empathicfault | IC Inbox

So he's not going to be doing so hot?

He's not. I've been talking to him. I'm sort of hoping I can help him get his own magic back, eventually. I think it'd help.

But...that's not what I wanted to talk about. I was hoping you could ask for another dog for me.

Oh. Yeah, sure; which one?

Thanks. Let's go for Buster, my Jack Russell terrier.

On it. Tell me when you have him, bring him over to say hi?

Will do. Looking forward to it.

[ The next time Will calls, it's amid a series of barks and yaps, clearly between Winston and another dog. He's been laughing, going by the tone of his voice. ]

Hey, Buster's made it. You available for me to come over? Think we're all...relatively settled here.

Edited 2023-08-09 01:45 (UTC)

Yeah, give me twenty? I just got back from a run with Jet.

[The whole Barge is their obstacle course, and people will likely start to hate them for it eventually.]

And I'm sure he loved that. No problem. I'll be bringing Winston, too.

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[ He arrives more like thirty minutes later. But he has two dogs in tow, regardless. They're both on leashes, thank goodness. He gets them both to sit while he knocks on her door. ]

[And Shaw pops it open shortly, her hair still damp and loose from a quick shower.]

Hey.

[She says, stepping back to let him into the cabin: the new and improved cabin. The cement walls and floors are the same, but the beat-up dresser, little dining table, and plastic picnic chairs have all been swapped out for nicer versions, the floorbed is no more, and there's a couch and a TV over by the windows. Also over by the windows is what looks to be an elevated sleeping loft accessible by ladder. Homey little knick-knacks can be found here and there, and there's a big rug on the floor.

When he spots his new compatriot, Jet lets out a happy bark and bounds over to say hi. Shaw lets him, a tiny little smile playing across her face.]

[ Will's watching them with a smile, too- Buster had tugged himself free of Will's grip to rush over to Jet, and now they're circling each other, sniffing, and wagging their tails. Winston waits for Will to unhook him, and then trots over to join the rest.

It's only after setting Buster free from the leash- and yes, letting him jump up and lick Will's face for a minute, followed by Jet- that Will lets himself look around the room. ]

Wow, nice place. I see Root's made her mark here.

She had a problem with the old set-up, and I didn't mind a change...

[Shaw says, giving a little shrug. She's perfectly happy with the remodel, it's just nothing she would have thought to do for herself. As long as everything is clean and the small number of possessions that she either needs or wants are close at hand, spartan conditions have never been an issue for Shaw.]

Well, you can tell her that I think it looks nice. Not that my interior decorating skills are all that finely honed.

[ After all, his technique was 'I hung a bunch of fishing poles on the wall and called it a day'. ]

How's it been, having her here? She seems to be leaning pretty hard into the domestic so far.

[Shaw snorts in a way that somehow manages to be both derisive and fond, shaking her head.]

She's so full of shit.

[But then she pauses, and adds--]

Actually, I think she really does like cooking. Parading it on the network is for show, though. But, uh, it's--

[It's a lot of things at once; it's hard to put into words. It makes her face falter, a little.]

It's good. And it's nerve-wracking. It being nerve-wracking doesn't make it any less good, but it does make it more complicated.

[ Will smirks at first, because- yeah. Root is definitely trying to play at the sweet and innocent...ish persona right now. He smiles slightly as Shaw continues, even as she falters. ]

Yeah, I'm sure. Suddenly there are a lot more possibilities, and not all of them are positive outcomes. But I'm really glad you've gotten more time with her.

If this is a simulation, tossing her into the mix would be a really good tactic.

[She flicks her gaze away from his, looking off into the middle distance.]

It was easier to just try to think about her as little as possible while I'm here.

[Not better. Not preferable. But easier.]

[ Will nods, because that's a whole set of outcomes he figured she was thinking on. ]

Easier, but not good for you. In my opinion. Even considering your unusual mental/emotional landscape, trauma and grief will pop up in the worst times and places. -especially here, where the ship will just shove it in someone else's face every so often.

But yeah. I can see how introducing her would be helpful to a simulation.

It's not something I should be putting on you.

[But she suspects that he might be able to pick up on the thread of fear that laces through her when she thinks about Root being here, and she doesn't want him to sense that without context.]

[ Will stops petting Winston for a moment and faces Shaw. ]

I appreciate that you're trying to keep me from feeling used or...misused, I guess, is the better term for it. But you're my friend, too. And I am a lot better at enforcing my boundaries than I used to be. So- grant me the ability to set them for myself, please?

I don't think your worries around Root are something you need to keep away from me. I won't feel burdened.

[She pauses, considers, and then nods.]

Okay.

Does that go for Bright and how he keeps trying to get you to be a go-between us, too?

[She figures there's no way he hasn't brought that up with Will.]

[ His smile is one of slight relief. ]

Yes. And I wanted to talk to you about that. Malcolm didn't realize it until I asked, but he was having a...uh, a trauma response to your conversation. It wouldn't hit most people, obviously. But most people don't have a serial killer for a dad, one who's constantly trying to force bonding moments.

It's just something you tripped over, but his fear, his 'running away'- that's where it came from.

I think it's kind of bullshit that he can't handle the same crap he's constantly forcing on other people, but--

[She huffs out a breath.]

Yeah, I get that. But honestly? I was thinking he'd take someone being forceful with him better because he's so forceful with other people. I was trying to speak his language, or whatever.

[ Will's eyes narrow and he frowns. His entire countenance seems to ice over. ]

You know there's a difference, right? Between being annoying or overly enthusiastic and stomping on people's trauma?

Because Malcolm is very good at reading when someone's in that sort of distress and addresses it appropriately. Like he did for Neal in that goddamned meeting about Lestat. And you and Eiffel thought he was wrong for trying to maintain boundaries for Neal.

What you did when Malcolm was in distress and trying to assert boundaries was walk all over them. Follow him, tell him he couldn't handle it. I do understand- you didn't see the signs that he was panicking. But don't tell me that you doing that and Malcolm annoying people with his profiling are the same thing. They're not.

[Shaw turns back around to face him fully, admitting:]

I did see the signs he was panicking. But as for the other stuff-- I can already tell you didn't get an objective retelling of what happened, Will. During my talk with Malcolm, or during the meeting.

[ That first sentence certainly doesn't do a lot to change Will's mind on this. And he will be coming back to that. But the rest? Ugh, he's trying to listen, so he swallows the bile rising in his throat and takes a deep breath. ]

No, I didn't. Because anyone I could talk to was too upset for me to get a real read on the situation. I've been piecing together the whole damn thing since it happened. So tell me- what did I miss?

I didn't follow him, for one thing. And I didn't... object to any boundaries he set for Neal, I told him I understood why Doug got angry with him.

[Shaw pauses for a long moment, her fingers restlessly stroking Jet's head as she studies Will's face.]

I didn't know why he was panicking. I figured he was intimidated by me, and scared that I was going to, I don't know, tell him that I hated him now and I was giving up on trying to talk with him. I was trying to show that I wasn't going to do that, even though, honestly? I kind of wanted to.

[Another, briefer pause.]

Like I said. He struck me as the kind of guy who'd appreciate stubborn persistence. I miscalculated and I messed up.

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