Characters: Jason and Ryan Setting: Courtyard, morning and afternoon
Jason wasn't normally a morning person, and today was no exception, but he had woken up around eight with the intention of rolling over and going back to sleep when he had seen the blinking light on his computer. Knowing that that blinking light often meant some sort of notice of trouble, he had gotten up to check before going back to sleep, and it was just as well he had. After agreeing to help Jae out by keeping an eye on Ryan throughout the day, he got dressed. He didn't mind helping, wouldn't have agreed to it if he did, but he did have a moment of brief regret as he considered the sleep he would be missing out on. Oh well; this was more important. Grabbing a pen, piece of paper and his key and pocketing them, Jason locked his room behind him and set out to find this man he was supposed to keep an eye on.
Given that he only knew Ryan from the day before when he had been on the jury for Ryan's fight with Adam, Jason had no clue where to start looking for the other man. Partially because for his own sake, but also because it was as good a place as any to start looking, Jason headed to the cafeteria first. After grabbing some coffee and a quick bite to eat, as well as establishing that Ryan was not currently in the cafeteria, he headed back outside to the courtyard, considering his options. He didn't know where Ryan lived, wasn't even sure which block he was in, though he was inclined to assume A block, since it seemed B block didn't have near as many people in it. This was going to be difficult, because God knew there was not going to be any good way of finding him. After making a quick round of the block and still not finding the other man, he reconsidered for a moment before deciding that, in this case, maybe being patient was the best strategy. The courtyard was, he decided, probably one of the more central locations here, and chances were, Ryan would be coming through here at some point in time.
Finding a spot in the courtyard that gave him a good view of almost all of the doors to the other inmate's rooms, as well as the cafeteria - he figured that was, quite likely, going to be where Ryan headed first if he wasn't already out and about - Jason sat down, cross legged. Glancing at his watch, he pulled out the sheet of paper he had brought with him and scribbled down the time as well as a note about where he was. Jae had said not to play Sherlock Holmes, and he wasn't, but he figured keeping track of where he was and when couldn't hurt. Jason knew his primary job was simply to make sure nothing happened today, but he figured that if something did happen, and Ryan wasn't involved? Being able to not only verify that he had been keeping an eye on Ryan, but also what Ryan had been doing instead at that time couldn't hurt. He was inclined to trust Jae's instincts on this guy, but he hadn't met him personally, so he really didn't know for sure. Plus, innocent until proven guilty and all that.
Taking advantage of the paper he had, Jason did his best to make it look like he was writing. Or maybe drawing. Or doing something creative. Still, his focus was on the courtyard and the cafeteria, as he did his best to keep a discreet eye out for Ryan. Ryan was in absolutely no hurry to do anything today. He'd spent the night in Susanna's room again, and was seriously contemplating moving a few things over here. Their backs were better watched when they were together. He wouldn't stay all the time, and she would likely come to his room at times too, but it would be convenient. He'd helped Susanna shower for a long time earlier - pleasant, that, even if more vigorous fun was verboten right now. They'd stored enough food that he didn't feel the need to leave until she left to go to the kitchen. He headed out to his room, to grab another set of clothes and contemplate if laundry was a safe endeavor or if they should do that together tomorrow before grabbing some food for himself as well. He headed out into the courtyard, peering at the sky for the weather before angling for he cafeteria and the elevator. By the time he finally spotted Ryan around noon, Jason had been a little concerned. In the three and a half hours he'd been waiting, he had made rounds through the block and through B block just to make sure he hadn't missed him, and changed spots in the courtyard several times. When he finally spotted Ryan, he was in the middle of twirling the his pen between his fingers and debating on whether or not it was time for him to check B block again. Sighing with relief - because he wasn't sure what he would have done if he hadn't even been able to find Ryan to keep an eye on him - he watched the other man as he crossed the courtyard, making sure that , yes, this was the same man from the trial yesterday, before glancing at his watch and making a note of the time on the paper. Glancing back up, he absently doodled in the corner of his paper as he did his best to watch Ryan without looking like he was watching him.
Ryan ran his hand back through his still damp hair, smoothing it down as he headed toward the elevator, whistling quietly under his breath. Despite the whistling, he was keeping an eye out because the last thing he wanted was to be jumped by Adam or one of his little friends again and get blamed for it. Again. He noted Jason at the table but didn't think much of him, at least yet, as he pushed open the cafeteria door and headed to the elevator at the far end.
For the moment, Jason made no move to follow Ryan, simply watching him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't actually want to interrupt the man's day, not unless he had to, so he had every intention of staying back as far as possible. Plus, he was supposed to be discreet, and while that was going to be difficult given where they were, he had every intention of doing his best. As Ryan headed for the elevator, he sighed quietly. Of course. Why couldn't Ryan just want to get something to eat, spend some time in the cafeteria? Although, considering how boring waiting for him to show up had been, he supposed he should be grateful And at least the elevator only went to one other floor. It would make losing him difficult, even if he was giving the other man as much space as he could.
Ryan rocked back on his heels as he waited for the elevator and pressed up to his room. Things seemed mostly quiet but he'd never trusted quiet. He headed to his room, unlocking it and relocking it with quick efficiency. He shucked out of his clothes and into fresh ones and picked up the hamper, stuffing everything he needed cleaned into it, even the sheets. He'd do a quick run, come up and get food, and then fetch it all. Laundry room was no place to spend time without company. He perched his cowboy hat on his head and the hamper on his hip and exited, locking the door again and heading back to the elevator to head to the basement.
Jason frowned slightly as he saw Ryan on the upper level, though it deepened when he went into another room. He scribbled down the room number as well as the number of the room he had originally come from. He had no clue which one was his, or if he had permission to be in the other room. He was going to hope so. He was debating whether or not to go upstairs when Ryan came back out carrying a hamper. Okay, so it was either his room, or he was breaking in and stealing people's dirty laundry. All things considered, that really wasn't something Jason was worried about. But that did present a problem. The basement was even smaller, especially the laundry room, and it would be difficult to keep an eye on Ryan without being obvious about it. As he watched the other man head back to the elevator, he considered exactly how he was going to do this.
Ryan headed down to the basement, leaning against the back of the elevator as it went. He had the hamper in front of him, as good of a shield as any, and was warier than he looked. The hat tipped forward slightly, looking like it blocked more of his vision than it did. He'd get this thrown in real quick, he mused, and then eat and find Susanna and figure out the rest of the afternoon until he had to do patrol.
Pushing himself to his feet, Jason headed over to the elevator. Once in the basement, he passed by the laundry room just to verify that Ryan was there. He was glad to see that there was no one else there either; it meant that he didn't have to worry. He continued passed the door and around the corner of the hallway. He couldn't see Ryan at the moment, but it was quiet enough that he could hear him. And he could still see the elevator, so he would know if anyone else came, or if Ryan decided to leave. And now he was starting to feel like a stalker. Jason sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. It didn't really matter that he thought this was awkward; if it made sure that nothing happened today... It would be worth it.
Ryan quickly sorted his clothes, putting in a couple of separate loads and starting them with quick efficiency even though he hated this kind of work. He glanced up when he heard footsteps, catching sight of the guy he has seen earlier but not thinking much of it yet. He finished up the chore, noted the time, and headed back upstairs.
If he had known how quickly Ryan was going to finish up with the laundry, Jason probably would have waited upstairs. Well, no, he wouldn't have, because that sort of defeated the point of keeping an eye on him. Still, waiting upstairs would have been a whole lot less obvious. Taking his time to give Ryan a bit of a head start - mostly because he didn't want to come out of the elevator less than a minute after the man, because that... that would be noticeable - Jason made his way back over to the elevator and headed back up to the cafeteria. Ryan, he figured, couldn't have gotten too far.
Ryan headed for the kitchen. He knew Susanna would be getting some food, but best to stock up on stuff for both rooms. He knew she would be in his later to start their plans in action. Fucking little Meg. He grabbed a few edible non-perishables as well as some snack foods, as well as a few things Susanna would probably eat too. She was much pickier than him. For some reason, as he looked up and saw Jason pass by going toward the cafeteria, the hair on the back of his neck prickled and he paid sharper attention. His instincts with some things were rarely wrong. He started building himself a sandwich - but more slowly this time.
Jason saw Ryan in the kitchen area, so he made no move to approach. Hell, if the man wanted food, that was fine with him. He found a spot in the cafeteria about as far back as he could get and still keep an eye on the other man and took a seat. Pulling out his paper, he made another note of the time and where they were before starting to absently doodle again. He wasn't much of an artist, but it was something to do. And more importantly, it let him keep an eye on Ryan without simply sitting there and staring at him.
Ryan had been going to head back to his room, but then he decided to go to the cafeteria. He could come back for the other food. For now he'd listen to his instincts and try to figure out what was bugging him. And keep an eye out. With he cameras on the blink, last thing he needed was to be jumped. He sat down with his back to a wall and started to eat, casually surveying the room.
Continuing to doodle, Jason made a point to only glance over at Ryan occasionally. Ryan, Jason he couldn't help but notice, was keeping an eye on things. He was defensive too, keeping his back to the wall like that. But that really didn't mean anything. He had no way of knowing if that was just a part of Ryan's personality, or maybe something that he had developed in prison, a habit to protect himself, or if he was guilty. Or maybe it was just a response to getting jumped the other day. There was really no telling. It did however, make Jason a little wary about the possibility of being caught following him. He'd really rather not get into a fight with the guy, so hopefully Ryan wasn't at the punch first, ask questions later stage. Of course, even if Ryan did ask questions, he wasn't sure what he would say. He sure as hell wasn't going to admit that Jae had asked him to do this; no need to drag her - or anyone else - into this. He couldn't help but think that he should probably figure out his story.
Ryan ate neatly and meticulously, not quickly but not slowly either. He wanted to kill a little time so he could at least switch his laundry over before he went back to his room to hang out with Susanna for a little while longer. He kept a subtle eye on Jason and anyone else who came in and out while he was there. Finally he finished, gathered his trash, and threw it away before heading silently back to the kitchen to grab his snack stuff before almost immediately heading back for the elevator.
Even though the waiting was enough to make him fidgety Jason also appreciated the time it took for Ryan to eat. It was easy to keep an eye on him, and it didn't feel quite so much like stalking. Plus, it meant he wasn't having to worry about staying far enough back to not be noticed, but not so far that he could lose track of him. When Ryan finally stood, he sighed, but otherwise didn't move, pretending to continue his doodle. It wasn't until he headed for the elevator, that Jason made a move to follow him, unsure where he was going and therefore unwilling to lose sight of him.
Ryan jabbed the down button, thumbs going through his belt loops as he rocked back and forth from heel to toe. The back of his neck tingled again, but he was patient and didn't look overtly aorund for the reason why. He'd figure it out eventually. Every predator when he knew was being scrutinized on some level. The doors opened, and he stepped inside to head down again. He wondered if he should wander around, just to see if this tingle would go away.
Ryan was heading back downstairs, Jason noted. There really wasn't any good way to deal with the basement; the first trip down there had proved that. Outside was easier, with more ways to stay unnoticed. Maybe if he was lucky, Ryan would head back out that way after this. Still, for now, he was stuck following him to the basement, and that meant waiting for the elevator to come back. Again giving Ryan a bit of a head start, Jason waited, mentally trying to figure out how long he should give the man, before calling the elevator for himself and following him to the basement.
Ryan knew the best way to settle his instincts. Once out of the elevator down stairs, he simply took a step to the side and away from the doors. His thought was rewarded when with relatively quickly the elevator started moving back up. Oh, he supposed it could be coincidence, but Ryan hadn't survived this long doing the things he did and then in prison without being quick and cunning. He leaned against the wall casually, patience settling into him as he heard the elevator whir again. He wondered idly how long it would take for someone to find a body in the elevator shaft. He knew a construction crew once who'd come across that. But no, even with the cameras on the blink, he probably wouldn't get away with it. Alas. The thought was nice, though.
Leaning against the wall of the elevator, Jason tapped his fingers lightly against his leg, internally debating whether or not he should do as he had last time, or try something different. He didn't get the chance though, as the elevator doors opened and Ryan was right there, leaning against the wall, very obviously waiting for him. Busted. Honestly, he was surprised to see him there; probably more than he should have been, all things considering. Rather than tense up and pull himself into a defensive position, Jason forced himself to relax, making sure to appear as non-threatening as possible. It didn't mean he wasn't prepared though, his eyes sharp as they watched Ryan, alert for any sign of a threat and very aware of any movements the other man made.
"Well played," he said, voice even. Jason wasn't going to insult Ryan's intelligence by playing dumb or trying to pass this off as anything other than what it was. He was just going to hope that Ryan would rather talk than fight though, because while he was confident in his abilities to defend himself, or even win a fight against the other man if he had to, he would really prefer for it to not come to that.
Ryan's lips turned ever-so-faintly up at the corners as his patience was rewarded with the appearance of Jason. So it hadn't just been coincidence. Personally, he never believed in coincidence, and life had never dissuaded his disbelief. He kept his own body language relaxed, his hat tipped a bit back, one foot against the wall and his arms crossed non-threateningly over his chest. The knife he'd had Susanna grab for him was subtly tucked under his sock, and though it would be awkward to retrieve, he had it if needed. He tipped a nod at Jason's words. At least the man wasn't playing dumb. He could respect that. "Thanks," he said dryly. "I'd wondered who was following me. Thought it could be you." Too many times seeing the same person in the same places he was in a place like this was hard to hide, though he'd grant JAson had done a decent job. "Though you didn't do too badly," he granted grudgingly, dipping his head toward Jason a little. "So are you going to tell me why? And I don't really think you're the type who'd be following me to get in my pants, so let's not try that explanation." His tone was wry as he looked Jason over, his humor a brand of prison-morbid, almost, that should be familiar to many cons.
Jason was genuinely surprised when Ryan said he hadn't done a bad job about it. The other man didn't sound too happy about admitting it though. It made him wonder why he did. Shrugging, he moved out of the elevator and into the hall, careful to keep a fair amount of distance between the two of them. No need to risk Ryan thinking he was making hostile motions when he just wanted to get out of the elevator. "Didn't do to well either. I'm not exactly a ninja, and this place didn't make it any easier.
Even though he smiled slightly at Ryan's wry tone, Jason's tone was dry when he responded. "Sorry, but no. Not interested." Even had Reggie not been in the picture, Ryan wasn't really his type. Not so far as he could tell. Of course, Jae's suspicions probably had a little to do with that, but not that much. He sighed before answering Ryan's real question. "You were part of the trial the other day. Kind of figured if something was going to happen today, you'd probably be in the middle of it. Although to be fair, I figure it'd be a toss up between you starting it, or the idiot or one of his friends looking for revenge." That was even all true, including his feelings regarding Adam. He only knew the kid from the trial, and yes, he had felt bad for him given just how badly Ryan had beaten him, but... At the same time, he couldn't help but think the kid was a moron for picking a fight he wasn't going to win. Hell, from what he had seen, he hadn't even made a good showing of it. "I sort of thought if I hung around, maybe I'd be able to keep that from happening again." That wasn't the whole truth, not by a long shot, but he wasn't going to bring Jae into this, and certainly wasn't going to mention her suspicions. Best Ryan just thought it was his own stupid idea.
"Neither am I, thus the caution," Ryan said. He'd been called pretty in the past, but no way was he letting anyone in here at his ass. Nope. No way. He tilted his hat back a bit, regarding the man. "I had wondered if you were one of said idiot's friends looking for revenge," he admitted, even if he didn't think it the likeliest. "I'be been on high alert for him or his friends since before the trial. Hell, I'm the one who reported the incident." Much fucking good it did him. "I'm not looking to start shit with anyone." Stir shit with Meg was another thing. He tilted his head now. He really didn't believe this guy was doing it on his own. He could believe that Wu might put him up to it though. "So playing good Samaritan, huh?" He said, tone skeptical.
Well, that explained Ryan's obvious suspicion Or part of it, at least. And given the fact that the cameras were down, making this the perfect time to try something, Jason couldn't say he blamed Ryan. Had it not been for Jae sharing her suspicions, that probably would have been the end of his own. However, because she had voiced hers, that meant that he couldn't quite dismiss the notion that there was more to his caution than concern about Adam or his friends. And when Ryan asked about his motivation for following him, it made him wonder if it was because he found it hard to believe because of the fact that he didn't trust a convict to be capable of acting out of any sort of altruism, or if it was because he was suspicious and didn't believe him. He shrugged slightly, trying to think of a way to explain why he had agreed when Jae had asked him. "Maybe. Old habits die hard, I guess. But it's not totally unselfish. Having been on the jury for the trial, I'd really rather avoid having to do that again. I can't say it was all that pleasant." Although, that probably had more to do with the fact that he was relatively certain he didn't really have any right to be deciding guilt and choosing punishments when he was just as much a criminal as they were.
"Well, you've done your jury duty. Even if something happened, which I don't plan on it doing so, I doubt they'd put you on the jury for it. Wouldn't make much sense." He shrugged though. What about this place even made sense anyway. "But whatever. I'm just doing laundry and going back to my room for a bit, but if you want o bore yourself to death following me, it's your choice. I have patrol with Brady this evening, if that helps. If you want to carry my laundry, that's great, otherwise, have fun," Ryan said, pushing casually away from the wall and heading toward the laundry room again. He didn't really believe Jason, but it didn't really matter. So long as he didn't do anything he would be fine. His guard didn't lower at all though, and he kept an eye on the other man, just in case.
Considering he had been assigned to the jury two days in a row now, Jason wasn't so sure about that. But it didn't matter. Ultimately, all that mattered was the fact that Ryan was not going to be picking a fight with him about the fact that he had been, and would continue to follow him. He did wonder about the other man's abrupt acceptance, but since he was getting what he wanted, he wasn't going to bring it up. He was, however, going to be cautious, just in case there was some other reason for Ryan's agreeableness. "Honestly, as long as no one gets hurt, I don't care what you do," he told the other man. It wasn't strictly true, but it was his primary concern at the moment. The rest could wait for another day. So when Ryan started back towards the laundry room, he hung back, moving just enough so he could still see him, but no more than that. Just because Ryan knew he was there, didn't mean he was going to change what he was doing. He had no desire to hang over Ryan's shoulder all day; hell, honestly, he'd prefer to stay back enough that Ryan would forget he was there. Given Ryan's suspicious nature, Jason knew that wasn't going to happen, but that didn't mean he couldn't stay as much out of the way as possible.
Ryan had considered and very quickly rejected the urge to physically make an issue of things. Not only would it be risky on his part - Jason seemed like he might know how to handle himself, and Ryan had never been deemed stupid when it came to self preservation - but someone probably knew the man was following him and it would just lead to more trouble. The best way to handle it seemed to be accepting it, as annoying as it was. "Just don't hang too far back, yeah?" he called back over his shoulder. "You're making me twitchy. And I don't care if we take the same elevator." Otherwise he would be constantly trying to keep an eye on the guy who was trying to keep an eye on him.
Caught off guard by Ryan's request, Jason regarded him in surprise for a moment before shrugging. Staying back had been more for Ryan's benefit than his, an attempt to give the other man some semblance of privacy and personal space. But if Ryan would rather him stay closer, then it wasn't like that would be a problem for him. And honestly, he'd just as soon keep Ryan happy for now, within reason of course. Or at least, not give him a reason to change his mind about being watched. "Sorry. I assumed you'd want as much space as possible," he admitted, as he followed, slightly closing the distance between the two of them. He still wasn't planning on following at Ryan's heels, but he'd stay closer if that would keep the other man cooperative.
"Once we are upstairs I'm good with that, but you give me the heebiejeebies down here when I know you're there but I can't see you." More that his neck hairs kept prickling when he couldn't see the other man in this enclosed space. He didn't like it. "I'll just be in my room up there so I don't care." And if he was close, if he did try to jump Ryan, Ryan would at least be able to react better.
That made sense; Jason could understand that. Still, he kept enough distance between them that Ryan would have to make a very obvious move if he changed his mind about cooperating. Well, it was equal parts that, and the fact that he really had no desire to feel like he was breathing down the other man's neck. And really, despite the fact that he had been bored, and knew he would get bored again, he couldn't say he wasn't pleased to hear that Ryan was going to spend most of his time in his room. If he was in his room, he wouldn't be causing problems, so he could deal with a little boredom. He leaned against the wall, waiting for Ryan to finish up with his laundry.
Ryan finished switching everything out, movements neat and economical as he did so, and he turned on the drier for a goodly amount of time. "I'll come pick them up sometime before I go on patrol with Brady," he said to Jason, though he didn't turn to look at him. He just kept tabs on him out of the corner of his eye. "Unless you want to save me the trouble and get them for me." It was said in a humorous tone as he turned toward the door, intent on heading back up to his room to chill in somewhere he wasn't open to attack at any time.
Jason made a mental note that Ryan was going to be patrolling with Brady. He figured if nothing else, that would be a chance for him to take a bit of a break, and let Brady worry about keeping an eye on the other man; he trusted Brady could handle Ryan. He didn't say anything though, just watched him as the other man put his things in the dryer. When Ryan mentioned him getting his laundry, Jason couldn't help but smile slightly, amused. "Yeah, sorry. I am not doing the laundry of some dude I literally first spoke to a couple of minutes ago. Actually, I don't do other people's laundry, period." He was, quite honestly, slightly surprised Ryan was still talking to him now that they had come to something of an agreement about the whole thing.
Ryan snorted lightly. "Worth a try," he murmured before heading to the door and the elevator again. He didn't like doing paltry chores, though he always got them done when he had to. He assumed the other man would follow, though he wasn't going to hang back and wait on him. Ryan wouldn't bother to slow his steps or routine from here on out, unless it proved to be amusing for him. He would be good, and not play with the guy... though he wouldn't say no to leaving the blinds up and having some fun with Susanna later, either.
Following Ryan into the elevator, Jason leaned on the wall opposite the other man. Once the elevator opened though, he dropped back again, putting more space in between them. Ryan had said that once they were back in the open, it would be okay, and he sort of figured that any real conversation between the two of them was probably about over. Especially since Ryan had said about going back to him room. That was fine with Jason. He would probably get bored again, but at this point, it was almost a challenge, to see how long he could keep this up without going stir-crazy.
"Toodles!" Ryan said dryly, wiggling his fingers at the other man when it dinged on the second floor, letting him out. He headed toward his room, not caring where JAson went from this point. He knew he was being watched, and he'd give Susanna a heads up about the guy too, though he didn't foresee it being a problem at all. Let the guy be bored to death. It was his time, and Ryan really didn't give a shit.