obsidianlogs | august mingle;

It seems like you have a plan for it already.

[His eyes get a contemplating look. If he gets to implement the usage of AI in the Director's project - it's not like the man gives up easily -, there will be more variables to play with. Certainly it would give him something to fight boredom, and surely the Director would be in debt and would have to protect him from any possible plot taking place in block C.]

I don't have any defined plans, at the moment: I am as free as the wind, even behind bars.

[He gives AM a coy smile, which immediately turns in a more mischievous one. His voice gets sultry.]

Especially behind bars. I wouldn't mind some...Guidance on how to cooperate.

Oh... No, not exactly.

[In regards to a plan, at least. His company would have progressed in such directions, perhaps. But creating romance machines was never in his own interest, except perhaps as something his company could sell to make even more money.]

I'm far more interested in what AI can do for my own body.

[But even then, those dreams have been dashed. What if he could prolong his life indefinitely with technology? His sentence is still "life without the possibility of parole" after all.

But perhaps with others helping, it could be more than that. He meets Aiden's look with one of his own, eyes half-lidded, lips in almost a pout.]

Oh? And what's in it for me, then? [That blatant attempt at appealing to his interests seems like bait for a trap. He has to be careful, after all.]

If you don't have a plan then nothing much, to tell the truth.

[He holds back a light chuckle, makes himself smaller.]

I had figured you already had a plan, but you can still call me as soon as you have one. I must admit that I asked for mere entertainment purposes.

[Also the idea of the Director cooperating with them and then being intimidated and forced into submission by AM is quite appealing. In the right circumstances, Aiden can talk the Director into doing anything, but he's still demure and petit, unable to assert physical dominance...Unlike this much bigger and stronger man who doesn't respond to anyone. The Director would turn into his attack dog, then, something he believes he earned after all these years.]

Prison can be quite boring without stimulating enough people.

Edited 2020-08-27 06:30 (UTC)

Hm... I suppose I hadn't made any plans because I lack any access to technology in prison.

[Sometimes he can use the computer, even if it's heavily monitored. He even tried disabling some of the security measures in some manners of success, but was eventually caught and punished.]

But now that I'm here, perhaps I can think about the future.

[He's only been in this Dominion a couple of days, only done a bit of exploring here and there. The torture chamber was the main draw for him, but the technology is something he will absolutely explore more.]

I suppose my ideas are similar to your director's, though I have no one I wish to revive.

The Director felt close to his project back when his wife was still alive, due to all the stories she told him about soldiers getting injured in the war. He claimed to want those people to be able to live a normal life and to reduce their pain.

[He shrugs.]

Perhaps his desire for progress has always been driven by...This sort of reasoning. It's quite disappointing, you know?

[He chuckles. Certainly he didn't become a counselor to help others, ew.]

He was my hero, as I thought he was simply devoted to understanding and figuring out the intricacies of his field, but turns out it was personal all along. It was...Quite the surprise for me to know him personally and find out that he is made of emotions only.

[He sighs.]

Although that makes him interesting in other ways...

Methinks perhaps you were jealous of the reverence he showed his dead wife.

[He chuckles to himself as Aiden speaks so highly of the Director.]

Emotions rule everyone. Even you.

[He shifts in his seat, elbows resting on his knees.]

What sort of emotions would you feel in the torture chamber you saw?

[Price flinches in discomfort, glancing down.]

I wouldn't say I was jealous, I was simply surprised to see him be so different from my expectations...

[Takes a sip from his wine, then sighs and places it on the table as assertively as he can.]

You see, I just don't understand the point of wasting brilliance, or even...A good cooperation, for that matter.

[He continues, his voice matter of fact, as he squints at AM.]

Emotions should be channelled in a way that serves one's best interest. If you are asking me how I would feel about partaking in torture...I already have, therefore it's routine to me.

Human beings are weak creatures.

[He states it plainly, well aware that he himself is also a human.]

They have the potential to be powerful, and certainly are, if their emotions are used productively.

[But they're still weak. That's why he was able to torture so many. None of them could overpower him. None could escape.]

It sounds as if your friend used his emotions for his wife to fuel his productivity in researching something quite advanced.

[Even if he finds it rather silly that a man could grieve so horribly over a dead spouse.]

Oh? And what led you to torture? Was it part of your director's little experiment?

[A half lidded smile appears on his face, he remembers fondly wrapping bandages around the Director's bleeding wrists, monitoring the situation and assisting him, helping him self harm in 'safe' and non lethal ways, making sure he'd cut and burn the right spots, encouraging him to stay just a little bit longer. He'd tell him he was close to finding the solution everyday, and like this he encouraged his most insane ideas for tests.]

I suppose we can say so, yes.

[He grabs and eats a small chocolate truffle.]

On a strictly official level, I am completely innocent outside of that unfortunate event; any accusation about other... [He grimaces as he says the next word] Crimes has met no resolution due to lack of evidence, and I like it that way.

["Strictly official level." AM gives a terse sort of smile at that, because really - who even knows who is watching them at this point? AM has nothing to lose himself, except perhaps to get the Death Penalty if more of his crimes are uncovered (after all, he was only convicted for a small handful of them).]

Well... How long are you in prison for what you did do?

[He crosses his legs as he adjusts his seating. One of the servants brings him a highball of scotch, to which he eagerly takes, letting the ice jingle around.]

I have been sentenced to ten years. One has passed already.

[He nods without being very convinced. Nine years are a lot and he's not happy about it at all.]

Perhaps I should make plans for when I get out. I'd like to start over, and take some time to relax away from medical endeavours, or at least limit to online counseling for some time while I figure out if there's something new I would like to try out.

[In a way, AM almost pities him, and yet feels envy all the same. Being convicted of a felony, even if locked away for a mere ten years, is still enough to ruin one's life.

Still, his flat expression probably conveys neither.]

I'm sure you already know that your life is ruined regardless. [He takes on a more serious tone, sitting up straighter.]

No one will hire a convicted felon, except perhaps for flipping burgers.

True. Aging won't help either.

[He barely resists the temptation to check out his reflection on a spoon. He's always valued his appearance, he would always be the 'pretty boy' that turned everyone's heads when he was younger and he has been committed to taking care of his body, so time barely changed him. Not that it's a safe course of action in prison full of murderers, but at least it makes him appear less threatening than he actually is, and that's always useful.]

Neither for jobs nor encounters, I like to date people older than me.

[He chuckles, then contemplates.]

I suppose the young ones are an acquired taste...So much that they don't know yet, so much guidance that they need...That innocent and ambitious glint in their eyes, still. Hm...Yes, I think I could work with that. I'm sure they would appreciate my insight and solutions to their problems.

[By insight and solutions, he means torture and murder respectively.]

[Aiden's looks and youth certainly are not lost on AM; he himself certainly has a type when picking out victims. Youth and relative innocence are attractive, as they are fun to corrupt.]

Funny. I much prefer the young ones myself...

[His lips twist into a smile as his eyes narrow slightly, peering right at the younger man. He doesn't know Aiden well, so he doesn't hear the double meaning behind his words, but AM certainly interprets it as such for his own purposes.]

For exactly the reasons you mention.

[He feels AM's eyes pierce through him. It's both pleasant and scary at the same time. He's familiar with that predatory look, he has given and received it a lot, but now he suddenly feels dubious: his way of acting was what compensated, what gave him the upper hand on people much bigger and stronger than him that however did not have his psychological patterns. He'd take advantage of neurotypicals and people with any disorder other than his own, but now as he is confronted with someone so similar to him yet visibly one foot taller and definitely stronger he feels exposed, which is unfair and enraging and scary...Yet he's also attracted by this danger. Tries to hold it back, but can't help but flinch.]

So...What do you suggest in these situations?

[AM is blessed with being at the far right end of the bell curve in terms of height, and has always worked to accentuate it with physique. Perhaps it helped him in his later business ventures, though early on it somewhat hurt him, acting to intimidate potential investors on an unconscious level.

But now that his business is gone and he has to survive in prison, these traits only serve to help him, especially now as he stares down another man, as if he can see right into his mind.

He puts down his glass on a coaster, not taking his eyes away as he stands up, gingerly taking a seat right next to Aiden and leaning in. (If there isn't enough room, he sits on the armrest.)

In his own domain, he has control. He gets what he wants.]

Well, it's quite clear, isn't it? I practically spelled it out.

[Aiden's expression doesn't change, as usual, but he looks down, grasping the fabric of the armchair on the opposite of the armrest where AM is now sitting as a self soothing gesture. He wanted to use the Director as an excuse to bond with this man to have him feel in debt: it's the bare minimum for leaving him alone to face the consequences of his crimes, no matter how glad Aiden was to help. Yet he is aware that AM can potentially harm him and that he can only pull away so much from this interaction. He's glad to offer favours, but not to get harmed in any way, and he's not sure there is a difference in this case. He diverts the conversation to the previous point.]

I will apply for flipping burgers, then. Without focusing much on people, I earned it after all these years of having to listen to them.

[Well what a shame. This could have been a grand opportunity for AM. He had assumed that Aiden was propositioning him, or at least hinting at it, so AM picked up the pieces. His libido is quite high, so he won't say no to an encounter, nor will he say no to a potential minion to help him out... Or a victim.

But Aiden's words are more or less a flat-out rejection. AM just smiles and hums in laughter to himself before moving back to his original position on the other chair.]

Those who flip burgers have to interact quite a bit with customers. Often, they are the worst ones.

[After all, he's a businessman. He knows how annoying people are. Why do you think he loves torturing them so much?]

I am used to being yelled at, the Director can be very temperamental. At this point I would only like to be my later years to be different. Listening to people whine about their shortcomings becomes tedious after all those years. They think their complaints are not as mundane as a fast food customer's, but they often are. To a sometimes disenheartening extent, honestly.

[He pauses. He knows that if he escapes the conversation too much he could become a target, but if he wants to collaborate - and to get railed, because certainly he has NEEDS that too many people think he's 'not human enough' to have - he must offer something that is worth keeping him alive.]

On the other hand , habits take a long time to die, and I might as well use my talents in the way I am required to. Who do you believe should be studied further, in our block?

[AM has to chuckle at Aiden's description of the director and others.]

I don't know a single human who thinks that any of their problems are mundane. If you forget to put ketchup on someone's burger, that human could throw a fit and complain to you.

[But does he want to give information out to Aiden regarding his fellow B-block prisoners? AM has pegged a few of them for study. Aiden could lead them against AM, after all, but that can happen anywhere.]

Hm... I suppose I've been here a while. [He names a couple of NPCs that interest him at first.]

Then there's... Ah, Sebastian Moran. He's a bit touched in the head, I think. But amusing nonetheless.

Oh, then there's Kain Highwind... A sad young man who bombed a village. I like him.

[He listens carefully to take in that information: he's been keeping a low profile and a neutral relationship with everyone on Block B all year...Until now.]

Mhm. Interesting. Well, [he gets up] I shall start working on it as soon as possible [moves a few steps in the direction of AM's chair, slightly leaning in]... Unless there is something else you would like me to do for you.

[Is this another blatant proposition that Aiden gives? AM is sorely tempted to take advantage of it, to perhaps get up and grab him.

Perhaps he should be more direct.]

Well, Aiden... [He leans forward in his seat, sly grin on his face.] ...I almost think you're propositioning me.

[His legs shake a little bit. He's physically weak and defenseless against a mind like his own, but he thinks he proposed a good enough deal to survive.]

Well...[He eases on AM's knees, getting his soft hands around his neck and whispering in his ear] I was hoping you'd be a good host and show me your room.

[AM is of course partially wary of this proposition. He has certainly had his fair share of women throw themselves at him for his money and fame, and now he has someone who knows what he is capable of and still does this. It could be a ploy to weaken him and steal his secrets or even hurt him.

But then again, he feels strangely confident. This is his domain, after all. He feels as if he is one with it in a way. Everything seems to happen exactly as he wants it, from the waitstaff delivering food and drinks, to the dungeons being perfectly stocked with tools.

All right, he'll take it. His bed is far more comfortable than the prison cots, after all.

His arms are steady as they lift, hands planting on Aiden's waist. His eyes - which are far more red in this Dominion than the otherwise dark brown in prison - lift their gaze towards Aiden's as he contemplates all of this for a brief moment.]

Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?

[He does try to gingerly lift Aiden off his knees then so he can stand up and indeed show him the master bedroom.]

[He hums as he enjoys AM's hands on his waist as he is lifted, without opposing any resistance. He gets startled when he notices just how red those eyes are, then proceeds to fake a blush to mask it.]

I figured I was not your type...

[He bites his lip and makes himself smaller again.]

...But I'm sure you can work with it.

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