got you clocked
Characters: Jae and Ryan Setting: the courtyard
Ryan was bored.
Of all the worries he’d had about this whole stock thing, that hadn’t actually made the list at the time. Next time it definitely would, not that he planned on being in these things a second time. His back and shoulders ached. And he was bored.
Caroline was already gone, and the brief entertainment of the fight was gone as well, though he couldn’t say he liked that Wren had gotten hurt. For one, he was trying to get in her good graces, and two, she had kept an eye on him, which he was prepared to reward in some manner. He didn’t want anyone else damaging her.
He sighed and rested his forehead on the edge of the stocks, rotating his shoulders wearily. This day was lasting fucking forever, and he was, despite everything, starting to need to take a piss. The afternoon was never going to end.
Jae had spotted the fight but it had already been being taken care of by the time she arrived, so she'd hung back, letting the others take care of it. And, since little miss got her ass kicked, no one was watching the guy left in the stocks. Walking over, she was singing to herself, not especially fussed with greeting him, so much. In fact, she planted her ass right down on top of the stocks he happened to be occupying. "I don't practice Santeria, I ain't got no crystal ball, well I had a million dollars but I, I'd spend it all. If I could find that heina and that sancho that she's found, well I'd pop a cap in sancho and I'd slap her do--oo-ooo-ooo-ooowwwnnn...."
Ryan felt lucky to have removed his head when he did. He'd heard her coming, singing, and raised his head to look and see who it was. He glared at her, faintly annoyed, since her weight put a bit of pressure on the stocks that he didn't like. "Hello there," he said with dry neutrality, bucking his hands and feet slightly to nudge her, hoping to get her to move without having to yank himself around.
"Hey!" Jae said brightly, smiling at him with just that light hint that she was completely aware of his annoyance--and was utterly ignoring it. "How's it hangin, convict?" she asked. She drummed her fingernails against the wood, and hummed the next bar of the song, watching him as she awaited his answer.
Great, an annoying smart ass, he thought. His current situation wasn't exactly set to have him in the most amenable attitude, anyway. "It's hanging, convict," he said with the same level of sweetness she'd delivered her words with and a sharp, overly cheerful grin in return. He wasn't even trying to make it genuine, which he could have pulled off if he'd wanted. "How about you?" He considered again yanking the stocks out from under her little ass.
"Peachy." She answered. "So," she said in a mock-cheerful tone. "What exactly did you do?" she asked. "They aren't telling us, so that's a bunch of shit. And Crazy over there wanted to throw shit at you. Not that that said much, because she is crazy, but still. They must be pretty mad at you to sign you up for this shit."
"Maybe if you read the journal, you'd know what I did," he replied. He surreptitiously flexed his fingers, wondering if he could manage to grab an ankle or something if she became too bothersome. Self defense wasn't penalized, after all. "Crazy would throw something at just about anyone, I suspect," he said. "And I rather think they're just enjoying fucking with all of us. Maybe tomorrow it'll be you in here," he told her, giving her another overly sweet, sharp smile.
"I read the journals. I'm asking you." Jae said. "Right here, right now, in person, where I can see your eyes. That's all." she laid out for him. "And I don't necessarily plan on doing anything that would land me in here, but you never know. Could always bust out some interesting activity, if the situation called for it."
"It's really none of your business," he said, tilting his head up toward hers a little more, not liking that she had managed to get a little above him by sitting on his stocks. "I went into a couple of rooms that were unlocked, and I snooped when I shouldn't have," he told her, and that was an honest enough admission. "Reminded me of home, couldn't seem to help myself." He shrugged, not caring that it jostled the stocks. "I've already made my apologies to the parties involved." He eyed her. "Somehow I can see you doing that, yes."
Jae smiled at him when he told her it was none of her business, a little grin that was actually genuine. And she listened to him with the rest of it. Though when he explained, she laughed. It was a short burst, then she stared, then she absolutely burst out laughing at him. Doubling over a moment, she cracked up, standing up as she held her stomach with mirth. When she finally got hold of herself, she looked down at him again. "Oh my god, you're seriously going with that?" she asked, clearly finding that hilarious.
She was a mischievous imp, he suspected from her grin, and it wasn't exactly a compliment, since he didn't like not being able to tell what a person would do. Especially when he was in his current situation. He rolled his eyes at her as she laughed, not offended or angered. He shrugged. "I did, yes, and since we're supposed to be a community, I thought it was the right thing to do." Good little reformed boy who was going to behave.
At least, so long as another girl didn't pass out and beg to be taken, he thought.
"The right thing to do. Right. Because that's actually the real story." Jae said, still laughing a little and she rolled her eyes. "Oh honey. Maybe there are some brainless little twits in this place who would buy that? But I definitely don't. It doesn't even make any sense! You, sir, have gotten your ass planted here for what I consider a ridiculously long time in these stupid things." she said, giving the stocks a little kick. "So your ass did something more than a little harmless breaking and entering. Or, actually, scratch 'breaking', even, since you're claiming it was simple trespassing. Just how dumb do you figure everyone is?" she asked. "Might want to work on the logic factor there, convict. Cuz right now the bullshit is piled high and goes deep."
"Hmm, cynical little thing, aren't you?" he commented dryly, the look in his eyes hardening a little. Like he was actually going to tell her what else he'd done. He didn't even consider the laundry room as something he'd done wrong. She'd practically begged to be taken advantage of. And he'd already cleaned and ditched Becka's underwear in the laundry room, and the stone from Wren's room was hidden where no one would think to look for it, so he wasn't about to admit to anything. "Like anything about this place makes sense? They even punish a man who lashed out from PTSD, or so everyone says. Like that makes sense," he mocked right back at her. Personally, people were that dumb. He didn't really think most people had any brains at all, let alone used them. "Well, you might as well dive into the supposed bullshit, because that's the truth, honey," he drawled. And wouldn't she look lovely with her teeth kicked in, he thought, and smiled at her.
"I'm not cynical. I'm just not stupid." Jae told him, smirking. "And they made him mow the lawn. That's the punishment equivellent of being grounded." she told him. "Which actually only adds to my argument. The dude snapped and had some chick against a wall as far as I understand, and he fessed up like a good boy, and he had to mow the law. So, that seems pretty light to me. So, if they have you sitting here, just for wandering into someone's room? Doesn't add up. Makes me think you're selling a lot of shit, and expecting people to buy it. I don't." she said, just so he'd know where she stood, even if she'd already said as much. "You're a liar. A really, really dumb one. Probably good for people who don't see you coming, but I've got you clocked." she told him, with a wink.
Ryan shrugged, wishing he could take her down a peg, though the thought didn't show itself on his face. "Mmmm. Believe what you wish, darlin', but I don't expect this place to make sense. I wouldn't have punished the guy at all, personally, and that they did doesn't make any sense to me." Not that he gave a fuck about Brady, but it was a good enough argument to him. "You shouldn't be punished if you couldn't help it, literally." She could think whatever the fuck she wanted, though. "Well, good for you, then, but I'll tell you right now, you're wrong." Especially if she thought he was dumb. But then, let her underestimate him. Maybe he'd find something he could do to her. He'd love to show her just how little he cared for her little feelings, and just what he could do to her, but he wouldn't. Not just because of the stocks, either.
Jae laughed again. "'Darlin'." she said. "Bet that gets a lot of the ladies, huh?" She just bet it did. She imagined he got a little drawl going, called people 'darlin', and gave a little soulful eye action going and he was set. Hell, he probably actually already had a few swooners in this place. Though, if he did, they sure hadn't jumped up to help him. "And I'm not. Wrong, that is. I know I'm not. My question is really just how far under the surface is the boogeyman?" she asked, leaning over him slightly. "And what kind are you." She stood straight again, shrugging one shoulder. "Don't worry, I don't actually expect you to answer." she said. "Though I have to admit," she added with a put on regretful sigh. "This game would be one hell of a lot more fun if you dropped the 'mercy me, ma'am' act."
"Well, darlin' is a lot better than crazy woman," bitch, "since my mama taught me manners, which yours obviously didn't bother to do," he told her. No, he definitely didn't like her, but he wasn't going to lose his temper while in such a lock down, and especially not since it would blow his story, as she called it, out of the water. He watched her from under his lashes, eyes flitting up not quite tauntingly to hers as she leaned over his, his feelings carefully hidden. She didn't intimidate him in the least. Indeed, he could stomp her like a fly, if he were free, he thought. "Well, too bad, so sad," he said and pouted his lips out at her mockingly, rubbing the fingers of one hand together. "Let's play the world's smallest violin for you, since you'll have to keep mourning. It's not an act, and sweetheart, this ain't no game."
"My family focused on other things." Jae said unapologetically. "And c'mon. I'm not crazy. Wacky bitch that was going to throw things at you guys, that's crazy. I'm just a little tactless sometimes, and don't smile and nod when being fed bullshit." She said, and she had to laugh again. "You know, for someone who's trying to play the 'poor innocent me' card, you're not hitting the right notes." she told him. She sat on the empty stocks, looking at him and she counted things off on her fingers. "You should be indignant, for one. Hurt, that I would dare think anything so terrible of you, especially since I haven't met you since right now." she told him. "And the whole 'world's tiniest violin' thing is, other than being so old and over that it's sharing grave space with Elvis, just showing that you have just that little bit of a mean spirit in there. So, you're hitting the wrong notes, if you want me to buy the nice guy thing. When people are being honest? Most of the time their reaction to being disbelieved is to be hurt about it. But I just piss you off, I think. Though, props for keeping it under wraps for the most part." she complimented. Then she stretched her arms, glancing around.
"No, I don't think anyone is quite as crazy cakes as she is," he agreed blandly. Kasper had seemed completely off her rocker, which made him wonder why she wasn't in a mental hospital instead of this prison. "Oh, no mistaking, I am angry and indignant, but I see no need to have hurt feelings from someone I don't know or want to know, especially someone as rude as you," he said, shrugging. "What can I say, you bring out the worst in me. Being mocked makes me want to mock in return, no use crying over how you don't believe me." If he'd been free to, he'd have stretched out to show just how much he didn't care. "Just because I don't react according to your standards doesn't mean it's not genuine, but lady, your abrasive ways would have a saint pissed off."
"Missed the bit where I acknowledged that you're angry, huh." Jae said. "And frankly, I think I've got a right to be abrasive. You're the one sitting here for a billion hours and not owning up for what it is you even did. That's some bullshit, right there." she said with a shrug, glancing around. "I mean, if you really want, I could leave, and not be here, making sure no one else gets any bright ideas about throwing shit at you, or who knows what the hell else." she said, actually in a round about way telling him she was there protecting him. She just didn't have to like him or believe him to do it. It was a principals thing.
"No, I caught that, but I don't mind a little reiteration where you're concerned," he said. Because yes, he definitely was a bit pissed at this point, though like she complimented him on, it remained mostly under the surface, though he didn't keep it from tightening the corners of his eyes and mouth anymore. No use and no point. He just gave her a stony look that said he'd already made his confessions, and from there he wasn't admitting anything more. "Just because you say so doesn't make it true, either," he told her with a smile. He shrugged. He couldn't say he liked the idea of her protecting him, but he supposed it was better than nothing, unless she decided to torment him herself or changed her mind and allowed it. "You can stay or leave," Ryan told her. "That's up to you, not me."
Jae shook her head, half smirk on her features. "I think you're seriously overestimating people's intelligence. Which, actually, normally I would totally back up the 'people are morons' argument. But in this case? You're expecting people to be even duller than they usually are." she said with a shrug. "Also, you might as well stop with the whole 'I'm sticking to my story' thing. I get it. You're not going to sell yourself out just yet. Fine by me. I still got you clocked." she told him nonchalantly. "I could leave. But it'd go against my principles." she said. "And, I'm a woman of principals. So, I'll stick around. Just in case. Or at least, until someone else comes along to watch over your lyin ass."
He would say they would have to agree to disagree, but he wasn't even going to give her that much. "Think what you want to think," he said with a shrug, shifting to a faintly more comfortable position. "Principals. Gotcha. Good to know," he drawled.
Jae sat down to lean her back against the other set of stocks, relaxing. "Principals." she said with a nod. "Let me know if you need anything." she added. She still would follow through on that, even if she did think he was a liar. That didn't mean he wouldn't have to take a piss or eat something eventually. And she wasn't going to deny things.