Zev. But Zev had goaded him into it, riled him beyond repair, the memory making Caleb angry all over again.[break][break]
Angry and remorseful.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","tag"]BARNABY FINCH

[break]

NOTES

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Sept 12, 2023 0:36:03 GMT

[nospaces]

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It didn't matter whether BARNABY FINCH remembered or not. He remembered most of his dreams, vividly. This was just another added to that number.[break][break]

The Spectral Rider and Admin Bee were two entirely different men. One without a driving purpose, who leaned into Caleb Harcourt's embrace in a destitute time. The other a leader in a powerful organization — who had purpose, who had meaning, who had ambitions within this reality.[break][break]

Perhaps if they'd met under less dire circumstances, their lot might be different. If Caleb wasn't Zev Harcourt's brother, with a bounty on his head.[break][break]

But he was. And ROCKET demanded blood.[break][break]

"I told you already. He couldn't care less about you anymore."[break][break]

But I do. A sentiment not verbalized, but apparent in the way Barnaby leaned in to graze his lips against Caleb's own, even as the man's blood dripped to the floor.[break][break]

"This isn't a privilege in Zev's eyes. It's a punishment for failing so miserably as a brother." He whispered, the words logically severe, yet spoken in a honeyed tone. You're mine, you're mine.[break][break]

"You're already dead as far as he's concerned. He gave you to me, willingly..." Here, the admin's hand found its way between Caleb's thighs. His ankles had been bound to either chair leg, giving easy access to the hole Zev had given Barnaby permission to enter.[break][break]

"... to do with as I pleased."[break][break]

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