The Sister told Chione the bandage would have to stay, although the cut was superficial enough that it would heal. It had been more shock than loss of blood which had knocked her out cold. With that all explained, she was dispatched, and Zoe offered to escort Chione out through to the balcony overseeing the central yard. The guard gave a sound of exasperation which was too familiar at this point.
“You may be a big hot shot in your giant armour, but in person you’re still a pretty small thing. What the hell were you thinking going there on your own?”
“Didn’t exactly have much of a choice, now did I,” Chione retorted.
“You go with a buddy. If the showers are crowded you need at least one another person to watch your back when you’re facing the wall. Just be glad you got out of there with a few bruises and a gash, you could have ended with a lot worse, you could have been raped––”
Dee stopped herself, although not quickly enough. The other girl tensed up, especially as the guard now anxiously looked back at her; something which only made Chione feel worse. Even crushing Cheshire into the ground hadn’t done enough to erase those memories. The girl just breathed in and let her shoulders fall.
“I can’t trust anyone, not here.”
Zoe scratched her hand, and avoided looking at her.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean…. The point is you really need someone on your side, even if you don’t trust them. Look, half of these ‘relationships’ are completely transactional. If you just hookup with a girl who isn’t too pushy you would save a lot more dignity than you lose.”
“Not too pushy?”
“I mean like… maybe they just want some heavy petting and cuddling, stuff like that. Without going too… invasive.”
At that, Chione gave a tut and rolled her eyes. That prompted a flicker of annoyance on Zoe’s face, and she folded her arms questioningly.
Chione groaned and said, “look whatever people say, I’m not some princess. Say what you mean if you have to. This place is a foul hellhole anyway, I can’t exactly complain about language. Let’s be frank, Zoe.”
“Yeah, fine,” the woman sighed. “I can be frank.”
“Speaking of, I have to ask….” Chione glanced down to the unfixed buckle of the guard’s belt, and up again, “what was all that with Sister Ambrosia? You need insulin?”
“Ah uh… hormones, actually.” Zoe Dee gave a small chuckle, “they make me more feminine.”
Chione tilted her head for a second, trying to comprehend the connection. Then her eyes widened, although only a little.
“Oh, I see,” she said. “You’re like, androgyne?”
“Cross,” Zoe quickly said, “fully over. I mean I’m not a pretty princess either but I think I look more feminine than the bois.”
“Well,” Chione managed a small smile, “you’re easier on the eyes than most, so it must have worked.”
“Ah!” quite rarely, the guard’s face lit up. “Thanks. Apart from the Sister no one’s said anything like that. I mean, the inmates just give me abuse. N-not that I don’t appreciate the Sister’s compliments! Or yours….”
Chione nodded. “If you were a prisoner you’d probably be the one person I’d ask to watch my back.”
“Heh, yeah. We could almost manage, the two of us.”
“I suppose we would— what was it? Hook up?”
A small twinge of red flashed over Dee’s face, so she stood a little straighter.
In a somewhat deeper voice she said, “that all said, we should drop this line of thinking. Any more and I think we’d be breaking fraternisation rules.”
“Alright,” Chione said, walking along as before. But she added with another smile, “guess that means we won’t know if we’d be doing heavy petting or not!”
Even before the evening lockdown, the Pack often liked to return to their cell. They had the room to themselves, ever since the sixth cellmate died in a V92 accident two years ago — and bribing guards kept the space unfilled. One day, Tatiana and Sophy arrived mid-conversation, finding Roxie already on her bunk and reading another one of her magazines from Commissary.
“Hey Roxie,” Tat said, briefly breaking from her chat with Sophy.
“Hey,” the girl responded, rather sedate as she flipped another page.
The two other girls sat down on the floor, with the blonde reaching for her brush and beginning to methodically straighten her already sleek hair. Tatiana continued her complaining.
“I just think that before Leda makes another comment like that, she should get her own house in order. And she’s. So. Rude.” she finished by emphasising each word. “You think it might be her month?”
“No, I think Trofima’s sleeping around.”
“You’re kidding! Seriously?”
“Seriously. You’ve seen her swan about. And she made a pass at me.”
“Eurgh, that’s so wrong,” Tatiana moaned. “Now if it was one of us, I’d get it. You know, hustle for a few extra rations.”
Sophy raised an eyebrow. “You better not let Rig or Vil overhear you.”
“No but like theoretically.”
“Didn’t guys like to play the field back where you’re from? It’s the same with bois.”
“But guys are different,” Tatiana said. “I keep saying this! Average guy is a bag of meat with juices sloshing around ready to burst. If they don’t kill or fuck they explode. Everyone here is just acting.”
“What, you think it’s all like pretend?”
“You put a bunch of women together and we get bored, we get frustrated, so someone chooses to play what they think a guy is like to bring back some spice.”
Sophy put down her brush and leant back on her arms.
“Heh, maybe that’s why the Warden brought in mr Pygamile. He doesn’t seem fit to explode though. Seems too poncey.”
“Maybe not,” Tatiana admitted, “but imagine if they brought in a bunch of guys. Maybe a prisoner transfer. Just twenty of them. They’d overrun us in a day.”
“Come on!”
But Tatiana was breathless as she pushed the train of thought.
“I’m serious! Big guy, tough, he could overpower any one of us. They’d set up themselves as kings and make us their slaves. They’d ban clothes so they could take us any time they wanted. No rules, just urges. A return to nature.”
“That’s just dumb,” Sophy rolled her eyes, “sounds like you’re just getting your fantasies out of hand.”
“But seriously, you think half the girls in here would act so tough if they didn’t have to? Or these weird games and groups? No, if you had men, things would go back to normal. They’d tell you what to do cause they’re bigger and stronger than you. And you’d accept it.”
“Maybe you would, but I wouldn’t.”
The two looked up. It was Roxie who had spoke, now leaning over the side of the bunk. Her mauve hair was loose and dangled over them.
“I’d kill them,” she said. “Or maybe they’d kill me. Someone would die though.”
“See, Roxie knows what’s up,” said Sophy, smiling wryly, “she’s much smarter than you, Tat.”
Tatiana lightly shoved Sophy and the two broke into giggling. It was around then the gate opened again and in came Rigoletta and Vil. Seeing them, Roxie’s own smile faltered, and she withdrew to the other end of her bunk, grabbing both her cover and her comic. The girls on the floor also looked up at them. Rigoletta’s expression was fixed, and she threw down her jacket with force.
“What’s up with you?” asked Sophy.
“We got a lot of lip from Vela’s gang,” Vil reported, “and the guards stepped in before we could rearrange their faces.”
“People think they can mess with me now,” Rigoletta said through clenched teeth, “all because of that worm!”
Wearing a nervous smile, Tatiana suggested, “well, didn’t you hear she got shanked? Sounds like people can mess with her too!”
“Barely scratched from what I heard,” said Vil.
Rigoletta scowled, “I don’t want anyone getting to her anyway. That bitch is mine, just you wait. Gah,” she tensed up her whole body, looking up to the ceiling to crane her neck, before letting it all loose, “fuuuck. I need to get off some steam. You take Sophy, I take Tat?”
Vil shrugged, “eh. Kinda bored of Tat. I wanna take a crack at Roxie. It’s been a while. You hear that, Rox?”
When there was no response from the top bunk, Vil called out again:
“Roxiiiie.”
Roxie emerged from beneath her sheets just to stick out her tongue at Vil, before hiding again.
“Yeah well enjoy your victory glory for now,” Vil grumbled. “I’m still stronger than you, remember. And we all know you’re a girly girl at heart.”
“I-I can be your girl tonight,” Tat said.
She quickly came up on her knees to cradle Vil’s legs. The bald girl, despite making a show of disinterest, gently lay her hand on Tatiana’s head and threaded fingers through her brown hair.
“Fine, that works. Sophy with Rig then?”
Sophy however just stowed away her brush and rose to her feet.
“I’m not, like, super in the mood.”
“Get in the mood then,” Rigoletta said, leaning in and brushing her hand along Sophy’s arm. “Your she-wolf’s hungry and wants some meat.”
Having heard this kind of ‘wooing’ before, Sophy could barely refuse rolling her eyes.
“It’s nearly time for Count and lights-out you know. We can go tomorrow, and just rub it out if you have to do it now.”
“Grr, you wanna be on my shitlist too?”
“What, with Chione?” Sophy giggled, “she’s really shown you up, hasn’t she. Maybe I should go show her a good time if she’s––”
That did it. Rigoletta grabbed Sophy’s arm, wrenched it up behind her back, and thrust Sophy down face first into the lower bunk. Tatiana gasped, and hugged Vil’s legs tighter. Roxie didn’t stir from the top bunk. Despite her best efforts, Sophy was totally locked and couldn’t wrest free of Rig’s grip, as the massive woman bent over her from behind, leaning close to whisper in her ear.
“You wanna say that again?”
“St-stop! I was just, like, teasing. Please… just don’t be too rough.”
“She won’t say it again,” Vil said in a monotone.
That apparently was enough for Rigoletta to loosen her grip, and Sophy quickly nodded and promised not to badmouth her again. Still, Rigoletta’s smile grew manic and wide.
“Sure thing,” she said, “I’ll be gentle. ”
Roxie peeked from under her cover, catching a glimpse of the top of Rigoletta’s head, and of that ravenous smile. The last thing she saw was her disappearing beneath the bunk, and onto Sophy.
So Roxie lay back against her pillow, letting out a quiet breath. She guessed she’d have to listen to it playing out beneath her, and knowing Rig they might be going at it for an hour or two. Despite all the noise and bustle of these past few weeks, nothing had really changed. Everything these past few years had been the same.
Well, except one thing. It was the white hair that stuck in Roxie’s mind clearest: that neatly cropped mid-length silver mane. Roxie smirked to herself. She wasn’t done with her.