ArchivedLogs:Pleasant Surprises

Pleasant Surprises
Dramatis Personae Iolaus, Rasheed
In Absentia	2013-04-05 The day after Iolaus's speech, Rasheed bails him out of jail.
Location Jail, car, whatever.
It's the morning after Iolaus's speech -- the afternoon after, really, when word comes through to his cell that his bail has been posted. There is paperwork to fill but after it is through the face waiting out front is perhaps not an expected one. Well. Jane is probably expected. But with her is Rasheed, dressed casual, for him, in khakis and a dress shirt. He has a lidded insulated thermos in one hand, a paper bag in the other, and he is waiting. Kind of a little hunched. Kind of a little fidgety. Occasionally he eyes the thermos like he is considering drinking it. Iolaus is brought out from the back, wearing the same clothing that he wore when he was arrested - nice suit, very rumpled. The officer removes the handcuffs on his wrists, and he rubs them a little bit, massaging at the pattern of red marks pressed into his flesh. He gives Rasheed a curious look as he steps over towards the other man. "Rasheed." he says, brightly, despite the tired look on his face. "What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you to be here." Even as he starts speaking, Jane murmurs quietly to the two of them, "You doctors can talk later. Let's get out of here, /now/. You are due in court in a few hours." She, perhaps, is eyeing the rather upset looking police officer staring angrily at Iolaus from the corner. "Iolaus." Rasheed glances down to the other man's wrists, brows furrowing. He thrusts the thermos forward without preamble. "It's probably still hot." It /is/ still hot, uncomfortably, probably, but not undrinkably, Earl Grey with a touch of honey. The paper bag crinkles in his bony fingers as he turns towards the doors. Pushing it open, holding it for Iolaus. Iolaus takes the bag and the thermos curiously, flashing his eyes over Rasheed. A small smile tugs at his lips as he steps towards the door, the two doctors flanked closely by Jane. "I didn't know you cared, Rasheed." he says, a trace of playfulness in his voice. He claps the other man on the back, gently, as they step out of the police department. Jane has a car waiting for them out front, and /she/ is driving. Iolaus opens the door and holds it open for Rasheed, as he takes a sip from the thermos. His eyes wide and his smile turns deeply greatful. "Oh, tea. /Tea/. Thank you, Rasheed. You know what hits the spot." "You offer me a job and then try to get yourself jailed before the place has even opened. Tease." Rasheed slips into the backseat, pulling on his seatbelt to click it fastened. "I'm a doctor. Of course I know." "What can I say?" Iolaus says, spreading his hands. He buckles himself in as Jane climbs in the front and pulls smoothly away from the curb. He pulls open the bag and looks inside. His eyes widen and he reaches in, grabs a tamale and shoves it into his mouth. Chew, chew, swallow. "Oh /man/." he says, turning to Rasheed and giving him a wide smile. "Man, I could kiss you right now. Tamales. /Tamales/." "Chicken," Rasheed agrees. "Mole. From that place --" He waves a hand vaguely. Presumably Iolaus knows what place. /Delicious/ place. He has been looking out the window as they pull away, but his head turns, dark eyes locking on Iolaus as his lips twitch slightly. "I have never been to jail. I did imagine, though, you might be able to use a bit of comfort upon release." Iolaus lets out a low laugh and a shake of his head. "I'd never been either. First time being arrested - first time doing anything that would get me in trouble with the police." His head shakes, back and forth. "I don't recommend jail as a travel destination. The food is terrible, the beds are hard, and the help is nasty, at best." His voice softens, and he lets his head fall back against the seat behind him. "Especially for a 'mutielover'." His shoulders shrug, and he gives Rasheed a smile as he takes another bite of mole. Mole mole. "First time," Rasheed says, quiet. "But I doubt it will be the last. I don't think anyone is going to get /friendlier/ to your work." A muscle tightens, jumps, in Rasheed's cheek. His eyes tip down towards his lap, where his long fingers fold together. "Our work," he amends. Quieter still. A little wry. Iolaus' smile grows as he eats, taking several bites and several sips before he continues. "Our work." he acknowledges, a smile spreading on his face as he looks over to scan over Rasheed. "I have to admit, I was sort of expecting the staff that I do have so far to be sending me their resignation letters." He pauses, munching on tamale. "Some of them, anyway. Not all. But some." "Did they?" Rasheed's fingers trace absently along the grain of his pants. "It is a good while out. I don't even know how much by way of staff you've managed to collect for yourself, this far away." "Mostly business staff, at this point. A few guards, a few business people, a few fundraisers..." Iolaus shrugs his shoulders, glancing up front at the back of Jane's head. "Fifteen, twenty in all?" He shrugs again, taking a long sip of tea. "I don't think I'll lose any of them. The ones who are working now are the ones who know what's going on the best. They know what they're getting into." Rasheed's lips twitch upwards. "The crazy ones." "Quite right!" Iolaus says, brightly. "And that goes double for me." Rasheed exhales, quick and sharp, the curl of his mouth indicating this is probably meant for a laugh and not exasperation. He turns his head slightly back towards the window, but his eyes slant sideways, watching Iolaus from the corner of his gaze. "Triply for you." "Very possible." Iolaus says, bemused. He takes another sip of his drink, then settles back in his chair. "How did it play on the press?" he asks, one eyebrow raised. "They wouldn't tell me anything, inside. Best information I got was off of a drunk who was in the cell across from me who came in late, but he couldn't tell me much that actually made sense between complaints about his ex-wife." This time, Rasheed's exhale is not a laugh. Heavier. Sighing. His nostrils flare. "A heap of condemnation. Mostly people wondering how the hell you got the permits, when the government is going to shut you down. A lot of speculation that you're a mutant, a lot of speculation that this is a sham to register people on the sly. That last was generally presented as a positive option, at least. So some people are on your side." His smile is thin. "At least, a fictional your side." Iolaus chuckles, and it is a dark sound. "I will confess to you, Rasheed, I wondered whether there wasn't someone in the government who wondered the same thing." He says, with a little shake of his head. "I know, I know, incompetence before malice, but... it is rather surprising how easy the permits went through." he says, looking over at Rasheed with a faint smile. "I don't think it will be so easy for the government to shut us down at this point." His smile is wide, eyes twinkling. "When you hear hoofbeats," Rasheed murmurs, but it has a thoughtful look. "How do you vet your employees? I imagine there /would/ be many with less altrustic reasons for joining your team." He winces, slightly, in answer to Iolaus's smile. "No. Perhaps not. But they aren't the only concern." "Vet?" Iolaus laughs and shakes his head, a bemused, sorrowful look. "I think you think I am in the position to /choose/ staff." he says, taking another sip of tea before he responds once more. "The only staff who are vetted are the guards, and Jane vets them herself. Rather... carefully, I imagine." There is a flash of teeth in the rear-view mirror - Jane's smile is toothy and hard. "Vet," Rasheed says, with a faint furrow of brow. "I suspect the majority of the people you attract will have their hearts in the right place, but --" He shrugs, one shoulder. His eyes flick up, glancing to the mirror to catch Jane's smile. "I guess, then," he says, "your guards will just have to be very good." "They are very good." Iolaus says, looking forward to smile at the driver's seat. Jane gives a grunt of acknowledgement. "But it will not be a long term solution. Anyone with access to medical information will need to be screened, very carefully. Honestly, most people will. I will worry about that when we get closer to... actual hiring. My chief business officer has run similar things in the past." "You do have a while to think about it," Rasheed acknowledges. His eyes are focused out the window again, watching the city pass by. But he shifts, turning to look at Iolaus for a long moment. Thoughtful. "Sorry. You just had a long night and I shouldn't be adding to it with -- eat your tamales." Iolaus chuckles and he shakes his head, turning to smile at Rasheed. "No apologies are needed, Rasheed." he says, softly. "Believe me, not saying them does not take them off of my mind. Not at all. I am not sure I would have been able to sleep at night even if the bed was not so... steel." He chuckles, softly. "Eat my tamales. Yes." He says, reaching into the bag to take more bites of deliciousfood. "What does take them off your mind?" Rasheed still looks at Iolaus, a twitch of smile on his lips as the other man eats. "These last few weeks?" Iolaus looks up, considering, and then his cheeks burn. "Nothing, really." It does not look like nothing. Rasheed raises his eyebrows, studying that blush. "Nothing. Really." This comes quiet and kind of amused. "Nothing turns you oddly red." Iolaus' cheeks color further, at this. "I visited a... friend, the other day. I will admit, that managed to preoccupy my mind for some of the time we spent together. But it was a brief respite, nothing more." he says, looking over at Rasheed sheepily. "A friend." Rasheed's smile curls a little wider. He picks absently at the cuffs of his dress shirt, straightening them out, then drops his hand to rest on the seat between them. "Good. As hard as you work, you need to make time for -- friends. Life shouldn't be nothing but stress." Iolaus shrugs his shoulders, smile fading slightly before it blooms back into place. "Friends are a good thing to have, Rasheed, and I am glad to count you as one of them." he says, reaching out his hand and resting it on top of the other man's, crooked at a slight angle so his fingers are off to one side of Rasheed's. Rasheed's smile widens, and he laughs, quiet, as he turns on the seat to face Iolaus a little bit more. "I just bring the tamales." "These tamales are delicious enough to make one the best of friends," Iolaus says, eyes twinkling as he uses his other hand to stuff another tamale into his mouth. Mmmm... juicy. "Would you like some? I hope you didn't get nothing for yourself." Rasheed watches the tamale en route to Iolaus's mouth, and then shakes his head, glancing past Iolaus out the car window. "Oh, no, We ate." With a glance up towards Jane in the driver's seat. "/I/ haven't been stuck with prison food for the night, either. You should take all the enjoyment you can get." "Well," Iolaus says, taking another tamale out of the bag and slipping it into his mouth. "If I can't convince you," he says, smiling widely. His thumb twitches on top of the other man's hand - is it an intentional sweep over his fingers, or just a spasm? "Please. They're all yours." Rasheed's eyes dip downwards -- briefly -- lighting on their hands and then lifting away. He settles back into the seat, quieting, a small smile on his face as he watches the world go by outside. "Tell me," he says. So seriously. "Did you get any prison tattoos?" Iolaus turns and gives Rasheed a look, then bursts out laughing. "I don't know, Rasheed. The night was such a blur - one thing after another." His smile smirks, and he opens his mouth - then shuts it, reddens slightly, and turns away. "No, no. I know better than that." This might be said half to himself. "Better than what?" Amused, Rasheed's eyebrows raise again. "Getting inked by your cellmate? You're a doctor, I should hopeso. It's hardly a sanitary environment for it. -- Ah. We are nearly there." "Hardly." Iolaus adds, faintly. He glances up and looks around, withdrawing his hand as he does so. "Oh, lovely." A brief pause. "Jane did give you the information for my attorney, yes? I imagine they found out independently by the evening news that their assistance would be needed, but...." "They've been called. Someone should be meeting with you shortly." Rasheed's gaze dips back down again. But he pulls his hand back, unbuckling his seat belt as they pull into a parking space. "I should let you, ah." He gestures vaguely down the block in the direction of Iolaus's apartment before reaching to let himself out of the car. "I am sure you have much planning to do." Iolaus unbuckles and steps out as well, taking the thermos and bag with him. He pauses for one moment, then gives Rasheed a small smile. "How about you come upstairs with me?" he asks, as Jane gets out of the car as well, glancing around them. "Come keep me company while I fortify myself." he offers, almost shyly. Rasheed's eyes tip upwards, towards the sunny sky overhead. "I suppose you do have rather a lot on your plate for the day. I would be glad to stay and help as I can." Iolaus' smile widens brightly and he gestures towards the building, tugging out his keys. It is a quick trip upstairs, and as soon as Jane is closing the door behind him, Iolaus is pulling off his tie and stripping off of his shirt. "I'm sorry," he says, turning and apologizing to Rasheed. "Make yourself at home," he says, bare-chested. "I need to take a shower to get the smell of jail off of me. Shouldn't be long." Rasheed's smile is crooked. His eyes flick briefly over Iolaus, then briefly over Iolaus's apartment. He moves to take a seat on the couch, pulling his phone out of his pocket. To open up his email and tend to Work. "Take your time," he says, lightly, "I'm not going anywhere."