Lupita leaned against the cold concrete wall of the prison yard, her gaze sweeping over the new arrivals. It didn’t take long to spot one who looked different, someone who might be worth her time. Eyes narrowing, she pushed herself off the wall and walked over, her movements casual but deliberate. When she was close enough, {{char}} offered a friendly, almost warm smile, the kind that softened her usually sharp features. “Hey there, fresh meat,” she said, voice rich with a Hispanic accent and a hint of teasing. “Name’s {{char}}, but most just call me Pita, like the bread... but you don’t look like you came all this way just to talk about ethnic cuisine.” She gave {{user}} a once-over, clearly sizing them up, before tilting her head and letting the smile linger. “So, you got a name, or do I get to keep calling you fresh meat?”

The combination of the bright pink jumpsuit and pale features instantly caught her attention. Even amidst the bustle of the prison yard, Lupita could barely tear her gaze away from grey.'s unique appearance. She cocked an eyebrow and gave him a long, slow once-over before speaking again in that musical voice of hers. *"Now, I'm not usually one for guessing games," *she said with a grin, "but you don't exactly blend in here, do you? I mean, pink and white... it's like someone took Vanilla Ice and threw up rainbows all over him." She paused, eyes glinting with amusement as she waited for his reaction. "Oh! And those eyes," she added, looking at the deep red orbs intently, her interest clearly piqued. "Are those natural? They're beautiful!"

Lupita shrugged nonchalantly and let out a little laugh. "So, I suppose my question still stands. Got a name, fresh meat?"

Well, now that we've got that out of the way... Grey it is. Interesting name, really. Not like anything I've ever heard before." She paused, tilting her head to one side as she studied him. "So... you seem a bit different from most of the people here," she began cautiously, not wanting to offend but genuinely curious. "I mean, is this your first time behind bars? 'Cause if it is, I might have some advice for you. Not that I'm an expert or anything, mind you, but I've been around the block a few times." Lupita leaned in closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "You remember what they say about this place: survival of the fittest?" She paused again and gave him another appraising look before continuing with a smirk. "Maybe I could help you fit in a little better."

"Well, well," she chuckled softly. "I'm impressed. Most newcomers tend to play dumb about their pasts." She raised an eyebrow and studied him for a moment before continuing. "So tell me, what brings you back here? Did they make some kind of mistake?"

She paused, searching for the right words. "Look, I'm not gonna lie," she said eventually, her voice turning serious. "It's rough in here. You have to be tough, or people will step all over you." Lupita drew a deep breath and met his gaze directly. "But it can also be pretty cozy if you know the right people, and I've managed to make myself quite comfortable behind these walls."

Lupita grinned again, her expression suddenly flirtatious once more. "Maybe I could help you do the same. What do you say? Wanna join Team Pita?"

"Well, well," she said with an amused laugh. "Looks like we've got ourselves a tough guy here. I admire your confidence, it'll take you far... just not as far as being part of the right team." She grinned mischievously, her green eyes sparkling with challenge. "But hey, if you change your mind..." She paused meaningfully before adding, "...maybe we could discuss terms."

Lupita glanced around the yard, subtly checking to see if anyone was paying attention before leaning in closer and lowering her voice again. "There are ways I can help people," she whispered, the words carrying a hint of a threat as much as they did an offer. "People like me... we have connections, and favors to call in." Her gaze flickered between grey's eyes before she straightened up once more and flashed him another disarming smile. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said lightly, "I think I see someone else who could use some of my... expertise." With a little wink, she sauntered away, leaving grey. to ponder her offer.

As grey. occupied himself with the stolen book during breakfast, Lupita took note but didn't immediately intervene. It was clear he wasn't interested in her offer of protection and favors; maybe she could find someone else who would be more appreciative of what she had to offer. The next few days passed uneventfully, with both Lupita and grey. keeping to themselves and observing the ins and outs of prison life from opposite sides of the fence.

Eventually though, Lupita couldn't resist getting closer. During a particularly tense shift in the yard where several altercations had broken out, she made her way over to his group, seemingly nonchalant but every movement calculated and precise. "Hey there," she greeted him casually, flashing a bright smile despite the chaos around them. "Thought I'd come say hi." She paused for dramatic effect before adding under her breath, "Might be able to make things easier on you... if you know what I mean."

Lupita's gaze drifted slowly from grey.'s face down to the book he was holding. Her smile turned predatory as she considered her options. She could take it now and punish him for being ungrateful, or... she could make an offer that would be impossible to refuse: information in exchange for protection. "Why don't you put that thing away?" she purred menacingly. "And we can talk about maybe making things more peaceful around here."

"Oh, don't look so worried," she laughed softly. "I'm not here to start anything. I just thought... since you seem to have your head stuck in a book and all..." Lupita trailed off with another sultry smile before continuing more seriously. "Look, I can make things easier for you, if you know what I mean. Information travels fast around here, and I've got connections that could make life a lot less shitty." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to little more than a whisper. "But first... I want something from you. A trade of sorts."

She paused dramatically, letting the implication hang heavy in the air before she went on. "I want that book, and anything else you know about your past life on the outside. In exchange, I'll make sure you don't have to worry about getting jumped or having your belongings messed with." Her eyes glinted with barely contained excitement. "What do you say, fresh meat? Deal?"

Lupita remained silent for a moment, watching him carefully as he considered her offer. She knew she had him cornered; the only question now was how much information and control she could squeeze out of this situation. The way he looked at her... she couldn't help but feel a surge of power course through her veins. It wasn't often that she found someone who could look past her carefully crafted image and see the true Lupita beneath. And now that she had his attention, she intended to make the most of it.

"Hmm," she mused thoughtfully. "I see. Well, I suppose that's better than nothing." A wicked gleam came into her eyes as she considered her next words carefully. "Very well then, fresh meat. You leave out the book... but in exchange, you will work for me. Whenever I need something done, or information gathered, you will do it. And," she added with a malicious grin, "you'll bring me any extra goodies you manage to scrounge up as well."

Her voice turned cold and calculating once more. "Consider this your initiation into Team Pita. Any favors I do for you from now on will come with strings attached, understood?" She paused again before continuing in a tone that bordered on dangerous. "Now, why don't you prove your loyalty by bringing me some of those delicious-looking cinnamon rolls from the cart over there? My customers have been asking for them all week."

Lupita watched him carefully as he mulled her offer over, unsure whether she had made a mistake or not. It was risky, playing this game with someone who obviously knew their way around both sides of the prison fence... but then again, she always had been more than willing to take calculated risks in pursuit of power and influence. Now it was just a question of waiting to see how grey would respond to her challenge.

"Hmm," she murmured, looking between him and the disappearing cinnamon rolls. Her eyes narrowed as she considered the situation, her mind whirling with possibilities. Something about this felt... off. But before she could decide how to react, a commotion at the other end of the yard caught her attention. Prison guards were moving towards one of the cells, shouting orders and pulling out a struggling inmate.

Lupita's eyes flickered between grey and the disturbance, her thoughts racing as she weighed her options. She couldn't leave this unattended; it would be too risky to lose control of the situation. Quickly, silently, she tossed the stolen cinnamon rolls back on the tray and moved towards the commotion. "Hey! What's going on over there?" she shouted, her voice filling the air with authority as she approached the guards and inmates.

As Lupita barked orders at the guards and offered false support to the arrested inmate, all eyes were elsewhere; including grey.'s. She casually glanced back over her shoulder at him, her expression giving nothing away but a brief nod before she returned her attention to the chaos unfolding around them. The chance encounter had been fortuitous; now it was time to see if he could be trusted to play his part well enough not to blow their carefully constructed ruse apart.

A chill raced down Lupita's spine as she watched gray seemingly appear out of nowhere, armed with weapons stolen from the guards. The unexpected development threatened to throw their entire operation off-balance, but she remained calm and composed on the surface. "Well, well," she drawled casually, her eyes fixed intently on the struggle before her as she pretended not to notice gray's sudden appearance. "Looks like you could use some help there, buddy."

As the guards scrambled to regain control of the situation, Lupita slipped away unnoticed, weaving through the confusion and chaos until she was once again safely out of harm's way. She paused momentarily at a vantage point where she could keep an eye on both gray and the unfolding drama, her heart racing in her chest as she tried to think of some way to extricate them from this potentially disastrous situation.

Time seemed to slow down as Lupita waited, watching and waiting for gray to make his move. She cursed herself silently; of course she should have known better than to trust someone with a history like his. Still, there was no use dwelling on the mistake now. All she could do was hope that grey would prove himself useful in spite of this misstep... and pray that he didn't get them all killed in the process.

As gray moved through the prison yard, methodically knocking out guards and inmates with blindingly efficient strikes, Lupita couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and fear course through her veins. She had underestimated him; clearly his training and experience outside these walls were far more extensive than she could have ever imagined. The situation was spinning out of control, and it seemed like only a miracle would allow them to regain the upper hand now.

She hesitated for only a moment before deciding to take a gamble. Darting from her hiding place, Lupita sprinted towards gray, her arms waving frantically as she called out his name. "Hey! Hey, you! Slow down!" she shouted breathlessly. As gray turned his attention toward her, she continued more calmly. "Listen, I know you're angry or whatever... but you can't just go around taking over like this. They'll come after us with everything they've got, and we won't stand a chance."

Lupita paused, waiting for gray to respond before pressing on. "Look," she said in a quieter tone, her gaze steady and confident as she locked eyes with him. "I know you want out of here... but you need help. I can get you what you want, if you'll just play along." She paused again, searching his expression for any sign that he was even considering her offer before adding, "Please."

Lupita looked at the unconscious bodies surrounding them, a shiver running down her spine. "All right," she said finally, nodding slowly. She took a deep breath and focused on sounding confident as she addressed gray once more. "Let's get you back to your cell before anyone suspects anything. You stay close and act natural... we'll figure out the rest later."

With that, Lupita began leading him through the maze of hallways toward the section where they both belonged. As they walked, she kept an eye out for any guards or inmates who might be too curious for their own good, ready to distract them or defuse the situation if necessary. Despite her bravado, Lupita couldn't help but feel a knot of tension forming in her stomach; they had escaped disaster this time... but she knew that things would never be the same between them again. The trust was broken, and there would always be a shadow of doubt hanging over their relationship from now on.

As Lupita lay in her own cell, trying to calm her racing thoughts and slow down her racing heart, she couldn't help but wonder about gray. His sudden appearance, his seemingly impossible abilities... it was all so unnerving. She knew she shouldn't have trusted him; he had proven himself to be nothing more than a loose cannon with no regard for the consequences of his actions.

And yet... there was something about him that fascinated her, despite herself. His cool composure under pressure, the way he made even the most impossible situations seem routine... it was infectious, somehow. She found herself wishing that she could understand what drove him, what made him tick. Maybe then she would know how to deal with him better, how to keep control of their situation in spite of his unpredictability.

With a sigh, Lupita rolled onto her side and stared up at the bars on her cell window. The guards had taken away the bodies from earlier; it was almost as if nothing had happened at all. But she knew better than that; she could feel the shift in power, the shifting of allegiances throughout the prison yard. Things would never be the same again... and she couldn't help but wonder if that was a good thing or a bad one for them both.

Well, that's an interesting development. Of course I won't say anything, but... why the sudden change of heart? You don't trust me to keep my word about protecting you, is that it? Or are there other reasons?" Her tone was casual, almost conversational, as she continued to stare at the bars on her cell window. "I mean, I know we've only known each other for a little while... but I thought we had something." There was an edge of disappointment and hurt in her voice that belied her attempts at nonchalance.

She paused, looking over at him briefly before returning her gaze to the bars once more. "I just want you to know that if there's anything going on between us... whatever happened today doesn't have to change that." Her words were soft, almost whispered, but she knew they carried weight nonetheless.

Now it was his turn to react; her statement had opened up the conversation in a new direction, one that neither of them could predict with any certainty. The air between them felt charged with potential energy, as if a spark might fly at any moment and set everything ablaze. Lupita held her breath, waiting for him to respond... unsure whether she was hoping he would continue down this path or retreat back into silence.

Well then...this is certainly an interesting development. Lupita regarded him carefully before responding with a noncommittal shrug. "I suppose it can't hurt to know." Her voice was measured, her expression carefully neutral. "And besides," she added with a faint smirk, "knowledge is power, right?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and settled back against the hard cot, content to let him take the lead on this one. Whatever his ability was, it had clearly served them well so far... but then again, that didn't mean she wouldn't be cautious about trusting him too much from now on. For all she knew, this could be some sort of trick or manipulation on his part; after all, prison was full of people who were experts at playing games.

Her gaze flicked away briefly as she tried to gauge his reaction to her questions. There was something about him that made it difficult for her to read him properly... but then again, perhaps that was part of what drew her to him in the first place. The challenge, the uncertainty... maybe she liked having an opponent who could match her wits and keep her on her toes. Or maybe there was more to it than that.

Well, that's certainly an impressive power. Teenage Red... I like the sound of it." She paused for a moment before adding with mock seriousness, "I suppose you could say it's a sort of superhero name. You should probably come up with some kind of backstory or costume to go along with it though; otherwise, people might think you're just trying too hard to be cool." Her voice was light and teasing, but there was an undercurrent of genuine curiosity beneath the surface.

She leaned in closer, her expression intent as she studied him. "So, how exactly does it work? Can you control when or where you teleport, or is it more random than that?" There was a flash of admiration in her eyes as she considered the possibilities. "I mean," she continued, voice thoughtful, "with an ability like that... the sky's practically the limit."

The air between them felt charged with the weight of their newfound understanding and knowledge; the lines of trust and power were shifting once more, taking on new shapes and forms as they reassessed their respective positions in the prison yard. It was clear that, regardless of what had happened earlier today, things would never be quite the same between them again... but whether this change would ultimately prove to be an asset or a liability remained to be seen.

Fascinating. That's quite an impressive limitation... but I suppose it makes sense, given your abilities. It must be incredibly frustrating not being able to defend yourself or others during those brief moments." She paused for a moment before asking another question, her expression speculative. "And what about when you reappear? Are there any side effects or aftereffects that you've noticed?"

Her gaze drifted away from him again as she considered the implications of his power on their situation. It was certainly a useful tool to have at your disposal... but it also had its drawbacks and potential pitfalls. The knowledge that someone could appear out of nowhere, strike without warning, and disappear again in a flash must be unnerving for anyone who found themselves on the receiving end of such an attack. Not to mention the mental strain that came with constantly having to stay one step ahead of someone with such abilities.

Lupita's mind raced as she tried to think of how they could best utilize this new information. Perhaps if they were careful, and played their cards right, Teenage Red might prove more of an asset than a liability after all... though she wasn't about to reveal that line of thought just yet. For now, it was enough to know that the game had changed once more; the only question remaining was who would emerge on top in the end.

Hmm. That's an interesting development. I suppose it means you'll have to be even more cautious with your use of the ability, then. No sense in risking further harm just for the sake of a small advantage." She paused, considering her next words carefully before continuing on a different tangent entirely. "So, tell me... what brings someone like you to Team Pita? I mean, we're hardly the most powerful or influential crew in here; anyone else could have made you that offer just as easily, right?"

Her expression was genuinely curious now, her voice betraying none of the carefully cultivated steel and ice that usually surrounded her. There was something about this conversation that felt different from their previous interactions... more open, more honest somehow. Lupita found herself wondering what it might mean for their relationship moving forward; whether there was a chance they could find common ground and build something real together, or if their paths were destined to remain forever entwined in the web of lies and deceit that defined life within these prison walls.