InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Run, little thing, run!"

Rorschach (end_is_nigh) wrote in bureau,
@ 2009-04-05 18:58:00

Current mood:	annoyed
Entry tags:	howl jenkins, npc: westley, rorschach

Who: Rorschach + Howl + Westley
When: Sunday afternoon
Where: B7 interrogation room
What: More discussion with Rorschach.
Rating/status: PG-ish? / Complete

Rorschach spent most of the time in containment silence. He alternated between curling up on the bunk bed and crouching on it, the occasional bout of pacing carrying him back and forth in the cell. The only activity that really broke the monotony of his confinement was the medic's visit to tend to his leg and wrist. That experience was rather unpleasant, the vigilante required restraining to actually let the medic tend to him. Every touch against his skin made his nose wrinkle up behind the swirling inkblots of his face, and more than once he let out an animalistic growl at the individual. As soon as he was patched up, they left him alone, and for days he sat in silence atop the bed.

He had been about to drift off into a light doze when the rattling of the cell door brought him back to consciousness. Rorschach canted his head to the side and let out a small 'hurm', as he watched Howl pull the door open. Any snide remark that lurked at the tip of his tongue was bit back, not wanting to compromise any chance at freedom he had. The small vigilante pulled himself up and off the bunk bed, meandering towards the door curiously. As soon as he got close to the door, he was handcuffed -- after a bit of a struggle, of course -- and dragged off to one of the smaller secure rooms on the same floor. They told him that someone would be in to talk to him soon, and sat him down on a chair in front of a table.

Rorschach let out a guttural 'ennk' as he was set atop the chair. Resting against the back of it, his arms wedged between his back and the chair, he wiggled his wrists in the handcuffs. The masked man was not a happy camper, which seemed to be par for the course lately. Settling a blank gaze on the wall in front of him, he just stared, waiting for the whoever it was that was coming so they could get this over with.

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paranone
2009-04-05 10:50 pm UTC (link)

Security was an issue here, which was why this was happening on a Sunday - the less people who knew about this (even that Westley was personally recruiting) the better. Ideally the number would stay at three: Westley, Layla Miller, and Rorschach himself. Howl would not be told outright, but no one could stop him from having an inkling.

After making sure the room was secure (that word again), and that Howl was stationed outside - purely a formality than anything else; the field director didn't get where he was today by not knowing how to handle himself (the signal, in any case was at least one of them screaming in agony) - Westley closed the door behind him. The first thing he did was uncuff Rorschach. The second thing was to warn him:

"You're not a prisoner, but if you try anything funny, the most powerful wizard in New England is just outside that door, and can make your head explode with one word."

Westley never made empty threats, and Howl certainly could explode heads, but he'd have to use a couple more sentences than Westley imagined.

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end_is_nigh
2009-04-05 11:02 pm UTC (link)

Uncuffed, the vigilante pulled his arms forward and stretched them out, flexing his fingers repeatedly...before he dropped his hands into his lap, curling them into fists. His attention fixated on Westley, he cocked his head to one side, inkblots shifting lazily over the white expanse of his face.

"Wizard," He echoed the word in his usual gravelly monotone, "Hurm." For now, Rorschach played nice. He shifted his weight atop the chair and just watched the other man closely...keeping an eye on his movements, he waited for him to continue.

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paranone
2009-04-05 11:22 pm UTC (link)

Westley was a whole different breed to Howl. For one, he was nowhere near as loud a man, both literally and figuratively. He was approachable but ultimately serious, having cultivated his perfect balance of power and accessibility over the years - power came when he was traveling the high seas, robbing the rich to give to... himself, and that other thing came from his family, dealing with a daughter who was doted on by all members of the extended family. Right now he was mostly business, that famed stiff upper lip coming in to play. When he spoke, his tone demanded that he be listened to and respected. How well it would work on Rorschach he would never know, but Westley didn't much fancy not being himself.

"We want to hire you." Plain, direct, none of that wishy-washy 'we think that maybe we would like to offer you a position within our organisation' that some people seem to be fond of nowadays.

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end_is_nigh
2009-04-05 11:36 pm UTC (link)

Chapped lips formed a thin line behind the cover of his mask, hidden gaze never quite drifting from the other man. Westley didn't quite have Rorschach's respect...but what he did succeed in was being less annoying than Howl. The vigilante didn't quite want to pop him in the jaw -- yet. Gloved hands drifted upwards, he idly adjusted his fedora and tugged on his trench coat before his hands settled again in his lap.

When Westley spoke again, his head lulled to one side and he let out a small "What." It wasn't necessarily a question -- more a vocalization of surprise and confusion. He narrowed his eyes at him, a small huff flaring his nostrils.

"Catch." He demanded. After all, there had to be one.

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paranone
2009-04-06 01:00 am UTC (link)

"No catch," Westley shook his head slightly, completely unaffected by Rorschach's tendency to fragment sentences. "It'll be a mutually beneficial arrangement. We can't have you on the streets menacing people, and you. You would like to return home, no? We have huge amounts of resources at our disposal, and someone is bound to find a way. It's up to you of course, but if you say no, I'm afraid your options will be rather limited."

What wasn't divulged was the string of contingency plans should he say no. Release wasn't particularly viable, and suffice to say Westley's previous warning was somewhere on the list - the position of it was debatable, but it was certainly one of the options.

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end_is_nigh
2009-04-06 01:12 am UTC (link)

Rorschach paused. The inkblots of his face shifted slowly, almost in a contemplative manner. He mulled over the idea, carefully weighing his options while staring blankly at the other man. A thoughtful noise rumbled from his throat, and he straightened his posture, shoulders rolling stiffly.

"Fine," The word finally fell from his lips. There really wasn't much of a choice there -- there was no way he was going to get back to his New York on his own. He'd never guarantee the safety of the scum on the streets, though, and didn't really address that issue.

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	paranone 2009-04-06 01:26 am UTC (link)
	"Good." Pause. "I need you to take off your mask." He had heard about the 'face' remark, and Westley didn't know yet what he would do if Rorschach refused. But he was nothing if not creative, and thinking on the spot had long been one of his fortes. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	end_is_nigh 2009-04-06 01:28 am UTC (link)
	Rorschach visibly tensed at the words, like they were a physical blow. He dipped his chin towards the other man. "No," The word escaped him in a hiss. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	paranone 2009-04-06 01:43 am UTC (link)
	"I need you to do it voluntarily, or else agents will assess you as a security risk and force it off you." It was one thing to apprehend a masked man, it was another to let him wander the halls with his own clearance codes and access to pretty much everything. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	end_is_nigh 2009-04-06 01:49 am UTC (link)
	Rorschach paused. This was not an enjoyable situation for him. His need for privacy about his flesh and blood face clashed with his need to maintain his personal space. Behind his mask, his left cheek twitched. "...Allowed to put back on after taking off for you?" He asked defensively. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

paranone
2009-04-06 02:12 am UTC (link)

If Westley was known to shrug, he would've done so now. "What you do in your own time is up to you. My responsibility is to ensure the safety of my agents and this organisation."

There were high tech cameras operating in the room, how they worked only the techies know completely, Westley suspected. All he knew was that one glimpse was all it needed for facial pattern recognition and analysis. This kind of security profiling was quick and painless, albeit a little bit Big Brother.

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end_is_nigh
2009-04-06 02:27 am UTC (link)

Rorschach hesitated for a long while. He slowly took off his fedora and set it in his lap, curling his gloved fingers around the hem of his face. He peeled it off, slowly, inch by inch, like the the very removal of the shifting inkblots pained him. It revealed his harsh, angular face, pale skin full of freckles, dark eyes, bright ginger hair. He leveled a rather emotionless stare at Westley.

He didn't even wait for him to speak again, he couldn't wait that long -- already he was pulling the mask back over his face with a soft 'ennh'.

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paranone
2009-04-06 08:09 am UTC (link)

Good enough.

"About your position - you'll be part of our Security team." Leave space here for irony. "Someone from human resources will show you the ropes, the usual training and trial period, but since you have nowhere to go, we'll have to make a concession this time. You'll be set up in an apartment, which you'll be shown to after this. Because of your situation, we're not predisposed to trust you, so I'm not going to dance around it: you'll be watched. If you put a foot wrong or if we suspect that you might become a dangerous liability, you'll be right back here."

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end_is_nigh
2009-04-06 11:57 am UTC (link)

Rorschach picked up his fedora and placed it back on his head as he listened to the other man's words. He wasn't exactly pleased with the idea of being watched...but, like so many things lately, he really didn't have much of a choice. Not if he wanted to get back to New York. Satisfied that his face and hat were repositioned properly, he canted his head towards Westley, silent for now.

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paranone
2009-04-06 10:37 pm UTC (link)

Westley's hands moved from his lap to the top of the table, as he leaned forward slightly, fingers entwining. "That job though, your position in that department, is bullshit. It's a cover.

"You'll work for me. You'll be a black operator. You'll answer only to me and Layla Miller, the Director of this organisation. From time to time you'll have to do jobs that are off the table, and you'll need to use whatever-" Westley paused here for half a beat, searching for a better word to use than 'force' "-methods necessary to achieve your goal."

He met Rorschach's gaze, completely unaffected by the fact that there were no eyes to meet.

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	end_is_nigh 2009-04-06 11:06 pm UTC (link)
	The vigilante clicked his tongue and let out a small "hurm". Perhaps that wouldn't be so bad. At least he could fight the way he wanted to. Shifting his weight, Rorschach leaned back against the chair. He crossed his arms over his chest, head cocked to the side contemplatively. "Works for me..." He finally commented, chin bobbing in a slight, barely-there nod. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

paranone
2009-04-08 07:24 am UTC (link)

A barely-there smile came from Westley. That was the best answer he could hope for, really. "Jenkins is going to give you an induction," he said, rising from his seat. "Your training can start tomorrow, if you wish. Of course, if you'd like to get the lay of the land better, your start date can be postponed."

He was at the door when he added, almost as an afterthought, "I'll call when you're needed."

Howl entered as soon as Westley was out of the room, bemused and a touch resigned. "Well then. Shall we get started?"

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end_is_nigh
2009-04-08 12:05 pm UTC (link)

"Hurm," That small, contemplative vocalization was all he offered, his head still lulled to one side...quietly mulling over the whole situation. Not exactly the outcome he had been hoping for, but definitely better than what he had been expecting. He nodded slightly to Westley as he left.

Howl got a silent stare when he entered, Rorschach dipping his chin towards him just slightly. Time hadn't lessened his urge to pop the other man in the face, but he filed away that thought for later--he didn't want to end up back in that cell--and simply nodded to the other man.

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