Rise and Shine

[Goblin]

((Hahahaha! ;D))

"Lots," Goblin admitted, finding some cobwebs in a corner and grabbing a broom to knock them down, "but you can't really help being stuck on someone, can you?"

--

Yankee and Bitter looked suddenly intrigued, while Footsteps looked horrified, unsure whether Script was joking or not. "I, uh, really don't think that's a good--"

"Poison who?" a new voice asked pleasantly as Riddle entered the bunkroom.

[Cavalier]

Cav grabbed a rag to scrub the wall with. "No. Guess not." He smirked, half-amused. "If you survive this, you oughta' marry that girl just for putting up with you."

--

Script stiffened then moved to fluff a pillow, she only glanced at Riddle. "Who said anything about poisoning somebody? You must have heard wrong."

[Goblin]

Goblin blanched at the very word. "That's a genuinely terrible idea. I've never had an idea that bad, and at this point, that's saying something."

--

"I'm sure," Riddle said with a smirk, glancing lazily at the Trio and wondering where Gypsy had gotten off to. She'd have to turn up again soon; other girls were already pouring in, grabbing brooms and mops and going to work. "If you ever have any questions about your boyfriend, Magdalen, you know where to find me," Riddle said, going over to her own bunk and immediately flopping down with a book. A second later, she looked up casually. "Oh, and the warden wants to see you. He's on his way."

[Cavalier]

Cav arched his brow, surprised by the sheer terror in Goblin's face at the idea. "Really? Then maybe ya should just cut her loose. Seems like she's the marryin' type."

--

Maggie set her jaw, shooting Riddle a look of absolute disdain. Before thinking, she said in a low voice, "Si solo miras a mi novio, te voy a matar."

[Goblin]

"She's seventeen!" Goblin muttered, poking the cobwebs under the door. And he was a year younger, though he'd never actually pointed that out to her. "Right now, I'm gonna concentrate on getting us out of here alive."

--

Bitter, who was sweeping under a bunk, went into a sudden coughing fit that had nothing to do with the dust and gave Script a wide-eyed look. Her respect for the girl had just increased considerably. Footsteps and Yankee, of course, looked baffled.

Riddle just smirked, picking up on the tone, if not the words. "Say it in English without your bodyguards around, meydeleh, and see what happens."

[Cavalier]

Cav only smirked. "I didn't say you had to marry her tomorrow. But mark my words. Eventually, she's gonna ask." He moved to scrub the bars over the window. "But that's a good start. Surviving, I mean."

--

Script only pressed her lips into a thin line. "They're not my body guards. They're my friends. Something you clearly know nothing about." She glanced at Bitter, allowing herself to smirk, just a little.

[Goblin]

"It's usually my first priority," Goblin agreed, trying to look extra busy when a guard came in to inspect. As soon as he was gone, Goblin seized the opportunity to sit on his bunk and rest, observing the other guys. He'd asked Angel to take advantage of his office-cleaning duties and raid the warden's papers; they'd have to talk later, share information. And he ought to ask Bandit about getting Script some kind of weapon.

--

"Oh, God help me. I'm cut to the quick," Riddle said. "Funny how your 'friends' are just acting on orders to look after you. And how Goblin's only fucking you because he needs help with his precious plan." Yankee actually started toward her at that, but Footsteps grabbed the back of her shirt. Fights in here never ended well for anyone.

[Cavalier]

Cav could see Goblin's mind working overtime. "What do you want me to do?" He nearly snorted. "I don't have to call you 'boss' like 'Steps does, do I?"

--

Maggie froze, turning back to face Riddle slowly. Her eyes were hard, and her jaw was clenched. "What did you say?"

[Goblin]

"Please don't," Goblin said, rolling his eyes. "And I'm thinking about that. We have a good start, knowing about the girls...we just need proof. Paperwork, testimony, something." Finding girls who had actually been taken away would be a job for Risk and Sapphy, though, and he could hardly count on their being willing to testify. "Footsteps says you're good at observing, so if you could keep an eye on the guards and the warden, see if you overhear anything interesting...and Gypsy and Riddle, too."

--

"Tell me you know exactly why he's with you," Riddle said calmly without looking up. "Tell me you've asked him why, and I'll never make another scandalous suggestion."

"Don't listen to her, Script," Footsteps said softly. "She's just jealous and angry."

[Cavalier]

Cav nodded. "I'll keep an eye out." He watched him a minute. "But you know that if Script gets into any trouble, ya can't just go runnin' in guns blazin' and save her...right?"

--

Script ignored Footsteps, focused solely on Riddle. Her voice was quiet, and she willed it not to shake. "He's with me because he loves me."

[Goblin]

"If I had any guns, that'd be an issue," Goblin said wistfully, and gave Cav a look. "I'm not gonna sit around and do nothing, though."

--

"And did he fall in love before or after he decided to use you?" Riddle asked mockingly. "With me, I think it was before, but with you, I'm thinking after. If at all."

[Cavalier]

Cav turned to lean against the bunk, arms folded across his chest. "Look, you dragged her into this because you needed her, right? So now you're gonna have to trust her to do the job. You try and play the hero, and bad stuff'll happen."

--

Her lashes fluttered, but she kept her voice calm, her hands fisted at her sides. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Why would you say that?"

[Goblin]

"Bad stuff seems to happen no matter what," Goblin pointed out. "But don't worry, I'll leave it up to her unless it turns out she can't handle it." If he started hearing screams or something, all bets were off.

--

Riddle finally looked up from her book. "Because if you're gonna play this game, you might as well know all the rules. Goblin's rule is that his plans come first, and everything else comes second. If he'd put you first, you wouldn't even be here." And if she could sow tension between the lovebirds, she could distract them from their master plan and hold onto her cushy job and the money that secured her future. And the warden's good graces, and Gypsy's loyalty.

[Cavalier]

Cav shrugged again. "Fair enough." He didn't really know why he cared. Life sucked for everybody in the Refuge, himself included, so he could argue that he wanted to see it crumble for purely selfish reasons. But then that wouldn't have been entirely true.

--

Script swallowed, the weight of Riddle's words sinking hard into her heart. "He loves me," she said again, needing to hear it. Needing to believe it. She suddenly and desperately needed to speak to Goblin again.

[Goblin]

"So what made you want in on the plan?" Goblin asked curiously. Cav could just lie, of course, but Goblin could probably tell if he did...and even a lie could be interesting. Even with all the scheming and double-crossing, there were always times when life in the Refuge was downright boring.

--

"Think what you want," Riddle said carelessly, turning a page. "Truth always bites you in the end."

((Should we let Rae charge in soon?))