A Messed Up Day Who: Noah and Kiley Where: Kiley's room When: mid-afternoon
Today was definitely a messed up kind of day, and Noah wasn’t sure how to handle it. He’d been keeping a discreet eye on the proceedings on the lawn earlier, wanting to be there if there happened to be anything he could do but not wanting to interfere if not. He’d grasped that they were dealing with a special kind of cruelty when the requests people had made were revealed to all; it had taken that for him to fully realize that his worst fears about the place were going to be realized. He’d hoped that he was being paranoid and it might not be as bad as it seemed, but it was.
That knowledge left him restless and unable to settle down after it was all over and people had dispersed to do whatever it was they could do here. Nothing appealed to him at the moment. He’d tried eating and had abandoned the attempt after a few bites, then he’d gone to the study to read. His mind kept wandering and his eyes drifting from the page to the nearest window, the carpet, the edge of the couch on which he was sitting. So yeah, reading hadn’t worked either. Finally he’d gotten up and stuffed the book beneath one arm and headed up the stairs with the vague idea of going to his room with it. Once on the second floor he’d hesitated, suddenly thinking of Kiley. She hadn’t been punished, but he should probably check on her since they hadn’t spoken in a couple of days.
Noah headed up to three and paused in front of her door, noting that it looked different from the other doors on the floor. He’d known she was supposed to destroy the original door, but here was another one. Mildly puzzled, he knocked to see if she was around.
Kiley was in her bedroom, staring out her window to the front lawn. No one was left outside, and it seemed fairly peaceful now compared to what it had been like earlier. Kiley had been pleasantly surprised to find a new door when she had returned to her room. Chase had made quick work of it, and she hoped he found his new lock and key comforting, if nothing else. She had plans to send him a quick thank you through the network, though Kiley supposed she could have wandered down to his room to tell him herself. But... he seemed like the kind of guy who liked his alone time too, and Kiley didn't want to find herself crowding him.
The knock at the door drew her away from the window, where she had started staring into the sky, searching the horizon for some other kind of aircraft. Surely a plane would fly by eventually, right?
Kiley got to the door and opened it, grinning when she found Noah on the other side of it. "I survived the Lawn of Doom 2015."
Noah smiled, amused by her words and pleased to see that she seemed to be fine. Not that he’d expected anything different, given that she hadn’t been punished but rewarded. “Where’s the official Lawn of Doom t-shirt?” he joked. “I thought they would’ve given those out already.” He adjusted the book beneath his arm and added, “Thought I’d see how you were doing. I was keepin’ an eye on what was happening earlier, but I didn’t want to be in anyone’s way.” He’d felt almost guilty that he hadn’t had to be out there, but then he hadn’t asked for anything. He wasn’t sure he’d ever trust whomever was in charge here enough to do that, honestly.
"Ooh, t-shirts," Kiley mused. "There's a profitable idea. We all deserve one, anyway." She stepped back and opened the door widely for Noah to come inside if he wanted to. Her room wasn't as comfortable as Chase's in terms of seating, but she had an armchair at least. "Thanks for coming by, but I'm fine. I just got my stuff and got out of there. People were starting to freak out. It was kind of uncomfortable to stick around, you know? What are you reading?" Kiley asked as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed, still watching Noah.
Noah wandered in, leaving the door open. “Yeah, it didn’t seem good to keep watching, unless there was something you could do,” he agreed. He thought it was rather sadistic to do the rewards and punishments right out in the open where everyone could see, but then what should they have expected of anyone who’d abduct an entire household of people. He sat down in her chair, almost looking surprised when she asked what he was reading. Noah pulled the book from beneath his arm. “House of Leaves,” he said, showing her the cover. “Perfect book for this setting. What’s real or isn’t real doesn’t matter here. The consequences are the same.” This was probably his fifth or sixth reread of the book.
She had never heard of the book, which wasn't surprising. Kiley wondered if Chase had ever read it. Maybe. If not, maybe he would. What else could they do there? And he seemed to enjoy books. She eyed the cover of the book, contemplating what Noah had said about it. It did sound eerily relatable. "That's creepy," Kiley said after a moment. "But yeah, it seems to fit, huh? Occasionally I wake up in the middle of the night, when they don't drug us, and I wonder if maybe this is all in my head. Like I'm hallucinating. Maybe I've gone crazy and my uncle had me committed and you're all just weird figments of my imagination." Pausing, Kiley lifted her gaze to Noah and then grinned. "Does that sound crazy?"
Noah read a lot. He wasn’t sure if his love for it was why he’d become an English teacher for a while, but either way, it was something that soothed him, diverted him, let him fall into a world in a different reality. He had the feeling that even people who didn’t like to read might take it up if they had to stay here much longer. “Nah, it doesn’t sound crazy,” he said, setting the book down to rest on one thigh. “Personally I don’t think it’s in my head, but I can see how you might feel that way sometimes.” He wondered if his family even knew he was missing. Would his partner in the tattoo shop think to contact them? That was a strange feeling.
“I feel like it’s beating a dead horse to talk about how weird this whole thing is,” Kiley said as she leaned back on the bed comfortably. “It hasn’t been too bad, but that’s probably because I haven’t done anything bad enough to get punished yet. The people are okay. I feel like they talk more over the computers than face to face, which is super weird because we’re all, like, in the same house at the same time. It’s almost like texting someone when you’re in the same room with them.” She paused and eyed Noah curiously. “Do you like anyone here? I mean, have you met anyone you get along with?”
Noah would have to agree on that one. It hadn’t taken any of them long after arriving here to realize that the weirdness meter was off the scale. Not a damn thing they could do about it, either. “I haven’t really had a problem with anyone,” he said to her question. “I get along with you, at least.” He winked at her. “Takes all kinds, right?” Even if he found he didn’t jibe that well with this person or that, he was willing to live and let live as much as he could. Getting out of his twenties had helped a lot as far as him having less inner vitriol to spread around, it seemed.
Kiley grinned. "Yeah. Even if we were all chosen at random, seems like they picked a pretty diverse group of people. But, anyway..." There were some people who got on her nerves, simply by reading their network posts. Other people were okay. She did like a select few quite a bit, Noah included. "Okay, so tell me something about yourself I don't know yet. We've been here for like... longer than a week, right?" She might as well get to know more people. She knew more about Noah than most of the others, but surely there was more to him than tattoos and great lips.
So many different kinds of people, from all over. Noah knew there was at least one person from England. Hell, for all they knew, they could be in England now. No way to be sure simply from their surroundings. He wasn’t keen on worrying over all that right now, though. A few minutes just to relax and talk seemed like just what he wanted. He adjusted his position, slouching in the chair and draping one leg over the armrest. “I’ll tell you something, you tell me something,” he agreed. “Here’s one: when I was twenty-six, I married an eighteen year old.” That was usually a surprise to most people.
She was definitely okay with just chatting a bit, rather than trying to speculate on their inevitable doom. Anything to take her mind off of tomorrow. And the next day... Noah's revelation prompted a smile from Kiley, her brows lifting in mild surprise. "I would call you a cradle robber, but that's only an eight year difference, which I don't think is too bad. At least she was legal, right? What happened?" Because Kiley didn't see a wedding ring on Noah's finger, nor had he mentioned having a wife, either before or after the two of them had made out.
“She was legal,” Noah said ruefully. “Just barely. And she was like an old-style beauty queen.” His smile turned wistful as he thought of Jenna, who’d shone like the sun, all blonde hair and spun-sugar smiles. She’d been a smart girl, incredible personality… but it hadn’t worked. “If we’d both been eight years older, the age difference wouldn’t have mattered, I don’t think.” Now he thought he must have been crazy to marry a girl that young, legal or not. “Almost a year into the marriage, we split up. Probably for the best.” It wasn’t even something he could explain beyond it didn’t work. “Now you.” He pointed a finger at her, snapped his thumb down like he was shooting a gun.
"Yeah, I guess I could see that. Sometimes it clicks, and sometimes it doesn't." Kiley tried to imagine herself married at eighteen. It was kind of unfathomable to think of. She couldn't even imagine herself married at forty. But marrying young seemed like such a bad idea. Who wanted to be tied down when they had their whole lives ahead of them? She loved the beginning of relationships, when things were new and passionate. But then that faded - it always did - and what was left? Kiley tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, wondering what she could tell Noah about herself. "Ummm... I can speak some Italian. Not like, fluently, but enough to get by, if I had to. Sadly, I don't have any marriages under my belt. You go again."
The majority of people shouldn’t get married at eighteen. Noah wasn’t sure he’d been ready at twenty-six, but that was beside the point now. He smiled at her at her revelation. “Really, that’s all I get? You speak some Italian?” He was mostly teasing her, although he did take note of the fact that she’d told him something very non-personal. Of course, the deal hadn’t been something personal but rather something about yourself I don’t know. That covered a lot of territory. “Hmm, let’s see.” He tipped his head back against the chair and thought for a few seconds. “I grew up with a shooting range on my family’s land. I could probably shoot a bird out of a tree, if I went in for that kind of thing.” He didn’t, because it seemed unsportsmanlike to him.
"That's probably a good skill to have," Kiley said. Knowing how to use a gun properly in this kind of world. Probably dangerous too, but Noah didn't seem like he was mentally unbalanced. She knew she ought to give him something personal, but her personal stuff seemed like it was designed to make any conversation awkward. She had only told Chase about her parents because he could relate to it. Not many people could, and it showed in their I'm uncomfortable body language whenever she discussed it. So she usually didn't. "I can pick locks," Kiley admitted after a moment of thought. "And if you still had your wallet, I would have probably swiped it off of you by now without you ever knowing."
“It’s never let me down yet,” Noah said of being able to shoot. Not that he’d had to use it for that much, but given where he’d lived in New York, he’d been glad both to have the ability and to own a gun. Like most people, he was glad to know how to defend himself if he needed to. His eyebrows arched slightly at her next revelation. “You can pick locks and pockets? That’s some talent right there.” He almost wanted to ask how she’d come about those skills, but that might not be a question she’d want to answer. “If we get too bored around here, I can put something in my pocket and see if you can steal it without me noticing.”
"I was bored as a kid, and I was raised more or less in my uncle's bar, so I had plenty of time to practice my craft," Kiley explained, a humorous glint in her eyes. "But yeah, totally. Although now that you know what I can do, you'll be probably more aware of me when we're around each other. It's a lot easier to swipe stuff when people are oblivious. But we'll try it anyway, if only to get my hand in your pocket," she added with a laugh. "Tell me something else, though. Do you think you'll ever get married again?"
“Guess you’d have to sneak up on me,” Noah drawled. “Fun and games, right?” There were so many inappropriate things he could say to her comment about getting her hand in his pocket, but he decided to behave and just smirked at her instead. Like that’d be a hardship. His foot swung lightly as he thought about her question. “I dunno. It’s not outside the realm of possibility, but I don’t think I’d be in any hurry.” His parents had a good marriage, so he knew what that looked like… but in his younger years their companionship had seemed a bit boring to him. He knew people changed as they got older, and he figured he’d want to settle down at some point. “Would you ever get married?” he asked curiously.
Kiley laughed. "I don't know. Sneaking up on anyone in this place, under these circumstances, seems like a really bad idea." It sounded like it was just asking to be punched in the face. That didn't mean Kiley wouldn't try and sneak something off of Noah at some point. It would be something to do, at least. His question prompted a soft snort and Kiley shook her head. "No way. I mean, I'm sure marriage works for some people, but I don't think I'm the marrying type. Or if I am, I'd be like, one of those people who get married eight times, you know? I just think it's too much pressure on people... and after awhile, it's just... tedious. And boring."
“You have a point,” Noah deadpanned. He could think of a couple of people in particular that he’d expect to react badly to that just based on things he’d seen on the network. “I won’t hit you if you sneak up on me, though.” He nodded along as she spoke, understanding what she meant about marriage completely. “It is a lot of pressure, in a way,” he said. “With us, it was kinda like something new and fun to do… I don’t think either one of us took it seriously. And I wouldn’t do it over and over, I don’t think. You don’t have to be married.” Long ago people had had to do it in order to be respectable, but in the modern world it wasn’t like that in most parts of the U.S.anymore.
His reasons behind getting married sounded similar to why Kiley would do it. Not that she had any immediate plans, but it felt like one of those things. For her, it would be a spontaneous thing. One she would probably regret, but that regret would be forgotten if she found someone else willing to be that impulsive with her. It would be a vicious cycle, so she was trying to avoid it. Kiley wasn't big on relationships anyway, so she wasn't worried. "Yeah, I know. But if I got married, it would be for the reasons you said. Something fun and new. Then it would end once it wasn't fun anymore." Kiley shrugged. Then she smiled. "I would totally do it over and over if I could get presents every time, but I don't think it works that way. Did you have a wedding?"
It had probably been four or five months in when Noah had realized they’d made a mistake getting married. Neither of them had been mature enough, honestly. “The new wears off pretty quick once reality starts setting in,” he said dryly. “But hey, it’s all right. Live and learn.” He’d like to think he was bright enough not to make that kind of mistake again. When she asked if he’d had a wedding, he said, “Nah, not really. We got married at the courthouse, had a few friends come with us with flowers and bottles of champagne and stuff. It was nice for what it was.” He smirked, his dimples showing. “Sounds like neither one of us is a good candidate for marriage.”
"Probably not," Kiley agreed. And that was okay. It wasn't like Kiley's parents had been happy, or had a healthy marriage, and Kiley never wanted to be the wife and mother who went to work one day and decided not to come back. Maybe she knew deep down she would be. So best not to ever put herself in the position to find out. Kiley was quiet for a moment before sighing and pushing herself back up. "Do you want to hang out for awhile? Like, watch a movie or something? I know you've got your book you want to read, but if I get too bored, I'll end up drawing on the walls or something stupid."
“Watchin’ a movie sounds great,” Noah said. “I can read the book anytime… wouldn’t wanna spoil the movie lighting.” He’d have to admit that he liked having an in-house theater. They were here against their will, true, but there was the occasional consolation prize, like that one. He swung his leg from the arm of the chair back to the floor and got up, tucking the book beneath one arm and approaching the bed. “Shall we?” he asked, holding out a hand.
It was probably sad that Kiley found herself getting used to this place. She had essentially been kidnapped and was being watched twenty four seven by creepers, but having people in the house that she liked certainly helped. And yes, the in home theater, and the pool, and the nice room. It could have been worse. They could have been in sheds, or dingy basements or something. At least the Powers that Be were making their stay comfortable before they did whatever they planned to do to them. That's what Kiley told herself whenever she started to panic, anyway. "We shall." With a smile, Kiley took Noah's hand and let him help her off her bed. Time for some mind numbing distraction.