lastvoyages Inbox

[forensicks]

[Walter has recorded a video message from the point of view of someone who has just come through the door into his cabin and sees Walter at his desk in the chair turned around to face the viewer. He gives a little salute-wave.]

Didn't get me. But nice try.

Comments

Re: Video

[abrightboy]

It's solved, but it's not resolved. Where do you want to meet?

Re: Video

[forensicks]

[math lady meme]

... Counseling?

Re: Video

[abrightboy]

Okay. My office. Fifteen minutes. Want hot chocolate?

Re: Video

[forensicks]

[cringing a bit, then:]

As long as you don't have to wish it.

Re: Video

[abrightboy]

...I have it in my cabin. Just have to heat up some milk and mix it.

Re: Video

[forensicks]

Oh, right. Okay, sure. I'll be there soon.

[abrightboy]

When Walter arrives at Malcolm's office, there is a thermos and a mug on the desk by Walter's seat.

Malcolm is seated behind the desk with a mug that wafts steam that smells faintly floral.

"Hi. Have a seat. How's your arm feeling?"

[forensicks]

"Hey yourself," Walter says. He's looking down at the desk for a coaster, so looks up when asked about the arm without touching the utensils yet. "I'm okay enough. I stopped wearing the bandage now that we're settled back in."

[abrightboy]

“Do you want someone to heal it? I think my friend Edwin knows how,” Malcolm says.

[forensicks]

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary," Walter says, timed a bit like he was reacting to the mention of Edwin specifically.

[abrightboy]

“Okay. Well. I spoke to Justine about the assault. She was insufferable. So I followed up with John about it. He hadn’t talked to her about it and her Warden is in a coma, but he says he left him a message and promises he’ll follow up,” Malcolm tells him.

[forensicks]

"...I see." He finds the account that John didn't talk about it kinda strange. "Insufferable how? She didn't threaten *you*, did she?"

[abrightboy]

"Threaten? No. She told me that I'm a disgusting loser that everyone hates, but the problem with that sort of barb is that as soon as you know even one person definitely likes you? It loses all its oomph. Anyway. She said my tiny human brain is incapable of understanding what she wanted your blood for and you know what? I don't really care what she wanted it for. That doesn't mean she gets to just take it. Or threaten you. That's not okay," Malcolm says matter of factly.

[forensicks]

"... Jesus," Walter says. He had braced his elbow on the table, bending to place his brow against his hand. He looks up at Malcolm, a little shaded. "Do you remember that hair... post... thing?"

[abrightboy]

"Of course. But we worked that out," Malcolm replies. "I even asked her to make jewelry for my wedding." A beat. "Of course, I had to cancel that order after our chat."

[forensicks]

"I appreciate the solidarity," Walter says hesitantly.

Then: "I actually talked to her back then. And Sebastian. It amounted to, hair jewelry is totally normal, it has nothing to do with COVID, Malcolm is just being a jerk."

He holds up a finger. "But then she brought it up again during the attack."

[abrightboy]

“By saying what?” Malcolm asks.

[forensicks]

Walter tilts his head a bit, thinking about how Malcolm described her as so lofty in her ideas. "Basically, she did what she felt she had to do for her cause, but she didn't hate my entire guts, I had helped her with Monsieur Bright the one time."

[abrightboy]

“You helped her with me? How did you do that?” Malcolm asks.

[forensicks]

Walter slightly frowns at Malcolm. "I guess I didn't help you two get along. More like she felt better or learned something?"

He shrugs. "Anyway, I was still really mad at you back then. But I didn't literally mean that you did something worse than a stab. This is sure putting that into perspective."

[abrightboy]

“No, but… what did you do that she considered ‘help’ with me?” Malcolm asks.

[forensicks]

"...I just told you. It was like a five minute conversation, man."

[abrightboy]

"Oh. Okay. Sorry." He pauses. "You can have the hot chocolate," he assures Walter. "I just put it in the thermos so it wouldn't get cold." He takes a sip of tea. "Anyway, considering she did basically what you did - hurt someone to make an offering to a friend they thought was wronged by that person - I'm not going to let this get dropped just because her Warden is in a coma. As soon as someone is responsible for her again, I expect to see something happening or I'll be looking to find out why it's not."

[forensicks]

Walter takes the thermos. He rubs his hands along it for a moment. Then he furrows his brow at Malcolm, sincerely surprised. "Wait, you think this is going to be fair? Like, equal?"

[abrightboy]

"If assaulting someone because they're less important than your objective is wrong for you, it's wrong for her," Malcolm says matter of factly.