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[Is he....not okay? Bill seems very sure that Ford is not okay. But if he weren't okay, he'd have noticed, right? But Bill knows him. Bill's Ford-knowledge is better than Ford's self-knowledge. Maybe....Ford should think about this? That he is unhappy with who he is?
....who he is is disconnected from what is acceptable normal behavior, which is just a fact that makes life more difficult, not something to like or dislike. He's fine.]
Okay.
....[Is he missing something?]
....I'm not about to become incapacitated because of something I've missed, am I?
....who he is is disconnected from what is acceptable normal behavior, which is just a fact that makes life more difficult, not something to like or dislike. He's fine.]
Okay.
....[Is he missing something?]
....I'm not about to become incapacitated because of something I've missed, am I?
It isn't Elijah; Ford is very good at infuriating the people around him by accidentally being extremely rude. He was designed to have deficient social skills.
"A couple of times. I found her in the bar, after Rose told her the truth. I was expecting her to be more violent than she was, but instead, she was just...sad."
"A couple of times. I found her in the bar, after Rose told her the truth. I was expecting her to be more violent than she was, but instead, she was just...sad."
"I understand that she's reaching the point where she's recognising that violence won't get her what she wants, but she's not cognisant of other strategies. How is Rose managing these disclosures?"
Ford lets out a breath. "She doesn't want anyone to get hurt because of her history with Jasper, and is concerned Jasper won't think to keep bystanders out of the crossfire. But aside from that, I don't know that she's managing the situation so much as keeping her distance from it.
"I don't know if asking her to take a more active role would be productive or dangerous. I'm a recent graduate myself, and as you noticed a minute ago, one with terrible skills with people." At least Elijah's been polite about Ford's social missteps.
"I don't know if asking her to take a more active role would be productive or dangerous. I'm a recent graduate myself, and as you noticed a minute ago, one with terrible skills with people." At least Elijah's been polite about Ford's social missteps.
Elijah - not exactly a social butterfly himself - twitches a brief smile.
"Do you believe it'll be necessary for them to reconcile, in the long term?"
"I don't know. The Barge's standards for graduation are obscure and arbitrary -- for every person who graduates because they stop murdering, there's another inmate who graduated because he agreed to murder less! But I'd like to see them reach an understanding. Jasper's been badly hurt, and I think Rose is trying not to think about it. I've noticed she avoids topics that are painful or uncomfortable, and just tries to move on. That can be a valuable ability in a crisis, but on the Barge, it's only going to hold her back."
Whatever the Authority brought her here for, it isn't going to happen if she stays easy breezy beautiful. Getting to graduation is about the drama, and it always means digging into your private history to hold it up for public judgment.
Whatever the Authority brought her here for, it isn't going to happen if she stays easy breezy beautiful. Getting to graduation is about the drama, and it always means digging into your private history to hold it up for public judgment.
....then I'll be fine.
[what's bill know that ford doesnt know? this is going to nag at him, but he doesn't want to go into it now.]
Is there anything else I've missed? Not about my mental state. I mean in general! With you!
[what's bill know that ford doesnt know? this is going to nag at him, but he doesn't want to go into it now.]
Is there anything else I've missed? Not about my mental state. I mean in general! With you!
"WELL, I WAS IN THE POOL FOR AWHILE. HAD TO THINK ABOUT SOME STUFF. I THINK I'M GOING TO TRY TO BRING BACK THE SECOND DIMENSION. AND LUKE IS DEPRESSED ABOUT SOMETHING KYLO TOLD HIM ABOUT HIS FUTURE, BUT THAT'S BEEN ON LOW BOIL FOR A LONG TIME I THINK?
WHAT ABOUT YOU."
WHAT ABOUT YOU."
[Oh dear. Well, the bit about Luke is concerning for sure, and he can't help wondering how long Bill was in the pool, but one of those things gets most of his attention.]
You're really bringing back the world you came from?
[Disregard the what-about-you, Ford can get back to talking about himself whenever! This is big.]
You're really bringing back the world you came from?
[Disregard the what-about-you, Ford can get back to talking about himself whenever! This is big.]
Yes, I remember that one. We spoke, briefly.
He mentioned that his world was terrible.
He mentioned that his world was terrible.
...what made you decide to bring it back?
[Not that he's arguing, he's just really surprised.]
[Not that he's arguing, he's just really surprised.]
[Uh huh yup like Luke does.]
....
....I'd like to hear what happened to you, if you ever want to tell me. Oh, I know a few things here and there, probably more than anyone else without a warden file! But I never got the full story.
....
....I'd like to hear what happened to you, if you ever want to tell me. Oh, I know a few things here and there, probably more than anyone else without a warden file! But I never got the full story.
OH.
[Yeah, Bill has never really talked about it.]
LUKE DOESN'T KNOW ALL OF IT EITHER.
[Bill's suddenly gone quieter, and he shifts all his arms.]
YEAH. OKAY.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO WRITE IT ANYWHERE, THOUGH. I'VE GONE BACK ON THE DEATH THING, BUT REMEMBERING IT... SHOULD LIVE ON IN AS FEW PLACES AS POSSIBLE.
[Yeah, Bill has never really talked about it.]
LUKE DOESN'T KNOW ALL OF IT EITHER.
[Bill's suddenly gone quieter, and he shifts all his arms.]
YEAH. OKAY.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO WRITE IT ANYWHERE, THOUGH. I'VE GONE BACK ON THE DEATH THING, BUT REMEMBERING IT... SHOULD LIVE ON IN AS FEW PLACES AS POSSIBLE.
"Do you think so? I was able to graduate without a lengthy post-mortem of my previous history," Elijah murmurs. "Although as you say, it varies for everyone."
I won't. I promise.
[He's got Ford's full attention. It couldn't be more different from the last time Bill talked to him about the second dimension, when Ford wasn't interested in hearing it, when he was trying to work out his next move before it was too late, when the last thing he was ever going to to was shake Bill's hand.
Ford wants to know.]
[He's got Ford's full attention. It couldn't be more different from the last time Bill talked to him about the second dimension, when Ford wasn't interested in hearing it, when he was trying to work out his next move before it was too late, when the last thing he was ever going to to was shake Bill's hand.
Ford wants to know.]
"Really?" Ford asks, legitimately interested in the new data. "Interesting. So the floods where scenes from our past appeared on the network -- they weren't particularly invasive?"
"No, not at all," Elijah says, nonplussed. "The one I did see was a public television appearance. Hundreds of millions of people had already watched it."
"You're very lucky, then," says Ford, envious despite himself. "Some very personal parts of my history were shown to people, individuals who later tried to use what they knew to manipulate me. I wonder what's responsible for the difference?"
A member of the Authority, perhaps, not feeling that revealing Elijah's past is necessary? Or not feeling like its reveal has dramatic potential? Maybe whoever's sponsoring him has some respect for his privacy. There's no way to know from here.
A member of the Authority, perhaps, not feeling that revealing Elijah's past is necessary? Or not feeling like its reveal has dramatic potential? Maybe whoever's sponsoring him has some respect for his privacy. There's no way to know from here.
Edited 2019-12-18 18:04 (UTC)
"It could be that I was a public figure," Elijah suggests. "And not particularly sensitive to blackmail or manipulation. I have very few secrets."
"That's probably it," says Ford, snapping his fingers. "Everything on the Barge tends to follow the principle of dramatic action. If there was nothing about your past that would affect you if it became known, then of course it didn't get broadcast."
[Bill actually unwinds a little here. Puts some distance between them, so he can pace in mid-air. He has both hands behind his back, held at the elbows, which is a gesture he's got no idea he's picked up from Ford but super has.]
THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LIVING THERE IS THAT NOBODY IN THE SECOND DIMENSION'S EVER SEEN THE SKY! THERE'D HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ANATOMY CHANGES FOR THOSE GUYS TO BE CAPABLE OF LOOKING 'UP', AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO GIVE THEM A CONCEPT OF 'UP'! AND THEN THERE'D NEED TO BE SOMETHING UP THERE TO SEE! THERE ISN'T, IT DOESN'T EXIST! I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHY THEY'RE ALL SO BORING, BUT IT MIGHT BE! THEY THINK WHAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM IS IT! IT'S EVERYTHING! THEY'RE A BUNCH OF NOTHING-PEOPLE WITH NO IMAGINATION IN THEIR HEADS -
[His gesutures have been getting more and more animated, and the frustration in his expression peaks here before he realizes he's getting derailed.]
UUUUGH. LET ME START OVER.
THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LIVING THERE IS THAT NOBODY IN THE SECOND DIMENSION'S EVER SEEN THE SKY! THERE'D HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ANATOMY CHANGES FOR THOSE GUYS TO BE CAPABLE OF LOOKING 'UP', AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO GIVE THEM A CONCEPT OF 'UP'! AND THEN THERE'D NEED TO BE SOMETHING UP THERE TO SEE! THERE ISN'T, IT DOESN'T EXIST! I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHY THEY'RE ALL SO BORING, BUT IT MIGHT BE! THEY THINK WHAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM IS IT! IT'S EVERYTHING! THEY'RE A BUNCH OF NOTHING-PEOPLE WITH NO IMAGINATION IN THEIR HEADS -
[His gesutures have been getting more and more animated, and the frustration in his expression peaks here before he realizes he's getting derailed.]
UUUUGH. LET ME START OVER.
Edited 2019-12-19 00:24 (UTC)
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