swirling thoughts
Characters: Jae and Open Setting: The roof of the tool shed, afternoon
The wind wasn't warm. She'd used a ladder in the tool shed to climb up onto the roof, and she laid out there, staring up at the blue sky. It was bothering her that she couldn't see it. It was nowhere to be seen, the building too high for her to find it from her position. She'd have to get higher if she wanted to, and that would mean choppers and who the fuck knew what else.
Bad things.
Her mind was swirling around, touching on a lot of things she didn't especially want to be thinking of. But that's where her head was at. She could have gone to her room, but she felt too confined in there. She wasn't claustrophobic, but occasionally she didn't like to be indoors at all. She wanted to feel the elements around her. Now was one of those times.
Jeremy left Kasper's room, smiling at her more, telling her he'd see her again soon. Walking along the balcony he wasn't expecting to see anyone on the room of the tool shed, but there someone was there. Slowing for a moment he looked down over at her, curious what had her there.
He lingered for a moment more then worked his way downstairs, back towards the ladder she'd set up. "Trying to get a better view?" he called up, curious if she'd answer.
It was difficult to miss being addressed, even if she couldn't see whoever was talking to her. She didn't let her gaze stray from the blue above them. "That was the idea. Or, maybe I just wanted to be left alone, and this seemed like a good idea at the time." she added, though it wasn't confrontational. More conversational.
Jeremy shrugged, considered leaving but then her tone was pleasant enough and less at ‘go the hell away’ so he went with it, leaning against the wall. “Well, someone can see you from the balcony. It was how I spotted you,” he explained. “And I was curious. Though I suppose from down here you are rather secluded.”
"Well, considering you'd otherwise need to have superpowers, I figured as much." Jae told him, smirking faintly. "Seeing me isn't bugging me. Besides, I don't actually think there's many places here where you can actually be secluded. Maybe the spiritual room, but I'm not that spiritual. So I figured I'd look at the sky for a while. Seemed like a good idea at the time."
“It is a good day for the sky,” Jeremy asked, smirking to himself. “There a password to come up, if you were up for company.” He didn’t sound put out if she told him to get lost, he’d take that and go, but it might be easier to talk to her if he could see her.
"You can come up, if you really want." Jae said. She wasn't entirely positive she was up for company, but she wasn't doing much of anything else, either. And so far, this guy didn't deserve a 'fuck off'. So she figured that she would see how that went, and react accordingly afterwards.
Jeremy waited a breath then started up the ladder, managing easier than anyone else would have in the suit, and before long he was sitting with her, not too close, nor sprawled out on his back like she was. Looking around he nodded. “I can see the appeal.”
Jae glanced at Jeremy to clock who he was, though she didn't have much experience with him. She wasn't sure she'd even really crossed paths, not really. If she had it was brief at best. "Yeah." she said, looking back to the sky. "So, what's your story?" she asked, inviting him to talk.
“My story,” Jeremy echoed as he seemed to think. The story was there, but it came across better to hesitate for a moment. “I’m from New York City, lived there my whole life. Had a great job, helping people invest their money and turns out I got played. Insurance fraud with just me standing in the middle of a fifty-two card pick up game.”
"How does one nail you with insurance fraud?" Jae asked. "Or is there more to the story?" she asked. "Got to give me more than that, Suit."
Jeremy was guessing ‘Suit’ was just going to be a running nickname here. “Turns out the artwork I advised my clients to invest in and insure were forgeries. Turns out everyone I thought I was working with weren’t real people. Someone noticed inconsistencies in paperwork and lo and behold.” He waved a little, indicating that he was there.
Jae leveled a skeptical Look on him. "Uh huh." she said. "And you couldn't, say, tell people that you were duped just like everyone else, or anything? What, the cops in your town just criminally lazy, or have the IQ's of gutter rats?" she asked. “Besides, what exactly were they pinning on you, unless you got a kickback, or cut of the deal?”
“I did say, sat through a trial of me saying just that, but apparently all the roads pointed back to me no matter how hard I tried to convince people otherwise. To them, I was just lying.” That damn bitch had screwed him over royally. “And yes, there was payment in it for me, but more of my usual fees, they just didn’t look good under a microscope.”
"Yeah, well, no offense, but you sound a whole lot like you're lying now, too." Jae said. "The whole 'no really, I'm innocent!' act kinda gets old the first six hundred times you hear it. You running around here claiming it's kinda crass. But then again, so is wandering around in a fucking suit, like you're on wallstreet or whatever. Look around, dearie. You're a rat in a cage like the rest of us." she told him. "Throwing around the high ground isn't going to be an awesome bet for you."
“I had stopped talking about it, but everyone seems to keep asking, and I can only tell the story I have.” Because the others...well they were too much to give just anyone. “As for the suit...” He looked down at himself, having gone without the tie today for his own comfort. “I’m used to this. I have other clothes, I suppose I could wear those. Hate to seem like I’m pretending to be on higher ground, minus the obvious.” Jeremy waved towards the ground which was a good bit below them. “What about you? What’s your story?”
"I'd learn a different story, then. Yours sucks." Jae told him sighing. Her tone wasn't exactly biting, though, and her eyes were still up on the sky. "Just running a numbers game, the majority of people who commit crime are living in poverty of one description or another. Odds are, the majority of people here aren't exactly in a 'I wear a suit' tax bracket. So, you wandering around in one and playing the 'poor me I was framed' card? Not bright, bud."
“I’ll have to work on a better story,” Jeremy said with a nod. “And I didn’t pick the clothes, but if I get the chance I’ll ask for something that would help me blend better.” Not that he would be giving up the suit. He’d been wearing one long before he was in situations where he needed one. “You didn’t answer my question.”
"It would probably be a good plan." Jae told him honestly. The advice was sound. Sure, the guy looked good in a suit, but yeah. He was also going to stand out like a sore fucking thumb, and if he was going to be telling people that story? It was going to be salt in the wound for a lot of people. "Nope. I didn't." she agreed. "What's your name, Suit?"
“And you’re not going to,” Jeremy concluded. That much was obvious, and while it wasn’t fair, he didn’t point that out. No need to whine on top of rubbing salt in wounds. “Jeremy James, you?”
"You give up easy, don't you?" Jae commented. "Name's Jae." she told him. She glanced to him then looked back at that blank blue sky.
Jeremy shook his head, smirking slightly. “I wouldn’t call it giving up, I’d call it respecting your right to not answer. This is prison after all, not a cocktail party. I could push harder and you could push me off the shed. Or I could just ask again later and see if you’d be more willing to share.”
"Pushing you off the shed seems childish." Jae said. "Why would you get paranoid about that, but you didn't put together that everything else you're up to might rub people the wrong way?" she asked curiously.
“Why would you assume I was paranoid rather than making a joke of sorts?” Jeremy asked, looking over at her. “And so far, I haven’t met anyone who’s been rubbed the wrong way. Most people assume I’m guilty and full of it, holding on to a story I told in court. Which actually leads me to believe there’s more than one person here playing that game.”
"Most jokes are made with a tone indicating as such." Jae told him. I suppose you smirked a little." she shrugged. "And just by playing odds you'd be right about that." Jae said. "I'm pretty sure there's got to be a few people who are full of shit on what they did, the state of their innocence, or whatnot. So, you'd be right, there."
“Well it wasn’t really a funny joke. Missed the boat on that one.” He wondered if she was determined to shut everyone down, see the dark sides of people rather than what was on the surface. Always looking for more he supposed, though he couldn’t blame her. He played the same game, just in far less direct way. “And, playing odds as you said, there’s probably a few who’ve made up what crimes they’re in for all together.”
"Oh, absolutely." she agreed. "I figure there's people in who're lying about guilt, lying about crimes, and lying about who they are in general. Some of people's masks have slipped already, though I figure after a while everyone's will. The circumstances will dictate that."
“Anyone I should know about, as far as masks slipping?” Jeremy asked, inwardly smirking. Lies upon lies, if they only knew. But he was better at it than most.
"Well, one guy was already slapped in the stocks. And he claims he wasn't doing anything 'wrong', per se. But he was in there a shitload of time, so...yeah. Whatever it is he's claiming is outright bullshit, and when I was talking to him his responses weren't really spot on. I think he's a snake. And not doing that fab a job pretending to be otherwise." Jae said.
Jeremy nodded. “I was curious about that, the stocks and such. I got here about halfway through that day. Good to know though.” Snakes were always best avoided.
"Yeah...that whole thing is a whole lot of fucked up." Jae said, sighing. "And, could we talk about something else?" she asked, sort of cutting into her own tirade before it could get going. "I came up here to be alone and think, and this whole conversation is bringing me down." she admitted. "I'd kind of rather not wallow. So, come up with something more upbeat, or go find someone else to talk to, and leave me to my failed attempt at cloud-watching."
Jeremy watched her for a long moment then leaned back, tucking his arms behind his head, looking at the sky with her. He didn’t want to talk about it either, not when it seemed too real, too bizarre. This was all a little too bizarre to try and analyze again and again. “Are you a fan of art?”
"Depends on what kind." Jae answered. "Though I wouldn't be able to name many artists. Not ones that aren't like, ancient and dead and the standards everyone knows." she added. "Why? I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say you are."
“What matters is that it speaks to you. Yes there’s the traditional stuff, the things in museums, but I was informed today that someone thought that video game system was art, better than any Van Gogh or anything, so traditional isn’t important. Like I said it’s what speaks to you.” He turned his eyes towards her slightly, but just for a moment. “I am, or well I have an appreciation of beauty, but I asked more because of what you said about cloud watching. I was curious what you usually see in clouds.”
"Bunnies." Jae said. "Crocodiles. Other animals, shapes, buildings. Cool colors, patterns. Mostly I'm watching for them right now because the block of blue up there, all unmarred with clouds is bugging me." she added.
“It is shockingly cloudless,” Jeremy agreed. “Almost intimidating with how unmarred it is. I’m too used to something blocking the sky I guess.”
"I guess at the moment it's bugging because it feels like a ceiling right now. It doesn't look like sky to me. We can't see the sun, and I can't go looking for it. It's windy, but not cloudy. It's almost...I don't know. Suffocating. It's weird, and making me cranky." Jae said.
“It reminds us that we’re still in a box,” Jeremy added, nodding with her assessment. “It is suffocating. And I don’t blame you for being cranky. Makes me a little cranky when I think about it like that. But at least we can see it. That we can get this close to it.”
"Yeah. That." Jae said, holding up one finger to punctuate her agreement with his statement. "And yes, we can see it, but at least I could go out in the yard, where I used to be. I could see beyond a fence, there was a bigger patch of sky to look at." she said. "This, there's all walls. We don't have windows out, even bar-covered ones." Sighing, she shook her head. "Weird, the shit that gets to a person. Remind me never to sign up for submarine duty."
“You struck me as more of an airplane type rather than submarine,” Jeremy agreed, tiny bit of teasing in his tone if only to lighten things. “You aren’t the only one who that would get to. I’m sure it will get to other people here, myself included.”
It got a faint hint of a smirk on her lips. "I have gone up in more than one flying bucket of bolts." she told him. "Submarines are kind of creepy, if you ask me. I'm not sure anyone was really thinking it through when they decided to submerge vehicles. Shoving a bunch of people inside a pressurized environment...yep. Seems like a bad idea to me." She glanced over. “You going to lose your shit eventually because of no windows?”
“Have to admit, I’m not much of a fan of either, airplanes or submarines.” No he was better on the ground, things he trusted. Her description of a submarine though reminded him of this place which was a little alarming, enough for Jeremy to keep the thought to himself. “I might,” he said, smirking a little and looking at her. “Haven’t tested my will yet. I know I didn’t like being prison much. Almost left.”
"Oh? What, you work out an escape plan, did you?" Jae asked, turning her head to the side to watch him.
“I almost successfully completed an escape plan,” Jeremy clarified. “Got an extra two years for my efforts.” But he hadn’t given up just yet. He would have kept trying.
"You going to try and break out of here?" she asked. She also kept it to herself, but some innocent dude slapped with an insurance fraud charge or whatever the fuck line he was selling didn't really add in with 'genius enough to almost complete an escape plan'. This wasn't the bloody shawshank redemption.
He let his eyes leave the sky and focus on her instead, curious look peeking out from under the fedora. “The right answer is no I think,” he mused. “But we’ll see.”
"Wasn't asking for the 'right' answer." Jae said, looking back at the sky. "Hypothetically, have you already thought about it?" she asked.
“Yes. Though what happened yesterday morning might have been part of the catalyst.” He looked towards the roof, frowning a little. He’d never thought much of climbing, more likely to con his way out, but it was an option of sorts. “Have you?”
"No." Jae answered, shaking her head slightly. "I've been working out what I think of the environment in general." she added, giving a little. "How far has hypothetical consideration gone?" she asked.
“What do you think?” Jeremy asked, curious if she’d made a conclusion yet. “Not far. Ruling out going over the roof.”
"I would guess...far, in the sense that you've already ruled out more than just going over the roof." Jae said. "Not far in the sense of having a working plan or anything. But far enough that you've been grinding your wheels on it as you look around."
He considered her assessment then shrugged as best he could in the position he was in. “It’s crossed my mind. Even if only keep myself distracted from being in a box.”
Jae nodded, then shifted, rolling in place onto her stomach. She propped her head on her crossed arms. "Okay." she said. "Now. Want to re-submit your story for me?" she posed. "Skip the bullshit part you told me earlier. Go for a better lie, or shock me terribly and go for the truth."
Jeremy reached up and shifted the fedora, looking at her before draping it more over his eyes. “I went to jail for insurance fraud,” he said tucking his arms behind his head, smile on his lips. “That wasn’t a lie. Things fell apart and I was left holding the reins. I got screwed. But if you want a better story, I was more aware of things than I let on.”
"So tell me that part, then." she told him, glad he was at least letting some of the bullshit drop. Or just giving a better story, who knew. But she was more willing to listen, if he was giving her something better now.
“I had a better idea of what I was doing. I knew that some of the investments weren’t sound. but that wasn’t the idea. There was more the plan I was a part of, but apparently I wasn’t actually clued into the full plan.” He might be giving too much, but he was in prison. “I didn’t do everything they said I did at my trial, despite evidence to the contrary.”
Jae shook her head. “Nope, you’re losin me again.” she told him. “Now you’re back on the ‘whee, I so innocent!’ schtick. Boo.” she told him. “Get back to the more interesting bits. I’m highly unimpressed with your forays into lamery.”
That had him picking up the fedora to look at her, smile in his eyes. “I never said innocent. I just said I wasn’t the master forger they made me out to be, though I think, distantly, I did appreciate the compliment. That’s high praise.”
"Okay, so what are you guilty of even if you weren't nailed for it?" Jae asked, resting her cheek on her arm to keep her gaze on him. This was far more interesting. And so long as he kept dropping the act, she was good to continue giving him her time.
He shrugged one shoulder. “Swindling people out of their money, same as every other white collar criminal I was locked up with.” It was amusing, giving her some of the real story without actually telling her anything.
"You a con man?" Jae asked. Then she waited, just to be sure she got the right answer there. Or to see if he'd correct her, or something.
The term made him laugh and he set the fedora back down over his eyes. “I suppose that’s a good term. Thief got tossed around some too. I’m a lot of things.” Which was probably the truest thing he’d said in years.
"Like what else?" she asked, now actually interested on a much more real level. She propped her cheek on her hand, and her focus was a lot more clearly directed now. "Might as well give me some juicy details, you have my attention at this point."
He grinned again, eyes still mostly hidden. “Society playboy, New York’s most eligible bachelor, confidant, art expert, socialite, many things. Though I suppose those were the more positive. The prosecution tossed around words like ‘liar’, ‘cheat’, and ‘fraud’.” And that wasn’t even skimming the surface. He moved the fedora to see her better, smiling at the way she seemed caught up in what he was saying. “What about you? I have the feeling you’re more than one thing as well.”
"We aren't talking about me, not when you just threw all that out there." Jae said, shaking her head. "So, besides a staggering ego, what else have you really got going on?" she asked. "How much didn't you get nailed for?" she asked, assuming there was probably a lot.
“I will get back to that question. You aren’t all you look either I can tell that much from here,” Jeremy warned before turning his attention from her to the hat in his hand, studying the stitching. “Ego’s hardly what you think it might be. I never called myself any of those things, those are just what people saw me as. I’ve only ever been Jeremy.” Grinning a little he brought his gaze back to her. “Quite a bit.” Another completely honest statement. None of them had any idea. And none of them would.
"Oh bullshit." Jae said with an eyeroll. "Those were the first things you said. So, ego. Also, I'm pretty sure if you really were some large scale conman among other things, you have to be all about you. Otherwise people wouldn't trust you enough to do whatever you wanted." she added. "And that's it? Just 'quite a bit'?"
Jeremy considered it then shook his head. “Ego to the point of confidence. To being able to play a part. I imagine if I was any of those things I’d be a lot less level headed and have an ego that didn’t fit in the room.” He smirked some, and nodded. ‘You asked ‘how much’, I answered with a quantity.”
"Still think you're playing." Jae said. "What about the name?" she asked. "Anyone with even the intelligence to blow their nose knows you can't go running around conning people and going by your real name, mr. 'I've only ever been Jeremy'." she told him, smirking.
“Would you expect anything less?” Jeremy asked, not accusing, but curious how she’d react. “And no, that would be rather foolish wouldn’t it? Maybe I’m just terrible at this,” he said, meeting her smirk with one of his own.
"I wouldn't expect any less, doesn't mean I can't call bullshit when I smell it." she told him. When he smirked at her, she rolled her eyes. "Getting bored again," she informed him. And he said he didn't have an ego. She did have to wonder just how dumb people were, though. Though, she also guessed they probably nailed him on what they could, and went with it. Sometimes that was the only thing people could do, even if they did know there was other shit to step in along the way.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less of you if the past few minutes are any sort of indication,” Jeremy agreed. “Tell me how to make you un-bored, but know full well I’m not telling all my secrets. I did just meet you. And you’ve barely told me anything about yourself. Continuing to spill my guts would be beyond foolish, and you already said you didn’t believe that I’m a fool.”
"Keeping my attention requires truth, or other valuable information." Jae told him. "So, what are you going to do with that?" she posed, seeing what he might come up with. She would give him the chance to do something, after all.
“You drive a hard bargain,” he told her, face passive for a moment. “Though that doesn’t surprise me either.” She seemed to be like that, making demands and giving nothing back. “And to get more from me requires you giving something in return.” He figured a counter offer wasn’t a bad route to go. “When I figure we’re even, I’ll give something more.” He turned his attention back to the sky, considering settling in for a while. He could get used to this.
"The alternative, of course, being you tell me information or truth about other people." Jae told him, filling in the blank he'd missed. "I never said it had to pertain to you at all." she added. Which she hadn't. She liked getting people's takes on others. It helped.
He smiled more. “There’s a new one, newer than me. Aaron. He’s not what he seems,” Jeremy said, giving her some information, but also because he had found it curious. “He doesn’t talk like a con.” And neither did Jeremy, which was part of what had tipped him off.
"Haven't met him yet." Jae said. "So, give me a rundown. What did you notice about him, and why doesn't he talk like a con?" she asked.
Jeremy looked over at her again. “You do know that I’ve picked up on the fact that you’ve given me nothing? Still,” he said, not accusing, but making her aware that he was following along with her before he started talking about Aaron. “He looks the part. Tattoos and that sort of expression like he’d kick your ass for breathing, but when I mentioned that Caroline fell from the roof after he’d seen the bar he made a comment about if anyone had checked her blood alcohol. That term. Most would say something along the lines of ‘wonder if she was drunk’.”
"I'm aware." Jae said, nodding. "Who knows, maybe you'll earn something, but either way, you've got my attention again. You're doing alright." she said, listening to the rest of what he said. She frowned slightly when she also found the detail jarring. "Yeah, that's definitely odd." she agreed. "Anything else tip his hand?"
“He asks more questions than you do,” he said. “And in a more direct manner.” Which had also been interesting, but Jeremy had gone along with it.
Jae actually looked surprised. "...seriously?" she asked. "...cuz I ask a lot of questions. I'm a regular interrogator." she said. "Jesus. Okay, so he's mr. questions. What kinds of shit was he asking you?"
“Similar to you, though you’ve been trying to get answers about me for a while and he didn’t ask those, but standard interrogation questions about the facility, my opinions on a few things, and so forth. Didn’t give much and just kept asking. Like he didn’t know how to turn it off.” Jeremy had found that part the most interesting part, that Aaron seemed more hardwired to ask than he did seem intent on interrogating. “You might like him but I doubt either of you will wind up saying anything.”
Frowning, Jae considered that. "...okay, what exactly gave you that impression, like he couldn't turn it off?" she asked. "Are we talking like...he couldn't focus on other topics?" she asked, clearly fully invested in this line of the conversation.
“Because even when there wasn’t a need for a question he found one. As if that was the only way he was used to assessing a situation. I’ve found you can learn just as much from engaging in conversation and the person you’re talking to doesn’t feel as put on the spot, but not so much with this guy.” He was amused that he had her attention, but it was more than that. “What are you thinking?”
"Not sure yet." Jae said. "I'd have to talk to him, but there's only a few types of people who go in for that sort of thing. Got any other assessments? Anything else that didn't fit, or anything else that really stood out?" she asked.
Jeremy thought about it then shook his head. “That was most of it. Oh and he’s a swimmer. Again, not a con thing. Though I could be wrong, but the prison tattoo types aren’t usually the pool regulars correct?”
Jae shrugged. "I wouldn't know, honestly. I'm not sure that it's exactly comparable, men's and women's prisons." she said. "Pretty sure the social structures differ." Probably not entirely, but she guessed they were different ballgames.
“Hmm,” Jeremy mused then shrugged. “I was in a white collar prison. I wouldn’t know.” It was almost ridiculous how different his stint in prison had been than what he guessed most of his new neighbors had been through.
She nodded, figuring then he had a different view as well. "Anyone else that interesting?" she asked, focusing her attention on him again. "Anyone else raise weird red flags?"
Jeremy considered who he’d met so far, whether anyone was worth a flag or not. Kasper was an easy answer, but he had to wonder about her too much call her out directly. There was more to that story. “Not really no. You?”
"A few here or there, but nothing like that guy." she said, referencing Aaron. "Mostly just people talking about what they did, and some of them being just a little too flippant about things like 'negligent homicide' especially when it pertained to friends."
That got Jeremy’s attention looking over at her. “That’s...responsible by not doing something to prevent death yes?” he asked, wanting to be sure on the charge. For all his knowledge on things, he wasn’t as up to speed on violent crimes. “Flippant huh? That’s a special level of crazy I’d think.”
"Yeah. It means someone died, and you either put them in a position that it happened, or did nothing to prevent it." Jae confirmed. "And yeppers, that's what I thought. That it was kinda a level of crazy that I didn't like. Psychopathic."
“Sounds like the kind of person to avoid. You get details on just what it was that was done, or I suppose in some cases, not done?” Jeremy asked, making a small face of concern. This was where he was desperately out of his element. He’d never committed a violent crime and didn’t intend to start.
"Reece told me that it was armed robbery with some friends. But apparently he didn't even remember why he'd done it in the first place. Made it sound like five years was a long time or something. I don't know. It just rubbed me entirely the wrong way, and I'm not spending any time alone with him, I can tell you that much." Jae told him.
Jeremy made a note of the name and nodded. “I think it would rub most the wrong way. Either he’s nuts, or he’s leaving out important parts of the story. Both of which makes someone wonder.” And in the wrong way, about the wrong sort of things.
"Pretty much." Jae confirmed, nodding. "I think he's basically the only real person so far that's made me go '...wide berth!', though. Other people might be a bit odd, and some people are hard to clock, but yeah. Beyond Reece and Ryan, I think most people are fine, more or less."
“That’s reassuring,” Jeremy said, taking the two names to heart. The last thing he needed was to mess with someone dangerous. He wasn’t cut out for that in the slightest.
"Isn't it just." Jae said with a sigh. Then she sat up and stretched. "And I'm sure there are a bunch of others here full of psycho. So, it ought to be highly entertaining." she said sarcastically.
Jeremy nodded. “Seems like the best plan would be to stay out of the fray and hope to be left standing,” he said, distantly amused at how morbid it sounded, but then again he’d played that game before. This wouldn’t be the first time.
"Naw, where's the fun in that?" Jae asked, smirking. "I'm an 'into the fray' kind of girl." she told him, which was basically just so he didn't know nothing about her at all. "But, I'm heading out. Thanks for the info, Jeremy. It's been enlightening."
“Then maybe I’ll do the watching.” He smirked back at her, but Jeremy had a feeling that she might be an ‘into the fray’ kind of girl with the confidence she had, the questions she asked. He also had a feeling he’d back her bet if given the chance. “Hopefully I see you again soon,” he said, settling in for a little longer, fixing the fedora on his head to cover his eyes again.