The thought of going to the clinic caused James to scrunch his nose in distaste, and since no further questions had been asked he decided to reveal nothing further, only sighing in relief when the other took him up on the offer. “I’m not certain it’s still free if I’m doubling what I owe you, but all right. Make sure it doesn’t take my hair out in the process, please,” he said, looking over his shoulder to look at the man as he worked. There was something about him, so charmingly unkempt, unpolished, and also… familiar. “Oh, you’re well connected, are you? Say, I feel like I know you from somewhere,” he said, squinting his eyes slightly. “Are you an actor, or something?”

      A small squeal escaped her, lips bearing the widest grin that had ever been seen within the prison walls. She wrapped her arms around her twin’s torso and squeezed him as hard as she could. It didn’t even matter that she couldn’t breathe–had Jamie gotten stronger since the last time hugged him? The missing piece to her soul was in place, and for the first time in a long while, it felt like everything was going to be okay. Until–       “OPHELIA???”        Bailey yanked herself out of her brother’s embrace and smacked his arm, hard. “Are you serious right now? God, you would ask about her. Why’d I think this would be any different? Why’d I think you would change? I can’t believe you. You’re such an idiot, Jamie.”       The burning disbelief died off in her voice and was replaced with something softer. She looked down at her ugly uniformed sneakers, unable to meet her brother’s concerned gaze, and dug her toe into the floor. “But… no, she’s not okay. That’s…. sort of why I’m here …”

“Ow! No hitting!” He rubbed his arm with a pitiful huff, as if the girl two times smaller than her could evoke any sort of long lasting damage on his body-- though his sister was a pretty tough cookie and have, in various instances, given him a bruising when she’s been upset. Nevertheless, he gave the other a lopsided grin and stepped back from any future slaps, smacks or punches. “Of course THAT’S the thing you focus on when I asked you a billion other questions before her. I--- what do you mean, ‘it’s sort of why you’re here’?” Bailey had a tell when she lied; the small dip of her gaze down to her shoes when she was stretching the truth cost her a few losing streaks when they played cards out on the back porch during their teenage summers. Lemonade, slow breeze, the sound of chatter from their litter of siblings... all the happy, warm vibes his sister carried was slowly fading as a cold sweat broke, replacing his smile with concern.  “What did you do?”

“I’m not flirting with you,” he scoffed, shaking his head. “I’m just being honest. If you consider this flirting, I feel sorry for you. Were you starved of attention back home or something? Yikes.” He decided to step out of the way of the line, but didn’t walk away just because he was told to. “Well, Kronos. I’m Loki. What are you in here for, death by food poisoning? Glaring someone to death? Either one would make sense,” he smirked. Ash was enjoying pushing the others buttons, so he didn’t plan on letting up any time soon.

While the worked, the annoying voice of one dark haired spitfire continued to taunt his left ear over and over again like a half damaged radio. With his eyes permanently fixated on the food in front of him, he let out a loud sigh.  “I’m here ‘cause I had to deal with annoying little bitch boys like you, Lowkey, who can’t take a hint.” He threw another look back at the other, “Are you done mocking me? Do you have absolutely  NOTHING else to do? Unless you’re gon’ eat somethin’, I suggest you stop distracting me. Some people don’t get the privilege of boredom.”

There was a way that James often basked in being the center of attention, though it irritated him now to know that it wasn’t his face or his clothes that drew gazes, but the little puffs that stuck all over his body and his unending struggle with them. It was a man who had definitely been staring that James had ended up asking for help, and it didn’t help much to assuage his shame. Wincing when he attempted to pull at the cotton ball on his hair, this news made his pout deepen, his arms crossing over his chest. “No, this was my costume. I’m a star, darling. Well, more like a cloud, but…” A shrug, his gaze assessing the stranger carefully. “There has to be another way. A solvent, or — or something —” he said, gesticulating, before sighing. “Will you help me with the rest, at least? I can’t see my back. I’ll owe you.”

James had, by his own initiative, procured mew adhesives to ensure that the cotton balls stuck to the children without falling all over the stage — this had backfired immensely, first by the child and his overeager immune system, and then second by the fact that James could still feel cotton balls stuck all over his body. A few stuck to his clothes, a few to his skin, and one particularly troublesome one in his hair, stuck so well that it hurt to pull, risking tearing with it his perfect hair. Making a noise of frustration, he caught in the corner of his eye as someone passed by, and said, with almost a pout: “Could you help me take these off?”

❛   THAT’S   GENEROUS   OF   YOU,   ❜   sonja   said,   ❛   other   people   would   usually   be   thinking   of   revenge.   ❜   she   drummed   her   finger   on   the   edge   of   her   jaw   for   a   moment,   as   if   in   thought.   ❛   you   still   hung   up   over   her   ??   ❜   she   asked   pointedly.   ❛   that’s   a   bit   ROUGH,   buddy.   ❜

even   so,   she   let   out   a   chuckle   as   she   heard   his   final   question.   ❛   oh,   you’ll   definitely   be   seeing   me   around,   especially   since   we   seem   to   frequent   these   spaces.   ❜   she   tipped   her   head   to   the   side,   indicating   the   garden.   ❛   what   about   you,   space   cowboy   ??   will   i   be   seeing   you   around   or   ———   ??   ❜   she   left   the   question   hanging,   looking   expectantly   at   kronos.

“I don’t think being hung up will help me at all here, but it does seem to stick to my mind more than I wish it would. Sometimes it’s hard to think ‘bout the what could have beens, isn’t it?” He couldn’t help but feel a bit laughed at, though he dutifully admitted that he somewhat deserved it. “Oh yeah, I’m sure. If not here, then ‘round. This space isn’t huge an’ I’m sure you’d get yourself into some kinda trouble,” He smiled, giving her a little bow, “Til next time.”

“Wow, pretty ambitious,” Trick nodded, showing respect, but not much sympathy. She had quickly become of the opinion that no one deserved to be down here –not even the guilty– so she couldn’t feel that badly that he’d been framed. “Such is life for those of us without money to bribe the officials, I suppose.” She shrugged in agreement.

She nodded. “Yeah, I signed on to help out with the kids show… I miss being onstage. I used to be a ballerina, y’know, down here without a spotlight I’m starting to wilt.”

“Oh did you? Famous or no’? My sister really loved to dance but she never got the chance to,” he smiled a little, “I’m sure she’d be really jazzed if she ever met you in person. You’d blow her mind. Did you ever perform in Mercury or study in Uranus?”

Bones let out a genuine laugh, his eyes dancing in the light. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had called him anything close to normal, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to get used to it. Still, it couldn’t hurt to have someone on his side. “Deal. Don’t go blowing your head off either, you hear me?” Grabbing his half eaten plate, he made to stand up. “C’mon, let’s go see if we can make a bit of coin off the late lunch crowd.”

“I’ll try my best, no promises; maybe this is actually a detonation exercise disguised as an experiment.” After making a face, he stretched out his long limbs and joined the other back behind the counter, mumbling about hygiene and the occasional spat with a customer.

Bones shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Figured the fastest way to earn some coin is to take on the bigger risks.” It was the only way he knew how to live his life. High risk, high reward. If things didn’t work out…well, that just wasn’t an option. “If it reduces me to a puddle, at least I’ll evaporate into the shitty air here….” He paused, drumming his fingers on the table. “Not gonna lie, dude, I think we’re the human trials. No one gives a shit about us down here. It’s just like you said.” 

“I know but-- maybe other prisoners have taken the plunge so they know what to fix up that won’t, yaknow, immediately kill us.” Nevertheless, the idea of getting something INJECTED into him (or worse!) was still a nasty thought.  “Don’t die on me, ‘kay? You’re one of the normal ones an’ I need you to stay sane in here. I don’t have my twin and I’m already feeling like I’m going to fuck somethin’ up for myself.”

“I’m just saying, it’s disgusting. Do you eat this shit? I hope not.” He gave the others in line a passing glance and rolled his eyes. He ignored the jab at his vision, given that he wasn’t the one serving mold by the tray. “You fucking know what I meant, don’t be purposefully dense. Obviously you get called something, unless they hate you so much they just don’t call you at all, idiot. Here, I’m Loki. You are? Or should I just call you grumpy hot tattooed guy?” 

As the other continued to talk, he continued to scoop out additional trays for the gigantic felons behind him. No matter, though-- the man seemed moreso preoccupied with demanding his name than to pay attention around him. Jamie glanced half heartedly towards the growing line behind the other and silently waited for further retaliation. He paused when ‘hot’ was used as an adjective to describe him. “Right-- it’s weird that you’re flirting and bitching under the same breath,” He commented, rolling his eyes, “Kronos. Will you move?”

❛   SACRED   28   ??   FANCY,   ❜   sonja   quipped,   the   amusement   evident   in   her   tone,   though   she   said   little   else   as   the   other   continued   his   tale.   it   seemed   as   if   tall   tattooed   guy   was   strung   along   in   some   merry   goose   chase   by   some   enterprising   high   society   girl.   sonja   had   to   admit,   she   was   impressed,   if   only   because   this   ophelia   seemed   smart   enough   to   have   a   fall   guy   for   her   actions.   she   wished   she   had   a   similar   sort   of   strategy   when   she   did   her   whole   «   cult   thing   »   ———   maybe   she   should   have   snagged   up   some   pretty   witless   boy   and   operated   behind   him   instead.

(   although   she   knew   FULL   well   that   her   ego   would   only   take   that   for   so   long   until   she’d   long   for   the   crowds   to   chant   HER   name   and   HER   name   alone.   )

she   dutifully   went   along   with   clapping,   although   she   tried   her   best   to   look   concerned   as   the   male   ended   his   story.   ❛   so   you’ve   been   burned,   huh   ??   why   not   try   to   get   out   of   this   place   so   you   can   give   that   BITCH   what   she   deserves   ??   ❜   a   shrug   of   her   lithe   shoulders   did   little   to   soften   her   remark.   still,   she   hummed   thoughtfully   as   she   realised   it   was   her   turn   for   storytelling   now.

❛   they   said   i   was   running   a   CULT,   ❜   she   said   plainly,   as   if   she   herself   was   in   disbelief.   ❛   look   at   ME   !!   do   you   really   think   i’m   the   type   ??   i   just   functioned   as   their   pretty   little   scapegoat,   really.   leave   it   to   crusty-ass   old   men   to   indict   a   girl   with   SUCH   baseless   accusations   ———   and   all   because   i   was   a   bit   popular   in   university.   ❜   she   was   stretching   the   truth   a   little   bit   here,   but   what   he   doesn’t   know   won’t   hurt   him.   ❛   ICARUS,   by   the   way,   ❜   she   said,   introducing   herself.   ❛   seems   like   we   should   get   to   know   each   other’s   names   now   that   we   know   each   other’s   stories.   ❜      

“I still don’t want to hurt anybody, even if she deserves.. a lot of things.” As sad as it was, his concern has always fallen on Ophelia and what she wanted, needed, or desired. There was no one else and it BURNED him that he couldn’t change his thought process. Plucking his gaze from the flower once more, he watched the peppy girl lament over what she had lost.  Admiration, it seemed, fueled her. Like Tinkerbell, he thought to himself, though she seemed a bit darker in spirit than the festive little thing. Perhaps it was her friendliness and the way she carefully worded every syllable, but he couldn’t help but hold his breath against deceit.  After all, witty women tend to be his downfall.  So he held up his hand and took her much smaller one, giving it a quick shake as he formed a friendly salutation in between mid ponders.  “Kronos. Nice to meet you, wish it was under better circumstances. Will I be seeing you around some more later, or are you the type to hide?”

Another snort left Bones’ lips. He fidgeted idly, thinking about the women he knew back on Pluto who’d done that exact thing - only, on that planet, he doubted the ‘rich’ were anything like the rich from Kronos’ home planet. “We’ve all been burned, man. I’ve gotten smarter with age…and experience.” He grinned, but there was a hint of sadness behind his eyes. “It always sucks the most when they’re the ones who screw you over. It’s so easy to trust them, that’s probably why. They get closer than anyone else and then….” he looked around pointedly, “At least my poor choice in women didn’t land me here. Think there’s any chance they’ll let you out?”

“Let me out? You think they’ll ever consider letting us out of here? It’s a whole fuckin’ system, man. Ain’t no one here gonna get saved because they want to use us a experiments. It’s fucking horrid. I saw you eyeballing Nightmare--is that the one you’re doing?” A faint smirk glowed upon his features. “We’re going to be on the same boat. You think that shit is gon’ reduce us to a puddle or something? I hope they’ve done SOME trials on humans at least.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She teased, tilting her head at him playfully and winking. She hadn’t quite decided how much she should tell anyone she was just meeting about her past just yet, so she’d been telling various people variations of the truth. Not different enough to get her intro trouble, but just enough to keep people guessing.

“I never would’ve guessed that,” she admitted, he did not look like her idea of the Venusian elite… but she supposed anywhere there were people that rich, they needed people to work for them. She shrugged. “One time, went to a… friend’s summer house. Didn’t really leave the estate, though.” She explained. She vaguely recalled hearing the name, but it didn’t really mean much to her. “So what’d you do, swipe the silverware?”

“Actually, I dated the daughter of the family I worked for. Got framed for a few murders after I tried to help her get rid of the bodies. It was a whole mess-- I learned my lesson and I’ll never trust another person for the rest of my miserable life,” he insisted with a light laugh, as if it was the most obvious conclusion in the entire world. “Wonderful, isn’t it? How a stupid decision can end your freedom?” Stabbing the cigarette against the counter now, he peered over his shoulder. “You doing a mission? Dunno ‘bout you but I have nobody at home to send any sort of money my way.”

Bones whistled long and low, shaking his head. “Women, man. They’ve got a way with words, can make us believe anything if we’re in deep enough.” That much, he understood. He dropped his fork, suddenly not hungry anymore. “I’ve been in my fair share of shit because of those sweet talkers.” Hell, at least he hadn’t been caught burning any bodies. The law enforces had told Beckett that his drug ring had supplied goods to more than a fair share of people that died because they did something stupid while high. “Bitch.”

He tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the table. “Think she’s killed before? Think she’ll kill again? The rich never suffer.”

A small tsk fell from his lips before he shook his head free of thoughts of Ophelia and her pretty smile. Disgusted with the fact that he still cared about the girl, it was rather disappointing to see how little he learned from his stupid affairs. “I don’t think so-- she got what she wanted and now she can sit comfy,” he mused, “Though I wouldn’t put it pass her to kill a couple of husbands like a fuckin’ black widow. You’ve been burned too? An’ here I thought you were smarter than me.”