cactusy | IC contact for lastvoyages

You've already spent plenty of time with him, what have you seen then?

I just... told you; what part of that was unclear?

The part where you didn't actually answer my question - you said he resents you and thinks Will doesn't need a warden but is that something he said or something that you decided to infer based on some action he's taken and I'm askin' you why you think he doesn't understand what our job is.

You don't like him, that's one thing, I'm just tryin' to get down to the reason.

I don't not like him. This isn't based on a personal grudge.

He clearly understands our job when it comes to Kikimora, and other inmates; it's just Will he's like this about. And he did admit point-blank to my face - and Will's - that he thinks it's totally okay that Graham jumped right to murder as a problem-solving issue, no inferences needed. I was trying to talk Graham through some better options, and Bright wouldn't quit jumping in to tell him that he shouldn't listen to me because he hadn't actually done anything wrong by beating someone to death.

That opinion in this situation does not mean that Malcolm thinks Will doesn't need a Warden. But I'm also of the opinion that talks like that are better had alone with your inmate, unless the warden with you isn't going to undermine you doin' your job. Disagreements don't happen in front of the kids kinda thing.

Is this the only sticking point with him or is it others?

You know what, that's my opinion, too. But if I had said "I need to talk to Will alone about this", things would definitely have gone even worse.

-- And, uh-- do you mean sticking points with regards to Graham specifically, or sticking points in general.

Lessons for the future, [It was said as a knowing side commentary alone and was a perfect view into his mind - if you don't let them get you in a position to make it worse, you don't have to worry about it. Of course, that did not mean that it worked all the time so - there was always next time.]

And I think at this point, both. There's no way one doesn't feed into the other.

What, what do you mean, lessons for the future? You think I should have taken the option that would have made things worse?

God no. I mean that it's a lesson to not let things get to a place or situation where someone gets to undermine you like that. Controllin' when a conversation starts, when topics are brought up, what you are and aren't willin' to talk about in mixed company.

-- Oh, right. Yeah, that's true. But the problem is that Bright reacts poorly to the idea that he is mixed company.

Can't control how folks react, only how you respond to that reaction.

How far is he willin' to take that? Reactin' poorly, I mean.

I don't know, and that's the concern. Look, this isn't... anything I don't already know. But I can't not care how he reacts. I need to put Graham and his needs first, but Bright is so close to the situation that there are huge ripple effects. And the more this situation balloons out of control, the more potentially disastrous it could be for Will. Malcolm doesn't understand why he's an inmate and doesn't get why he needs to change. Do you see why that's a problem?

I do see why that's a problem. I am also not saying don't care how he reacts, that would be stupid, considerin' Malcolm's.. issues.

What I am sayin' is that you are not alone in being invested in this situation. I care about Malcolm, I care about bringing this tension down and I care about getting the situation to a calmer and more even ground.

If this isn't about trust, then do us a favor and let me help where I can. For you, for Will, for Malolm.

I've been trying to do that. Zhao said I shouldn't post to the warden filter asking for help, but I've been trying to identify people who are both sympathetic to Bright and willing to call him on his crap, so that they can talk him down.

I've got no problem going to the mat with Malcolm, and I have before. [Hell, he'd nearly shot or punched Malcolm at least four times before they came to a general understanding.]

Next time you need it..

It also sounds like you unquestioningly believed his spin, though. You were calm and diplomatic and all that crap, but you still came in pretty hot with the whole "It was just self-defense, why are you doing this" thing.

No, I took what he told me with a grain of salt because he only has his side and his point of view and that, sometimes, doesn't line up with with other people are trying to achieve when dancin' with his ability to hyperfocus and pick.

I agree with the idea and that doesn't mean that 'it's just self defense' is good enough, but in the big picture of it all, folks murder other folks all the time here - it highlights areas that need to be worked on but the only consequence worth worrying about at the forefront is stoppin' of a back and forth murder mash. Will killed someone, yes, but it's not the singular act of the murder that's so much the issue, it's the him snapping. I get that.

It's partly him snapping, partly neither of us knowing for sure if Rawne will do his part to handle Avalon, and partly me not having had a clue that Avalon was up to their old tricks. I've been spending a lot of time with Graham, and I still missed this. My two priorities here are figuring out where those holes are and plugging 'em up, and keeping a close eye on Graham's mental and emotional state in the immediate aftermath of what happened.

Sounds like you need to have a conversation with Rawne. Pin him down, grill him a little, see what he'll do.. Or determine what he won't do, either way.

It's a shitty way to find out someone's targetin' him, but now you know. [It meant she could move from that knowledge forward into other possibilities. It's the first part of 'fool me once'.] Did Graham not tell you he was bein'.. I dunno, stalked?

[Without Will's details about it, of which Raylan wasn't going to ask for because, quite frankly, Will was shouldering enough shit already and Raylan's curiosity to have the full picture didn't include pushing a fractured man right now.]

Already done. And no, he didn't; we've been having conversations about why.

And what, you're not sure that Rawne will follow through on his promises? Hmm. [He rubs at his brow and sighs.]

Feels like we're back at that big fuckin' table again, arguin' about Lestat's murder spree.

God, that whole thing was so stupid.

I think Rawne is kinda unprepared for this, but hopefully he'll prove me wrong.

Was it ever..

Well, I'll be hopin' along with you. Nothin' better to test what kind of warden he'll be.

I got lucky, in that regard, with Roman.

Don't sell yourself short on how tough your job is; I wouldn't've lasted a day with that kid.

I feel like I got lucky with Graham.

He does take a special kinda patience.

Whys that? [Not that he doubted the statement or Graham, he was just asking.]

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cactusy - 2023-10-16 13:51 (UTC) - Expand