Autumn (autumn_ruby) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2013-05-23 00:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | autumn, autumn and hayden, day seventeen, hayden |
non-judgmental conversation
Characters: Hayden and Autumn
Setting: Morning, Block A Kitchen
It was very weird to have access to a kitchen, complete with utensils, and still be in a prison facility. It felt more like a combination of a motel and a camp, the way each of them had individual rooms with keys, but still had communal areas where they could gather. Hayden was going through the kitchen cabinets, trying to figure out where things were with the intent of fixing breakfast. Or at least a cup of coffee. He knew he could use credits, but that seemed silly when he could make his own.
Autumn was heading for the kitchen to grab a grapefruit for herself, and she saw someone in there immediately. Grinning, she dashed up and latched onto the guy to give him a big bear hug. "Hello." she greeted.
One minute he was examining a bag of coffee beans, the next he was being pounced upon by a little pixie of a girl. It startled Hayden for just a second before he smiled. It was hard not to smile. “Hello,” he said, then returned the hug before letting her go. He’d seen the message on the computer about hugs, but it wasn’t something Hayden saw himself initiating with anyone except Cassandra. Apparently some people were a little more open about such things. “I’m Hayden.”
"Nice to meet you, Hayden, I'm Autumn." she said with a big smile. "You're new, I'm guessing. Not that I know everyone here, but I think I'd remember you." she told him, turning to get the grapefruit in question from the counter.
“Yeah, I’m new,” he said, watching her go for the grapefruit. Somehow that didn’t surprise him. “Just got in yesterday. What about you?” He wasn’t sure how long the facility had been up and running, or how long anyone had been there, so he was trying to establish a range. So far he only had Ru to go off.
Slicing the grapefruit open and grabbing a spoon, Autumn pushed herself up onto the countertop, happy to converse with the new guy instead of run off. "I've been here since day one. Which..." she squinted one eye shut as she considered. "God. A little over two weeks? Something like that? Feels like more, though. I think being in an environment like this sort of makes one lose their sense of time."
Two weeks? That was it? It made Hayden wonder how he was so special as to be selected for this program. Perhaps they thought he would be easy to rehabilitate. “That’s not long,” he said, now looking for a coffee grinder to grind the beans. “How long were you locked up before that? Because I found I lost time there too.”
"It so isn't? But like I said, it feels like forever." she laughed, taking a bite of her grapefruit. "The grinder's right there." she pointed out for him. "I wasn't actually locked up that long. And the prison I was at wasn't exactly the world's most hardass place, either. What about you? How long were you inside?"
“Thanks,” he said, flashing her another smile as he set up the grinder. “Two years and three months. And if there are glamorous places to be placed, I wasn’t in one. This feels like a vacation.” He paused for a second to grind the coffee, preferring not to talk over it, then continued when he finished. “I’m sure it’ll feel long, but I definitely rather be here than there.”
"Ouch. Sounds not fun." Autumn said sympathetically. "I'm glad you're here then. For the most part, it's a decent place. There've been some hiccups, but honestly sometimes I wonder why we haven't had more." she took another bite. "What are you in for?" she asked.
“What kind of hiccups?” he asked, taking the coffee grinds and starting up a pot of coffee. It was a question he’d continue to ask different people, sure he’d get a different answer each time. Everyone had a different idea of what a hiccup was in this kind of place. “Robbery. What about you?”
"There was a rape, so, that wasn't fun. A few assaults. Stuff like that." she explained. "One girl died, though no one's quite sure if it was suicide or accident. That wasn't a great day." she said, looking sad. "I didn't know her, but still." She leaned back on the counter a little. "I'm in for prostitution, and for having state secrets in my head. Which is why I got nailed for a billion years for a misdemeanor."
“I heard about the rape, but not the dead girl,” Hayden frowned. That was concerning, if it wasn’t a suicide. Wouldn’t someone step in if a killer was on the loose? “State secrets? You must’ve been one hell of a high priced call girl,” he said, amusement returning. “The mix of people in here seems to be pretty broad, from what I can tell. Any idea how they pick and choose who’s fit for something like this?”
Autumn smiled. "Oh, I was. In DC, actually. I had clients all across the board, which didn't turn out to be a great idea. I really just enjoyed my work. Not in the 'I'm a huge slut' way, I have a sort of different philosophy." she said with a wink. "As for how they pick? No idea. I don't think anyone can work that out."
“What kind of philosophy is that?” he asked, leaning against the counter as the coffee started brewing. At what other point in his life was he going to have a conversation with a high priced call girl about the way in which she lived? Despite his overall situation, Hayden thought that was pretty awesome. “Do you even know what the secrets are that you’re in for having?”
"If you've ever seen Firefly, picture Inara. The Companions." she said. "And if you haven't seen that, just think of it as something that's more than just sex. I screened my clients. Not just anyone could call up an get me. I was extremely selective." she explained. "And I don't, actually. Apparently in court proceedings, they can just throw that word around, and they never have to actually say what it is that I'm supposed to know."
Hayden hadn’t seen Firefly, but he thought he got the gist of what she was saying. “So could they be seen out with you? Not that anyone would guess, but if your client lists crossed...?” That was probably where the issue came about. One person might not have trusted what she told to another, even if she didn’t discuss her other clients while working, if ever. “Well, that’s bullshit. You should at least know what you’re in for. That’s like saying I’m in for robbery, but not telling me what I robbed... even if I do.”
"Oh god, I got taken out all the time. I've been flown to other countries for events. It was awesome." Autumn said, giving a fond smile. "I don't know. I chose everyone I did for a reason. I found them all special in their own way, or damaged, and I could help." she took another bite. "And yeah, tell me about it. I would love to know, but..."
“Seriously? I didn’t know anyone did that. Were they single? Or did their wives just not notice that a beautiful young lady was filling their shoes overseas?” he smiled. He wondered what a girl like her would want with damaged men, when she could probably have anyone she wanted. “What do you mean by damaged?” he asked. He had an idea, but how she could help he wasn’t really following.
Autumn laughed. "Who said it was all men? Or that husbands and wives didn't engage my services together?" she posed, arching a brow. "And damaged means all kinds of things. An alarming amount of people have intimacy issues of one description or another." she said. "Sometimes they just need someone who presents no pressure to work those out."
“Oh?” he laughed. It was enough for his mind to race away with all kinds of images and Hayden shook his head as he smiled. Somehow he hadn’t imagined a high priced girl would do anything even slightly kinky... but he was apparently all kinds of wrong. Maybe it was how innocent she looked. “So if you like fixing people, why go this way? Couldn’t you be a shrink? Or was the money better?”
"My mother was in the business. I just saw what she did, and saw what it meant to her, and I honestly did give it a go, attempting other things, but I was never quite satisfied with anything else. So, I got contacts from her, started on my own, and it was all working incredibly well until the state secrets business." she explained. "Besides. Shrinks are shrinks...but they don't go out with you on the town, or come into your bedroom to get a married couple going because while they're desperately in love--they are utterly incompatible, sexually."
At least she’d tried to go about it the other way, Hayden thought. It was interesting that she thought it didn’t work as well, which led him to wonder why her own tactics were illegal. Then he remembered that it was because people were paying for sex. Right. “I didn’t realize that happened,” he said. “That people could fall in love and be sexually incompatible. Isn’t that a part of being in love?”
"Depends on your definition." Autumn said. "And in my experience, that definition is all over the map. The couple in question were emotionally in love. They had a great time together, were inseparable, all that gooey romantic comedy stuff. But in the bedroom? Nope. But they didn't want to leave each other at all. And sex is important, of course. So, they just did it their own way." She shrugged. "No one in the world has any right to tell anyone else what defines love. It comes in more shades than people realize."
Hayden nodded, though he wasn’t sure he could see himself in a relationship like that. It sounded more like best friends than lovers. In his experience, people that were inseparable, but not sexually interested in each other, were usually friends or family... but then he’d screwed family up, so what did he know. “I guess so,” he said. “I think that would be difficult. It’s not something I’ve experienced for myself.”
"And you should be thankful for it." Autumn said with a smile. "But seriously, takes all kinds. And just because someone's different doesn't mean they don't deserve happiness too." she added, finishing off her grapefruit. "So you're more the straight and narrow kind of guy, relationship-wise?"
“Kind of,” Hayden answered. He’d say a flat out yes if his own relationship status wasn’t so complication. “I’ve got a girl. She just happens to have been dating my twin brother first. So pretty much straight and narrow, just with additional issues.” Issues that had torn his family apart. He still wanted to talk to Hunter, but also knew he needed time. How much time, he’d yet to figure out.
"Ouch. That's got to be messy." Autumn said. "Though, sorry for your brother, but if she picked you, then she picked you. The heart wants what it wants, right?" she suggested. "Are there issues because he didn't take it well? Or...?" she asked. She might have mentioned the issue of wondering if the girl in question compared the two, but she didn't want to put that out there if it wasn't already present.
Hayden liked to believe there was nothing they could do about it, that if she loved him and not her brother, that he shouldn’t feel guilty... but he did. Maybe if they hadn’t gotten arrested, it wouldn’t be so bad, but that really put a different spin on things, especially since they never told him. “There are issues because she didn’t break it off with him,” Hayden said, eyes dropping to the counter for a second, then back to her. “We were all in the heist together. We needed him to make it work and she thought he’d back out if she ended things. He found out sometime between our arrest and yesterday. My guess is during the trial.”
Autumn took that in, looking much less shocked than most people would. "So it wasn't a 'let's share a girlfriend' situation, it was a...selective information to ensure continued cooperation one?"
“Well, kind of,” Hayden said, though he didn’t like her wording, even if it was correct. “Hunter was the one who talked me into the heist. We could all use the money, and it was for her. She was the one who needed it most. I guess the thought was that if she was going to leave him either way, why not do it after, so at least he’d have his share. But now, of course, I wish I’d pushed and she’d done it before. Maybe then none of us would be here.” The money wasn’t worth prison time, that much he was certain.
"Sounds like a hard situation." Autumn said, sympathetic. "I hope it works out for the best for you. Though it kind of sounds like it might be an either, thing. Sometimes people don't get over that sort of stuff, even if they should. Have you talked to him about it?"
“I tried,” Hayden said, cringing at the memory. “I don’t think he was ready. But I think I deserve more than one punch to the face, so I’ll keep trying.” Which made him sound like a masochist of some sort, but this was his twin brother; he’d do whatever necessary to win Hunter’s trust back.
"Ouch. A punch to the face?" Autumn blinked. "Woah, is that what the welt is there?" she asked, pointing. "He's here?"
“Yeah,” he said as he rubbed his jaw. It was a good hit, he’d give him that. “We’re all here. They were kind enough to put us on the elevator together.” Though kind wasn’t really the word he was looking for.
"Oh shiiiiiiit." Autumn said. "Wow, I do not envy that situation. And -- seriously? She's here too? Are they trying to do re-enactments of Jerry Springer?" She made a face. "Okay, well, this is none of my business really, but I recommend a pm to your brother. He can't punch you through a computer, and it would mean you'd get to have your say, uninterrupted if he reads it."
“Not the best situation, to say the least,” Hayden agreed. “She’s here, which I’m kinda thrilled with, and I’m glad to see him, but all three of us together? Not a fun time right now.” At least not until he explained things to Hunter, and even then he didn’t know how big a difference that would make. “I hadn’t even thought of that,” he said, grateful for the suggestion. “I’m not really used to having a messaging system back yet. And you’re right. At least he might read it.” At least he could try without facing physical wrath.
"I'd try to be sensitive to things. Like, don't wander around all lovey dovey or all over each other with the girl in question. That's just salt in the wound. Keep trying, unless you want to just pick the girl, then I'd just keep avoiding him, after a pm saying you guys should just try to get along, keeping your distance." Autumn said, offering up the suggestions as she saw it. Again, there wasn't any judgment in there. He was a big boy, and he could make his own decisions.
Hayden wasn’t going to stop seeing Cassandra just because his brother didn’t like it. If he’d been of that frame of mind, he would have stopped a long time ago, about the time that he found out they were sleeping with the same girl. But he also wasn’t looking to rub it in, which was why he’d not made a move on Cassandra until Hunter was elsewhere. “I wish I could just have my cake and eat it too, but I know that’s not an option,” he said with a half smile. “I think it would be best not to have us all in the same room together, but if we are, I don’t intend to be affectionate at all. And I think she knows that. If there’s any chance of getting my brother back and keeping her, then I’ve got to try.” And if he had to pick one or the other? Hayden would cross that bridge when he came to it.
"Well, I wish you the best." Autumn said. Though in her experience, things like that didn't usually end well. At least, not for years and years, where people had enough time to reorient their priorities. She was kind of wondering if she should talk to the lady in question, though. That might give her a better idea what was up. "And hey, if you need anyone to talk to who is the least judgy person around, you know where to find me." she tacked on with a wink.
“Thanks,” Hayden said, smiling back at her. He didn’t think it was going to be easy, in fact it might be impossible, but Hayden couldn’t give up on Hunter. He was his twin brother, for fuck’s sake. “We’ll see how things go. I might have to take you up on that.” It was different having people around to talk to, people who didn’t seem to think he was the most awful person in the world, or at least didn’t say so aloud. It gave him a sense of hope, and even if it was false hope, it was better than nothing.