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

after Norton's post

[riseunparalleled]

Hello, my name's Xie Lian. You're Sameen Shaw, right? [Even after a couple of years, he's still a little uncertain when it comes to sending messages directly.]

[cactusy]

Yeah. You planning on taking point on this Envy thing?

[riseunparalleled]

I think it would probably be best for everyone to keep Envy in Zero for the full seven days. Which I believe brings us to when wardens are assigned.

[He sighs, rubbing the bandage around his neck.]

Zero isn’t a ‘punishment’, not for someone like Envy, but it’s somewhere he can be contained and watched without extra effort. From what I saw… I don’t think Envy will try anything at the moment, but that’s just what I know of him and so I wouldn’t expect anyone else to rely on that.

Norton’s not wrong, and all the other people Envy has wronged also deserve more… but immediate action isn’t always the best. I doubt Envy will move much, but if I’m wrong, Zero takes away that chance.

It can also give other people time to, ah, consider what they want.

[cactusy]

I get that I'm the outlier here, but I care more about preventing this from happening again than I do figuring out how to make him regret or learn from it. That's his warden's job. So what are we gonna do to keep him contained when he gets out of Zero?

[riseunparalleled]

That depends on what you mean by contained.

He couldn’t have done this alone. He can’t attack anyone without going insubstantial.

[cactusy]

Oh, he had Johann do all his killing for him. You think he could have done the, uh... magic part on his own?

[riseunparalleled]

From what he's told me, Alchemy requires sacrifice. What I know about Alchemy on his world is through him, so there could be much I don't know, but I think he truly believes that.

[cactusy]

Yeah, that's where Johann came in.

[riseunparalleled]

Mm. So part of 'containment' depends on who will listen to him.

[cactusy]

We should get a warden monitoring his communications.

[riseunparalleled]

Perhaps that's something his next warden will do. I know you said you care more about preventing this from happening again, and I understand, but I also know that you're aware how these things can get people... upset. Which gets in the way of prevention, putting aside any personal, ah, drama.

[cactusy]

By "these things", do you mean people blowing up the dining hall, or people tracking inmates?

[riseunparalleled]

People can be quite relaxed about the dining hall being blown up.

[cactusy]

Figures.

What are your personal feelings?

[riseunparalleled]

I think it’s complicated. The dining hall blowing up is immediately harmful. People died or were injured and the consequences of that radiate out. The literal harm, the pain from seeing those we care about hurt, consequences and what people think of those consequences…

But despite that, it’s a constrained event that people can point to. There are solid answers, whether you like them or not.

A warden, or multiple wardens, tracking an inmate’s movement or communications is more complicated. People have all sorts of reasons to object, in principle. Personally, I don’t think it would be particularly effective and thus not worth the trade off of trust.

‘Envy blew up the dining hall’ and ‘wardens will invade people’s privacy’ are both simple. They’re not correct, or I think they’re lacking too much to be correct, but there’s a difference in weight.

[cactusy]

Yeah, there is. One's way worse than the other.

[riseunparalleled]

Is it really that simple? Here?

[It's a gentle question.]

You said you want to prevent it from happening again, not making sure Envy - or those who helped him - learns from it. But I don't believe thinking of those as two separate things is the most effective way forward. From everything I've seen, you're an intelligent woman. You know the Barge is different from where you were before.

[cactusy]

I didn't say I don't want them to learn from it. I get that that's the goal of this place. I just--

[She pauses, making a dissatisfied noise in the back of her throat.]

What are you guys gonna do when you come across an inmate who isn't going to get better from being coddled?

[riseunparalleled]

[He laughs.]

Please, for your own sake, I hope that isn't how you usually phrase it. [He can think of a number of people who would take offense to word choice over meaning.] Personally, I would say I've run into inmates who land all over the place when it comes to how well served they are by delicate handling.

As a group... hmm, I suppose I'm not sure who you mean by 'you guys'.

[cactusy]

You know, you kumbaya wardens.

[Another pause, another small disgruntled sound. And then--]

I know it does work for some people. And I know some of you have graduated piles of people and I haven't graduated anybody. I am trying to be open-minded and flexible about this. Semper Gumby or whatever.

[riseunparalleled]

Ah, I'm afraid I don't know what that means. Wardens who believe that all that's needed for graduation is for the inmate to be treated well? Or who hope, if not believe? [Trying to work from context.]

I believe that you're here, as we're all here, because you can help people. [He believes that everyone has that capacity, but he's not trying to get into philosophy.] Your approach is your approach, and I don't think it's a bad one. I admire your dedication, and how you care for the people here. It makes me feel quite cynical.

[cactusy]

... Seriously? You, cynical?

[Is that sarcasm? It doesn't sound like sarcasm.]

[riseunparalleled]

I did say that one of the reasons I’m against monitoring people is that I don’t think it will work. I’m not sure the compromises I make are those of an optimist.

I try to people with kindness and respect, because I think they deserve it. That has nothing to do with my opinion on human nature.

[cactusy]

Doesn't it?

... For the record, I don't think they should be monitored because they're evil by nature or don't deserve redemption.

[riseunparalleled]

Not for me.

I understand. But for the record, I never thought that was why. I think it's because you want to protect people.