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[atowncalledtreffy]

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[atowncalledtreffy]

[He has his sincere doubts about any other warden who wants to condemn him for getting rid of a threat to someone's life but it's a useless fucking argument.]

He fell onto a balcony. I chased him up there, but lost him when he disappeared into a bedroom and the lady of the house took issue with my breaking and entering. It was either continue the chase or get my legs hacked off.

[ukan]

If you weren't going to kill him, what did you plan to do if you did catch him?

[atowncalledtreffy]

Knock him out, tie him up, bring him back to the ship.

[ukan]

[A nod. Good. This seems like progress, despite the violence.]

Here's my problem.

At home you have to react in an instant, and you have to treat things as an immediate threat because they nearly always are. Right?

[atowncalledtreffy]

Look, if you're about to pitch the idea that I shouldn't treat a vampire sucking blood in front of me as a threat, I should tell you that the whole point of my being here is apparently to send me back home to a place where immediate threats are fucking everywhere.

If I was going to treat him as an immediate threat, he would have been dead before he had a chance to get up off the ground.

[ukan]

I'm not. He shouldn't have been feeding on humans when we have blood here for him.

And I'm not going to try to stop you from having quick reflexes. My problem is that you've fought people since you came here who weren't immediate threats.

That's the problem: how to let you stay in shape while also getting you to discern the difference between the true dangers and the people who seem like threats but aren't. Like Jon.

[atowncalledtreffy]

[Trevor blinks. And then barks a harsh laugh, bitter and getting worse]

Oh my god.

[Really? He's here for something he did a month ago on his first day, that he apologized for as soon as he realized moments later that Jon wasn't a threat? Trevor can't deal with the level of bullshit that's coming his way. He places the tray carefully in the receiving end]

This isn't going to work. Just tell the other wardens I'm a remorseless prick.

[ukan]

No. Even if you are a prick, you can do some real good here, Trevor. I'm not going to watch them pare you down to nothing just because they're making assumptions about you.

We've had violent inmates come through. We haven't had one who was doing it to try to help people before. It's usually a struggle to get an inmate to give a fuck about anything but themselves, I'm not going to let them kick that out of you.

[atowncalledtreffy]

They're not going to kick that out of me.

[that much is true. Trevor settles back down on the bunk, leaning over his knees]

If it's between watching someone on this ship feed on someone and getting my hands broken or my body burned, it's going to be me every time. I'm not going to stop protecting people and if that means every fucker on this ship hates my guts, then it won't be the first time.

That's my family, Lark. It's who I am. So you might want to unhitch your horse from my wagon before my violence paints you in the same light.

[ukan]

Oh plenty of them hate me already for insisting inmates deserve rights.

I don't have a problem with you defending people. I will fight for you to have the ability to do it. I'm asking you to learn discretion. Killing people here only makes them angrier which only hurts more people as collateral. That's why I keep telling you to learn some new tactics. You keep saying it's a good idea and then you keep reverting to what you know, and it doesn't work.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Well, that's one mark against you already. Good job.

[it sounds fond, even if he is still angry]

I think it's a good idea because Death's not really something that sticks here. But I told you I'm as magical as a clay brick and I'm an old killer who knows one way of dealing with things that want to kill, and that's kill them right back.

Happy to show you other tactics. Can't learn 'em.

[ukan]

Then partner with someone who does have magic, who does have the ability to make requests. Just because you can't do something directly doesn't mean you should keep falling back on things that don't work.

[atowncalledtreffy]

The only reason it didn't work was because I tried not to kill him and still was brought in here. By the people - hang on.

[A thought!]

Are wardens actually meant to stop inmates from killing people? Because that would explain the ship a lot if they aren't.

[ukan]

[A bitter laugh] Yes, we're supposed to. You can see how many people actually try. It's easier to be reactive instead of proactive.

Easier still to not give a fuck.

But you can't stop protecting people, and neither can I.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Fuck. [Says Trevor, heartfelt and actually empathetic towards Lark.

A little. Not very, considering where he is and how he got here]

I protect people who can't defend themselves against magic or monsters. You want to protect the ones snacking on them.

[ukan]

I'm trying to get those monsters to where I'm at so they stop hurting people. I'm proof it's possible.

And right now I'm only protecting you. The other wardens can protect the rest.

[atowncalledtreffy]

They haven't been doing a great job at it. Even with me, if you want to use me for an example. I fucked up with Jon, sure. I said I was sorry to him for it. But I was new and I didn't know what was happening and if I weren't me - if I were someone more dangerous or angry or thoughtless - I could have really killed him.

So who the fuck is protecting him from assholes like me? Or is it just everyone else's world that doesn't have shit happening to it every five seconds?

[ukan]

Mine is very stable. All my heavy influence now is political, and I win that with words. [And occasionally some muscle but only in serious situations.]

No one protects the wardens. I care about Jon because he's my friend but the general sense is that we chose to be here so we chose to take on the risks. I don't agree with that, but right now looking out for the inmates is a bigger issue.

[atowncalledtreffy]

All right. But don't...you don't need to protect me. Protect the other inmates, sure, I get that.

But if we're talking about taking on risks, then I'd like to say when I move to strike in defense, I'm fine with the risks involved.

[ukan]

Good.

But you need to know when to actually defend someone. A part of being here is to teach certain inmates to defend themselves, too.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Of all the things to be accused of. Not knowing how to defend myself isn't one of them.

Unless you're suggesting something else?

[ukan]

[A chuckle] No, you've proved yourself.

I meant that we have plenty of people here who aren't as good at it, and instead of being their savior maybe you should help them learn how to save themselves.

[atowncalledtreffy]

[A weak chuckle]

Fucking heretic. Both of us.

Anyway. Done plenty of that too. That boy - Hunter - he seems like someone worth getting to know.

[ukan]

Spend some time getting to know people. [Please. He's begging you. Sit down and breathe for two minutes without being in a cell.]

[atowncalledtreffy]

I know plenty of people. I like people, generally.