IC contact for lastvoyages

[cactusy]

[If I don't have an active post up, feel free to use this post to have your character call, videochat, text, or knock on Shaw's door.]

Comments

[cactusy]

[In the most deadpan voice:]

Caves, am I right?

[heyboss]

Hm, and here I was thinking it was a good deterrent.

[cactusy]

It probably is for most people.

The way you died sucked. Not gonna judge you if you're not okay after that.

[heyboss]

It did - suck, yes.

I'm - well, I will be alright.

[cactusy]

Sucks being the only licensed guy here, huh. No therapist for the therapist.

[heyboss]

I don't need a therapist.

I have people to talk to, which - is good enough.

[cactusy]

If you're sure. Just thinking about how it wouldn't be good for our only professional to go all martyr on us. Airplane gas mask rules, you know?

[heyboss]

Explain that one for me?

[cactusy]

Oh, right, 1950s. Uh-- planes in the future have oxygen masks in case there's a loss of cabin pressure. They always tell you to put your own on before you try to help the people around you, because if you're a mess--

[Guidelines that Shaw very often does not follow herself: this.]

[cactusy]

[From here.]

"Yeah?" she asks, lolling her head to the side to look at him. "How so?"

[heyboss]

Oh. Well, that's actually not a bad policy.

Unfortunately I don't know many people who follow it closely.

[weedeating]

Most caves you don't have to worry about cave-ins caused by giant worms.

[ he is already Done with this. ]

[cactusy]

Including yourself?

[cactusy]

Is that what did it? Some kinda creature got Sheehan, too.

[empathicfault]

"Well..." He's not entirely sure how he should put it. "We have a lot of shared experiences, to start with. His skill at reading people isn't exactly a condition, but that might also be the upper-class tendency to throw a very fancy rug over anything they don't like. And it's not like I really fared all that much better."

Will sighs and shakes his head. "I know where a lot of his reactions come from- not just because I- I see them or feel them, but I've lived them before. I've learned to keep them quiet. To myself. Malcolm's so immediate with his reactions, he's almost like a more honest version of me. Just needs to know how to interpret his own mind, so he doesn't get over-defensive. Know that he's right about what he sees, before he speaks."

He looks over to Shaw to try and see if he's making sense to her. "It would help if he understood that your personalities don't compliment each other like he thinks they do, too. But that might be a different issue."

[cactusy]

Shaw is quiet, her expression still and contemplative as moves to stare back up at the stars. When she catches Will looking at her out of the corner of her eye, though, she glances back at him again.

"Is he actually skilled at reading people?" she asks. "Because that's not exactly the impression I'm getting."

[empathicfault]

Will is surprised into a chuckle. "Yeah, he is. His second-guessing is holding him back here. I suspect being this close to people- physically and emotionally- probably messes him up a little, too. This isn't exactly his ideal environment. That's why I thought it might be good to give him a case to solve. Might do us both some good, to separate our minds away from-" He gestures back at the rest of the Barge. "-everyone else stuck here."

[cactusy]

"He just thinks I'm hot," she says, a tinge dismissively. "It's messing with his brain. But, I, uh-- I am gonna do the Enclosure thing with you guys. I'll be quiet and sit in the corner and not interfere unless I have to - I just wanna see how it works."

[empathicfault]

Will shakes his head at her declaration- not that she isn't hot, but Will doesn't think that's all that's going on with Malcolm. But he really doesn't want to get into why Malcolm's looking her way so intensely, at the expense of all others. So he leaves it at that.

"Yeah, I'm hoping I can do everything I'd like to, in there. I- uh- apologize in advance for the gruesomeness. Not that you can't handle it. More that serial killers always go the extra mile when they want to show off their handiwork." He rolls his eyes, but there's certainly an aspect of it he loves.

[cactusy]

"Tell me why this is different from being forced into it by Jack," she says, sitting up on her elbows again. "Is it because it's in the Enclosure? Because it's on your terms?"

[empathicfault]

That's actually a good thing to address. Will looks up as he thinks about how to put it. "Yeah, that's a big part of it. The fact that it's over with is another, and we're not on a ticking clock. I'm not- not planning on doing any of Hannibal's crime scenes, and I'll avoid some of the other...worse ones. Some of that, I really don't need to see again. But the times when I actually made a difference, when we caught someone. Those might be good."

[weedeating]

I can only assume it was a giant worm. I only got a glimpse of the beast and it looked suspiciously worm-like.

[cactusy]

Another nod, slower and more thoughtful.

"What about whatever Malcolm might pick?"

[cactusy]

Could be more than one type of dangerous creature down here, but I'll listen for the rumbling. I--

[She pauses, and then:]

I think I see your rubble pile.

[empathicfault]

"No one's going to die if I don't solve it that day," replies Will, shaking his head a little. "That makes all the difference. If there's...themes that I have a tough time with, I'll let Malcolm know- or you, since you'll be there. But I don't have to go deep. I could try to solve it like a normal agent, if I wanted."

He hadn't considered that until just now. He's not sure how good he'd actually be, doing 'real' field work.