Tomorrow I'll be stronger, running colorful, no longer just in black and white [Week 6, Open]

[dead_black_eyes]

Who| Linden Lockhearst and Open!
What| After this altercation, Linden had to spend the night in jail. Encounter him at any point during the 24 period during and after this less-than-glamorous ordeal.
Where| Jail, later on the District 6 suite.
When| Week 6
Warnings/Notes| The normal ones for Linden! References to drugs and death are likely.



I. Jail

Linden stares past the rigid plastic handcuffs at his black shoes on white tile. It was only a matter of time, perhaps... withdrawal and the ensuing hell that was sobriety has been rough on him. For the first time in over a decade, he's been forced to look at some of the experiences that have shaped the person he is without the haze of Morphling or alcohol influencing it, resulting in the emergence of a deeply sad and very angry man. Having numbed these emotions for so long means that his ability to deal with them isn't great; an already tense situation with an admittedly horrible District 7 Mentor had escalated and though he'd blacked out past a certain point, he's pretty sure that he hurt the guy. Possibly even enough to need stitches. At that point, it didn't matter who you were or what you'd been through; you at least had to spend a night in jail as a token punishment, and past that, even if you were lucky and the media didn't catch wind, it was inevitable that you'd have to deal with some kind of therapy or conflict-resolution seminar at some point.

There's a forcefield keeping Linden from walking out of his cell, but it's possible to hear through it, even smell through it. There's coffee brewing somewhere nearby, and he approaches the forcefield and tries to get the attention of the nearest Peacekeeper.

"Hey... hey, is that coffee? Can I have some, please?"

The Peacekeeper sighs. "Try to sleep. You can't leave until morning at the earliest, and it gets boring as hell in those cells. It's supposed to, this is a punishment."

"Then let me bum a cigarette."

He's left behind with a brisk, dismissive shake of the Peacekeeper's head.

II. The Next Morning- Bail Posted

"Rise and shine." the Peacekeeper in charge disables Linden's forcefield, and he sits up quickly, having not actually realized that he'd fallen asleep.

"What's going on?" he asks blearily, already reaching for the wastebasket he'd requested they leave in his cell with him. Since quitting Morphling, he's queasy in the mornings sometimes.

"Morning, and someone's posted your bail. Congratulations; 6 must really want their only Mentor back."

"Who was it?"

"Beats me. I'd suck up to them big time, though, they did you a hell of a favor."

III. The Next Morning- District 6 Suites

Linden probably shouldn't have been allowed to return to work so quickly after snapping so obviously and so badly, but he is 6's only Mentor right now, and he's therefore needed. A sweet-voiced woman in a nurse's uniform had stopped by his cell before his bail had been posted and given him a stack of pamphlets, commending him on his efforts to get clean but assuring him that there were more ways to quit than recklessly going cold turkey. She urged him to consider tapering off to avoid a situation like the one he'd ended up in, and explained that mood swings and aggression were common side effects of coming off of a persistent Morphling addiction, and he is broodingly considering it.

He's also considering how the fuck he is going to apologize to Jason Compson. A written apology was one of the conditions for his release, after all, and he takes a deep breath, trying not to clench his fist around his pen and staring at his attempt to write something acceptable.

Dear Mr. Compson,

I'm sorry you're a sadistic brat

Stupid

have the self-control of a rabid warthog in front of an all-you-can-eat truffle buffet


I'm sorry that I lashed out at you. It was entirely my fault to expect you to be as refined as your bloodline would suggest when you are clearly an Avox-hitting sow of a-------------

Fuck you, you spoiled


It's not going particularly well.

Comments

[dead_black_eyes]

Linden has his secrets, as well as his way for treating Avoxes in a way that most Captiolites would consider "soft". Torin's actually one of the ones he might guess to be sympathetic, knowing him to harbor kind feelings toward creatures not considered human, and that heartens him somewhat.

"Truly, I'm not going anywhere for some time..." Linden agrees softly, still looking at the hand wrapped around his bony forearm. "I believe that he grabbed me. That's the last thing I sort of remember before the lights came back on and I was on the couch with a bloody piece of ceramic. I don't feel it was intentional, but... I still did it," he admits. "That's not in question, and I accept responsibility for my crime."

[bravelyplucked]

Torin nods in understanding. "He should have known better than to suddenly grab you. That...doesn't always end well with Victors, especially if things were already not going well..." He knows. He's seen it before. "It's an easy thing for those who have not been in an Arena to forget. He paid the price." Torin looks thoughtful. "I think I can put in a good word for you."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Well. That aside..." Linden says, inherently uncomfortable with the thought that others are regarding him as mentally frail or incompetent due to trauma. It's charitable at first glance for people like Torin to handle it gently and offer reassurance that there's blame to go around, but Linden would almost rather that everyone believe the act was as deliberate and malicious as possible. Violent Victors are treated with respect by default because they're feared; crazy Victors are given a wide berth out of pity.

"He should have known better than to hit the Avox," Linden says, his steely way of expressing that he meant it and feels no regret for his actions.

"What sort of good word?" He asks, leaning against the wall, seeming to mentally weigh whether or not such a venture would even be worth it. "My feeling is that Jason is spreading word of this high and low, and that I'm not looking very good. It's definitely not doing 6 any favors, even at the best it could possibly go."

[bravelyplucked]

Torin likes Linden's insistence that Jason shouldn't have hit the Avox. It's a mindset he rarely sees in Two. "Cruelty is always a sign one should have known better." He sighs, and the tone of his voice shifts to a weary one that knows it's probably being recorded by Peacekeepers. He hopes that Linden will understand that, especially given the way Torin kind of rolls his eyes back towards the door and gives a quick, jerking nod. "Despite that, responding with violence against a Capitolite for such a minor offense is still a crime." He'd apologize for saying that later, and he's only barely managing to keep all the distaste out of his voice. It probably shows some on his face, too.

Torin's voice resumes its normal "I'm not saying what they want me to say" tone. "The Peacekeeper who let me in here is my brother-in-law. I've got connections." There's a wry smile. "I may not be able to talk them into releasing you into my custody, but I believe I can make sure you get the best accommodations...such as they are." There's a nod when Linden brings up the word Jason's spreading. "And I can also offer something to counter what he's saying about you. They'll likely listen to me here, and the ones from Two would probably rather believe me than him. If they get to talking, it's a round of rumors to counter his." Torin looks thoughtful. "And I believe it wouldn't be out of line for me to buy my brother-in-law's squad a round of drinks tonight. Just as a gift for their service and hard work, you understand."

[dead_black_eyes]

This is a song and dance that Linden's well aware they have to play. It's not his first rodeo, and he's therefore depressingly familiar with how this type of situation has to go down for all parties to emerge unscathed. Though Linden has his pride, he tries very had to realize when it can hurt himself or others if he clings too hard to it.

"Yes... I am aware." Linden's reply is soft and accepting, even though something pulls at his insides when he hears the words "minor offense." He can keep it together, keep those features placid and undisturbed and nothing but quietly ashamed of the way he behaved.

He's a little staggered by just how far it sounds like Torin will be sticking his neck out for him. "It's OK," he says quickly. "It's a lot of kindness as it is, and... really, it's Stephen's job to come get me." There's a very real and sincere shadow over his features at those words, because Stephen is nowhere to be found tonight. He tries to dismiss it from his thoughts and his tone, but the shadow remains. "As for countering the gossip... please only do it at your discretion. Your reputation is good enough that this kind of drama should be beneath you."

He scratches the back of his head.

"I don't have access to my personal funds at this time, but if you see me tomorrow, that round of drinks will be on me. I'll pay every cent of the tab."

[bravelyplucked]

There is a great deal that Torin disapproves of in the Capitol, but he's nowhere near stupid enough to voice it here in a Peacekeeper facility. To do so would be suicide...or perhaps a one-way ticket to getting his tongue torn out. Just because he feels the Avoxes have gotten a raw deal doesn't mean he wishes to be one himself.

He gives Linden a nod and refrains from commenting on some of the things he's heard about Stephen as of late, as well as that...interesting...conversation they'd had regarding Stephen's nothing-but-feathers choice of clothing. Besides, there's a little more at stake here than just being kind. "It's the least I can do--you helped my niece get me back to the suites after my...incident."

[dead_black_eyes]

Linden is dissatisfied with a lot, too, and even if he behaves like it sometimes and his habits are not those of a careful man who values his life, he is not suicidal. Lately he cares about more, recognizes what he has to do and live for, and it's just bad timing that all has gone bad at such an inopportune time.

He can't go the way of his parents.

"That was nothing," he's quick to say. "It really wasn't any trouble, and what happened was totally understandable. I'm so sorry you had your control taken away from you like that."

By merit of being in here, Linden knows just what that's like.

[bravelyplucked]

"Still...I know there are many here who wouldn't have done even that much." Because compassion isn't really something Torin has found the Capitol to value all that much. Yet that too is something he doesn't dare say here in a Peacekeeper facility. "Control is...very important, yes." And he understands just how Linden might feel in there.

[dead_black_eyes]

"I find that hard to believe," Linden says, despite knowing that it's true; Torin's hit the nail on the head. Capitolites might have taken note of the disgrace of sudden feebleness falling upon the District 2 Victor, but probably wouldn't have offered help or tried to understand the situation beyond its surface appearance.

"You're a beloved Victor. If I hadn't been there, someone else would have been along presently. Are you doing better now?" he asks.

[bravelyplucked]

"Much better, thanks for asking." Torin doesn't press the issue about the Capitolites and their compassion any further. He and Linden both know...and it's entirely possible Linden's impression of Capitolite "kindness" has been worse than his own. Being from District 2 with a well-regarded family had all sorts of perks. "Is there anything you need in here? I can't promise much, but..." He lets the statement hang with a shrug.

[dead_black_eyes]

Linden nods; he's poor at accepting gratitude with grace and tends to try to duck under it, avoiding it when he can.

"Coffee would be great. I can smell it through the forcefield. It's not a chess set but it would make this night a little more tolerable."

[bravelyplucked]

That at least seems doable. Torin gives Linden a smile and a nod. "I'll see what I can do...if you're sure you want to drink the swill Peacekeepers call coffee."

[dead_black_eyes]

"If it's good enough for the Peacekeepers, it's good enough for me," Linden mumbles. "I just need some caffeine. If you can get me a cup, I owe you one."

[bravelyplucked]

"You say that now," Torin says as he walks towards the door, "but wait until you actually taste the stuff. I'll only be a moment." With that, he leaves.

True to his word, Torin returns with the cup, even if the Peacekeeper who allows him to pass the cup to Linden looks a little annoyed with things as he leaves again.

[dead_black_eyes]

Linden watches, twitchy and with bated breath, as Torin goes to charm his way into getting a cup of coffee for the unfortunate, imprisoned Mentor. When he has it in his hands, he's blowing across the surface to cool it (it doesn't take much, since the coffee sees to have started lukewarm) and takes a sip.

"You made it sound terrible, but this isn't bad at all," he says, seeming surprised and happy. "It's better than what 6 as a whole drinks before shifts."

[bravelyplucked]

Torin seems surprised at that assessment. "My condolences to 6, then. It's always been a little strong for my tastes." He is still pretty sure he could use it to strip paint off of the walls of his apartment.

[dead_black_eyes]

"6 is, as always, what it is," Linden says softly. "I spent my formative years there, and even now a lot of things that the Capitol seems to take for granted is a huge luxury. This coffee is actually great."

[bravelyplucked]

"Glad you're enjoying it, then." He blinks a couple of times in confusion. "Though I'm not sure they'd know how to take a prisoner enjoying their coffee."

[dead_black_eyes]

"The only way they could keep me from enjoying a caffeine fix would be to spit in it, and in addition to being a health code violation, that's a highly cruel and unusual punishment. I doubt it would fly, especially with a trusted and esteemed witness such as yourself present," he replies breezily before taking another sip. "Yet another reason for me to be grateful you stopped by, perhaps."

[bravelyplucked]

That gets a smile out of Torin. "Glad to help, if only in such a small way." And he means that, because getting him back up to the District 2 suites after his reaction to that meteor shower meant a lot to him. He wouldn't put it past other staffers to ignore him or worse, take sort of advantage of him in that state.

[dead_black_eyes]

"With respect, I'll have none of that. This is a great help," Linden says earnestly. "Sometimes, it is the little things that matter most, and coffee in moments of duress never fails to make things seem a lot less bleak. It's more than the caffeine; I think it's the warmth, too."

[bravelyplucked]

"It can make a great deal of difference, true." Torin gives Linden a smile. "Just one of those small things that gets so often overlooked."

[dead_black_eyes]

"It's going to be a very boring night," Linden sighs, as it occurs to him that he's drinking his coffee too slowly for that coffee to remain throughout. "Not that I want to burden you with trying to get me something to entertain myself with... that would be asking for too much."

[bravelyplucked]

"About the only thing I could get you would be some book of laws." Torin shakes his head. "They do rather enjoy upholding any and all rules and regulations here."

[dead_black_eyes]

"I've read them all," he sighs. "The ones they have on-hand here are heavy enough to break the camera, so... I don't think they'd let me. Thanks for considering it, though."