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
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[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]
[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]
[ Will stops walking altogether and runs his tongue over his lips. ]
No. You're not saying anything at all to him. You're just spying on my conversations with him and trying to use that to get to me. What he hears from the warden silence and the lack of action is confirmation that the system is broken. He can't rely on it, but he's expected to. He's told he has to, if he's ever going to leave here.
..."Get over it." [ Said like he's just now remembering. ] That's another one he's heard a lot. Anyway, I don't want to reinforce that, so I won't.
No. You're not saying anything at all to him. You're just spying on my conversations with him and trying to use that to get to me. What he hears from the warden silence and the lack of action is confirmation that the system is broken. He can't rely on it, but he's expected to. He's told he has to, if he's ever going to leave here.
..."Get over it." [ Said like he's just now remembering. ] That's another one he's heard a lot. Anyway, I don't want to reinforce that, so I won't.
How about inviting him to come on patrol? How about recruiting him for a protective rotation on James, or the people James is worried about, or a guard detail on Peter? How about keeping in contact with Peter's temps, making sure they're all up to speed, and making damn sure Peter doesn't get his hands on a knife again?
Choosing not to take violent revenge clearly isn't all Sweeney needs to do to graduate, yeah; if it were, he'd've done it by now. But it's just as clear that the Admiral doesn't approve of violent revenge, which means it would harm his progress. I don't want that. I know you don't, either. So don't tell him to get over it, but don't make coy little hints encouraging him to go on the attack, either.
Choosing not to take violent revenge clearly isn't all Sweeney needs to do to graduate, yeah; if it were, he'd've done it by now. But it's just as clear that the Admiral doesn't approve of violent revenge, which means it would harm his progress. I don't want that. I know you don't, either. So don't tell him to get over it, but don't make coy little hints encouraging him to go on the attack, either.
The patrol that gave him the worst possible first impression of you? The protective rotation James wouldn't accept? Pretty damn sure he's already keeping in contact with Peter's temps. He's proactive about that sort of thing, not that it does any fucking good half the time.
[ He's quiet for a long moment, almost seeming like he's not going to answer the rest of it. But Shaw's used to his long pauses by now, and he takes this one to close his eyes and heave a sigh. ]
Do you know what the percentage is of graduates who happen to graduate shortly after committing some horrible act of violence? I'm sure we could figure it out if we just looked at the numbers. Hilbert and Henry hop to mind. Kiryu was so sure Nie Huaisang was close to graduation that he left, and his sword recently cursed the whole damn ship.
So no, I don't think we do know what the Warden cares for or doesn't care for, as far as redeeming inmates. Just what gets wardens demoted. Even that is a little blurry. I'm tired of my brother thinking he has to bear the burden of every misbehaving miscreant here, just...take his hits without complaint. He's a fucking god, he shouldn't be treated like a punching bag.
[ He's quiet for a long moment, almost seeming like he's not going to answer the rest of it. But Shaw's used to his long pauses by now, and he takes this one to close his eyes and heave a sigh. ]
Do you know what the percentage is of graduates who happen to graduate shortly after committing some horrible act of violence? I'm sure we could figure it out if we just looked at the numbers. Hilbert and Henry hop to mind. Kiryu was so sure Nie Huaisang was close to graduation that he left, and his sword recently cursed the whole damn ship.
So no, I don't think we do know what the Warden cares for or doesn't care for, as far as redeeming inmates. Just what gets wardens demoted. Even that is a little blurry. I'm tired of my brother thinking he has to bear the burden of every misbehaving miscreant here, just...take his hits without complaint. He's a fucking god, he shouldn't be treated like a punching bag.
What about telling him about what you did, then?
[Shaw leans against the wall behind her, folding her hands over her chest as she looks at him steadily.]
Defending yourself, trying to keep Peter from fleeing, using B's alarm, getting us to you fast and getting Peter caught fast. Was that system broken?
[Shaw leans against the wall behind her, folding her hands over her chest as she looks at him steadily.]
Defending yourself, trying to keep Peter from fleeing, using B's alarm, getting us to you fast and getting Peter caught fast. Was that system broken?
No. [ He takes a breath in and lets it out in a sigh. Some of the tension drains out of his shoulders. ] That part worked just fine.
It was the part where I didn't let him know what had happened and he had to find out from Gaius' public post. He'd been sticking around me more to try and help with this, and I'm sure he blamed himself for not being there when the attack happened. I'm trying to- to give him some agency in this.
It was the part where I didn't let him know what had happened and he had to find out from Gaius' public post. He'd been sticking around me more to try and help with this, and I'm sure he blamed himself for not being there when the attack happened. I'm trying to- to give him some agency in this.
Yeah well. I don't expect Iris ta make a fuss. She's gotta soft spot fer the worst of it. Fer all I know, she might find it endearing.
[Sweeney adores her, but the woman still has her faults. Even if one of them is him.]
S'ppose I'll b'lieve it when I see it. If I do. I just ain't gonna hold my breath.
[Sweeney adores her, but the woman still has her faults. Even if one of them is him.]
S'ppose I'll b'lieve it when I see it. If I do. I just ain't gonna hold my breath.
Since the coma, Malcolm has been, perhaps, a bit more of a barnacle in regards to Will. Just at night. And in the morning. And on any occasion he gets to see him in between.
This particular evening, Malcolm is curled up against Will’s side on the couch, a little distracted considering his earlier conversation with Shaw when he finally has to just ask out of nowhere: “Social groups have rules and rituals, right? That’s not a weird thing to suggest.”
This particular evening, Malcolm is curled up against Will’s side on the couch, a little distracted considering his earlier conversation with Shaw when he finally has to just ask out of nowhere: “Social groups have rules and rituals, right? That’s not a weird thing to suggest.”
Will might not have been aware of the lost time before, but he certainly is now. They've been somehow even more physically close and affectionate than they had been before. Will think it feels like a second-wave crush, all over again. He's happy to let it carry him along.
And their form of courting tends to be a lot of discussion, so he's not too confused when Malcolm brings up social dynamics out of the blue. He tilts his head a little as he thinks about it and then responds, "They do, but I always got the feeling that one of the rules is that you're...not supposed to talk about the rules. You're just supposed to know them somehow."
Considering Will's condition, most people would think he'd have an advantage there, but- emotions don't come with logical explanations for what preceded them. He was usually doomed before he even got started.
And their form of courting tends to be a lot of discussion, so he's not too confused when Malcolm brings up social dynamics out of the blue. He tilts his head a little as he thinks about it and then responds, "They do, but I always got the feeling that one of the rules is that you're...not supposed to talk about the rules. You're just supposed to know them somehow."
Considering Will's condition, most people would think he'd have an advantage there, but- emotions don't come with logical explanations for what preceded them. He was usually doomed before he even got started.
"...Maybe that's how I got into trouble. But... there wasn't a way to discuss it without bringing them up," Malcolm says. He pauses thoughtfully, then says "You know how Shaw and Neal and Eiffel hang out all the time since they became Breach siblings in the zombie thing? With the walkie talkies and the code names and the movie nights and all that?"
"Oh. Yeah." So that's why Malcolm brought it up. "I didn't know that started with a breach. Too new, too...busy feeling feral after that one, I guess."
He knows where this is going now, but he'll let Malcolm decide how to approach it.
He knows where this is going now, but he'll let Malcolm decide how to approach it.
Malcolm pulls his knees up a little more, so he's more fully curled against Will.
"So... I called Shaw to ask if she'd scheduled the mediation with Jedao and she brought up the Breach and I told her not to worry; that I wouldn't try, like, muscling in on their time or anything. Annnd she said I was self-sabotaging by being all defeatist and I told her it was deduction, not defeatism, because... basically, when you're the only one that doesn't get a bowling shirt, nobody has to tell you that you're not on the bowling team." He tilts his head up to look at Will. "She basically said that they're not even a group, but... they clearly really, really are. So. I don't know what to do with that because it wasn't like she said 'we'd like you to hang out with us' or 'you can't hang out with us', she just said... I shouldn't assume I'm not in the group that isn't a group."
"So... I called Shaw to ask if she'd scheduled the mediation with Jedao and she brought up the Breach and I told her not to worry; that I wouldn't try, like, muscling in on their time or anything. Annnd she said I was self-sabotaging by being all defeatist and I told her it was deduction, not defeatism, because... basically, when you're the only one that doesn't get a bowling shirt, nobody has to tell you that you're not on the bowling team." He tilts his head up to look at Will. "She basically said that they're not even a group, but... they clearly really, really are. So. I don't know what to do with that because it wasn't like she said 'we'd like you to hang out with us' or 'you can't hang out with us', she just said... I shouldn't assume I'm not in the group that isn't a group."
Will listens and hugs Malcolm a little tighter as he explains. It sounds rough.
"You were trying to head it off at the pass, so to speak," he paraphrases, then licks his lips. "And Shaw- she doesn't read those things well, either. She probably doesn't even know...that they're absolutely a group."
He looks down at Malcolm with a faint, commiserating smile. "She might've had a point about it being a little defeatist. Maybe she wanted to spend time with you like...you had in the Breach? Navigating around 'don't worry, I'll leave you alone' can be challenging. What was she like in the Breach?"
"You were trying to head it off at the pass, so to speak," he paraphrases, then licks his lips. "And Shaw- she doesn't read those things well, either. She probably doesn't even know...that they're absolutely a group."
He looks down at Malcolm with a faint, commiserating smile. "She might've had a point about it being a little defeatist. Maybe she wanted to spend time with you like...you had in the Breach? Navigating around 'don't worry, I'll leave you alone' can be challenging. What was she like in the Breach?"
"Most people don't need to navigate around it. They want the out." He considers the question. "The same but patient. Not so high strung. And I wasn't suggesting... I'm fine to spend time with her, but the group is their thing and I didn't want her to think that I thought I got some sort of free pass to it because the Breach put me in it." He pauses. "I wasn't even all the way in it there."
Will hums thoughtfully, even as his hand brushes up and down over Malcolm's shoulder and upper arm. "What makes you say that? Did they have meet-ups that didn't include you?"
[ Will freezes for a moment, raises an eyebrow at Shaw. He's not disbelieving, but he is a little surprised. ]
...you do?
...you do?
“Yeah. I actually skipped out of an activity I did regularly to attend… their movie night.”
That’s a little on the nose when he thinks about it.
“And I think they were involved in plotting to overthrow the company we worked for.” A beat. “Without me.” If that needed clarification. “I liked it there.”
That’s a little on the nose when he thinks about it.
“And I think they were involved in plotting to overthrow the company we worked for.” A beat. “Without me.” If that needed clarification. “I liked it there.”
You're right that Sweeney's not the type to instigate fights, so we're mostly talking about the principle of the thing, right? Whether it's good for you or for him to encourage retribution even in the abstract.
[She lifts a shoulder.]
So, yeah. I do. Your argument makes sense.
[She lifts a shoulder.]
So, yeah. I do. Your argument makes sense.
Will lets out a little snort of disbelief. "What was this place, anyway? Was it evil? You said it was some sort of research facility...what did it research?"
He'll address the rest later, but that second part seemed slightly more contextually important.
He'll address the rest later, but that second part seemed slightly more contextually important.
“Lots of stuff, I guess. I was working on some sort of time-space portal thingies,” Malcolm tells him. “Shaw said there were human experiments going on. I guess I looked into it and didn’t find anything compelling? It’s already getting fuzzy.” And he’d had more pressing issues than Breach stuff when he got back.
Will makes a face at the phrase 'human experiments' and rubs at his eyes. "Yeah, I've heard how that goes. That...there might've been something to that. I've never seen us have a breach where nothing suspicious is going on." Although maybe he'd just gotten 'lucky'.
"Time-space portals do sound fun," he admits, with a small smile. "And you had another activity during their movie nights? What was it?"
"Time-space portals do sound fun," he admits, with a small smile. "And you had another activity during their movie nights? What was it?"
"...I played a strategy card game with some friends from work. It was called Wizard Council," he admits. Then there's a hesitation before he adds "And I... flirted with the girl that worked at the bar really badly and awkwardly but somehow she still wanted to talk to me." He pauses. "Shaw was going to try to help me with that... situation."
"Okay, so- you sound like you were pretty 'in' to me. Shaw was helping you out. It sounds like you could've gone to movie nights sometimes if you wanted. And there was a group of people you played card games with. That's...a lot, actually." At least it is as far as Will's concerned.
He smiles then, slightly mischievously. "What was the girl like? I don't know, I think you undersell how cute you are when you're awkward. She might've appreciated it."
He smiles then, slightly mischievously. "What was the girl like? I don't know, I think you undersell how cute you are when you're awkward. She might've appreciated it."
“Shaw was helping me. But they had movie night the only day I always had other plans. And she trusted Neal.”
He pauses at the question, though Will telling him he’s cute when he’s awkward pleases him as much as any compliment from Will. A lot.
“…It was Laura Moon. She owned the bar.” He looks at Will uncertainly. “She seemed… actually interested when I talked to her.”
He pauses at the question, though Will telling him he’s cute when he’s awkward pleases him as much as any compliment from Will. A lot.
“…It was Laura Moon. She owned the bar.” He looks at Will uncertainly. “She seemed… actually interested when I talked to her.”
[ Will had gotten himself rather puffed up in his anger, ready to rail and rant for a long time- even if it was only in his own head. Shaw had effectively punctured that and he takes a moment to rub his eye and recollect himself. ]
Okay, then. Thanks.
It's not something I'd be looking for, generally. Peter hurt the people who care about me a lot more than he hurt me. But...I also know how tough that can be to endure, sometimes.
Okay, then. Thanks.
It's not something I'd be looking for, generally. Peter hurt the people who care about me a lot more than he hurt me. But...I also know how tough that can be to endure, sometimes.
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