empathicfault | IC Inbox

[Malcolm hasn’t come home yet. When he calls, Will probably recognizes that he’s sitting in a back corner of the greenhouse with his back against the wall. He can see the pond from here.]

What if I Become by evolving into a bad person so slowly, I don’t even realize it’s happening? Does it work like that?

Will, who had been looking forward to a break from picking up charred furniture, stills in place. He looks at the video and tilts his head to the side, practically burning a hole in his communicator.

"That's how it was for me," he answers truthfully. "But it was fully orchestrated to be that way. If you're concerned about it, it hasn't happened."

He'd been leaning against a wall, but now he pushes off of it, making his way towards Malcolm as if they're magnetized to each other. "What did happen?"

"I saw Justine in the counselling office. I asked her why she attacked Walter when John told her not to. She said John's not the boss of her. I asked her why she did it. She said I can't understand. I told her it wasn't right to take revenge when the people involved had resolved it between themselves. She said I'm disgusting and everyone hates me and they love her and... I didn't care. I didn't feel anything. I always feel something. But in that moment I looked into her smug, spoiled brat face and just... didn't care." He pauses. "I think I broke something. In me, I mean."

He frowns. He needs probably more details to pick this apart, but can at least see where the discussion got twisted. And what Malcolm's major concern is.

"There's a lot of possible explanations for what happened and why you didn't feel anything. Only one is that you're turning into a psychopath. And despite what your entire home world seemed to be constantly trying to convince you, that isn't the most likely option."

He stops looking at the camera, if only to make sure he's not going to trip on anything. "What if you just realized it wasn't worth entertaining the obvious bait she threw in your direction? Most people are capable of at least...toning down their emotional responses, when they have a reason to. What if you're starting to learn that skill?"

He considers that.

"...She is just... really spiteful and self-centred."

"She's high society, too," Will points out. "Quite a few decades away from what you're used to, but I think you can identify some of those issues a little more easily. Maybe you've built up a wall or two."

And it's a little unfortunate, because Will had seen some potential in her beyond the opulent displays and aristocratic crap. Justine is brilliant and loves learning. He suspects she's very clever and might actually enjoy working at the counseling office, if she breaks further away from her society's standards.

But- well...Malcolm's growth was always going to be that of a bull suddenly finding itself in an antique store. The destruction was likely to be beautiful. Will found himself interested in seeing where this might take them.

He gets to the elevator and- thankfully, those all seem fine. He hits the button for the Deck.

“…Yeah. Maybe she just reminds me of all the ladies that are mean to my mother at galas.”

He pauses.

“I’m pretty sure Arthur doesn’t think I’m an exemplary warden anymore, either. I… had opinions. About what was fair for Walter being fair for Justine.”

"I think...it might be a little early to tell that. We're all still reeling from everything that happened- Arthur doubly so. And I don't know if you've noticed, but his temper can flare. Any thoughts he sent your way might cool as we get back to our routines and rebuild our senses of safety."

And if Arthur didn't tell Malcolm that directly- and he didn't, if Malcolm was 'pretty sure'- then it's too early to call that.

"Do you have opinions on what you want from Justine? For her actions against Walter?"

“I want her Warden to take it seriously and talk to her about it, then speak to us about what he thinks fair, meaningful consequences would be. But he’s in a coma. I don’t want anything from Justine. She thinks she can do whatever she wants to whoever she wants and it’s fine. I warned John about her total sense of impunity. That needs to be addressed. Whether everyone loves her and thinks it’s cute or not,” Malcolm says.

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