Enjeux

[Kachi]

@Skychild


That day, no one benefited from the things that had taken place.


There had been a murder. One among police, no less. Those of the force who had taken night shifts and were loitering around the station heard it first. A set of gunshots, two shots to be specific. It startled everyone. Murders in the police station were practically unheard of. Who would do something that could be so easily found out? But whoever had committed the crime did so surprisingly well. When the officers arrived on scene, which they did quickly, not a soul was there. The only person present was the man on the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood, a bullet hole in his leg and in his head, the latter seemingly from point blank range. The culprit was no where to be found, but the gun certainly was, deposited at the poor victim's feet.


That gun happened to belong to one of the newbies of the force, and they had no reason to assume the novice in question hadn't perpetrated the crime. Thus, it wouldn't be long yet until she was brought in.


Meanwhile, oblivious to all of this, Aedus sat alone in a cell, thinking about something with an intent look on his face, blue eyes directed towards the ceiling. Everyone was in quite a fuss, he could hear the commotion. He wondered if something had happened, and if so, what? The young male brushed back some of his dark hair and folded his arms, tipping his head back as he leaned against the cell wall, figuring that if something really had happened he'd be able to pick up on it during lunch, when he was allowed the time to interact with the other fools stuck in these stupid rooms.

 

[SkyChild]

"How Ironic..." Robin thought to herself as she was brought to her cell, wearing the typical prison clothing and handcuffs.


Yeah, she has heard of this jail before. A place where females AND males get locked up. If you're unlucky, you'll end up in the same cell with a guy. Just who the hell thought this was a good idea? Satan?


One of the prison guards opened cell door number 057, and in the meantime, the other one removed the handcuffs from her wrists. It's crazy how they used to be her colleagues. Robin didn't want to step inside. She didn't belong in a cell! She's innocent, for fuck's sake! Yes, the handgun that was used to shoot the man belonged to her, but she didn't do it! Why would she waste all these hours of hard work and effort just to kill a person she doesn't even know?! Why did nobody believe her?! She would never--


The annoyed officer who removed the handcuffs shoved her into the small room. Robin stumbled, but managed to catch herself. She turned around just to hear and see the heavy door slamming shut, locks clicking.


...This was reality.


And as she stood there... She slowly realized that life would never be the same again.


"...shit, shit, SHIT!"


The former police officer kicked against the concrete wall next to the steel door, over and over again.


"I DID NOTHING WRONG, YOU BASTARDS! WHERE IS YOUR EVIDENCE?! HOW IS THIS 'JUSTICE'?!"


She yelled, kicking the wall as hard as she could in an attempt to let off steam.


Her life was over! Found guilty of bloody murder as a police officer, at the age of 19!


Nobody was going to listen to her, anyway. I mean, would you listen to a police officer who shot an innocent man? Probably not, am I right?


"Damn it..." She muttered under her breath, sitting down on the concrete floor and leaning against the wall she kicked the crap out of a few seconds ago.


She didn't notice the guy with the dark hair and the blue eyes. Honestly, at that moment, she didn't care if there was anybody in the cell with her or not. They could go to hell.


...But... How would the other inmates react to a former police officer in their midst?


Things were looking pretty bad for her, to be honest. ...And that didn't exactly encourage her.


( Sorry, this post is a little long ^^' )


(*If there's anything wrong with this post just let me know and I'll edit/delete it!)

 

[Kachi]

(I don't mind at all, it looks good to me! c


Aedus looked up with a faint hint of surprise as his door swung open and a girl was brought inside. Head inclining slightly, angling left, he watched as struggle and shout and throw a general fuss as the cell door slammed shut once again. Studying the woman, who hadn't noticed his presence quite yet, he figured she was hardly any older than twenty, but she didn't look too young either. Around his age, perhaps? He wondered what she did to get locked up, then decided he didn't entirely care as he leaned back against the nearest wall. Then somewhere in his mind, something clicked and a memory was brought to his attention and his dark brows lifted, realizing he recognized his apparent new cell mate. Oh, how the tides could turn so quick... She was the one who had locked him up. Something about this revelation amused him greatly, he almost had the urge to snicker, but only almost.


"Oi, can't you quiet down a little?" Aedus inquired in a low tone, his words holding an air of annoyance through the manner of speaking he used despite the fact his voice itself didn't mirror these emotions. "You're the rowdiest haul they've gotten all month." He crossed his legs, pulling his feet up onto the bench he was sitting on. He didn't bother asking why she had been taken in, it didn't concern him and he didn't care. He was more interested in hearing the end to this shouting his ears were being barraged with. He decided then exactly how much he liked it when the building was quiet. He had allowed himself to be taken in without a sound. Was it a matter of dignity? Well, some things didn't require answers. That line of thinking was trivial, and he didn't often indulge himself in trivial things, so he abandoned it. Though he could remember that he'd heard some of the other inmates give a name to people like this. They were quite simply but fondly referred to as Shouters. Most folk didn't like them much. Again, he wondered about the role dignity played in the whole scenario, but only for a few mere seconds.

 

[SkyChild]

A male voice.


...Right, cell mates.


Robin looked up to see a guy sitting on a bench, complaining about the noise she made. Oh, let me tell you, this felt so wrong. But, well... He was right. Shouting doesn't prove her innocence. Besides, she figured it would be best not to pick a fight with him, so she--


Hold on a second.


She got up from the cold, concrete floor and approached the man, trying to get a better look at him.


She frowned.


There was no doubt.


Robin remembered this guy. She arrested him for theft back then. What are the odds?


"God damn it..." she mumbled, walking back to the other end of the room to get as much space between her and him as possible. She was certain that this guy wanted to get revenge on her for arresting him.


I bet the other officers planned it all, so he could beat the crap out of her or worse.


Robin had no idea about life in prison, but she assumed that the best way to keep others away from you is to threaten them.


So that's what she did.


"I remember you. I bet you remember me as well." She said, looking him dead in the eye. "I don't want any trouble, but as soon as you get a stupid idea, I will break you. So leave me alone."


She leaned against the concrete wall again, keeping an eye on Aedus. She didn't trust this guy one bit.

 

[Kachi]

The male had one brow quirked, watching as the woman backed away as far as she could towards the other side of the cell. "Yeah, I remember you," he admitted in a calm, indifferent tone, not moving from his spot. Letting his hands rest against his legs, his eyes drifted around the room, thinking about what else it was he wanted to say. "I imagine that by 'stupid ideas' you think I might want to get back at you for locking me up in here, but I don't really care. I was gonna be tossed in one of these things eventually." He knocked against the concrete wall, a soft tapping sound emanating through the room as a result. "I've got no plans to stir up a fight, so you can cool it. Probably shouldn't be talking like that around anyone else either, it's like taunting a bull, and getting in a rumble will just extend your time anyway. Yeah, best thing to do is keep to yourself, maybe try and get a friend or two if you can." Never did he think he would be teaching a cop about how to keep yourself alive in prison, but there was a first time for everything. The thought reminded him of another tip he decided he'd may as well tell her. "But since you used to be a cop and all no one's gonna wanna get in with you, so I'd stick to the sidelines if I was in your shoes." The unique mixture between relaxed, intelligent tone of voice and usage of slang and weird sayings was ever present in how he talked. It was like how a rich, well-educated lawyer might talk after living with a bunch of hoodlums for a year. A strange analogy, but among the better ones.

 

[SkyChild]

Robin raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was explaining all this to her. He didn't want to fight. Instead, he gave her tips on how to live another day in here...?


The way he talked was unusal as well, but in a good way. He sounded intelligent while using these typical slang words at the same time. A strange combination, but it worked somehow.


...Okay, so no threats. It'll get her in trouble. Make friends, noted, but did she want to become friends with killers, thieves and rapists? No! It's not like anyone would want to befriend her, anyway.


"So in other words, I'm screwed." She replied, letting out a sigh as she ran her hand through her hair.


"If you don't mind me asking, how often do we have to leave this cell? And for how long?" She asked, looking at him with a somewhat worried look on her face. She didn't look as frightened as a scared puppy, but you could definitely see the worry in her eyes. Robin was glad that he didn't plan to harm her, but that didn't mean the others were going to be friendly as well. In fact, they probably couldn't wait to ambush her.


At least that's what she thought.


Besides, she still didn't trust this guy 100%. He could be lying, but why would he?


...Still, it's possible. Though that was no reason to be rude. Even if he's a thief.

 

[Kachi]

Seeing her calm down a little, a puff of relief left him, and he set about answering her questions.


"Well, let me think... The schedule sorta varies from day to day. I still haven't really gotten a hold on how things go. But we seem to always be let out twice for certain. The first is lunch, where we eat in the cafeteria and get to socialize. Not long after that we're usually given work to do. You know, work us hard to keep us calm, or somethin'." He snorted a little. "Then later on is dinner, and after that, a few hours of leisure time before lights out. I usually just stay in here during that time, or try and seek out a quiet place. Right before lights out we get shower time and whatnot. I think that about does it." Aedus nodded, content with his explanation as he made eye contact with the female sitting before him, waiting to see her response.

 

[SkyChild]

Robin listened to his explanation, calculating about how much time she could spend in this cell. She looked at Aedus for a moment, but tried her best to avoid his eyes.


"You're strange." She said, pulling her legs up. "Awfully nice to someone like me. Answering questions and giving me tips..." She added, letting out a sigh.


Despite what happened, she still felt like a police officer. She couldn't accept this person, and yet, it had to be said. She was lucky to be in a cell with this guy. Who knows how others would've reacted.


"Thank you."


Oh how the luck has turned.

 

[Kachi]

Aedus tipped his head to the side. "Hm, I've never been called that before," he admitted, then he heard her explanation and shrugged. "'Someone like you'?" he repeated with a sceptical air, as though she had said something odd to him. "I don't really care who you are." He stated that fact in quite a blunt tone, like he was brushing dust off of his shoulder. "You're stuck in here, and that makes you like me." He brushed back some of his thick, dark hair, gazing idly at the door. "Got anything else to say?" This girl seemed to like chattering, or at least that's what Aedus pieced together, since she had been doing it nearly non-stop since she arrived, whether she was yelling and fretting or giving casual comments and asking questions. It was weird to him, since he hadn't talked much to anyone in the time he'd been at the prison.

 

[SkyChild]

Robin looked at Aedus for a few seconds, studying him from head to toe. "...No. except maybe one thing." she told him. "I'm glad you don't care who I am, but I'll have you know that I'm not like you." Robin got up from the ground and walked to the two beds, climbing up on the one at the top and lying down. No pillow, no blanket. The bed was anything but comfortable, but she didn't expect it to be cozy in here. Of course it wouldn't be a nice place to be stuck in.


"...I don't deserve to be here." She said quietly, mostly to herself, though he probably heard if he listened. She figured she annoyed him, so she didn't ask any more questions.

 

[Kachi]

"Hm, we're one in the same," he argued, shaking his head, but he didn't give an explanation nor did he say more. Watching her crawl onto one of the beds, he stopped paying attention, finding interest in studying the wall behind him like it was some glorious, intricate painting detailing his favourite thing in the world. He didn't hear her mumblings, letting himself be absorbed in his own thoughts and unintentionally blocking out the outside noise to the point it was just a near silent buzz. He didn't seem too bothered by his new room mate's presence, letting the seconds tick away as though he were still sitting in solitude, waiting for the next event he would inevitably have to work his way through, whatever aspects it might contain.

 

[SkyChild]

All kinds of things occupied her thoughts as she stared at the ceiling, trying to relax. They'll prove her innocence eventually, right? Yeah... They'll find evidence of the real killer. They'll apologize and let her go.


Yeah, she just has to wait. It wil be alright.


...Right?


Robin didn't like the silence in the room. It was depressing, and she wasn't used to it. It was a different kind of silence. What can she do to kill time?


Well, she felt so melancholy that she began to sing. Ever since she heard this melody for the first time, she fell in love with it.


She closed her eyes and quietly hummed the melody. Her breathing became slower, and so did her heartbeat. It calmed her down.


Then, the humming turned into singing.


"There are loved ones in the glory," she sang softly, and not too loud.


"Whose dear forms you often miss;"


"When you close your earthy story,"


"Will you join them in their bliss?"


How long until she had to socialize?


Jeez, she didn't know. All she knew was that it wouldn't be easy.


(Sorry, don't know where to go with this. :S )

 

[Kachi]

Aedus didn't notice the soft singing from the other corner of the room, but he didn't notice the sound of a rather loud buzzer, signalling that lunch was starting. The boy lifted his head and faced the door, waiting for the officer to come by and open it before escorting them to the cafeteria. Eventually he heard the familiar click as the lock opened.


"Come on, it's lunch," the cop informed them, beckoning towards the corridor.


Without a word, Aedus stood and made his way out, arms crossed in a guarded manner. Once he was outside he spun around to face the cell again, waiting for Robin to join them. He wouldn't have waited, but he wasn't allowed to go without an escort, and their escort wouldn't lead him to the lunch room without Robin. Quite simple.

 

[SkyChild]

The loud buzzer pulled her out of her relaxed state and startled her. The voice of one of the prison guards could be heard shortly after the door opened, telling them that lunch was ready. Robin peeked around the corner and looked at the cop for a second before jumping off of the bed she lied on, following Aedus outside without saying anything. She was nervous, to say the least.


The food was going to suck, anyway. She did not look forward to this.


But, well... It wasn't like she had a choice.


She avoided eye contact with other inmates, blindy following the guard. The cafeteria was like any other cafeteria: Loud, crowded, and the smell of food lingered in the air. The only difference was that all these people were criminals.


Robin took a deep breath before joining the queue in front of the serving counter, waiting for her turn.

 

[Kachi]

Aedus followed along a few steps behind, as far as the guard would let him before barking at him to pick up the pace. Not like he was planning to pull a quick move anyway, but he complied. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could get away that easily. He turned his head to look out at the crowd on fellow inmates when they arrived, a lasting look of indifference present on his fairly pale face. He joined Robin at the queue, getting in line just behind her. Sure enough, a lot of the other people in the room cast the former officer suspicious glares. No surprise, Aedus thought, noticing the glances from the edge of his vision.


He didn't say anything as he was served his food, which wasn't the best nor the worse meal in the world. He preferred the things he managed to snag whilst shoplifting nonetheless. He then turned around and surveyed the room. His sharp blue eyes were calculating as he observed the tables, then his attention locked onto a quiet looking area in one corner of the room and he made his way there, sitting down and bowing his head to direct attention away.

 

[SkyChild]

Robin looked around, trying to find a quiet, unoccupied table to sit at. She considered asking Aedus if she could join him, but quickly dropped that thought for obvious reasons. He probably didn't want her to sit near him, which she could totally understand. Instead, after some more time of looking, she spotted an empty table.


So she sat down, noticing the glares she got from the other inmates. It made her nervous as heck, but she did a good job at hiding how on edge she really was.


She studied the food on the plastic cafeteria plate, not really wanting to take a bite out of anything. She didn't feel like eating. At least not yet.


So, she put her elbow on the table and rested her head on the palm of her hand, looking down to the ground.


She silently waited for the buzzer as she counted the seconds that passed.


She just had to stay in the background, and everything would be fine.

 

[Kachi]

Aedus didn't particularly like the food the prison offered, but it was the only food they got. So he tucked in to the meal, no matter how horribly unappealing it looked upon his plate. He was finished before long and then he drifted from his seat, wandering around the room while he waited for eating time to end. Occasionally other inmates would approach him or beckon him over, and he'd speak with them for a minute or two before moving on once more. He glanced at the clock often, watching as the hands shifted to different positions each time he looked, and calculating their difference from their ideal place. Just seven minutes more, he predicted, sitting down across from Robin without really acknowledging her. With how he distantly gazed off at the wall, he probably had just taken a random seat and she happened to be occupying the space opposite.

 

[SkyChild]

In the corner of her eye, she noticed someone sitting down across from her. Looking up, she saw that it was Aedus. Why did he sit down here, near her? Isn't that a bit risky?


Robin looked back down at her plastic plate, letting out a sigh before putting the fork down and sliding the plate over to Aedus without saying a word.


Then, she waved her hand back and forth in the air as if she wiped away invisible dust.


"Go ahead. Take it. I don't want it." She tried to say with this hand sign, not looking at him or talking with him. She then stood up and walked away from the table, leaning against a wall not far from where she sat before.


Robin crossed her arms, studying the others. Some of them didn't look to bad while others looked terrifying. They were all different in some way, but there was one thing almost all of them had in common:


They were in some kind of group or gang.


After making eye contact with one or two inmates, she decided to not look around anymore to avoid potential conflict.


So, she lowered her head and closed her eyes, waiting for the buzzer to make that annoying, loud noise again.


(Sorry, I was really busy this week. Should've told you beforehand :/ )

 

[Kachi]

Aedus turned his head when he heard the plate being moved in his direction, and lifted his eyes when he saw the hand gesture Robin gave him. Sniffing, he dismissed it and got up again, moving away. He didn't get far though before the buzzer sounded and guards began escorting them back towards their cells. One of the officers tapped him on the shoulder with his baton and ordered him to get a move on. He wordlessly complied and began making his way back to the cell, looking at the walls as they walked. He arrived before long and was pushed through the door, however it wasn't shut as soon as he walked inside as it usually was. Nonetheless he made his way silently over to the bench and took a seat in his usual place, legs crossed, assuming the door was being held open for his new cell mate.

 

[SkyChild]

The buzzer made that loud, annoying noise again and Robin immediately made her way back to the cell. One of the many guards held the door open for her, so she quickly walked inside before hearing the heavy door closing behind her. Thank god.


She let out a sigh of relief, making her way to that uncomfortable bed again.


"..That was stressful as hell."


She said before letting herself fall onto the bed, face first.


This was part of her daily routine from now on, and boy, she did not like it. Every single day? Great.

 

[Kachi]

Aedus heard Robin's comment and turned to look in her direction. "If you thought that was stressful, you aren't going to find leisure time very pleasant," he warned, leaning back against the wall. "I recommend staying in here, or quickly leaving to fetch a book or something of the like to keep yourself entertained if you're the type to get bored easy." Then he resumed his relaxed ignorance of her presence, as though she had flitted out of existence. He, personally, had never found leisure time enjoyable nor unpleasant. It was just more time, slowly ticking away. He was eager for the time he'd no longer have to count away the seconds.