cactusy | IC contact for lastvoyages

[ When Will gets to the Infected, he tackles one and immediately starts ripping chunks off. It is very much like a dog ripping the stuffing out of a couch cushion, just far gorier. But it lets Will sit in the place where his instincts are in charge and he can get all this tension out.

There are differences between his and James' positions, but Will feels like leather belts are tightening around him all the same. He's trapped, he's trapped, and no one will ever believe him-- it's easier to remember that's not true in this body. He sees antlers and immediately chases them down.

He sees a black wendigo creature fall in front of him, instead of the stag it is. He tears its throat out and rips at the glistening black meat underneath, eating his fill.

And finally, after that, he returns to the pond near the entrance, snout stained red and paws bloodied. Nothing put up a fight, and he's tired now. It's about 20 minutes from when they first entered that he washes what he can off his fur and then shifts back as he sinks further into the pond. His bones make an awful sounds as he turns human again- clearly everything is shifting 'back' into place. But Will doesn't grimace, he just breathes heavily and leans on a rock.

After a long and awkward pause, he splashes water over his face. ]

...thanks.

Yeah.

[Slowly, she lowers herself to the ground and leans backwards, pressing her back against the door.]

That new warden - I think a lot of people appreciate his intel. And I don't think anyone thinks he's a liar.

Yeah? That's...that's good.

[ Will pulls himself back out of the pond and almost immediately wraps a large white towel around himself (it came from under a rock next to the pond). He dries himself off, turned away from Shaw, then grabs his clothes and starts pulling them back on. It's a good pretense for thinking through what he can. ]

He...he's had to go it alone for a very long time. He didn't expect- hell, I don't know if he even understood the concept of someone staying to help him.

[ He looks up to Shaw, making his way to her and out of the Enclosure. He won't make her stay in here any longer than she has to. ]

"I don't like the stillness," she admits after a moment, exhaling. "It's not like regular sleep."

[Shaw keeps her eyes fixed on the grass at her feet as he dries and dresses, only looking up when she hears him starting to make his way over to her.]

You sure you're ready to go back? I can deal.

[She knows what the Enclosure is to him; knows that to him, unlike her, it feels less like a cage than anyplace else onboard.]

[ Will rubs his face as he joins her, ending with his eyes. And then he shakes his head at Shaw. He looks more exhausted than usual, but much less like he's going to vibrate apart. ]

No, I'm...I did what I needed to do here.

[ He'll make his way out of the Enclosure in its entirety, stepping back onto the Deck. ]

Have you heard the story of Peter Pan? Seen the movie?

[She'll come up next to him, standing a few feet away and leaning forward, resting her chin on the top rail.]

When I was a kid. I know the basics, but not plot details.

Yeah. That's all that tracks, anyway.

[ He leans against the rail and looks out. He and Shaw have some of their best conversations that way. ]

The inmate in the vents- the boy who never grows up- is that Peter Pan. Except he's some kind of monster that tricks young boys into leaving their lives behind, and he throws them away like broken toys when he's tired of them. I don't know even half the things he's done to James. But I got the impression he's been Peter's favorite 'toy' for quite a while now.

There was a heavy, righteous rage that emanated off James, when he wasn't terrified for my well-being.

Are you terrified for your well-being? Beyond the panic reaction.

[She has other questions too, and other things to say, but this seems like the place to start.]

"Yeah." He's quiet a moment. "So me not visiting her doesn't mean I don't care. It just means I'm more worried about the people who are still awake, and I don't think me being at her bedside would do any good."

Shaw slows to look at him, faint surprise on her face.

"Were you... worried that I thought it meant you didn't care?"

He looks up at her with a small half-smile. "A little, yeah. I mean what's the etiquette for comas? Most people visit."

"Yeah. It reassures them, at least a little." She pauses. "But, uh... I don't get the point either, so. No judgement over not being like everybody else with this."

[ Will snorts with laughter, which is probably answer enough. But he verbalizes it too. ]

Hardly. I've compensated for that sort of danger, a couple of times over now. Not that James could've known that.

Fear isn't always logical, even beyond panic reactions, but - okay.

[She hooks her arms over the railing, turning her head to look at him while keeping the rest of her body facing outward.]

So it sounds like we need a game plan to help protect this guy, yeah?

[ Will tilts his chin to the side, a small acknowledgement that fear isn't logical. ]

Hmmm. We do, but I would recommend you make sure of the situation before trying to protect him. A lot of what... [ He waves his hand in the generic direction of the Enclosure. ] -that was about were James' feelings replicating mine so well. He was less in danger than everything and everyone around him. Peter hurts him by hurting other people, letting him have nothing in his life that isn't that creature in a little boy's skin.

I...didn't run away when James told me to. I couldn't leave him alone to that. So the best way to protect him might be to let Peter try and fail to hurt me, to hurt others. Fail to change things on this boat. Let James see it's safer here, even if it's not entirely safe.

I'm not... just talking about doing it for his sake.

[She speaks slowly, choosing her words carefully.]

I'm also thinking about practice for you, helping people without torturing or killing the perpetrator. I'm thinking about what we can do to help you not feel like a powerless bystander. That means that even if it turns out James doesn't need as much protection as you're feeling he does, I still want to work on this, not just go "Okay, crisis averted".

What are you thinking letting Peter try and fail to hurt you would entail? Goading him, watching him, waiting for him to attack, something else--?

[ Will's expression moves from confused to curious to impressed. He didn't think of this as a situation to work on himself, but he can see it. Now that the trauma is at least a little out of the way. He gives Shaw a weak smile and looks away, thinking it over. ]

No need to goad, Peter's already riled up plenty. Anyone showing care or connection with James is likely going to do the same, but I was willing to fight with him. I was going to go about my normal day and wait it out. Take extra precautions with the dogs.

Once he tries something, the goal would be to catch him and contact you or a nearby warden. And then it depends what you folks would want. Treating him dismissively would frustrate him the most, so that's probably what I'd lean towards.

You wanna ask Gaius if he can do his protection mojo on the dogs?

[ Will blinks. A couple of times, actually. ]

I can't believe I didn't think of that.

Two heads are better than one?

[She says dryly, quirking a brow at him.]

I, uh-- I also wanna be clear. I know you have helped people without going full murder about it - here and at home. I'm not forgetting about that. Me thinking you need practice with something doesn't mean I think you're totally incapable now, got it?

I've got it.

[ He smiles now, looking down at his hands. ]

I noticed what you were going for. Nonviolent solutions...and knowing there are nonviolent solutions. That's an important thing to practice, since I'm planning on wardening myself eventually.

[ More seriously, though: ] I appreciate what you're doing here, reinforcing my agency. If we do it enough times, my overemotional hindbrain should actually get it.

The Admiral says everyone is back. I take it that includes you.

Yeah, I guess he's decided not to get rid of me yet.

He literally waited for you.

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