forensicks | lastvoyages Inbox

"That's it...?!" Lark does seem worryingly indifferent about this, but it's impossible to deny that Walter has already known of cases "they" didn't care about exactly like that, and the description of what Lark said had been vague. "I mean, it does seem objectively true. Is that who tends to graduate too...?"

"Yes and no. The people who make no connections never graduate. But plenty of unpopular inmates make it. Hilbert is still pretty controversial, but I like him." A lot, these days, though he started out resisting the man.

"Oh, Ken's warden?" Walter feels he must be missing something to think of him that way as opposed to whatever long history he has. "That's a relief. I don't think I'll ever do numbers quite that high."

"What numbers? You mean in popularity?" He waves a hand. "You'll do fine. You haven't even killed anyone yet, have you?"

"You know, do numbers on Twitter? ...ok, Nielsen ratings?" Lark comes off nearly the same era as Walter and when it comes to light that he spent the decade it took for Twitter to "blow up" (get big) here, that's gonna be sad. He was already about to drop it as the concept of popularity was clearly conveyed, but then the question comes.

"No!" He rolls his shoulders nervously. "I may have hurt a certain guy in a car in my dream because he took off his seatbelt. But he's gonna be fine. I think."

"Well clearly he shouldn't have taken his seatbelt off. Did you know I came back here because my husband refuses to wear a helmet? He does stunts for Instagram and won't wear protective gear." So here Lark is, to make sure his idiot reckless husband doesn't die.

"Oh..." Did he get hit and die and now Lark wants to revive him? Walter starts with: "Did you meet him here?"

"I did," he says with a small and involuntary smile. "We were both inmates. He graduated first. We live in California now. I think you would've liked him."

He thinks everyone would like Alec, even the people who hate him.

"I'd like to think that," Walter says, since it seems to be the thing to say. He's starting to worry about being caught with idle hands and settles to sit down at one of the multiple nearby tables, wiping it over and looking up at the other man. "Was he human like me?" It would make sense if he needs the helmet and seems to be fair game since Lark is a werewolf. "I still don't always know who used to be an inmate, or who their wardens were back then."

Did I say "I miss you a lot", or did I say "I miss you" a lot of times?

[An inconsequential distinction to some, maybe, and poor Walter, having to sit through this level of scrutiny - but Misty knows herself well, and the more exact info she can get on her phrasing and tone of voice, the better she'll be able to analyze her own future self's actions and mindset. If only this place was connected to a network; she would love to be able to listen to that voicemail herself.]

And the thing I was right about - you thought I was talking about Natalie having been coerced?

[...he'd thought it was normal to be stripped of his cell phone, to not even have a notepad app on the barge intranet device so he'd have to seek out more, but now he really misses it, because that voice mail would be on it.]

More like variations on "I miss you."

[She wants to reconstruct her other self's state of mind but is it really right for him to present evidence of what seems to have been falling in love? Present imperfect tense. If he had some kind of claim, at least, that would be easier to assert... But all else aside, speaking out loud instead of in text has made it easy to misunderstand the boundaries of the phrases, so he'll cooperate a little longer. When she is of course focused on the question of whether Natalie had been coerced, it does disturb Walter to think about what he doesn't know for sure about what happened between them.]

No, it was like—...all you really said about any of them was "unplugging with your friends for a little girls' weekend". Which is why you hadn't called me back until then. But I was right about the thing, and... you were sorry for pushing me away. And, you missed me. Uh...

So before, you'd been mad I accused you of murder, that, "whatever this is, it's over". Now I thought you were ready to trust me about how you killed Adam Martin... You were staying for a little while but we'd see each other again soon. At least, that's what happened...

[The Misty before him has made him think of how little was really said. What if she really was going to stay in the compound forever? Long distance relationships have never bothered him in theory but that's the least of the concerns.]

"He's what's called a transgenic. He has the genes of hawks and cats in him. He was engineered to be a super soldier for the government, but then of course the government collapsed." And where does that leave the super soldiers of the world? "He was a cage fighter for a while. Which was stupid. If you're ever on the run, don't fight people in a cage for money."

"Awwww, you're cats and dogs!" Walter is getting used to these unlikely sentences. "But I can see how that would have been traumatic for him... Don't worry. I know I'd lose."

[A sudden thought occurs to Misty: had she had a crush on this guy? Oh god, how embarrassing; no wonder he's acting so strange. He's probably trying to think of how to let her down easily, apparently for the second time - and who knows what she'd pulled on him in response to the first. She'd probably tried out a litany of her dating tricks, like guilting him or turning on the waterworks--]

Right. I think I understand.

[She pulls in a deep breath.]

Listen, Walter - Mr. Tattersall. I know this likely won't come as much of a comfort considering it was another version of me, but - I am truly sorry if I-- if she-- if she made you feel uncomfortable. Or pressured, or-- or anything like that. I can assure you that it won't happen again.

[A confused look passes over his face that she will likely see as an extension of that "strange behavior". What have they done to her? Did he leave out too many of the awkward details... No, surely what he's described is still a dogged pursuit on his end. "Misty" was the one who had to push him away. She's certainly clingy by nature - rebuffed by Taissa and Shauna, then Natalie herself. That hasn't gone away with her insistence on learning the truth. But far from sensing Walter's feelings for her, she sees herself as some kind of predatory monster...? Will she convince herself that Misty simply manipulated him into killing for her?

He puts his hand on her shoulder.]

You don't have to be formal with me if you don't want to! I only call you Ms. Quigley because, well. [Ah, hell, lighten the mood a little.] You're Barge!Misty, and Misty is Future!Misty. Unless you don't like that, of course.

Lark can't help but laugh. Yeah. They really are. "You have no idea. Sometimes he sends me videos of actual cats and dogs getting along. When he's annoyed with me he sends a video of a cat beating up a rottweiler."

No, it's fine. And you're being very... kind.

[But she purses her lips, still clearly troubled.]

So, do you believe me when I say that I don't want to pressure you into anything? Or do you think I'm completely full of crap?

[Walter is outright frowning now, an expression that instantly stands out on his boyish face. What made her so afraid of this? Something very specific must have happened. He softens his expression and continues, hand still on her shoulder, even leaning a little further down]

Ms. Quigley, I might not be able to tell you what "you" were thinking, but what I can say is that I chose to go all the way back to the compound. That was my choice! I was choosing that, and it was a choice. If I have any regrets about it now, that's not because you took away any part of my choice. Okay?

[Misty closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath: centering herself, and also letting herself believe the words.]

Okay.

[She says, blinking her eyes open again.]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Good. I hope you can hold onto that.

[He pats her shoulder and finally lets his arm draw away, to the table. It seems like Misty has tears bottled up inside that fortunately didn't quite come out at this moment... Walter speaks calmly, somber but not losing his motivation, looking at her without a directly piercing gaze.]

You see... When I went back to the compound, I came prepared. I told the police where to go, so they took their places on the stage. One of the cops investigating the case was Matt Saracusa, he had to present and legitimize the fabricated evidence. The other was Kevyn Tan, and to frame him for the deaths of Adam Martin and Jessica Roberts... I killed him. [This is the part where the music would get louder to tell the audience "Walter, what the fuck?" as he keeps talking with, still a somberness, but nowhere near dark enough.] I'm sorry if that's hard to hear, it was morally wrong, and, I know at least Jeffrey knew him...

"He uses the regular off-barge Internet for that?" Walter whistles, putting away some of his cleaning supplies as he's finished an area. "I love that stuff, you're lucky I can't just scroll through it all day."

Hey. We're paired up this month and we're headed into a port. I assume you'll want to go off ship for a bit?

[Misty looks shocked, maybe even a little rattled, but not heartbroken. She blinks again (and, luckily for Walter, is still completely tearless), shaking her head slightly.]

No, it's not-- I mean, yes, it's not the most pleasant piece of news I've heard today, but I-- we-- I didn't know him well.

[But Natalie did. God, is she going to have to break this news to Natalie? But no, of course not; he's still alive on their world, and if they've prevented Natalie's kidnapping, then surely they've prevented this, too.]

Walter. You did this all for me?

That sounds great! Wasn't going to push the issue if my new temp thought otherwise, but yeah, absolutely. I don't know a lot about the plan for this time, do you have the 411 already?

OK... [That they did not know Kevyn well is perhaps good but doesn't make the homicide any less illegal, so he gives a slight unobtrusive acknowledgment. Then there's the question. It's much like in his past. Misty Quigley, always unappreciated and unaware that she is so special. He says something completely serious, even though it might sound unserious but that's just what those things are called--]

Yes. Unless the admiral cannot forgive the occasional slime tutorial, that is why I'm here.

[So why didn't he tell her something so important...]

Your timeline is so different now, and you could have gone back any day for all I knew. [Honestly... he also drastically overestimated how weird "we were falling in love over the course of a week in the future and I committed murder for you" would actually sound on the barge and by the time he realized it was already awkward.] But yes, after everything you went through, and becoming your friend, I wanted you to be safe.

[He gives a small smile, says three words that are very obvious but mean a lot to him.]

You're Agent AfricanGrey.

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