maskormenacelogs | [closed] I'm only joking. Don't believe a word I said.

[By the time Yuri reaches the walkway to the house he shares with a handful of other imPorts he has scarcely gotten to know, the sunny Heropa sky has turned leaden. A low rumble echoes overhead, the sound of one thousand drumbeats, and it is immediately followed by the light spotting of rain across the paving stones.

Yuri hastens toward his front stoop and there recognizes the teen that is waiting for him, eyes clouded, hands shaking visibly; the realization that the graying weather is the least of his concerns comes immediately thereafter.

With some disdain, Yuri gazes at the lightly pinched cigarette butts decorating the walkway and the crushed tobacco that lies in peppered smears, bleeding off into the grass line. He is appalled, but contains himself just barely for the sake of Jayden, who is unmistakably agitated. When he stops before the younger male, briefcase clenched tightly in one hand, his pristine shoes are deathly still as opposed to tap-tap-tapping with the pronounced irritation he feels within.]

I should hope there is a good reason for why you are spreading filth across my front lawn...?

[Jayden looks up, startled, first at the rumble of thunder and then the man it seems to have brought with it. A splotch of rain hits the knee of his jeans, another the back of his head, seeping down through his thick hair and trickling against his scalp. He scratches absently at the base of his skull with his free hand.

He takes a deep breath, eyes wandering to the carnage he's made with the remains of his cigarettes. He's smoked too many in a row and feels the opposite of how he wanted: jittery, skittish. He's not sure why he's here; after all this, he doesn't have anything prepared to say. He's learning this is a bad thing around Yuri, who is so measured and deliberate.]

Sorry. I'll – I'll clean them up.

[He wasn't really here at all while he waited, but back in the small room with the mirror, with the agents in uniform. It really is just like on TV, he'd thought again and again over the course of the afternoon.]

[Any other day, Jayden would have a lightning-quick comeback prepared, something fueled by the petulance of youth and a proclivity for rebelling against authority. However, the teen's quick apology emphasizes his state of distress. Yuri surmises inwardly that they will be a very long time standing in the rain if Jayden is permitted to go about his brooding, whatever has his nerves frayed threatening to distract him at every turn.

With a bothered sigh, he says near inaudibly...]

It can wait.

[Climbing the porch stairs, Yuri produces his keys from his pocket. He unlocks the front door to his home and holds it open expectantly for Jayden.]

There is going to be a storm. Come inside.

[He would rather the younger male cross the threshold before he is dripping wet and even more miserable looking than he appears to be now. Besides which, it will be easier to discuss whatever has brought Jayden to his doorstep if he is not preoccupied with water stains soaking into his furniture.]

[Jayden blinks, watching Yuri walk by him and open the door. He's being invited in, something he never expected, despite having been parked here awaiting the older man's arrival. He stands without ceremony, dropping his final cigarette and snuffing it out with the heel of his sneaker. He ducks under the cover of the porch shortly before the downpour commences.

He follows Yuri into the foyer, uncharacteristically silent. He's been talking for hours, as if his life depended on it. He's rarely felt this empty after a long conversation, this drained from the effort of attempted communication. He feels robbed of something. He lingers by the front door, his posture unsure and slightly unwieldy. Although not clumsy, he's always lacked a certain grace, and it shows more now than usual.]

[Jayden needn't use his words to communicate when his actions speak volumes; the silent way he shuffles inside and the awkward way he lingers by the front door tell Yuri that he did not expect to be a guest today. Of course, that begs the question, why seek him out at all if that is the case?

Truthfully, Yuri might have turned him away if it had not been for the solemn combination of the rain and the teen's shaking hands. So there they are, on the other side of a thick wooden door, now out of a downpour that sounds for all the world like the taunting applause of bony hands. And Yuri still does not have his answers.]

Leave your shoes.

[He unlaces his own and places them neatly against the wall, toes pointed out, then removes his jacket and hangs it neatly in the foyer closet.]

Follow me.

[Jayden presses his lips together and nods. He steps out of his sneakers in two swift motions, not bothering to untie them. He leaves them next to Yuri's, although not as meticulously positioned, swept aside by a socked foot. He stuffs his hands – still slightly trembling – into the pockets of his jeans and follows.]

[This pregnant silence is growing both concerning and exasperating, though Yuri suspects Jayden would speak had he any idea what to say. Something truly unsettling must have transpired to have robbed the boy of his words.

If only the same could be said for his lack of manners.

Yuri spares only a fleeting look of silent criticism in the direction of the untidily left sneakers before turning on the ball of his foot and proceeding further into the home. Its decor is simple, to say the least, though it manages to appear vaguely more welcoming than it would were there not effects belonging to the other residents of the home lying all about.

He leads the younger man to the sitting area where few of those effects accumulate due to the neutrality of the zone (and probably Yuri's tendency to pick up after others).]

Please have a seat. [A gesture is made to the sofa, the loveseat, or available arm chair before Yuri adds...] I would recommend mint tea...to take away the chill and to ease your anxiety. You are not allergic, I hope?

[Jayden misses the glance of scorn toward his sneakers and trails Yuri into the living room. The house seems to be identical in layout to his own, but with slightly different layout of furniture and a neater overall look. Jayden sits on the nearest piece of furniture, the sofa, and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The offer of tea is surprising. He never chooses to drink tea, preferring hastily bought cups of Dunkin Donuts coffee when the jolt of caffeine is needed, but it seems impolite to refuse.]

Um, sure. Thank you. No, I'm not.

Good. Please excuse me a moment.

[Yuri leaves the teen to his thoughts and heads into the kitchen. However, mint tea does not take very long to steep, and before much time has passed, he is returning to the living room with a small tray upon which sits two small mugs with saucers, a teapot, two spoons, and some honey. There is also a small bowl full of steaming water and a cloth sitting folded next to it.

As Yuri sets the tray down upon the coffee table and takes a seat at the opposite end of the couch as Jayden, he gestures to the bowl and washcloth.]

For your face and hands. Mind your eyes, there is a touch of lemon.

[The application of steam will undoubtedly help with destressing, and the hint of lemon will strip from Jayden's hands the scent of cigarettes before he has a chance to get it all over everything. Ideally, at least.

Yuri pours tea into both their cups, slides Jayden's his way, and then administers two heaping spoonfuls of honey into his own. He stirs his drink quietly, spoon in the center of his cup rather than clinking noisily against the sides, then lays the spoon down upon his saucer. Lifting the cup to his lips, he says...]

Now, perhaps you will tell me what has brought you here?

[The bowl of water and the washcloth confuses him for a second, but with the combination of grime from the outside humidity and the clinging scent of cigarette smoke, it probably is better that he washes up. There's something oddly holistic to the whole thing, mint tea included, but Jayden isn't sure why he's surprised. Yuri's got the hair of a hippie, why not the sensibilities, too? Again he doesn't refuse, because he's afraid the hospitality will cease the moment Yuri interprets his behavior as difficult, and Jayden does not want to be alone right now.

He scrubs his face and hands, then debates how much honey to put in the tea. He ends up echoing Yuri's two spoonfuls, but his stirring is nowhere near as elegant. The spoon clatters against the china, and for a moment he's afraid he'll drop the delicate cup when he tries to pick it up, the way his hands are still periodically shaking. He decides to let the tea cool, resting his hands on his thighs, and focuses instead on answering the older man's question.]

I... I think I almost got arrested today.

You...what?

[His surprise is genuine, and any lingering irritation appears to melt away as he absorbs the meaning behind Jayden's words. What could he possibly have done to have almost gotten himself arrested? Though, Yuri supposes the key word there is almost. Whatever Jayden was suspected of, there mustn't have been enough evidence to hold him.

One thing is for certain, Yuri knows now why the teen's hands have been shaking so violently and why it is he reeks of smoke. Perhaps it is also safe to assume he knows why Jayden has come to him of all people, too. Yuri has not kept it a secret that he was a judge where he comes from. Is it possible that Jayden is hoping to receive some kind of counsel from him? The last thing Yuri wants is to be pulled into the complicated affairs of other people, but he can hardly turn the young man away now that he has welcomed him inside and extended his hospitality this far.]

...Tell me what happened. From the beginning, please.

[Setting down his cup, Yuri makes the decision to withhold judgment until he hears the whole story.]

[He has been fearing a snap judgment, even a haughty What did you do? from Yuri. But he probably didn't get all the way to judge by dismissing every case at face value, and Jayden lets out a breath of relief when he asks for details rather than making pointed accusations.

He fidgets with his hands, one leg jiggling against the floor, yet one more outlet for his frayed nerves.]

I was at work, and I was coming back from lunch, just – walking back to the building. Then suddenly this dark unmarked car pulls up next to me, and guys in suits get out and tell me to come with them.

[Jayden Zarkov, one of them had said, with the mispronunciation of "Zh" in "Zharkov" he had long come to expect from American speakers, but for some reason he had wanted to correct them this time. Probably because of the distaste in the voice who had spoken it. There was something about him they already despised, from his name on up. We have a few questions we'd like to ask you.]

They said they had questions for me. I asked who they were, and they said they were with the government. No agency name, just "the government." I asked if I was, you know, a suspect in a crime or anything, and they said no, but I would be if I resisted their inquiry. That's the exact way they said it. Resist our inquiry.

[His voice turns flippant, his lip curling upward as he imitates the agent who had spoken to him. His hands have begun to shake harder, and he flattens them out, pressing his palms against his thighs.]

What was I supposed to do? They had guns.

[Of course, Yuri thinks. He should have guessed sooner that this had something to do with the government. He knows that there are still interrogations taking place, it simply hadn't occurred to him that Jayden's number hadn't already been drawn.

What a mess.]

Based on the fact that you are sitting here with me, I am going to go ahead and presume you did just as they asked. That is good, Jayden, despite how it may make you feel.

[Yuri remembers what it was like to be questioned by the government. Even he had been uncomfortable, but given the circumstances, he'd accepted that it was natural to feel that way. Jayden, on the other hand, is not an individual whose logical compass always points in the right direction. It is much more likely that he'd begun feeling panicked right away, and Yuri wouldn't be surprised if the teen had defeated himself asking far too many internal questions and blaming himself for having wound up in that position in the first place.]

I am sorry, I did not mean to interrupt. What happened next? How did you respond to the questions they asked you?

[He lets out a breath, strangely comforted by Yuri's words. Having someone else tell him he did the right thing in a strange situation means a lot more than he thought it would. He nods.]

I did, yeah.

[He makes an attempt to pick up the tea cup and manages a sip – he made it too sweet unintentionally – before setting it back down and focusing again on the events of that afternoon.]

They took me somewhere – a government building, I guess? And we went to an interrogation room. They really look like they do in the movies, it's kinda fucked up. Then they just started asking a bunch of weird questions, like where I was born and how long I've been in America, and like, if I knew the Pledge of Allegiance. Who the hell asks that?

[Temporarily willing to ignore that profane slip...]

The answer to that? Those hoping to unearth anything they can use against you, for whatever reason.

[Curling his fingers around the looped handle of his cup, Yuri picks it up once more and brings the rim to his lips. He sips in silence, his gaze settling on a point far across the room.

The same invasive and entirely ridiculous questions had been asked of him weeks ago. The government had wanted to know all about where he'd been born; his political leanings; and had expressed a particular interest in his father, a man they described falsely as an American Hero. Yuri suspects he has more to hide than Jayden does, with especial regard to his father, but the whole experience was, for him, nowhere near as disconcerting as it was inconvenient.]

When they concluded their interrogation, what happened then?

Yeah. Yeah. That's what I was thinking, too.

[He sighs.]

We kept going back and forth on like, what I want to study in school. Oh, and stuff about the greater good. "Do you think your career goals will help the greater good?" What does that even mean? My dad was an engineer and they make good money. That's it.

[He nervously goes back to the tea, but again it's still too sweet.]

That's the thing. It kept going. I was there for like, hours. After the stupid school thing, they started talking about my positive attitude toward the Soviet Union. Like I guess they got some sort of tip? I dunno. I think they were talking out of their asses. But they wanted to know what kind of loyalty I might have toward the Soviets. I kept saying I didn't have any loyalty, where I'm from there isn't even any Soviet Union anymore. But they kept asking the same stuff different ways, you know? I guess hoping to trip me up. I finally said if they thought I was guilty of a crime I wanted a lawyer, and they just kind of laughed at me. Then they left me alone locked in the room for awhile.

[He slumps against the back of the couch, raking his hands down his face.]

They were probably watching me through the mirror, waiting for me to crack. Fuckers.

May I suggest being more cautious in the future?

[Yuri sets down his teacup. Taking up the spoon next to it, he stirs into his drink a little more honey. He has always been of the opinion that sweet syrup helps him think, and sometimes certain things require more thought than others.]

I mean no disrespect, Jayden, but you have a certain proclivity towards poorly timed free speech. Your recent broadcast, for example?

[Yes, he's aware. He may not have said anything at the time, but that didn't mean it had gone unnoticed.

He lays down his spoon, samples his tea and, satisfied, leans against the back of the sofa once more.]

Asking for a lawyer was wise, but do not count on that being enough in the future. Remember the rights that were denied the Soviets...and do not think that because there are no mirrors, the government as ceased its watching. [A beat.] They may even be watching now. I found myself under interrogation a couple of weeks ago.

You saw that?

[For once, he doesn't have a flippant response. He's just very shaken from the whole thing, and the slow-dawning realization that his post might have directly resulted in the visit from the feds.

He sits up again quickly, stunned by Yuri's revelation. Maybe Jayden has a way of drawing attention to himself, but Yuri, even with his flashy hair, is far less conspicuous. Excluding his name, nothing about him screams "Russian," let alone "Soviet supporter."]

Wait, they questioned you too? Why?

I did, but then, that should not surprise you. Once you put something out there for the world to see, people will, in fact, see it. Which is precisely the reason I want to stress being cautious, Jayden.

[If Yuri was a man of more humor, he might laugh at Jayden's naivety. The answer to his question is such an obvious one, and Yuri suspects the teen knows it, and that he is just too unsettled to realize it.]

Think about what you're asking. In their position would you leave any stone unturned? Oftentimes...dangerous people make it a point to know how to hide in plain sight. Then again, they may also have been trying to send some kind of message. "We're watching everyone."

[He might have weathered the reprimand without bristling if Yuri hadn't used his name. It sounded too much like a kindergarten teacher's tactic. Sit down, Jayden, hands to yourself. Back when he'd needed special help with his pronunciation, or had to be reminded to use the English, not the Russian word for certain things. He's not five years old anymore, and he doesn't appreciate being treated as such.

He flops back against the couch again, limbs limp, like wet spaghetti. He sighs dramatically.]

I just didn't think you would bother to read it.

[He scowls.]

In their position, I would know racial profiling is pointless and just pisses off innocent people.

[...limp spaghetti that smells of smoke and happens to be rubbing further into his furniture that repulsive odor.

Yuri sighs.]

I am not sure why. You have made it a point to be noticeable. Naturally, given the circumstances, I would pay attention to the broadcast of someone like that.

[In the event they say something incriminating. And in Jayden's case...he had. He'd sigh again at that thought if it wouldn't make him sound too windy.]

In any case...I believe angering you was their intention. People do not think as clearly when their tempers have been brought to boil, you see. They become careless. I expect they were more concerned with catching you in a lie than they were about upsetting the general imPort populace. After all...those of us with ethnic ties to Russia are a minority as far as I can tell. The backlash here would not be of any consequence to a government as large as theirs.

[He finishes his tea and sets his cup down with finality before standing, hands sliding into his pockets.]

That is how I see things, and that is my advice. I believe you came here seeking those things, did you not? If you are unhappy with what I have said, you are welcome to leave.

[Made it a point to be noticeable. Somehow that sounds like a compliment, particularly because Jayden hasn't been doing anything he wouldn't have done normally. He still isn't entirely sure Yuri finds him worth wasting time on, so this gives him a small flush of pride.

But when did you start wanting to get this guy's approval? He doesn't know, but he vacillates between wanting it and flippantly disregarding it so often it confuses even him.]

... I guess you have a point.

[He watches Yuri stand, not wanting to do the same. He's suddenly exhausted, the adrenaline from the afternoon finally ebbing from him. He could probably curl up and go to sleep right now, if he didn't sense Yuri would be deeply displeased if he did.]

But what did you tell the feds, when they talked to you? How did you convince them you weren't a spy or something?

[Lack of evidence was probably the only thing that freed Jayden. Even still, an ominous remark had been made about his duties to the military because of his registered imPort status. The implication clearly was that he'd done nothing for his adopted country since arriving. But given his useless "power," he wonders if he should just unregister and try going it alone, if they were going to hold such things over his head.]

I told them the truth. [Then, almost as an afterthought...] Rather, I told them a version of it.

[Why he has confessed as much to Jayden he cannot say. They are, however, in a similar boat, their ethnicity being the primary reason that each of them has been targeted and interrogated, and their actions thereafter being the only things that separate them.]

What I mean is this: I provided honest answers to the questions they asked of me, though I did not readily supply unnecessary information. As to the rest...I am not a spy and therefor spent very little time focusing on convincing them of that fact. [He slides his hands into his pockets, an attempt to keep them from clenching at his sides.] I concluded early on that any attempt on my part to deliberately force the interrogation in my favor would only make them more suspicious. I needed to let things happen naturally, and that is what I did.

[Which isn't to say he is entirely free of being suspected, only that he was released without any additional difficulty.]

Of course, I will not lie and tell you that doing so was easy. The entire experience felt like...no, it was a violation of my privacy, as it was yours. But we know already that this government does not value fundamental rights.

[Jayden snorts at the explanation.]

You have more patience than me, obviously.

[He's not sure he could have let things play out so organically. His fear had been jacked since the moment they made him get in their car – which, of course, is exactly what they had wanted. The intimidation factor.]

What do you think we should do?

I assure you, it has much more to do with practice.

[Years spent in the field of law and as a vigilante have done wonders for steeling his nerves.]

Ah...we?

[At that, Yuri finds his gaze settling once more on the teen, his hard green eyes softening. Does Jayden believe they are honestly in this together? Is he holding onto that notion because Yuri hasn't yet kicked him out on his backside? He probably should, come to think of it, give the teen the boot that is. Preferably before he makes himself a nuisance or becomes even more of a liability. Though perhaps it is too late for that.]

I would advise acting natural, but in your case, that is precisely what got you into trouble in the first place. So perhaps...finding something with which to occupy more of your time? The busier you are, the less suspicious you are likely to seem.

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