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I'd love to ask Malcolm for more details so we could narrow it down, but he's not exactly been willing to actually have a conversation about it.
Maybe he was the one being fucked with. Maybe you. Did you have any blackout moments, followed by feeling sick?
[Because lol they did just have that, and Rosita can personally attest that it only feels weird once someone points it out.]
Maybe he was the one being fucked with. Maybe you. Did you have any blackout moments, followed by feeling sick?
[Because lol they did just have that, and Rosita can personally attest that it only feels weird once someone points it out.]
[ Rosita, you are very quickly rising up the ranks of Hilbert's favorite person on this stupid ship. ]
You know, every time I suggest the possibility that Bright is the one who has been, ah, 'fucked with,' it is barely tolerated. Attitude is much like parents telling child they will do something they have no intention of doing.
But no, I did not have any blackout moments. And I have been in perfect health for last few months.
You know, every time I suggest the possibility that Bright is the one who has been, ah, 'fucked with,' it is barely tolerated. Attitude is much like parents telling child they will do something they have no intention of doing.
But no, I did not have any blackout moments. And I have been in perfect health for last few months.
Yeah, well, a lot of people turn into straight assholes when they're given power over others and not checked on it.
[Is she speaking from experience?
Yes. Yes she is.]
Do you know Abel?
[Is she speaking from experience?
Yes. Yes she is.]
Do you know Abel?
[He could be lying to her, of course. She always assumes strangers are lying, because it's safer for her that way.
But these are fairly low risk lies. They'll be exposed the moment Abel is up again, if he's interested in doing so - she's not sure. She doesn't know him either.]
If it were up to me, under the circumstances, Malcolm would be in the cell beside you until Abel had a chance to wake up and tell us what happened.
But I don't have any authority here. I can't even ask questions and expect answers.
But these are fairly low risk lies. They'll be exposed the moment Abel is up again, if he's interested in doing so - she's not sure. She doesn't know him either.]
If it were up to me, under the circumstances, Malcolm would be in the cell beside you until Abel had a chance to wake up and tell us what happened.
But I don't have any authority here. I can't even ask questions and expect answers.
"Thank you for that. I know it isn't easy, and I know that it isn't fair. I..." He tips his head up, again, but this time he's looking at the sky.
There are no stars in Hell.
"I believe it's still better, still worth it, but that's easy to say when I chose to be here. When my comparison is - is an afterlife with very different priorities."
When he meets her gaze again, his expression is grimly rueful. "I do think that trying might need to involve accepting the structure you've been pushed into. Otherwise, you're just pounding on a brick wall, and your hands are going to break before it does."
There are no stars in Hell.
"I believe it's still better, still worth it, but that's easy to say when I chose to be here. When my comparison is - is an afterlife with very different priorities."
When he meets her gaze again, his expression is grimly rueful. "I do think that trying might need to involve accepting the structure you've been pushed into. Otherwise, you're just pounding on a brick wall, and your hands are going to break before it does."
She greets his thanks with a blank look, watching him consider whatever it is he's considering. Watching him sift through his own baggage and at a different time, in a different place, for a different reason she might even ask.
Here, now, in the wake of the bullshit she just waded through to get here? She looks him dead in his eye, let's him see her calm and collected, and says very clearly, very deliberately, "No."
She will not accept a structure like this one. She will not accept a system because it's popular. Never again.
"I do not accept anything here."
Here, now, in the wake of the bullshit she just waded through to get here? She looks him dead in his eye, let's him see her calm and collected, and says very clearly, very deliberately, "No."
She will not accept a structure like this one. She will not accept a system because it's popular. Never again.
"I do not accept anything here."
Edited 2024-07-07 17:02 (UTC)
She reminds him so starkly, strikingly of himself in that moment that his first response is a huff of actual, honest to god laughter. Then he immediately realises how that could be taken, and shakes his head in a rush that will probably give him a headache. "I'm sorry, I just - no, that's exactly how I would act in your shoes."
If he was being kept here, away from his chosen commitment, on the whims of a god who decided he knew best, beneath people he'd never have taken orders from? "Probably worse, honestly." It would be a self-destructive spiral of stubbornness that would never see him graduated. He doesn't want that for her, but how can he argue against the perspective he himself would take?
With a faint, crooked smile, "All right, then, we'll need a different strategy. Not recognising wardens' authority as a whole - but are there any people, either side of the line, who've earned that kind of respect?"
If he was being kept here, away from his chosen commitment, on the whims of a god who decided he knew best, beneath people he'd never have taken orders from? "Probably worse, honestly." It would be a self-destructive spiral of stubbornness that would never see him graduated. He doesn't want that for her, but how can he argue against the perspective he himself would take?
With a faint, crooked smile, "All right, then, we'll need a different strategy. Not recognising wardens' authority as a whole - but are there any people, either side of the line, who've earned that kind of respect?"
She does, of course, take it that way and her dark eyes harder, her jaw tenses. Fuck him then. She isn't so desperate for someone to listen to her that she needs to stand here and be laughed at, and she's about to tell him exactly that when he catches up.
It would be easier to share off if she weren't already upset. Easier to laugh, too. As it is she folds her arms a d she waits.
"I don't need help figuring my own situation out. I have my people. You asked me to explain why I disagreed that Malcolm knew what he was doing, and that it mattered that they were wardens involved, and that wardens are held to a different standard."
It would be easier to share off if she weren't already upset. Easier to laugh, too. As it is she folds her arms a d she waits.
"I don't need help figuring my own situation out. I have my people. You asked me to explain why I disagreed that Malcolm knew what he was doing, and that it mattered that they were wardens involved, and that wardens are held to a different standard."
"You're right: you've explained that, and we aren't going to agree on it. Thank you for taking the time - and the risk
- to do that." It's another perspective to keep in mind, and those never stop being valuable.
But he's still leaning slightly against the rail, clearly not ready to turn around and leave.
"I'll do my best not to talk to you as a warden. Just - someone who's here to help, if you ever want it."
- to do that." It's another perspective to keep in mind, and those never stop being valuable.
But he's still leaning slightly against the rail, clearly not ready to turn around and leave.
"I'll do my best not to talk to you as a warden. Just - someone who's here to help, if you ever want it."
Her arms are still folded. She's still studying him with a shrewd, searching gaze.
"What makes you think I need help?" she asks, not a challenge necessarily, but an honest question.
"What makes you think I need help?" she asks, not a challenge necessarily, but an honest question.
Unfortunately, in this particular case, Bright is the one with the answers.
This whole system can burn in fucking hell.
This whole system can burn in fucking hell.
It's funny. It used to be something we passed around in one of my law classes: people never fight a system that suits them.
"Everyone here does." Utterly sincere but also a bit of a cop out, and he knows it.
"And I think we've got some things in common. I can barely remember a time when I wasn't tired."
"And I think we've got some things in common. I can barely remember a time when I wasn't tired."
"No," Eric replies stiffly. It's the fact he was brought in against his will that upsets him, though even if he had the choice, knowing that Godric was alive and on the barge would be enough of a reason to agree to come.
He continues to watch her, a little smile spreading to become evident. "I would have chosen my apartment in Paris if I had the choice."
He continues to watch her, a little smile spreading to become evident. "I would have chosen my apartment in Paris if I had the choice."
It's the sticking point for a lot of people, as far as Rosita is aware; that, and getting no warning or explanation.
"Then you might not have to lay as low as you think. There's always the chance of an outlier, of course, who's just pissed off about being here and looking for an excuse - but as long as you're not out here murdering people for your own curiosity -" Her voice goes tense and sharp for a moment, angry, before it evaporates again "- you should be fine."
She raises an eyebrow, glancing up at him and back down. "Paris, huh? Instead of the Barge, or instead of whatever your cabin is?"
"Then you might not have to lay as low as you think. There's always the chance of an outlier, of course, who's just pissed off about being here and looking for an excuse - but as long as you're not out here murdering people for your own curiosity -" Her voice goes tense and sharp for a moment, angry, before it evaporates again "- you should be fine."
She raises an eyebrow, glancing up at him and back down. "Paris, huh? Instead of the Barge, or instead of whatever your cabin is?"
"Pretty much everyone, everywhere does."
Being dead hasn't changed that much for her. In fact, being dead has changed much less than she had imagined that it might.
"How would you have handled this shitshow?"
Being dead hasn't changed that much for her. In fact, being dead has changed much less than she had imagined that it might.
"How would you have handled this shitshow?"
"If I'd found Hilbert walking away from a dead body? I'd walk him to Zero, call someone to take care of Abel, and call a few more people to help me figure out what in the hells happened."
With a slight shrug, "I know who I'd call, but - that's why I think a standardised procedure would be helpful. No one would have to crowdsource these things, no matter who you knew or who your friends were."
With a slight shrug, "I know who I'd call, but - that's why I think a standardised procedure would be helpful. No one would have to crowdsource these things, no matter who you knew or who your friends were."
"Do you honestly think that if there were some kind of procedure or protocol, anyone would follow it?" she asks, folding her arms.
"It's still a popularity game, especially for the kind of people who show up here. If they don't like whoever they're supposed to contact and they do like whoever has been killed?" Because she wouldn't if she didn't trust them. Not with this group.
"It's still a popularity game, especially for the kind of people who show up here. If they don't like whoever they're supposed to contact and they do like whoever has been killed?" Because she wouldn't if she didn't trust them. Not with this group.
Eric dares to take the necessary couple of steps to a chair and perches on the arm, noting the change in her tone before shrugging vaguely. "Murdering out of curiosity was never something that crossed my mind. Not even as a child growing up when killing was in the name of survival. It's only ever been about survival. A little bit of vengeance, too."
A beat and he nods.
"And yes, Paris. I got stuck with the basement at the bar I ran in Shreveport with my progeny, Pam."
His expression sours a little talking about it.
A beat and he nods.
"And yes, Paris. I got stuck with the basement at the bar I ran in Shreveport with my progeny, Pam."
His expression sours a little talking about it.
"I think Malcolm would have, and - enough others would that it's worth having." There was a definitely beat of hesitation there, though, before he admits, "But I was gone for a while. I might still be looking through rose-colored glasses."
Even through this clusterfuck, the Barge feels remarkably well-intentioned and collaborative in comparison.
Even through this clusterfuck, the Barge feels remarkably well-intentioned and collaborative in comparison.
"I don't."
She doesn't trust Malcolm at all.
"And honestly I'm not sure why anyone would. Like you said there's no training. There's no qualification, no justification, no explanation. If I need help, it's with this shit."
She doesn't trust Malcolm at all.
"And honestly I'm not sure why anyone would. Like you said there's no training. There's no qualification, no justification, no explanation. If I need help, it's with this shit."
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