forensicks | lastvoyages Inbox

Great, because I was definitely worried there, Petya!!

[Walter grabs the man's bare hand in a sort of fist-like gesture. Handshake? Tempted to shake him after how worried Walter was? Raising their firsts in triumph? Who knows, he's let go before long, which will allow Pyotr to flit around freely. There's a thick white bandage around Walter's head, blood not showing through it. And a handful of dark spots underneath his white swimshirt, where he put on the tropical print bandaids - his upper body was what got lightly scraped when he was thrown against the side of things. Pyotr can have some stick-ons from Walter's pack if he wants but it seems like his bloodiness is of either a much shallower or much deeper nature? Ahhhhh, everything is so much.]

Wu Xin is nice. I really ought to find out more about what the heck he's doing here, but nice.

There was no need, [he repeats definitively, pulling his hand away with a strange look.]

What do you mean 'what he's doing here'? He is a prisoner, kidnapped the same as us. Or does the Admiral strike you as a Buddhist who wouldn't dare inflict this upon one of his monks?

[He laughs and does indeed begin to flit around Walter, explaining rapidly.]

For my part, I had the misfortune of being near Abel when the chaos struck. He is not a bad fellow, I don't think, but so supercilious. I nearly lost my patience with him and had to cover with a little theatre, seem hurt and frightened—you know how wardens eat that stuff up. I thought for sure he would be impossible to get rid of after that, but I managed to convince him that I needed my friends.

Edited 2024-10-17 14:07 (UTC)

I know it's bullshit, [because, even the framings of the inmates as technically having crimes in their past that the wardens don't anymore seem increasingly weak] but I do think knowing more about the kid can't hurt.

[Well, forget the kid. Abel, Abel. Walter's scrapes are on the one side so a view of his back isn't that enlightening. It's in a way where standing up isn't that much worse than being down. Ice is what would help more.]

Abel was very worried about you. [Walter's relieved to have an opening on that - he's not sure whether the claim of an "episode" would infuriate Pyotr too much.] He could totally think this is a new trauma. You might want to tell him I put you through some reframing breathing exercises.

You mean like what Sheehan does? Yes, we can tell him I've been writing in my diary. Perhaps we can find some twigs to stick together in an interesting way and tell him that it represents my 'trauma', and I've... what is it... cried on your shoulder, talked about my feelings.

[He waves a hand dismissively and abruptly stops, pulling Walter to sit down in the sand with him, facing the sea.]

Ah, Walter, let me look at you. What happened to your head? And what are those underneath your shirt? [He isn't even identifying them as bandaids.]

I got, what's the technical term exactly? Concussed against the wall. [The barge is full of terrible happenings that have to be discussed in precise language because they're so out of the norm. Walter's good at it, always analyzing true crime at a distance, but he wishes he didn't have to do it out loud.

He rolls up the sleeve obligingly.]

They're bandaids. I have some if you want. But do you need something bigger?

[Pyotr resists the urge to poke at the brightly colored strips plastered on Walter's arm, having never seen such a thing before in his life.]

Oh no, I'm fine. [He grins.] I'm already all taken care of, fit as a fiddle.

Do you want to lie down? I can give you my jacket as a pillow...

[He's already taking it off. This is very normal. He's just a kind, caring person who is concerned for his friend!]

Oh, right. That's something something your buddy could do, isn't it?

[He doesn't immediately say Kahl's name out loud, since Pyotr had taken pains to avoid it. No one's immediately bothering them, but the beach is so open...]

Maybe a little further away from the water. Who knows what wave could come at this point.

Yes, he healed me... He helped me after that... other incident I told you about, too.

[Pyotr's eyes widen with fear. Not having any reason to be familiar with the phenomena of tsunamis, the fact that they usually happen as a series of two, three, or even four big waves is entirely new information.]

You think there might be another one? Then... what are we waiting for!? We ought to head for higher ground!

Oh, that's good. Better than some of the alternatives, I mean...

[Infernal necromancy comes to mind. It's not something he should dwell on, though. Pyotr is out of it more mentally, Walter more physically, and neither is in the best state to avoid even a comparatively normal tide. Walter wasn't thinking in the most technical terms at the moment. Higher ground is hard to come by, and when they reach it, Walter is relieved they're not on one of the other islands that didn't have hills at all.]

So I pulled the trigger on the plan towards the end, and you pretty much called it. Ms. Quigley did not "see". I'm sorry I was such a tool. I am glad I did it now when I had the tools for the job instead of whatever was on hand during the flood, because... it's over. She told me some details that have me a little hopeful she won't immediately fold under crimes that weren't for personal gain, at least, but... yeah. That's it. The big guy no longer has leverage on me.

[After all, Misty is a warden who can leave at will, so Walter's disquiet about her deal was more meaningful than any other way she could be used against him. ...though their current circumstances on the island call that into question. Will Walter be presented with an actual choice and not just what corny outfit he wants to wear during his scenes in the Admiral's soap opera? He's seeing this from too many angles, a remnant of John's influence, and that reminds him to add something else. He was spacing out for a good moment there.]

Certain wardens have the ability to make you relive events from the victim's perspective. Including the pain when they looked unconscious. So, watch out for that if you try anything.

[You know, like on Blitzø.]

[Pyotr - finally content that either no big waves are likely to reach them or that death by drowning would be fine, actually - settles down to listen to Walter's story. At first, he listens with immense self-satisfaction, though making sure to continue nodding along with wide, sympathetic eyes. It's still difficult to keep the smirk off his face, especially as Malcolm Bright is nowhere in sight, possibly even dead or dying somewhere in the wreckage!]

Oh, I don't care about that now, [he says oh so magnanimously, with a warm smile]. I only hope that it's not too late now that you've finally come to your senses. That your little murder epiphany hasn't cost us...

Well, never mind. As I said, I don't wish to speak of it. I'm willing to forgive you everything, on a personal level, as a friend, that is—provided... provided that you haven't cost us, if you know what I mean.

[As Walter glances away to space out, Pyotr lets his smile turn dark, though when Walter refocuses, he quickly replaces it with the same gentle 'concern' as before. It morphs into genuine alarm at the new revelation.]

What warden!? [With growing horror:] Are you telling me John Doe was inside your head?

[Walter, he could strangle you!]

I'm sorry. [He softens his expression again, obviously deliberately changing back into character.] I'm sorry. It will be all right. No matter what happens, we'll stick together. They can't break up our friendship. [And slipping darker, again:] They wouldn't dare. Aside from your recent 'outburst,' it's the one piece of evidence that you're making any progress at all. What type of warden would Malcolm Bright be if he refused to let me see you? I'll hide you away, if I have to. I'll find a way. You don't think I will? We started everything together, you and I, and we'll finish it...!

We can... do something. Something about the jobs, maybe? [Since Walter doesn't think escape is possible, and thus can't even be trusted with the details of Erskine's plan.] You can pretend to be the radical one, now that you've 'snapped', and I'll pretend to be a moderating influence.

The important thing is not to be afraid... You mustn't be afraid. As long as we're together, we can endure the tortures and keep going...!

And I'll stand with you against John Doe... I never liked him anyway. I know everyone loves him, the same way they do Trevor, but from now on, I hate him...!

[ESPECIALLY IF HE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SECRET GROUP! Pyotr is still somewhat panicking about that possibility, despite being under the influence of sedative 'godsblood'.]

I was worried about that for a while, but I do think it's different...!

[Walter raises both hands to protest the accusation of letting John Doe into his head, then points his fingers towards each other to explain.]

We ran into each other before. [Contemptuous at the sheer frivolity of it:] He was using his powers to look like a talking cat, a cat that talks right into your mind. It's all about what he wants to show to you. Not to trust him, but I don't really see what the point of letting this play out would be. He's sure pissed off now.

[He rubs his temples hard for a few seconds, allowing the hatred of John Doe to fill him.]

Fuck that guy for real. Literally, John and Arthur, good cop bad cop, if there were any doubt. They didn't give a single shit that I thought they'd been jerks in the past, just, "no we weren't, nutcase". Poor John just had to stand back and watch as poor Arthur doesn't feel safe on the barge anymore. [Score one for Matryoshka doll theory.] Because someone hurt him. Yeah, well, join the club.

[He decides not to get into the detail about Arthur being starved like Silver - though he imagines it'll come out at some point when he clarifies that he did not technically kill Arthur.]

And screw Trevor, while we're at it. I'll probably have to talk to him after this, and act normal, but I am still mad. I don't even know what it's possible to do with the jobs at this point... And so many inmates are loyal in their pairings... [Could the "female inmate" in the memory be Arthur's inmate Root? It doesn't exactly matter. Walter's next words are slower, nearly forceless, as a lot of emotions are going through his head over the course of several seconds:] But... at least you and I have each other...

[There is of course a volatile quality to Pyotr's companionship - when he almost designed their secret group as a cult, when he almost agreed to help Walter kill Arthur - that is very much present now. Even so, Walter appreciates Pyotr's desperate cloying attempts to continue wringing something useful out of him as an ally, rather than outright rejection in the moment. Does Pyotr need him too? Perhaps not to lead the group, Walter can't actually flatter himself that much, but to stay strong after that particular unpleasant incident?

What he so nearly lamented out loud in this moment was: Why does it have to be us? Walter feels himself constantly on the verge of giving up, constantly surrounded by cultists pressuring him as almost the only form of human interaction (and he can barely bother correcting himself "or equivalent" at this point). Resistance is something very sharp gripped in his palm to keep him awake. There's no substitute for friendship with someone who cares and understands... Oh, yeah, that's actually one of his talking points in his defense, it's actually relevant.]

Maybe there's parts of this that could be a good thing, for us-us. Even if I have to be cut off as someone who's compromised or under scrutiny, using the network as a recruiting ground is normalized here. You can watch me rant and rave about the cult to anyone who'll listen, and that could be a way to find "friends".

[Is it possible the punishments radicalized Walter even more against the Barge? It's reassuring to see him fired up, different from the gruff, beaten down apathy of Jacob or Collins. Pyotr's own mind is in a weird state right now, easily lulled by the reassurances, even as he tries to force himself to stay vigilant, but holding onto any particular thought is more slippery than it should be. Inside his head is quieter than normal. He has to admit it's nice, even if the dangers are obvious. He watches Walter with a slightly spaced out look.]

Yes, perhaps you can still be of use. [He clasps his hands together, suddenly grinning like a demon.] It is a good thing too, or else I'd have to leave you to fend for yourself while concussed. There is no one else here who cares about you, is there?

[He hadn't meant to say that, but oh well.]

The important thing is that you realize your mistake. Everything would be better if you'd listened to me, so from now on, you had better do as I say. I'm willing to give you another chance—I won't even punish you, even though I could and have already planned for it—but I won't be taken advantage of just because I'm sentimental.

If you cross me again, we are done, and then you will have no one. No one. Understand?

[Walter hadn't seemed to care about losing him before, but that was because he still had delusions about Misty running into his arms. Maybe it's different now? Maybe it really was for the best that Walter did this ridiculous, idiotic thing. As long as Malcolm doesn't trying to use this as a 'teaching moment' or whatever they call it—he can't let that happen.

And after a moment:]

What exactly did you do, anyway...?

...crystal clear.

[Walter says with a nervous smile, clearly having several more questions. Wouldn't Malcolm, if no one else, track an injured Walter down eventually? What the hell kind of punishment would that be? Pyotr is one of the only people Walter can imagine thinking of something worse than what Walter has already experienced, something that would actually make his life more miserable than it already is... You could say Walter took him for granted, since they have so few people available to them who actually think about their terrible circumstances, and really Misty loyal to Walter would be a boon to their side, right? Speaking of her:]

She was forced to participate in a sort of mutilation ritual in the past. That's one of the main things that tied her down to the comrades. I thought if I recreated it, she'd understand that I cared about her, more than they did. When I was talking about killing the guy, that was actually just what I figured I'd have to do to get him down long enough. [He makes the hand gesture he's going to make to Trevor, though at least his description is slightly more open-ended, less concretely understating.] To take about this much.

[And leave him alive for the experience, non-reset. Just in case it wasn't clear that Walter can also think of insanely violent things.]

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