empathicfault | IC Inbox

Sure.

[She goes quiet again, and her eyes flick upwards.]

It's not exactly a state secret, who did it and what he did. I just get the impression that he's sensitive about it, and I'm not looking to be insensitive.

[A pause.]

There's only a handful of people I feel comfortable around here. He's one of them, kind of.

I could ask him directly, if you'd rather. You don't need to chance anything going wrong.

It could still go wrong on you.

Ah.... [ Will gestures with his hands to punctuate his shrug. ]

I'm friendly with him, but not his friend. I can take him being unhappy with me.

I've had pretty good luck with that here, besides. People are more willing to forgive social faux pas.

[She raises an eyebrow, giving him a little grin.]

Unless it's a raid-the-speakeasy kind of social faux pas.

Or the 'asking people the same questions as Will does, but with a slightly condescending tone' faux pas.

[ He rolls his eyes, but also smiles. ]

Maybe I've just cracked the code on not immediately pissing people off?

[ He sounds very unsure....but maybe a little hopeful. ]

It's more than just that with Bright, you know.

...I know. He can be pushy. And judgmental. And all the things I tend to be worse about, but he's out in the open about it.

[ He looks up from his hands, curious is Shaw has anything to add to that. ]

And if you make an assumption about me and I tell you you're wrong, do you listen?

[ Will smiles wanly. ]

For you? Yeah.

Other people? I'd tell them I was. Whether I actually listened would depend on the context.

Well.

[She jumps an eyebrow at him again.]

I didn't say I think he's bad. He's just more annoying.

I know his deductions suffer when his personal feelings get in the way, and they've been especially bad when it came to you.

[ He has a suspicion that wasn't entirely Malcolm's fault, but he has absolutely no way to back that up at the moment. ]

I'm a little surprised you have anything to do with him, still.

[That eyebrow is just continuing to arch higher and higher.]

Are you?

[ He shakes his head. ]

Not really. I know it's not as big an offense to you as it is to apparently everyone else, but...you do seem to find him consistently annoying.

I find Eiffel consistently annoying, too.

[And yet she spends a consistent amount of time hanging around in his cabin.]

True.

[ He smiles, looking comfortable. ]

I had a feeling it might be like that. It's somewhat comforting, you know? Because it's about that time when most people realize that I'm 'lying to them' and they start turning away. Well- maybe a couple of months from now. But it makes you less likely to follow the pattern.

Even if every word you've said to me is a lie, I'm not going anywhere.

[And this she sounds very, very sure of.]

It's... weird, with Bright. He sets me off more than most people, but I don't hate him.

[ His smile turns into something a little more vulnerable, as he blinks and looks down at his hands. ]

Yep. He's committed to trying to do the right thing. That's another trait you both share. His core is...maybe cracked, after what happened to him as a child, but still purely focused on doing good. Sometimes to his physical detriment. Definitely to his mental detriment.

[ But he's getting off track. ]

Maybe you resonate with that part, even if all the...packaging doesn't appeal.

Mm, I can try to, anyway. He can be really all or nothing sometimes.

[ He hums in agreement. ]

That's how his whole life has been. All or nothing. All that wealth and privilege and family, except the family went sour and no one will get close to him and everyone expects him to be a monster.

[ He shrugs. ]

I'm probably not the best person to do so, but I'm trying to get him to see some shades of gray. And to get comfortable with people actually liking him.

Not everyone expects him to be a monster here. He could have a fresh start.

I believe he's tried numerous 'fresh starts' before- in addition to changing his name. You know how tough it is to believe that you're not going to have the same experience you had in school? At work? Everywhere that your family isn't?

Even if he says it, it's going to take him a long while to truly believe that he's safe here from the things that he wasn't safe from before. Especially when he's always waiting for another Eiffel to slap him with the unfeeling psychopath label.

[ Will has not forgotten how devastated Malcolm was about that. His small frown shows that he also knows very well what that feels like. ]

Well, he's definitely not that. Neither of you are.

[Mindful of Jet, Shaw sits up a little on her elbows so that her gaze is more level with his.]

I don't think you're the best person to be the only person he confides in. That's one of the things I'm worried about.

Oh, yeah?

[ He raises an eyebrow, but follows it up with nodding. ]

I don't want him to be isolated. He's- oh, you probably haven't heard. He was invited awhile ago, and decided to join Lark's werewolf pack. So...uh, that's new?

That's... weird. But weirdly fitting for him.

[She pauses here, and then adds:]

Did you think I thought either of you were unfeeling psychopaths?

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