Conner Reece (reece_con) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2013-01-19 11:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | day ten, mojo, mojo and reece, reece |
The Decent Guy
Characters: Reece and Mojo
Setting: Mojo's room, evening
As much as ever, it seemed like Mojo wasn't all that had to find if someone wanted to. Really, they wouldn't even have to look, just to listen. Content with a full stomach and a pilfered glass of wine from the bar, she'd headed upstairs to raid the activity room yet again, this time in search of finer-tipped paint brushes, pens, and paint itself. And if anyone had seen her at it and wondered what Mojo was up to? It wouldn't have taken long before the answer was obvious.
Her shoes were set out next to her as Mojo sat on the second level of Block A, letting one leg dangle between the rails. Both pants legs had been rolled just below the knees to expose her bare feet and calves, one of which was currently under the point of a pen as Mojo drew long, winding vines and leaves, coloring each leaf in stubbornly. It was time-consuming, but that was the point as she sat there, singing to herself. Something had to while away the minutes as the fresh paint on her shoes dried. "Where'd your pleasure go," she sang to no one, voice throaty and sultry even in its' quiet tone, "When the pain came through you, where'd your happiness go? The force is running you around now..."
Wu's task hadn't seemed like much of anything when he said it but now that he was getting started, it wasn't entirely a fun task. He'd knocked on his third empty room before he spotted Mojo, hearing her before he saw her, and headed her way. "Hey there good lookin'," he greeted as he went her way, leaning on the balcony near her shoes.
"Getting you down now..." Mojo sang at him, raising her glass for another drink before she flashed Reece a slightly wine-stained smile. "Who, me? Or my badass kicks? Oughta give me yours, Conner," she insisted, jabbing her pen at Reece's shoes, "I'll throw enough style on there that your new job around here becomes Foot Model or Professional Strutter or something." A laugh at herself before Mojo switched feet, letting the one she'd been drawing on dangle free. "What's up with you?"
"I think my shoes are just fine," Reece said moving his boots out of her reach. "Not sure i could pull it off." He smiled at her before kneeling closer. "Sadly I'm here on business."
"Worst pickup line ever," Mojo chided with a few 'tsk'ing sounds and a shake of her head. "What business? Aren't you up for, like, prison guard and garbage man? Same as me?" she asked skeptically, hesitating in her skin drawing. It was weird to hear anything like this from Reece, which made Mojo think he was actually being serious.
"Prison guard and maintenance guy," Reece corrected, smiling at her. "And bar tender I think." He watched her hand still. "A girl got hurt. Raped." His voice was lower, just for them. "Not that I think you'd let anyone hurt you but you haven't had any trouble have you?"
"What?" Mojo blurted, all the humor gone in one fell swoop as Reece's words crashed in. No more smiles, no ease in how she'd been sitting. "Who? When? Why isn't this, like, all over the journal thing? Who the fuck did it?" she asked in a stream of questions. "I mean, no, I'm good, you know? No one's giving me shit or anything. Nothing like that for sure, and if there was anything you'd have heard about it."
"Don't know who did. You think I'd be here if I did? Don't know who. I got asked to help out looking for information and do a condom count around the place. It's not up because its not something you post right?" Reece was sure there was some sort of decorum that needed to be maintained even if that wasn't his thing. "You okay with me giving your stash a once over?"
"Yeah, yeah that's..." Mojo trailed, voice getting soft and fading entirely. This was what would do it, after her talks with Reece and Evan about so many horrible things, and after the risks in here? This was the inescapable reminder that this was prison, and her housemates were dangerous. "It's fine," she eventually managed, getting bare feet under her and standing, then grabbing her shoes. "The condoms, though, is that like... how you're gonna prove something? Because people have probably been using them, Reece. Not me, but y'know. People."
"I know. Wu asked me to ask around and if they have used them they can tell us who." He reached for her arm when she got up, spotting that change in her. "Hey. I won't let anything happen to you," he told her, voice softer but serious.
"Wu? The guy who copped to human trafficking?" Mojo balked. "God, this is the worst kind of good guys to ask for. No offense," she muttered, flashing Reece just the quickest smile, though it was weak. "Not you, you're a decent one. And I know you've got my back, even if I think I've got it pretty well on my own. I just... this is just fucked, okay? Like, aside from you and a few other people, every guy in here now, I'm just gonna wonder..." And she didn't want to do that, to be afraid in a place that had allowed Mojo to start feeling okay again.
"Who killed plenty of people," Reece added. "I know, but I respect him. He's invested in helping whoever she is. All of you I suppose." He shook his head. "Don't pretend I'm all good either. But there's certain things I won't do and one of 'um is hurt a girl. Not even of it's my sister being a bitch. Did anyone else come by your room last night?"
"Right, a human trafficker who killed plenty of people," Mojo agreed as they neared the stairs, "And no, no one came by. I locked my door and went to bed, everything was right where I left it when I got up today." She'd need extra precautions now, of course. "And what do we do after this? I'm guessing you don't want the whole facility talking about it, right? In case you have a suspect or something?" It'd be one hell of a secret to choke down.
"No that doesn't seem like it would help matters. Though as people find out it might be hard to keep quiet." He reached for her again, one hand on her waist, pulling her to a stop. "And you find me. Trouble, concern, or you just want someone to sleep on your couch. You come find me. I know you aren't helpless but there's no point in proving something when you don't have to." He was serious again, voice low, keeping her close.
In close, Mojo knew her impulses could easily get her in trouble. Especially moments like now when she did actually feel unsettled, starkly aware of the dangers around them. It would've been easy to block that out with some heat, but also wrong to, when Reece was trying to catch whoever was responsible. "I know, and I will," she promised instead of going with the instincts, reaching up to keep a hand on his chest as a buffer between them. "I'll keep quiet about it right now, and if it starts to bug or I think someone's eyeing me next? Trust me, Conner," she stressed with a crooked smile, "I'll pound your damn door off the hinges."
"I'd expect nothing less. Whatever you need, I'm your man." A part of him didn't want to let go but he did. There was a job to be done and he wasn't going to slack off, not right now. Plus he still had to chat up Susanna and he had a good feeling how that was going to go best and maybe it felt wrong pushing an envelope with Mojo just to turn it around and do the same with Susanna. It was like asking for trouble. So he let go, giving her space to lead the way back to her room.
"I just bet you are," Mojo teased as Reece let go, giving him a crooked grin and starting to head the rest of the way to her room. She was actually surprised he'd let it drop so easily, but it was a good sign, right? It'd mean less awkwardness down the road, or maybe just that there'd be none whatsoever as Mojo sorted her own head out. Or it meant he was banging Susanna again, and that? That sent a little spike of jealousy up Mojo's spine as she reached her door. Popping it open, she leaned back against the door easily and nodded for Reece to head in. "They're under the sink, have at 'em."
Reece smiled at her touching her arm once more before letting himself in her room and heading where she directed. He found the box under the sink and brought it back out to her. "How much is supposed to be in here?" He asked.
"However many condoms there should be in an unopened, big-ass box?" Mojo noted with a smirk, "That sucker's still sealed, Conner. And by the way, giving us boxes that size? They must think we were all going to just start slamming until there was an epidemic of broken pelvises around here." And she was sure some people had, if they'd connected with anyone in here or even just found a good physical overlap. Mojo, though, was just getting used to not hooking up. Why break the trend that had just started? "You can take 'em if you need, for evidence? I'm not gonna be using them soon unless someone declares a water balloon fight and I need to improvise."
Reece turned the box over, shaking it, but she was right, it was sealed. Setting it back on her desk he shook his head. "No you hang on to it." He smiled a little. "I do have to admit, I'm glad to see it's not opened. Might have been jealous otherwise." He shook his head. "I'm sure someone's getting that much action. Or at least enough to put a dent in it. Not sure who though." He did have a good guess, but he didn't want to bring her up in this.
"Ugh," Mojo was quick to add, making the connection in Reece's words. "And does this mean if I decide to make lubed-up balloon animals, you're gonna be jealous of them?" she joked, shaking her head at herself as she moved into her room a bit further. Mojo just watched Reece as he set the box aside, catching the hints that, for any jokes or flirting from him? This was a strain to be a part of. "Well... I know it's easier said than done? But find who it is. Stop them. I know you can," she encouraged quietly.
"No. Just so long that that was the only use they were getting." He didn't move when she came further into the room, just watching her instead, waiting to see what she would do. "Glad to hear you believe in me. I won't let it drop. That's for sure."
"I know you won't," she agreed, pacing around her bed to grab one of the books Mojo had picked out of the library. Both arms hugged it tight against her chest, something solid she could grip for a moment of security. "You might give yourself shit for not being a genius, but you're a good guy. Don't need to be a genius to know when something's just wrong, or to want to stop it," Mojo shared thoughtfully. "And just so you don't have to worry? I'll skip any more jaunts around here tonight, and lock the door to do some reading."
"Don't go labeling me as a good guy just yet," Reece said shaking his head. "There's a rap sheet out there saying that I'm definitely not. But there are a few things I don't believe in." He moved towards her, touching her cheek lightly. "Come find me if you need anything. Don't hesitate, just head right there. And actually knock on the door this time."
She grinned wider at that, ducking away from his light touch before it could become encouraging to either of them. "Those few things are all it takes," Mojo insisted, "And I will. Promise. As soon as I want a piggyback ride or a slave to return my library books, I'll come knocking. Or sooner." Probably sooner, given how Mojo was getting to like her friends here.
Reece hated that she ducked away. He knew why, but it was hard to forget his first images of her, and how badly he wanted to see that again. "I like sooner too." He hesitated for a moment longer, but he had things to do, which meant lingering wasn't going to go where he wanted. "I'll see you soon," he promised then started towards the door.