For Garrrr

[hybrid_prince]

They call it a gift when they bring it before the throne. Dorrek VIII, young emperor of the Skrull people, barely even bothered to pay any attention to the cloth covered box that was rolled up before the throne. These particular military leaders weren't much of ones that he cared for, and frankly while he was invested in the eventual journey to Earth and conquering it as was his lofty and prophesied fate from long since before he was born, that didn't mean he cared too much about the recon team he had sent. They annoyed him, and sending them to a planet protected by 'heroes' had been meant as a punishment.

The 'gift' to get back into his good graces didn't seem likely to amuse him in any way. There was nothing intriguing about Earth. So the Emperor had ignored their simpering and scrapping before him. It was unbecoming of a Skrull to be anything other than strong and dominating warriors. Still, he cut off their rambling dialog and waved to one of his royal guard. K'lrt, ever the devoted servant, stepped forward and whipped the cloth off.

And Dorrek considered what was presented to him with a raised eyebrow. This, of course, was not what he'd been expected. He hadn't expected a living being.

"Where did you find it?" he asked in Skrull, continuing the conversation in his native tongue.

"It attempted to attack us," one of the generals, who was kneeling out of reach of the cage spoke. "It is more than it seems. Like Skrull, but not."

Intriguing. Dorrek gestured for the clear tank on wheels (with air holes of course), to be rolled closer. Let him better see this prize.

Comments

[garrrr]

"What about my need to go back home to everyone I care about?" Gar retorts, looking up at the other again for the first time in quite a bit.

[hybrid_prince]

The emperor sighs and looks at Gar, setting side his plate of food. Already the young man has ruined his appetite. Who the idiot was that has the man brought to his chambers was beyond Dorrek. He'd figure that out and punish them. He didn't need a mouthy human in his space.

"You are aware of the Skrull and our intentions for your world. Of course you cannot be allowed to return at this time."

[garrrr]

"No one would believe me if I said anything..." Gar exhales but he knows he's not going to be able to convince him.

"So I'm just...a prisoner here then."

Which is worse than when he'd been at the Doom Manor at least that sort of felt like a home with people he cared about.

[hybrid_prince]

It is too early to be a prisoner of war, so that is clearly not what Gar counts as. But he most definitely was taken, against his will, by Dorrek's men. Men that had started conflict when they were merely supposed to scout.

"I will see to it that the men who took you are punished. But at this time, you must remain a guest of the imperial house. If it is your wish, I will see to it that you have space for yourself. It is the best I can allow. The band you wear, it is used to restrain our own criminals. It will keep you from bringing harm to my household."

[garrrr]

"That doesn't help," Gar exhales. He doesn't care if the men are punished by this guy. He scoffs a bit when the other says the word guest.

"So I'm a prisoner, guests can leave. But fine, whatever," he's tired and angry and he's still scared.

[hybrid_prince]

“A long term guest,” Dorrek corrects lightly. “And that will be as easy or as hard on you as you choose to make it. Or if you wish, consider yourself an ambassador of your people.”

[garrrr]

“You can dress it up anyway you like...” Gar sighs, crossing his arms.

“So can I get away from you now?”

A part of him is saying he should be nice, make the best he can.

[hybrid_prince]

Ah. Well it is to be expected. Dorrek sighs and stands, moving to the door and gesturing for the young man to join him.

“I will assign you a guard for now,” he decides. “Many here understand English. Those that do not have translators. I will see you have a room prepared. Tomorrow you will have free roam of the palace, unless guards bar you.”

[garrrr]

Time has passed slowly. It was miserable. Gar had never been as sad as he was here. There was barely anyone to talk to, no one, and if they did talk it was to be cruel or insulting. There were a few times guards had gotten rough but they knew there were limits to what they’d be able to get away with. They all knew Gar could have a big mouth and if things got back to their leader? Hard to say.

Gar had been miserable, though. He missed Earth, his friends... family, his video games. He’d tried to figure out ways to contact Earth but this far he’d been completely unsuccessful. He couldn’t really shift here. He was trapped in every way and isolated to the point that Dorrek was almost someone he liked. The only person to talk to him with anything resembling civility. He knew that the other was still the reason he was here, still the bad guy but he felt a lot less like a bad guy.

It was one of the times he’s been called to the other. Gar had had a particularly rough day before that.

“Can you really not let me go home?” He asks quietly, it’s sadder than he’s sounded around the other in some time and it had been a question he’d stopped asking.

[hybrid_prince]

It was one of those rare evenings when the Emperor has invited Gar to his chambers for a meal. Often the purpose was to pry on Gar’s life back home, to give lofty histories of his people, clearly trying to woo the young man to a new way of thinking. And as always he opened with asking if there was anything his young guest could want. After all, he wasn’t cruel to Gar. Not directly. But something might be said about what he let his people get away with.

But the question, oft asked, was just as oft ignored. This time, though, Dorrek frowned at him. Months and he was getting angry and annoyed.

“You know I cannot. And still you ask. Do I not provide for you here? You are safe and well fed and live a peaceful life. I could have had you killed instead.”

[garrrr]

“It’s miserable here. You might as well have killed me. Everyone seems to think you should have,” Gar retorts.

“I have nothing here and everyone hates me.”

[hybrid_prince]

Miserable here? That gets a raised eyebrow from Dorrek, and a tilt of his head.

"I do not believe everyone here hates you, Gar. To suggest such would be in accurate. I do not hate you. My household has no reason to hate you. And you have a freedom to move about this palace that few others possess. Surely that is comfortable enough," he argues

[garrrr]

“You are the only one who talks to me like I can understand words at all and like I’m not just a rat...”

Gar looks away from him. “There’s no freedom here, not with all of them...”

[hybrid_prince]

"Explain," Dorrek says, his voice hard and demanding. Clearly he wants to deal with whatever the problem is.

[garrrr]

“What is there to explain? Everyone here hates me and doesn’t want me here,” Gar says and he lifts a shoulder.

“I’m given the basics to survive but that’s all.”

[hybrid_prince]

That is clearly not enough of an explanation. Dorrek rises and moves toward the door, his footsteps heavy and his hands giving way to claws as he does so. And he says nothing to Gar.

Clearly someone will be in trouble shortly.

[garrrr]

“Stop! Do you think bullying people is going to make it better?”

Gar didn’t really want to get anyone in trouble or hurt and even less so because he knew they’d take it out on him and Dorrek would never notice.

[hybrid_prince]

Dorrek whirls on Gar, fury in his eyes.

"You are my guest. I will not have you disrespected in this manner. It flouts my authority as Emperor. I gave orders, and they have ignored them. They do not get that choice!"

[garrrr]

“And yet you haven’t noticed in all this time. Do you think you’ll notice when you react like this and they get worse when your attention is on more important things than the Earth plaything. Who didn’t you tell me that we are less than you? You tell people that they treat the people less than them like shit.”

Which is the whole issue the other failed to see in forcibly taking over earth and thinking it wouldn’t be a bad things for the people living there.

“Shouldn’t have told you anything,” Gar mutters.

[hybrid_prince]

The point is not very well taken by the Emperor. And still he looks livid. Looks angry. Looks ready to break someone over all of this. Looks ready to tear people apart.

"I am not a cruel man, Gar. Surely you have seen that much in the time you have been here. And if I allow this treatment of you, then I can expect no better for your world when I come to it. I will not have my authority so blatantly ignored. You will stay at my side, you will learn our language, and you will report when unkindness is visited upon you."

[garrrr]

Gar looks down and it's not like he has a choice when the other decides something it's the way that it is. It's almost nice how he's so angry about it though... Gar knows he probably shouldn't think that way. There's a lot of dangerous thinking lately.

"The problem isn't going to go away if you keep telling everyone that they're superior to the people in my world even if they change around me..."

It's a pointless argument to make and yet he still makes it. "Don't hurt anyone on my behalf."

[hybrid_prince]

The Emperor deflates a little, the claws receding.

“I do not have eyes everywhere, Gar of Earth. Not here, not on your homeworld. I do my best, but I had trusted in you to speak of ill treatment. I am scheduled nearly to twenty four hours of our thirty hour day, and try to spare what time I can for you. My empire spans thousands of planets, locked in a war against my father’s people since nearly before yours had mastered fire. I am not a gentle man, I will not claim that. But I am also not omniscient.”

And he was definitely annoyed to find what was coming to pass under his nose.

“You... are meant for great things, and it is my hope to shepherd you to them. But you always look at me as nothing more than a captor.”

[garrrr]

Gar could almost feel sorry for him — maybe he did a little bit... he still didn’t know why the other would have thought he ever would have mentioned what was going on. In truth, maybe he hadn’t been completely certain it was behind the others back at all.

“I’m not meant for great things. I just had shit luck,” Gar can’t just relent. He wouldn’t have been here if he hadn’t gotten that deadly disease in the Congo. It was shit luck, that was all. No meant for great things or fate. Random chance.

“And you are my captor if you don’t want to be you could always stop.”

Except he can’t because blah blah gotta rule the world.

[hybrid_prince]

Oh, he is meant for great things. Dorrek means him for them. But that can wait a bit. But Dorrek shakes his head at the other thing.

"The number of humans that will die if I send you back to Earth is far higher than that which would die if you remain here," Dorrek informs him quite simply. "Would you still have me send you home when such an act would cost millions of lives?"

[garrrr]

Gar and Dorrek will have plenty of time to argue with it to be certain.

Gar frowns at that and he wants to argue that it doesn't have to be that way. Dorrek could choose another way couldn't he? If he was so powerful... He lifts a shoulder and looks down.

"Why must it cost so much?"