In Isolation

[Clarke Griffin]

Nicolette Carmichael

---

She feared he was caught. There was on guard, that Clarke had grown quite attached to. From some source he had always brought her coal with which she could draw, but he was no longer here. He had been gone for way too many shifts. Maybe he was caught. In that case smuggling coal to a kid in isolation was not something he would be floated for, but he would be put somewhere else. She was glad it was no crime he could be killed for, not even a crime to begin with, but something he’d be reprimanded for. Clarke watched as new guards came in in the morning. She didn’t feel too comfortable about all of it, sadly. She was lonely and the coal was all that kept her sane, she thought. She was in isolation after all, letting her mind wander was all that she had. 

Clarke thought it must be evening, when the door opened again. It was probably either time for food or for her to be searched again. Funnily enough the coal was the thing they never took, just if she kept some extra food for later, that was what they took. Apparently she had to either eat all at once or not everything. She didn’t have much of a choice, sadly. Clarke turned to the door, defiantly – usually she should face the wall. She looked at the new guard, a woman this time. “What’s your name?” Any interaction would be more than welcome and like with the other – if she came more often – she would ask this question over and over again until she got an answer. 

[Nicolette Carmichael]

Nicolette had been placed in a different part of the skybox, she wasn't sure why, but she didn't question it. More kids to get to know. Not that she knew many, just that she would have to remember faces and names. But that was ok. It was time for a search though and she unlocked Clarke's room. The girl was facing her and not to the wall. But this was common behaviour for these kids. They always demanded something. But this girl just asked her name. "Nicolette. Nic for short. Please turn and face the wall. It's time for a search." She told the girl. Sometimes all these kids needed was a friendly enough guard, a nice voice to listen to. But it all depended on the kid. Some of the kids would shout at her, or stare at her scar. Other kids would laugh at her sounding so friendly, but that was when she would bring out her strength, which they hadn't expected. 

Searches were rather eventful for some of the kids. A lot of them at first would try and hide food, which wasn't allowed. And then they would just protest, which never helped their case, at all. The kids who didn't fight were the ones that Nic was nice towards, and she tried to be as nice to the others as well, but sometimes the kids were just so aggressive. 


-----


Clarke Griffin

[Clarke Griffin]

That was new. Clarke had expected the new guard to be a bit more cautious of telling her their name. She expected them to have been briefed on the way councilor Griffins daughter might try to make things personal. It was that way, that she had managed to get her colleague to bring her the drawing supplies, though she suspected there was a benefactor outside, who worked on him as well. There was another reason for Clarke to do so, for her to try and make contact with the new guard as she had made contact with the old guard: She was in isolation here. She could not go out and talk to people, she was all alone. Clarke, like any human being, craved contact. Contact was easier when you managed a personal level.

“Nice to meet you.” Clarke said, before she turned to face the wall, taking on a relaxed stance, as she knew the guards might make her move and some could be rough about it. She learned early to expect everything and not put up resistance. She would stand alert when she knew that guard better, like well enough to know how she was going on about this. “Is there anything in particular that you are looking for or is this routine?”

Nicolette Carmichael

[Nicolette Carmichael]

Nic grunted, she didn't NEED to answer the question. It was a routine thing. She walked in, closed the door, so that she couldn't escape if she tried. And stepped up to the young girl. She quickly began to search the girl, patting her down like she was taught to do. Swiftly but effectively. Nothing on the girl. Good. It was always a hassle when she found something that was forbidden. The boys would try and argue their way out of it, or they would try attack her. Just because they thought they could beat her, a girl. It was the dumbest thing they could do. She was a guard. A guard that had trained super hard in the physical training, because she knew men, or boys were going to push her around. But then again that wasn't the only reason. She had thrown herself into her studies, especially including her physical training because she had to distract herself from her grief from her best friend, Benny's, death. 

Then it was time to check the bunk. Which was an easy enough job. It was just searching the bed, lifting up the matteress, to see if there was anything under there. That's usually where people would hide things they didn't want found. People tried to be clever, but it didn't work. 
What Nic found was something curious. Some charcoal, hidden in a small bag, probably to keep from smudging and making a mess. Nic held up the bag. "What's this?" She asked. Of course she knew what it was, but not what for. Who kept charcoal, and how did she get it?


------

Clarke Griffin

[Clarke Griffin]

Clarke disliked searches. It was invading ones personal space, but it needed to happen. Some of the kids in here or the grown ups who awaited their execution on the same day or the next, would try to have weapons to defend themselves. She didn’t. Clarke had spent enough time around her parents to know this was entirely useless. It would just make the chance of a review even more unlikely. Clarke knew hers had no chance anyway, so there was even less point in keeping weapons in her cell. Why make the guards life harder when she had no reason for it and no hope of getting out of there, at least not as an alive and walking woman. Clarke turned slightly when she moved on from searching her to searching the bed and area around it. She had stashed the coal in her bed so she wouldn’t accidentally lose it. 

Clarke shrugged when the other women held up her charcoal. She still didn’t remember a rule where that was forbidden, but she could never know what they would think now. So far she didn’t know of any previous prisoner using coal to draw in the cell. “Charcoal. The pictures in the cell were made with them. Helps pass the time in isolation. I’ll be floated in a few months after all. For treason.” She still had no doubt about it. Treason was punished in history, by death often, so why should she be spared?

Nicolette Carmichael

[Nicolette Carmichael]

“Charcoal. The pictures in the cell were made with them. Helps pass the time in isolation. I’ll be floated in a few months after all. For treason.” The girl replied. Nic gave a small smile. This technically wasn't forbidden, so she let it slide. She doubted it would be much fun in isolation. 
She glanced around at the walls, she had noticed them as she walked in, but hadn't thought that Clarke had made these. "These are incredible." Nic commented. And they were, there was no denying it. She couldn't draw. Only basic shapes, but nothing as intricate as these drawings. "How long have you been drawing?" She walked over to the girl, and held out the charcoal to her, wanting her to take it. 

Nic knew why Clarke was in here, she had been briefed on every prisoner she had to see. So she was no stranger to her traitorous reasons. Nic didn't quite agree that she should be punished, but laws were laws for a reason. She was here to enforce them. That she could do. Her job as a guard meant she had to do a lot of things that people didn't agree with, or things SHE didn't quite agree with. And because of some of the things she had to do people hated her for it. Maybe not her specifically, but the guards in general. She didn't mind. As long as everyone kept the peace. That's all she could ask for. 


------


Clarke Griffin

[Clarke Griffin]

“Basically since I can remember.” Clarke replied. She really couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t draw. It was her fathers doing. He had been doing designing on tablets and paper and the little Clarke had been fascinated with it. She had begun with trying to draw her family, then to trying to design like him on to abstracts and finally, as she grew into a teenager Clarke had begun really expressing her heart and soul with drawing. It was around that time that Wells started to give her drawing tools and she was more than grateful for that. Had she known earlier how much he was giving for that, she would have made it a lot fairer for the two of them, but there was no going back. There was no way Clarke would win her review. And her crime was just knowing of something, that would be her death.

“Will you take the charcoal away?” Clarke asked, almost scared of the answer. She didn’t want it to happen. She would be so bored. She was awaiting death, why should she await it with actually thinking about it. Clarke looked at the pictures. “Please, I’m not hurting anyone with them. I’m going to be floated anyway. They can be washed off, too. It’s just charcoal.” She hoped it would work, she hoped she would get to keep the charcoal, her only distraction.

Nicolette Carmichael

[Nicolette Carmichael]

“Basically since I can remember.” Clarke replied. Nic smiled lightly. 
"Well, your drawings are beautiful." She told her softly. And they were, there was no denying that fact. It was impressive that she had kept it up. On the ark it was hard to have hobbies. This was clearly one of Clarke's. But maybe because she was more priviledged than others? Nic didn't know. She didn't have many hobbies, mostly just reading books. She didn't have any talents, basically she was just a boring person who had become a guard. There was nothing special about her. Her parents made sure of that. 


“Will you take the charcoal away? Please, I’m not hurting anyone with them. I’m going to be floated anyway. They can be washed off, too. It’s just charcoal.” Clarke was pleading with her. 
"Of course I'm not going to take it. Here. Take it." She held out the charcoal to the girl. There was no point denying the girl the simple pleasure of drawing, of not being bored. At least this way maybe Clarke could respect her as a guard, and not bother her in the future, unlike some of the other delinquents that she had to attend to. Though so far it seemed that Clarke was going to behave. Making life easier for the both of them. Nic wanted to ask the girl some questions, but was to scared to. Not because of her shyness, but because she didn't want or need to get attached to Clarke, not when her fate was most likely to be floated. She had already had a hand full of people she knew die, she didn't need any more. It was best to keep this as professional as possible, without being too harsh on the younger girl.

------
Clarke Griffin

[Clarke Griffin]

Clarke took the charcoal back carefully, as if it was a treasure and really it was a treasure for her. She didn’t have a lot in here and what was coming was in many ways terrifying. When she turned 18 she would have to endure a review, but Clarke already knew how that would turn out. It could not turn out well. She could plead, but they hadn’t even had faith in her father, who was an old friend of Jahas, of many people on the council really and still they had him killed. How on earth would they believe his 18 year old daughter to be silent when they didn’t even believe him? And really she agreed with him. The people needed to know, she just wouldn’t say it. It wasn’t her place to do so.

“Thank you” The girl whispered. She placed the charcoal down again and held out her hand, wanting to shake hers to show she was grateful without invading her space uninvited. They met for the first time. It usually would take time to build up a relationship, but they didn’t have the time. So they had to go by what they had. Maybe respect was achievable, but at the same time she was going to die, why make an effort at all. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re one of the guards here. It’s much easier to behave when you don’t get shoved around and when you’re treating like a human, not a waste of space.”

Nicolette Carmichael

[Nicolette Carmichael]

Nic was surprised at how softly Clarke spoke, “Thank you” It was a genuine thank you. Nic had never heard someone say thank you like that to her before. Especially not someone who was a prisoner. Not that she saw Clarke as one. Nic was just as surprised when the younger girl held her hand out. Nic gave a nod as she shook her hand, quickly pulling her hand away. It was best not to get too civil, no matter how nice they may seem.  “Thank you. I’m glad you’re one of the guards here. It’s much easier to behave when you don’t get shoved around and when you’re treating like a human, not a waste of space.”

It was almost sad to hear her say those words. To know that there were guards that were disrespectful to the prisoners, sure they had broken the law, but just because they had didn't mean that they weren't getting punished. No need for extra violence that would waste everyone's time. Nic gave her a very small smile. "Well, even people like the guy next door," she pointed at the wall to her left, "who are frankly pieces of garbage, aren't a waste of space." She shrugged, glancing away from the girl, and looked at the wall, at the drawings. They were brilliant. It reminded Nic of her own stories, a way to pass a time, to forget about the bad thoughts. "Besides, if you get treated like a human, then you'll hopefully behave like a human. That's not something they teach you throughout training." It was important to remember that they were all just humans, and even humans make mistakes. Humans also have emotions. And emotions were an important part of this job. People were going to try and manipulate those so that you would mess up and they could do what they wanted. So it was important to protect emotions too. But sometimes it was good to show a little emotion, to people who deserved them, like Clarke. She seemed like a decent human being. No need to treat her as something other than that. The little things counted. 

-----
Clarke Griffin

[Clarke Griffin]

She agreed. The guy next to her was someone she didn’t really like and she only saw him once in every while when he was brought outsider like her. He was always trying to escape. She however usually stood there silently, letting the guards work and cooperating as it was expected of her. Clarke shrugged. The treating each other respectfully was great, but there was more to it from the kids perspective, something they often forgot as well. So Clarke actually managed a smile at her. The way she was thinking was great. It was hard to operate in an environment like that, she bet.

“That’s a great way of thinking, really. And the kids forget something often: We get reviewed at eighteen.” And for some of the kids that might actually lead to something. Not for her, though. Treason was heavy. Treason was something she hadn’t even committed, really. She just knew too much. It wasn’t necessarily fair. But this was life and hers was over. “If they want for their review to be good, they will want to behave towards the guards. The guards words are taken into consideration after all. And if they constantly misbehave there is a less chance for them to be allowed to live. Not that this is an option for me. But… you know. The others should think about that.”

Nicolette Carmichael

[Nicolette Carmichael]

Nic listened to Clarke explaining her own theory, about how the guards played a roll in reviewing. It was rather clever, and Nic just nodded along. "Exactly. I'm just glad someone understands. I don't think any of the other guards think about that either. It goes both ways." She shrugged a little with a small smile. "If they misbehave than we have to get more aggressive, which in turn, means we have to get aggressive. It's a bad cycle." 

Being a guard among the skybox was an interesting job. All these kids were here because of some crime or other, some worse than others. Ranging from stealing to murder. Which also meant there were some interesting characters. Nic had certainly met a whole range. "Though I'm glad you're not like the others." Clarke was smart enough not to get into trouble. It was only the first time that Nic had met her, but already she was in Nic's good books. Making her life just that little bit easier. 


--------
Clarke Griffin 

[Clarke Griffin]

“There is no point in it.” Clarke provided with an almost soft smile. “Rebelling gets me nowhere.” It would not change anything about her situation. Not rebelling might do something good for her, but it would still not make her survive. It would just mean she got to keep her coal and could distract herself of her impending death. That was her biggest wish, to be able to lose herself in what might come and not to have to worry about death, what came after that was maybe what she needed to think of, not what came right now. Clarke sighed. 

“Thank you. For letting me keep my charcoal. It’s… soothing, especially since I don’t think I will win my revision. It’s… It allows me to dream and mourn.” Mourn her father and ultimately her own life, because how would she survive this? How could she win a review. “Thank you.” She repeated, meaning it, just like before. “I guess I will see you around.” She hoped so. For her the guards were the only remaining contact she was allowed and since this one seemed nice, she really hoped she would get to meet her again. Clarke moved to sit on her bed, looking at the guard, waiting if she had to say more or if she should pick up the charcoal and continue drawing.

Nicolette Carmichael

[Nicolette Carmichael]

“Rebelling gets me nowhere.” Clarke told her. 
Nic gave a tiny smile, though tried to hide it. "Wise words. I wished everyone else thought the same as you." It was a little joke. If it did happen it would make her life that much easier, but at the same time there would be no excitement in working as a guard in the Skybox. Most of the boys weren't too hard to handle. They were only that, boys. They could kick and punch as much as they liked, they weren't getting out of there any sooner because of it. 

Clarke thanked her again and Nic just smiled and waved. "I'll be seeing you." She turned and went to open the door. Pausing for a moment she turned to look over her shoulder at the girl, "Oh, and don't get too discouraged by some of the other guards. They're pretty much all hardasses." She closed the door before the other girl could reply. She wasn't sure why she said it, but it felt good. A lot of her coworkers were hardasses and they didn't know how to treat people. She just didn't have anyone to complain to. She liked this girl, but she knew she couldn't be too attached to her. That was the only problem. You couldn't make friends with the prisoners, most of them died anyway. Which was rather a sad thought. Nic shook her head of the thoughts and moved on to the next room, keeping her mind on the job. 


-----
Clarke Griffin


Hey. Thanks for the thread! It's been fun.