empathicfault | IC Inbox

you deserve better than this, and i'm supposed to just not give a crap about that? you anticipating this and being used to it is why i can't just let it slide. this place is filled to the brim with the kind of corruption where who you know matters more than what you do, and like hell i'm going to let you or de lioncourt's next victims get thrown under the bus for it without a fight.

[ His reply comes a couple minutes later- he appreciates this, but also...he doesn't see a way to make it better. Not without going way outside the lines. ]

Shaw, everyone had lost their minds with those bugs around. Seeing the favoritism and the evils of humanity- or sapience- is not anything new to me. Me being at that meeting is not going to change whatever of that still remains under our now more-presentable outer shells.

All that will happen is my presence will be used to make both you and me the bad guy here. Inmate and warden flavors. I don't mind, but I don't want it to be for bureaucratic reasons. They'll say you're the one that's corrupt.

So to make it truly fair, so Lestat doesn't have more seats for his pity party, I shouldn't be there. Tell me about it afterwards. Record it, even.

And maybe they'll surprise us. I actually think Reid's usually pretty reasonable. But please don't make me get dragged through something like this again. I don't want this sort of attention. I've played the scapegoat far too often, and I hated it every time.

[She doesn't answer immediately, but she does check her warden item to see where he is.]

[ He's on the Deck right now, taking a break from walking his dogs. They lounge at his feet as he sits on a bench. ]

[And a few minutes later, she shows up without warning, dropping down next to him.]

Okay.

[She hates this so much! But okay.]

[ He hates it, too! But there's still a more preferred and less preferred option. And it seems like he might be getting his way here? ]

Okay?

...thank you.

[ Jet's the first to reach her, rubbing his nose under her hands like he's trying to show her how to pet him. ]

The hell are you thanking me for?

[She asks, reaching down to rub Jet's face with both hands. Despite her words, her tone is surprised and a little confused, not aggressive; she has, by her count, failed him miserably over the past few days.]

For leaving things alone when I asked you to?

[ He's pretty sure he didn't read that wrong. ]

I haven't protected you, Will.

[ Will considers that, eyes looking skyward for a moment. ]

You listened to what I was asking and decided to let me make the choice. Not even Alana Bloom could manage that, in all the time I knew her.

I think that counts for more than you realize.

[She's quiet for a moment. Then she gives him a quick nod.]

[ And the tension drains from his face. He actually smiles a little as he reaches down to pet Winston. ]

I don't know what we do next, though.

[She admits, curling her fingers lightly into Jet's fur.]

This place is such bullshit.

[ He hums thoughtfully. ] Less so than where I came from, so I suppose I'm biased.

Next, though- it's not like everything's over. The meeting might go somewhere. Reid's got Lestat's file, so he should know what he's capable of. You can bring your grievances, a nice big list of 'em.

[ He scrutinizes her. ]

Why are you so frustrated? Because I was upset in the infirmary?

Because this is wrong. Because our job is to help people, protect people, and redeem people, but all most wardens care about is enabling people and making themselves look good. Because not enough people care that de Lioncourt hurts people, and not enough people care about trying to keep it from happening again.

[She lifts her head, meeting Will's gaze.]

You want me to bug the meeting for you?

[ Will laughs, and looks at her with a raised eyebrow. It is a little tempting. ]

No. But if you record it openly, I wouldn't mind. Might be a good idea, just in case people remember some things differently, too.

[ He bites his lip as he thinks for a moment. ]

This place, it houses the worst of the worst....and a few people like Neal. Part of what it tries to focus on is individuals, and what they need. So I don't blame some wardens for taking different approaches. Trying to tie down Lestat is probably going to make him worse. If you really want to redeem him, a warden would have to take a different approach.

-which unfortunately means that the 'wrong' is bound to happen. Maybe that's why we come back from the dead so easily...

"Yeah," she says bitterly, thunking her head against the side of the ship. "Gotta keep the cannon fodder around for the supervillains to play with, because god forbid they be kept on a leash."

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