069 | Video.

[paradoxlol]

Looks I've been pretty scarce or the past few months. [He'd apologize for that, but he's Arthur, so he won't.]

For those of you who're new to the ship, [Or not so new, because Arthur's been an absentee tool.] I'm Arthur, one of the librarians here. Perry Dawsey's my inmate. Not that I'm anticipating anything, [BULL. He's always anticipating something. But it's wishful thinking here.] but if you have any problems with him, you can come to me, and I'll do what I can to take care of it.

[Warden Filter + Perry]
I've got a question for those of you with a deal. [Which is probably pretty much everyone. He doesn't know of many wardens who are here strictly out of the goodness of their hearts.] How many of you have asked the Admiral-- or tried to-- for more than one thing? Like say you wanted to save a life and get a million bucks out of this place.

[He'd ask the Admiral directly but sob he thinks y'all are more reliable.]

[Private to Ariadne + Perry]
I think you could use some target practice after what went down in the art room. [And by that he means: LET'S USE THE PASIV. He just won't... come right out and say it. Because Perry.]

Meet me at my place after dinner?

[Private to Perry]
I'm heading to the CES to do some jogging. Wanna tag along?

[OOC: Note about the +Perry filters! This just means that Perry can see whatever Arthur's posting; he can't read your responses unless you decide to include him on the filter, too.]

Comments

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

I wouldn't, either. [He hates admitting that. It makes for one less viable option. Arthur shrugs.] What's the harm? In telling the other wardens. They don't have to know what happens to you; just to your world.

[He takes another drink of water, then lowers the now-empty bottle.]

Did it bother you? That the people you worked with, the Feds or whatever, found out about what you'd been through?

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

That's one step closer to them finding out.

[He frowns, crossing his arms and drawing his mouth into a hard line at the mention of the Feds.] What do you think? We've been paired long enough I would've figured you'd have my feelings on sharing worked out a long time ago.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

[So he got the answer he expected. Arthur sighs.]

You survived, though. You showed discipline. [Much as he hates to use that word.] Why weren't you proud?

[Arthur has his guesses, of course. The vulnerability to the Triangles; the things that he had done to Bill; the extreme degree of self mutilation he had to undergo to survive-- but he's trying to stimulate a conversation here, so for now, he goes for the easy questions.]

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

Proud? [Yes, there had been pride when he woke up in the hospital bed, Triangles finally defeated. Of course there had been, but there's still a slight faltering when he answers, a pause that's too long to be natural. There was too much guilt and anger to just be proud.] I was.

[He turns away, talking to some point in the distance. It's easier than looking at his warden. They'd thought he was a monster, all except Margo, and she didn't really count.] They're assholes. They don't understand.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

Did you ever give then a chance to? [He's remembering his conversation with Clarence, how the other man didn't seem to have much sympathy for Perry and all that he'd gone through. Arthur can't really blame him; he knows Perry can be difficult at the best of times.]

How did they treat you?

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

[There's silence for a while, Perry's muscles tensing slightly as the pause goes on. Then finally, he starts. What the hell, it's probably in his file anyway.]

Well, let's see, hoss, where'd you want me to start? [His voice is a slow drawl now, thick with sarcasm. Imitating his dad. He counts the people out theatrically on his fingers as he talks.] First up, Clarence. He's just shit-scared I'm going to go psycho and take it out on his little girlfriend, so he acts all tough. He's not my biggest fan, but you already knew that. Then there's Clarence's little butt-buddy Amos. Well, he pretty much pisses his pants if he's in the same room as me for more than a minute.

Who else? [He turns back to Arthur, expression remaining mild, blank.] Oh yeah, Dew's assclown goons. Baum and Milner. They hate that they're not allowed to damage the merchandise; they'd love to give it a try if they thought they could get away with it.

[The pause this time is slightly longer. His voice is harder and a tiny bit quieter; it has more anger in it now. He looks away from Arthur again before talking.]

Dew. He's the guy that shot me, and now he's my babysitter. Pretty sure it's not his idea of a great gig. Maybe you can relate.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

[Arthur listens quietly. The stuff about Clarence, yeah, he can see it. It was plainly obvious from their conversation that he was far from Perry's biggest fan.]

Is that why you killed the hosts? To spite them?

[He's guessing not. He's guessing Perry killed them for the same reason he let the Triangles kill the woman in his apartment complex. But he's asking to stimulate conversation, get Perry to finally start confronting some of the things he did on his trip home. They were in his file for a reason, after all.]

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

What? [He looks surprised. Geez, he's not a crazy person, Arthur.] No. I did it because they're already dead.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

[HEY, HE'S JUST ASKING.]

But you weren't already dead when they got to you.

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

But I fought. None of them even tried.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

You think a toddler could have done anything? [PERRY :|]

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

[There's a pause, then a slow, deliberate semi-smile spreads on his face. It's not a nice expression.]

That kid? He wasn't a person any more. He would've killed me if I'd given him the opportunity. Bad luck for him, but his parents were weak. They did nothing. They didn't help themselves and they didn't help him. [He hesitates, voice less flat when he starts talking again.] Just about the only thing they did do was kill their daughter and beat their other son, the ones who weren't infected. They wouldn't help themselves, so I had to do it for them.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

[Arthur's used to this by now. He knows they're venturing into territory Perry doesn't want to discuss, that he's going to deflect by acting like this is just the way the world is; that it doesn't bother him, what he's done.]

He would've tried. I doubt the great Perry Dawsey would've been taken out by a little kid. [He looks at Perry.] You ever wonder what could've happened if you'd let Dew take them alive? You really think a surgeon couldn't have taken out the Triangles, given them a second chance?

You didn't help them; you butchered them. And you didn't have to.

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

You think you know everything from what your little file tells you. [He folds his arms over his chest, stubborn as always. It's the only way he knows how to deal with this.] I'm the one who can hear them. Just me.

Those things growing inside them, and not one even tried to fight back. At all. [He shakes his head. A tinge of what is both disgust and horror comes into his tone.] Margo couldn't have saved them. You take a look around their houses, you're not going to find any goddamn chicken scissors lying around; you won't see blood, nothing. If I'd seen even a hint--

[He stopped. That was getting too close to regret.]

They would've killed their families and died anyway when those things did their chestburster routines. Why doesn't anyone get it? They weren't people any more and they just let that happen without lifting a samba finger. [A pause and the next words sound almost like they escaped him without him meaning to let them. The flat tone he'd previously used breaks up into something else.] How the fuck are you supposed to come back from that?

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

I don't know everything. That's why I ask you the questions.

[Arthur's quiet for a while, mulling over Perry's words, his rhetorical question at the end of the little diatribe. He shakes his head.]

People come back from all kinds of trauma. [Just look at the Barge, after all.] It's not for you to decide if they get the chance or not.

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

Why not? There has to be a reason they-- that I'm the only one who can find them. Why not so I can put the sorry sonsofbitches down?

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

Did you ever think it was so you could help them get their lives back? Just because you think they gave up, it doesn't mean you have to give up on them, too.

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

[He makes a dismissive noise.]

They're weak. Why should I save their lives for them if they're not even trying? I'm not responsible for giving them a second goddamn chance.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

No, but you had your responsibilities, and you threw them aside just to kill these people.

SPAM - WHAT THE FUCK I didn't get a notif for this tag at all

[hatestriangles]

They're not people! [God damn it, Arthur, why don't you listen to him? Perry's losing control of his temper now and it's pretty obvious.] I didn't do it for some goddamn thrill. They're hosts. They're dead men fucking walking anyway, and I wasn't going to risk letting the Triangles escape.

SPAM - I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU WENT

[paradoxlol]

They are people, Perry. Or they were. [Before you KILLED THEM, sir.] You really think you'd be here if they weren't? Bill wasn't the only person you hurt.

SPAM - PRECIOUS TAGGING TIME WASTED /FACECLAW

[hatestriangles]

[Oh, you did not. Teeth clenched, he rounds on Arthur:] Fuck you. Fuck you, it's not the same. [He spreads his arms, gestures big and vehement.] So I killed them, so what? They were as good as dead already; what difference does it make if it was me or the Triangles?

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

What difference does it make? So you lower yourself to the Triangles' level, is that it? Because as far as these people's lives are concerned, you're right: you're no fucking different.

SPAM

[hatestriangles]

[For a moment, Perry just stares, the point hitting him. But this whole conversation, Arthur's tone, it's all just combined to make him stubborn. His convictions are the only thing he has, and it's not that easy to just admit that maybe they weren't right.] Because I'd rather destroy the hosts than give the Triangles a chance to get out and let whatever the fuck they're making the gates for come through to Earth, hosts who didn't even seem to find their own lives worth trying to fucking save?

No. [A sneer twists his face.] I did what no one else was willing to do; I did what I had to. That doesn't make me like them.

SPAM

[paradoxlol]

One of those "hosts" was a goddamn child! [Whoops, Arthur's losing his temper there. But it's frustrating-- he feels like he's going around in circles with Perry, that they're never going to see eye-to-eye on this.] You expect him to even know what's happening to him, let alone take a pair of fucking chicken scissors to his body?

So you persevered. You were strong, and you survived. Yeah, that's great. But it doesn't give you the right to murder people who're weaker than you. Their lives could have been saved. You made the choice to end them.