009 - Key Lime

[deadly_ned]

I am only just now realizing that a dark and terrible storm is lurking over the horizon and that I may or may not have the resources necessary to prepare myself to face it.


And since I have one, and only one skill to offer in exchange..


Pies for any sort of sword-fighting or survivalist training for me and my inmate.


Please.


We're not fighters. At least, I'm not a fighter...much. I don't like to put words in the mouths of other people. I like to put pie there instead.

Or...room-cleaning, or I know Morse Code but I'm not sure how handy that will come in, but it's sort of a nifty little party trick when you're bored and have nothing better to do, but that might take a substantially larger amount of time than a simple comfort food hand-off.

[Locked to Thomas]

Digby has been re-homed. My room is officially dog-free. So you can...come, and go as you please.

If it pleases.

Also I may or may not have volunteered us both to go to a card game. Do you play cards? I can do a, um. A crash course.

Comments

[most_feared]

If you want some quick defense training I can give you a hand. Looks like you got a list lined up there, Chief.

[deadly_ned]

I do. I didn't expect it but I really do.

People here are...helpful. That much I've learned.

[most_feared]

Being bored as shit brings out the generosity in people. Not a complaint, though. We can use it.

[deadly_ned]

Who would have thought boredom to be a motivating factor in the way people behave towards each other?

Is this how real prisons operate? This can't be how real prisons operate.

[most_feared]

It's no, no matter how much people go on about it being a prison. There about fifty different standards for prisons I've run into here, all of them different, and what makes this like any of them is that the prisoners can't escape.

This place actually cares about whether they're comfortable or not.

[deadly_ned]

That's true. You're right, that's...absolutely true. I've been trying to think of ways to make the Barge seem more like home to me and my inmate and I have a surprisingly short list.

[most_feared]

Let me show you somethin' a good friend of mine said about staying here.

[And he replays what Snape said from a long while back.]

[deadly_ned]

That's...true.

That's true. This Barge isn't home. Won't ever be home. And I'm not..I wouldn't want Thomas to stay here. I want him to go and live the rest of a very, very long life in the way he wants it.



...But can't I make him just a little more comfortable while he's here?

[most_feared]

What is it that's makin' him uncomfortable? No shower of his own? Offer to let him use yours. Not able to get off? Unless he wants to drag every killer from his ship back home, and still probably land at the wrong place, it's not the best idea. Makin' his room a little nicer? The Admiral usually does good on things like that. Make it less dangerous for him? Well, you're doin' the best you can with that right now.

Make him comfortable as you can, but don't get so wrapped up in it you forget to get him out of here. Plenty of people will be willin' to help you with both.

[deadly_ned]

All or none of those things. Yes.

Do you think being comfortable is an integral part to graduating or do more miserable inmates graduate than happy ones?

[most_feared]

Neither, really. They just gotta be in a good position to realize what it is that they are doin' wrong with their life. It's nice if they're settled in, but some people won't ever get comfortable here.

Some people suddenly click after a conversation, and some realize after they go through the worst experience of their life.

You think you got a good bead on what it is he needs to realize?

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

No.


No, not at all.


I feel like he's this...dart board and I'm throwing everything I can at him in the hopes that something will hit the mark and stick but I don't know if that will do more harm than good.

But I am...trying to get us both to be more social. So there's...that.

[Private]

[most_feared]

Don't worry, Sport. You talk to 'em enough, you get there. And sometimes all they need is that person there to help 'em work things out as it comes to them, and make 'em know that their safety is actually a concern to you.

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

Just...talking? Talking is enough to change a person's outlook?

[Private]

[most_feared]

You'd be surprised how being able to tell someone your day was shitty or you found somethin' you like can change your whole outlook.

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

...Speaking of.

How has your day been going?

When we talk we always talk about my problems. Do you have problems?

[Private]

[most_feared]

My day is fine.

My problem scale is a little skewed compared to everyone else's. I've invited some pretty big problems on myself. [But people still frustrate him to no end.] But I get "hazard pay", so the work's worth it.

[Even if that pay really comes in knowing what he knows is out there.]

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

Just because you've invited them on yourself doesn't necessarily mean you need to deal with them yourself.

[Private]

[most_feared]

I usually don't worry too much about it. I figure at this point I can weather almost anything.

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

That's very impressive. Especially from my point of view.

[Private]

[most_feared]

Another part of it is that I figure you can't have everything, so having a little is nice.

I have a little. That's not too bad.

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

No one can have everything. It's a spacial impossibility.

[Private]

[most_feared]

[There's actually kind of a quiet smile on his end.] "Everything" sometimes isn't as much as people would think sometimes, I reckon.

[Private]

[deadly_ned]

Everything is everything you can think of. Where does that sort of desire to have everything even end? You can't possibly be happy with everything. There wouldn't be anything to look forward to.