deadly_ned | 021 - Dried Winter Apple

[Something's happened to the Piemaker in the days since he was held hostage by the inmate calling himself Hannibal Lector. He's shut down, closing out everything that could possibly remind him of the nightmare it was spending quality time with the man.

Effectively, this means not going back to his own room.

Instead, he sits on the floor of Alpha's room, having retreated there to make his post. He doesn't want to do it in the infirmary; he wants to be alone. And with his dog Digby cuddling up to both Alpha and new inmate Ellie, he's got his wish]

I'd like to share a secret.

It's something that a few people on this ship already know through either me telling them or the Barge circumnavigating my wishes to keep the secret a secret and whispering it into the ears of people I would rather not have known.

And. And until last week I didn't think it mattered that people didn't know because I didn't conceive of a way it could be used against anyone. It's redundant.

There's a reason I hate magic, and there's a reason I hate Halloween, and there's a reason why I don't go around hugging people all willy-nilly, and why my dog is neurotic and why my pies taste so good.

I can touch dead things and bring them back to life.

And...Dr. Lector found this out. And he kept the secret.

But he also kept me, in my room, while he used my magic to bring dead things he took out of people back to life.

And if I had told more people what I could do, or if I wasn't...here on the Barge to begin with, it probably wouldn't have happened like it did.

I don't care about who knows anymore. There's nothing worse you can do to me and nothing worse I can do to other people than what happened.

I'll answer questions about it. If there are any.

Alpha, I'm sorry.

[Private to Friends]

I would...really appreciate it if someone could go pick up some things from my room. I can't go in there right now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

composited

Sounds like what graduation is supposed to be like. Sweet second chances.

deadly_ned

The Admiral picks his wardens with a trace of irony.

Wish he picked his inmates with less.

Is Digby with you?

Yes. He's like a furry body pillow.

He likes you.

Hey, if I can find one more person, I'll be able to count all the people who care on one hand.

Digby, me...who are the other two?

Lisbeth. Mal.

I'm proud of you. Making friends.

Lisbeth is fast-tracking her way to being booted from the barge. Statistically, she's a high likelyhood of being flushed. Mal's a warden. You're obligated to give a shit. Digby's a dog. No, I'm not making friends.

I am not obligated to give a shit. Plenty of wardens graduated their inmates and didn't care about them. And Digby's more than a dog. Digby was my best and only friend for twenty years.

That's a damn old dog.

[ He's not touching the rest. Not right now. ]

He's twenty-three. He's very intelligent. Technically he's only three. That was the age he was when he died.

So you can't touch him. No wonder he likes getting his ears scratched.

Sometimes I use a wooden hand on a stick. But yes. I can't touch him. When I was...in my room, last week. He kept me there mainly under threat of letting me touch Digby.

So you mean you put the welfare of your dog before the men who were being murdered and devoured?

I wasn't thinking things through. I was panicking. The Barge brings back people but I don't think it would bring back the dog.

When I realized that he wasn't going to stop, it changed. I started actively trying to escape. That was day three.

I was dead that day.

Digby was the only one I had after my mother died. For twenty years.

And now I have him. Fancy that.

He likes you. Probably more than me right now. You can pet him.

Edited Date: 2013-10-14 06:02 am (UTC)

Well, then. Guess he's my pal now. Since he was so fucking important that you let us die over him, only fair, right?

I didn't let you die. You were already dead.

Not the point, Handler.

[Friday]

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021 - Dried Winter Apple

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