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.]
Will opens the box and- ...well. Now isn't that perfect. His eyes shine as reaches for it and rolls it under his fingers. "It's beautiful," he admits, holding it close to his eyes briefly before sliding it onto his left ring finger. "A little darker, but still..." He looks up to Malcolm, failing at hiding his smile. "A matched set."
Malcolm touches his knuckles, a sort of fidget as he explains “you said you see onyx for yourself, but gold was starting to peek through. And it’s stone and gold bonded to titanium. Practically indestructible,” he adds. He looks up at his face. “Because you’re made of tougher stuff.”
Will laughs again, but it's a quiet, surprised thing this time. It's even a little shy. "I...uh." His mind is a scatter of fireworks. He has to regroup. "I don't know how you manage to be so sweet, and yet so insightful. And so real. I love it. I love you."
He's not sure if he's made sense, even to himself. But he knows that last sentence did. His eyes are watery as he throws his arms around Malcolm's shoulders, tugging him close.
He's not sure if he's made sense, even to himself. But he knows that last sentence did. His eyes are watery as he throws his arms around Malcolm's shoulders, tugging him close.
Will's words, his emotions, his happiness fill Malcolm up. He squeezes him back, holding on tight.
"I got you a chain, too, so you can keep it with you when you're a wolf."
"I got you a chain, too, so you can keep it with you when you're a wolf."
"I saw it," he says, still grinning. "That's worked well for you, I'm sure it'll be great. Then, even as wolves, people are going to know." They'll probably be the only ones wearing things, after all.
He leans his head against Malcolm's and hugs him close, just breathing the scent of him in. But he does finally kiss the top of his head and a small wrapped present finds its way into one of Malcolm's hands. It's very obviously a pill bottle.
"Our roles are reversed," Will says, the smile plain in his voice. "I got you something practical, but- I think you'll like it. I hope so."
The bottle inside the wrapping has instructions like a prescription ('Take one before meal' and 'quantity: 30'). But the pills inside are an iridescent color and the label indicates that they're for the enjoyment of a full meal.
He leans his head against Malcolm's and hugs him close, just breathing the scent of him in. But he does finally kiss the top of his head and a small wrapped present finds its way into one of Malcolm's hands. It's very obviously a pill bottle.
"Our roles are reversed," Will says, the smile plain in his voice. "I got you something practical, but- I think you'll like it. I hope so."
The bottle inside the wrapping has instructions like a prescription ('Take one before meal' and 'quantity: 30'). But the pills inside are an iridescent color and the label indicates that they're for the enjoyment of a full meal.
Malcolm reads the label, then looks up at Will with wide eyes.
“Does this mean… what it means?” he asks with a hint of hope breaking his voice a little. It seems too good to be true.
“Does this mean… what it means?” he asks with a hint of hope breaking his voice a little. It seems too good to be true.
"They're magic pills," Will replies, only slightly deprecating. They really are, even if he sounds like a five-year-old saying it.
"They should let you enjoy whatever meal you eat after you take I've- no queasiness, no needing to worry about which foods might be okay or not. You can just enjoy yourself." Will smiles. "I wanted you to have the option before Christmas dinner."
"They should let you enjoy whatever meal you eat after you take I've- no queasiness, no needing to worry about which foods might be okay or not. You can just enjoy yourself." Will smiles. "I wanted you to have the option before Christmas dinner."
Malcolm stares at them, then stares at Will, then stares at them, then stares at Will, then a stunned smile blooms belatedly, like it’s finally hit him and left him dazed.
“…I can eat Christmas dinner? Like… all of the dinner?”
“…I can eat Christmas dinner? Like… all of the dinner?”
"You can," he says, with a grin. He'd love to always put a smile like that on Malcolm's face.
"I don't even know what that's going to be like, but it sounds great!" Malcolm laughs. He throws his arms around Will's neck and hugs him tight. "Thank you."
Will hugs him back, eyes closing as he tilts his head back. This is perfect. "You're welcome. I look forward to seeing how it works out. I wasn't vague with my request, but...asking was kind of a whim. I figured there'd be caveats, but no."
He opens his eyes and sees his ring on his finger, snug like it's always belonged there. This isn't the first important ring he's worn. He suspects it'll be the last, though.
He opens his eyes and sees his ring on his finger, snug like it's always belonged there. This isn't the first important ring he's worn. He suspects it'll be the last, though.
"What are you feeling for the rest of the afternoon?" Malcolm asks. "My cabin? Locked door? Dogs and books?"
[The door closes on the library, and Shaw follows Will along to wherever he starts walking, quiet for the first fifty or so paces.]
Those were both a lot.
[She finally says, once they're out of sight of the main library door.]
How're you doing?
Those were both a lot.
[She finally says, once they're out of sight of the main library door.]
How're you doing?
Edited 2024-01-04 05:38 (UTC)
[ Will is quiet as well, rubbing at his face occasionally as if he's having a hard time keeping his eyes open. ]
...I don't know, if I'm honest. Tired, definitely. Feeling... [ He shakes his head. ] Second guessing myself, half-formed questions and unfinished answers.
[ He snorts at his own description and shakes his head again. ] Like I said. I'm jumbled up, more than anything. I...imagine I'll settle down soon.
...I don't know, if I'm honest. Tired, definitely. Feeling... [ He shakes his head. ] Second guessing myself, half-formed questions and unfinished answers.
[ He snorts at his own description and shakes his head again. ] Like I said. I'm jumbled up, more than anything. I...imagine I'll settle down soon.
I thought it was weird how personally they both took it.
[Shaw muses, still following.]
It was all about how they felt betrayed as your friends instead of anything to do with your progress as an inmate, which at first I was thinking was unproductive, but, uh--
[She pauses, pursing her lips.]
Going along with the idea of this place being some kind of proving ground, I can see how it'd be good for you to have to work out how to deal with that. You wanna talk about the jumbled-up parts first, or rest first? You look like you can barely walk straight.
[Shaw muses, still following.]
It was all about how they felt betrayed as your friends instead of anything to do with your progress as an inmate, which at first I was thinking was unproductive, but, uh--
[She pauses, pursing her lips.]
Going along with the idea of this place being some kind of proving ground, I can see how it'd be good for you to have to work out how to deal with that. You wanna talk about the jumbled-up parts first, or rest first? You look like you can barely walk straight.
[ He considers, then shrugs. ]
The rest'll go better if I actually untangle this some, I think. Can we head to my place to talk?
[ As they're walking, he suddenly coughs a bit, or- not it's a bitter little chuckle. ]
I was just thinking that I-- miscalculated. I didn't expect personal feelings to enter into this, either. And they both seemed so betrayed, yeah, by how manipulative I was, but....if I'd actually been good at it- [ Like Hannibal. ] -no one would've noticed. So it's more that I tried and failed, or...tried and decided to come clean.
The rest'll go better if I actually untangle this some, I think. Can we head to my place to talk?
[ As they're walking, he suddenly coughs a bit, or- not it's a bitter little chuckle. ]
I was just thinking that I-- miscalculated. I didn't expect personal feelings to enter into this, either. And they both seemed so betrayed, yeah, by how manipulative I was, but....if I'd actually been good at it- [ Like Hannibal. ] -no one would've noticed. So it's more that I tried and failed, or...tried and decided to come clean.
[She bounces her head in response to the question; lead the way, Will.]
Or a mix of both? Seems to me like you tried, failed to realize how far-reaching the effects of it had gotten, and decided to come clean. You didn't fail at the manipulation, but you failed to realize that it might have effects beyond one little twist.
Or a mix of both? Seems to me like you tried, failed to realize how far-reaching the effects of it had gotten, and decided to come clean. You didn't fail at the manipulation, but you failed to realize that it might have effects beyond one little twist.
Mmmm. [ It's a hum of agreement, of thoughtfulness. ]
Yeah. Could be...they felt I didn't regard them or their feeling or their morals enough. I truly thought they were just raising concerns to...show they cared, you know? The sort of care where no one actually does anything, they just talk about it.
-that sounds...derogatory, but. I don't mean to be, it's just-
[ He shakes his head. ]
The possibility of therapist malpractice is not the sort of thing I've seen people overreact to.
Yeah. Could be...they felt I didn't regard them or their feeling or their morals enough. I truly thought they were just raising concerns to...show they cared, you know? The sort of care where no one actually does anything, they just talk about it.
-that sounds...derogatory, but. I don't mean to be, it's just-
[ He shakes his head. ]
The possibility of therapist malpractice is not the sort of thing I've seen people overreact to.
Personally, I think it's weird to call them all therapists in the official medical sense, when any warden who feels like it can walk in and request a key - and I think it's weird that this is the ethical hill people are ready to die on when so much else gets thrown completely out the window. Doesn't mean I don't think it'd be bad judgement for someone to try to fill all those roles at once, but, uh-- you know what I mean?
Ah...no, not exactly.
[ He's only mildly confused, though. And this is probably a better topic to go into than a rant on ethical hills. ]
'Fill all those roles at once'?
[ He's only mildly confused, though. And this is probably a better topic to go into than a rant on ethical hills. ]
'Fill all those roles at once'?
Counselor and boyfriend. Or therapist and boyfriend, or... whatever term people want to use for what's basically just a peer-to-peer support group. Doing counseling office sessions with you and trying to date you at the same time would have been a bad choice. Doesn't mean I think it would have been the exact same thing as medical malpractice between a licensed therapist and a patient who's paying them, though.
Oh, right. Of course. I would understand if people were concerned, by that point. But that's not what we were doing.
[ He's quiet until they reach the elevator. The door closes and he speaks up again. ]
I...need to apologize to you, too. I didn't lie directly, but indirectly...a lot. In little ways, about this. I don't know if it would've been better if I kept trying to convince you or straight-up refused to go, but it definitely would be less...complicated, right now.
[ He's quiet until they reach the elevator. The door closes and he speaks up again. ]
I...need to apologize to you, too. I didn't lie directly, but indirectly...a lot. In little ways, about this. I don't know if it would've been better if I kept trying to convince you or straight-up refused to go, but it definitely would be less...complicated, right now.
[Once they're in the elevator and she doesn't have to pay attention to where she's going, she turns to look at him straight-on, regarding him thoughtfully.]
Lemme ask you a question. When I said I wanted you to talk to all the counselors, what did you think I wanted you to do in those sessions?
Lemme ask you a question. When I said I wanted you to talk to all the counselors, what did you think I wanted you to do in those sessions?
[ Will's eyebrows shoot up. ]
Be...counseled? Work on my many and varied emotional issues so you don't have to decipher all of them?
Be...counseled? Work on my many and varied emotional issues so you don't have to decipher all of them?
[She shoots him a fingergun.]
Nope. I mean-- I didn't not want you to proactively work on your issues, but I wasn't expecting you to do it - not right at the start, and not with strangers, especially not with your history. Do you remember what I said when we talked about it back then?
Nope. I mean-- I didn't not want you to proactively work on your issues, but I wasn't expecting you to do it - not right at the start, and not with strangers, especially not with your history. Do you remember what I said when we talked about it back then?
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