keeps_a_cool_head

[In Zero, Scorpius does what he does best: he plans. Giving him space and time to think through what he wants and how to get it is one of the unintended gifts of his cell space, and he appreciates every moment of it.

After several days, he addresses the Barge]

A question to my fellow shipmates;

When an inmate commits a grievous crime, who is to blame for it? Obviously the inmate must share some, but what percentage is attributed to them and what percentage is attributed to their warden, who may be unfit to command them? A warden may fail just as easily by not admitting to something that could be most assuredly out of their control.

And what of inmates who aren't paired and no one has taken the time to explain to them the rules?

My apologies to Alex Summers. While it was certainly my intent to hurt him, he had done nothing to harm me and was simply in the correct place at the correct time.

[Private to Crichton]

Of course, John, we all know that you are the one fully to blame.

More like Alex will follow. You cannot hope to save them all.

In a few days' time they will be forced to release me. What has changed between the time of my entering this cell and the time of my leaving it? As a deterrent towards behavior, Zero leaves much to be desired.

I am willing to entertain ideas of a deal between us.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What makes him so dangerous?

'E's extremely intelligent, manipulative, technically capable, and 'e's a man with an obsession. Pretty dangerous combo if you 'appen to be someone 'e can use. Safe enough if you're not.

Oh, and 'e can tell when people are lying. Which is pretty minor on the scale of things, but it all adds up.

'E's going to be magnificent graduated. I can't wait.

But does he have any other abilities? Like you do?

[The lying thing has the potential to be bad, but there are ways around it. The rest... he can handle the rest, he thinks, if there's no more to it than that.

Maybe... maybe it is a good thing that he's not just an average guy anymore.]

Not that I know of; if there are, the boat will 'ave suppressed 'em - she does that, for inmates. It's at our discretion to allow 'em back.

Any road, it's not abilities make a person dangerous. It's the mind be'ind them - then again our Scorpius 'as a mind like a laser cannon. I love it.

[That's not completely untrue, given that Nagito is probably the most dangerous person he knows, and also the smartest. Then again, Nagito had luck on his side, and...]

That's important, but I think being able to read minds or have supernaturally good luck or whatever probably helps a lot, too.

...why are you getting such a kick out of this?

I love the work we do 'ere. I love watching people put themselves back together better equipped to live around other people. I love watching 'em learn and grow and interact.

...all right, and I love being in a space filled with sharp, clever people that live their lives on a grand scale. It's the biggest adrenaline kick imaginable.

[That... actually makes him smile. It sounds like something Nanami might have said, from what pieces of her can remember. It sounds like something he could learn to think and feel himself, over time.

For a heartbeat, he's even tempted to tell her the truth about himself. She'd like Izuru, wouldn't she? But then he recoils from that idea: he doesn't want anyone to know the truth, and he doesn't want anyone to like Izuru. Not when the whole point of being here is to move on.

Still, he smiles.]

I bet you make a good warden, then.

For the right inmate, aye, I think so. I don't think I 'ave the patience or delicacy for some of the... well, say, River or Abigail or Czes or even Gary. But I've done well with the tough and stubborn ones. Victor's made some amazing progress; my first inmate were out of 'ere in eight months.

I'd love to tackle Scorpius and all. I like the ones you can really get your teeth into and 'e's a lovely example.

[He doesn't know any of the names she's mentioned, but he thinks he gets the idea. It raises a good question: what kind of warden will he be? He doesn't know, yet.]

I don't know if I can help him, but I can try to stay close. Maybe I can stop him from doing this again.

That's a good idea, lovey, thank you. I worry about 'im, and I'm really spread too thin to spend more time on 'im than I do already.

You look like you can 'andle 'im, too.

...I do? [It's a real question. He finds himself looking in the mirror a lot these days, and he's never quite sure what he sees looking back. To his own eyes, he still looks so... average. Especially with the haircut.]

You're engaging and challenging 'im without swallowing 'is bullshit or letting 'im get you angry or telling 'im you think 'e's scum - in words or otherwise. That's nine-tenths of the job right there.

Aye. I reckon you'll do well 'ere.

[There's that feeling again, like a gong being rung in his chest, echoes of a voice he only partly remembers. Hinata -- both Hinatas -- is still so used to the idea that talent and ability are what make the man, that Iris can only say he can take on Scorpius if she knows what skills he's capable of... but Nanami had said something like that, hadn't she? She'd said something that had convinced him once that he could be more than a collection of talents. That he could be a person.

He smiles again.]

Is that what it takes? I didn't know.

That and love. Every warden that's any good cares about who they're paired with - you know, for their own variation of caring. I tend to express it 'ands-on, meself - more'n most, I dare say.

It's a very particular challenge; caring for someone that's done terrible things, that's more often than not still plotting to do them to you.

[And then her eyes crinkle up and she giggles out loud.]

It doesn't 'alf keep it exciting.

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