R R I - REHABILITATION & REINTEGRATION INITIATIVE

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Basement - bar, then laundry room; once the basement level opens

With nothing to do but wait, Adam made a real effort in getting ready. Call it his version of primping but he showered, shaved, and spent way too long in a pair of boxers trying to piece together the clothes he had, to figure out something that wouldn't be wrong. He wound up in a pale blue button down that fit far better than the one he'd brought with him over to the block and wasn't even sure if it worked on him since he was used to wearing plaid, but really it was the nicest thing he had so he added his jeans to it and went with it, hoping for the best.

As soon as he could get downstairs, Adam was there and headed straight towards the bar. It was weird, thinking that just a few days before he'd actually worked down here which he figured gave him permission to just wander behind it and fiddle with drink options. He also wound up serving a few other people who had already come down, watching the door for Kyle.

Kyle had hit the elevator the moment that it was clear - and given that his room was right by the thing, he was the first of his block down to the basement. Sure, he was in a hurry to go meet Adam, but he also had a stop to make first. Or maybe it was just that this was the first time that he would be in the presence of the other man since they decided to make a go of it. Possibly he was nervous. Either way, he stopped at the laundry room first and put a load of washing on before taking a breath, trying to check out his reflection in the surface of the machine, and then heading for the bar.

Nerves or not, he couldn’t stop the wide grin that broke on his face as he walked into the room and saw Adam there, behind the bar. And there was a definite bounce in the artist’s step as he walked over. “So, how am I meant to buy you a drink if you’re serving?” he asked, teasingly, leaning on the bartop and resting his chin on his knuckles.

( As the customer said to the barman... )

Character: Kyle
Setting: Block A, early morning

Kyle was up early that morning, his room still dark as he opened his eyes to the now familiar blinking from his computer screen which indicated a new message had arrived. He pulled himself up out of bed and read it. Then read it again.

He grinned. Access to the basement. A chance to meet up with people. With Adam. A chance for them all to be together again. Oh hell yes, he was taking that.

He didn't even stop to get dressed as he hurried out of his room. Grabbing the first thing he saw from the kitchen - an apple from the bowl on the counter - he placed it outside Zach's door before heading back to his room again.

They were going to complete this task - if he had to personally knock on each and every door and force people to do their part.

Characters: Wren and Kyle
Setting: The Courtyard, Lunchtime

Kyle was definitely feeling more positive today, and it showed in everything about him. In the fact he had dressed with more care. In the fact that he had actually gotten a full night’s sleep and didn’t look half-exhausted. In the fact that he was smiling as he knocked on Wren’s door at around midday, practically bouncing as he waited for her to answer.

( Past, Present and Future )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Phone call, morning

Adam had slept fitfully, in and out of dreams, whimpering and making noises in his sleep. They were awful things, flashes of memories and worse. When he finally woke he was crying softly, gripping his pillow hard, body hurting from the dreams and how real they’d felt. For a long few minute he just lay there, waiting on tears to subside. When he finally got up he headed straight to the computer, rubbing at his face, feeling closed in on himself.

( Wakey Wakey )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Their rooms / via phone, late

It was late, the sun having long set, when Kyle sat down at his computer and brought up the call app there. He stared at it for a while, his heart hammering, his palms sweaty. He had no idea of what he was doing. He was terrified, and yet... He knew part of his problem was that he didn't trust his instincts. It was being governed by his instincts, his wants, and his emotions that had led him here in the first place. Now his instincts and emotions were all over the place, trying to drag him in two directions. He had no idea what to do, as though he was going to fuck up at every turn. But everything else was falling apart anyway, so he felt like maybe he couldn't make things worse now. Not when he had screwed it all up anyway. Maybe it would even make things better. That didn't stop him from being terrified about everything else surrounding it. He knew he could go round and round like this all night, so in the end, he simply pressed call.
( What feels natural )

Who: Kyle and Mazie
When: Late morning
Where: Kitchen then Kyle's room

( One step closer. )

Setting: Kyle's room
Characters: Kyle

In his head, he knew it wasn't healthy. In his head, he knew that he needed to stop this. That he needed to put down the paint brush, step away from the canvas, and enter the real world. And for more than just a dinner where he put on a mask and pretended to be just fine. He had been doing so well, but the last few days had launched one setback after another at him and he was dealing with it in one of the only ways he knew how.

Kyle had been painting all night. He had had dinner with Wren yesterday and he knew he should have said something to her. She was one of his best friends, but he hadn't wanted to break on her. So he had kept to himself everything that was bothering him. The fact that Violet's death was still haunting him. The fact that Meg had voluntarily left, and he was fighting not too take that personally (he knew it had had absolutely nothing to do with him, but in the midst of everything, the loss felt very personal). The fact that Adam didn't even want to speak to him and he had no idea what to do there. How to fix things with his best friend that he couldn't help but think could only be fixed if he stopped fighting and agreed to more. He hadn't shared any of that with Wren. Instead he had played the calm, happy, stable persona. The face he had developed in New York society. He had sat there and been charming and chatty and carefully steered her away from any subjects that might suggest he was anything but. He had told her that he and Adam had talked, both that morning and over PMs. He had told her he hoped the other man would be okay in the other block, and expressed concern over the situation. And then he had diverted the subject to something else.

When dinner was over, he had said his goodbyes, returned to his room, locked the door and started to paint. He had poured all his emotions into the canvas. He had been up until the early hours, when he had become too tired to keep his eyes open. Then he had fallen asleep on top of the covers, caught a few hours, and then started work again.

He had to stop, he knew that. And he would. Eventually. He would have to eat. Eventually. But not yet. Not now.

Mixing up another colour, Kyle picked up a fine brush. Now it was time to start on the detail.

Characters: Jonas and OPEN
Setting: A Block Courtyard, late morning

Once the room he'd been given again was in order, Jonas left his things, still packed, and headed to make himself aware of the rest of his surroundings. He'd been here a day already, but hadn't had a chance to leave his room yet, which meant it was all very new. He started with the courtyard, reviewing the change in the message there, not sure what to make of this place or that information. Meet new people. He supposed he counted as one of the new members, which perhaps meant there'd a flock of strangers interested in him. That was both thrilling and unsettling. He'd missed the days of being and up and coming big deal, but more recently and closer to his arrest, he'd preferred his privacy. He had his own secrets that were worth keeping. Ironic considering his line of work.

Characters: Kyle and Zach
Setting: Their rooms, mid morning

( and personal spaces )

Characters: Kyle and Adam
Setting: Courtyard, just after 7am

Kyle was one of the first out of his room and into the courtyard when the alarm sounded. Swearing loudly, and dressed in cotton pants and a white t-shirt, he wasn't certain whether he should be rubbing the sleep from his eyes, or covering his ears. He hardly even realised that the door had unlocked before he was standing out in the dawn light and his bedroom door had closed and locked behind him.

Once he caught onto all those facts, he hesitated for a moment and looked around at the other people doing the same. That was when he saw the screen and walked towards it. He didn't need more surprises today. Yesterday had been one huge ball of shit. Today he looked like a mess: his hair was all over the place, he hadn't shaved, his eyes were red from hours of crying and he had the worst headache. Now what?
( and we're bad at goodbyes )

Characters: Kyle and Adam
Setting Kyle's room, very much pre-dawn

Sleeping with Ru had been fun, that much Adam couldn’t deny. But the moment it was over reality was filtering in and he couldn’t quite handle things. Which meant as soon as her breathing evened out he was bailing, pulling on enough of his clothes to get out of there, leaving her a note that said thanks and he’d see her later. There was no way he could trust that sleeping next to Ru would keep the nightmares away. Not even close. He was sure if the moment the door to her room closed behind him and he already had flashes of Ella dead. Then Ru dead, taking Ella’s place, the scar on her neck that he’d noticed but hadn’t asked about turned into a gash.

( very unhappy )

Characters: Wren and Kyle
Setting: his room

( and non-truths )

Characters: Autumn and Kyle
Setting: his room
( this is not good )

Characters: Everyone at the Masquerade
Setting: The courtyard, evening-night

The decorations had been set up with the help of a ton of people, music was getting played, and there were costumes for everyone. The night was going to be great, hopefully, just what everyone needed. Autumn looked around from the second floor balcony, and smiled, thinking this couldn't be better. It was exactly what she'd wanted it to be.

Characters: Zach and Kyle
Setting: Cafeteria, afternoon

Zach had found himself talked into going to this ball, deciding it would be informative, at least to watch and maybe he could get closer to Ru. Or someone else. Either way, it was something to do and if the crowd got to be too much, he could always leave. He’d headed to the cafeteria to investigate the costumes. He’d found one that fit him, something suit-like, but old fashioned, like something out of one of his Dickens novels but on his way to find a hat to go with it, he’d been stopped by something else: a set of black wings, menacing, but well made. For some reason it appealed to him, fingers grazing over the feathers.
( light and dark )

Who: Mazie and Kyle
When: Afternoon
Where: Courtyard

( And pleasantries )

Setting: Courtyard, late morning
Characters: Kyle and Autumn

Kyle stalked up to Autumn, striding across the courtyard, tension and anger clear in his posture. “You tell your girlfriend to keep the hell out of my business,” he snapped at her.

Autumn had been happily decorating right up until that point. Then she blinked, looking at a Kyle who did not look like he was as excited as he'd been that morning on the journals. "...what's going on?" she asked, concerned. She absolutely ignored the fact that he was snapping at her for something that had to do with Mazie, not herself. Obviously Kyle was angry, so her best bet was to figure out what about. "Are you okay?"

( I will be )

Who: Kyle and Mazie
When: Late morning
Where: Kyle's room

( Time for a talk )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Early morning, Kyle's room

( And Some Understanding )

Characters: Adam and Kyle
Setting: Kyle’s room, evening

( And posing )