Will Graham (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
empathicfault) wrote2023-06-18 11:04 am
empathicfault) wrote2023-06-18 11:04 am
IC Inbox
[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]
[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]
Yep. Seems like he always gets the short end of the stick.
[ Which is a feeling Will understands- but it's been at least somewhat different since he came here. At least Harkin isn't literally Unlucky while he's here, but it sort of feels like it, sometimes. ]
[ Which is a feeling Will understands- but it's been at least somewhat different since he came here. At least Harkin isn't literally Unlucky while he's here, but it sort of feels like it, sometimes. ]
"Mmmhmmm," Will hums happily, encompassing Malcolm in his arms. "And the cabin should actually stay safe here."
Malcolm knows about Randall Tier, and what Will did to the man who broke in to kill him. But here on the Barge? The cabins never seem to be messed with. "I know there's a lot of craziness out there on the ship. But you should always be able to reach both it and me." Will is doing everything he can to make sure of that.
Malcolm knows about Randall Tier, and what Will did to the man who broke in to kill him. But here on the Barge? The cabins never seem to be messed with. "I know there's a lot of craziness out there on the ship. But you should always be able to reach both it and me." Will is doing everything he can to make sure of that.
Oh, yeah. It's not the having that's tough for him, it's the losing. He's always here while people graduate, get their deals, get pulled away...and that's not going into the Breaches...
And a few wardens have really failed him in that time, too. It all builds up.
And a few wardens have really failed him in that time, too. It all builds up.
Then go with the flow.
I'm pretty sure you're making her happy already.
I'm pretty sure you're making her happy already.
Will grins. "Kind of serves her right for surprising you like that. I didn't check the tag, but that's on me." He shrugs.
"I am also completely unsurprised that she's a good fighter. Did you two really get into it after she shifted back?"
"I am also completely unsurprised that she's a good fighter. Did you two really get into it after she shifted back?"
"Uh-- kind of. We fought, but it was just a friendly spar to her."
Shaw had been surprised and angry. Iris had just had fun with it, because, as it turns out, she enjoys fighting every bit as much as Shaw does.
"Then last month we went at it in the gym and really freaked out Eiffel. Turns out he thought we were actually trying to kill each other."
Shaw had been surprised and angry. Iris had just had fun with it, because, as it turns out, she enjoys fighting every bit as much as Shaw does.
"Then last month we went at it in the gym and really freaked out Eiffel. Turns out he thought we were actually trying to kill each other."
“We need to put a bigger, more solid bed in here,” Malcolm tells him with a grin. “Before I take us both over and it lands on top of us.”
Will laughs. "Ah, and here I thought it might be a fun way to wake up." He kisses Malcolm's head, just one of his frequent familiar touches now. "I'll put in a request. I'm sure 'bed that won't fold in over itself' isn't too big an ask."
[ Will hums thoughtfully in response. ]
It can be. Maybe it's even an inevitability. The stakes are high here, on both sides of the aisle.
It can be. Maybe it's even an inevitability. The stakes are high here, on both sides of the aisle.
“If you get king size there’d be room for dogs on the other side of you, where I can’t accidentally kick them.”
Will signed up for the odd accidental kicking, but dogs can’t understand.
Will signed up for the odd accidental kicking, but dogs can’t understand.
[ Will takes in a breath and visibly prepares himself, watching Shaw's face carefully. ]
Sure. What about him?
Sure. What about him?
We kind of got into it. Again. He's probably going to come to you - if he hasn't already - and try to get you to fix things, or "translate" for him, or-- whatever.
[She pulls in a deep breath of her own, her eyes rolling up to focus on the ceiling.]
My answer right now is no. There's only one track to fixing things with me, and that's recognizing that I'm a person, not a set of interesting psychological data points that he's owed access to. And recognizing that interaction is a two-way street, and that as a person, me saying "I don't like how you talk to me" isn't the same thing as, I dunno, spitefully withholding a toy he wants to play with. If he won't do that, and right now he won't - that's a nonstarter with me.
[She pulls in a deep breath of her own, her eyes rolling up to focus on the ceiling.]
My answer right now is no. There's only one track to fixing things with me, and that's recognizing that I'm a person, not a set of interesting psychological data points that he's owed access to. And recognizing that interaction is a two-way street, and that as a person, me saying "I don't like how you talk to me" isn't the same thing as, I dunno, spitefully withholding a toy he wants to play with. If he won't do that, and right now he won't - that's a nonstarter with me.
[ Will's eyebrows raise as she speaks... then raise some more. By the time she finishes, he's staring at a dog (Winston) and appears focused on petting. ]
Okay.
Okay.
Will looks back over at the bed. "I do have enough room for it, if I put the art supplies back where they belong." He has a few canvases taking over the empty space on that side of the cabin, in varying states of completion.
"Plus, it'd just be...polite, to have more space for when you're here. Although I do like being close," he's sure to add. "Have you ever tried sleeping as a wolf, at all? Just a little dog-nap sometime?"
"Plus, it'd just be...polite, to have more space for when you're here. Although I do like being close," he's sure to add. "Have you ever tried sleeping as a wolf, at all? Just a little dog-nap sometime?"
[ Will lets out a quiet sigh, the breath blowing out of him like a balloon. ]
I think...it might not be worth it to either of you to keep trying, actually.
And I also think you've read him entirely wrong.
I think...it might not be worth it to either of you to keep trying, actually.
And I also think you've read him entirely wrong.
"You can do you art in my cabin," Malcolm tells him. He doesn't need to put them back. "There's a lot of empty space you can use. And then you can stay close to me and the other half of the bed will be dog space," he adds with a smile.
The question makes him pause.
"No. I've barely... I don't change much. Just when we go out. And one time with Iris. She came over when I announced I was coming back to counselling and we... ran around."
The question makes him pause.
"No. I've barely... I don't change much. Just when we go out. And one time with Iris. She came over when I announced I was coming back to counselling and we... ran around."
[ Will laughs, and it's a bitter thing. Tired. ]
That's not what I'm talking about.
...you know, I listened to your whole conversation. Because you're right, Malcolm's already made it to me. He was ready to give up, too, and so I think that's why he shared. He wanted to know what he was doing wrong.
And I know I'm missing the foundation that this one was built on, but I didn't notice Malcolm not recognizing you as a person. When did that happen?
That's not what I'm talking about.
...you know, I listened to your whole conversation. Because you're right, Malcolm's already made it to me. He was ready to give up, too, and so I think that's why he shared. He wanted to know what he was doing wrong.
And I know I'm missing the foundation that this one was built on, but I didn't notice Malcolm not recognizing you as a person. When did that happen?
He nods, thinking about the art. It's not anywhere near as good as what Neal's capable of, but maybe it doesn't matter. The materials can at least sit around in someplace with more foot traffic.
"I'm glad she got to you," Will says with a small smile. "You might want to try it sometime, just napping. My dogs always look so peaceful. It might be nice?"
"I'm glad she got to you," Will says with a small smile. "You might want to try it sometime, just napping. My dogs always look so peaceful. It might be nice?"
If a person who you actually want to be friends with tells you that how you treat them doesn't work for them, you make an effort to change that. If you don't care about changing that - and he made it clear that he doesn't - that means they either don't matter to you as much as you claim they do, or you don't fully see them as a person. And I know I matter to him. But the fact that he won't even try to shift his MO, as well as a couple other things he said, make it clear that I only matter to him as an interesting puzzle. He's not apathetic towards me. He just kinda thinks my wants are irrelevant, at least compared to his own.
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