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I'm only taking this tone because it is bad!
[Ok. ok. Deep breath. Snapping isn't going to help. It's going to be okay.]
Well, at least you've proven that that's not how comas work. In this case, anyway. It's hard to be sure of anything on this ship.
[He looks at Betelgeuse.]
If I go look for her, will you sit tight?
...
I'll be back, I promise.
[Ok. ok. Deep breath. Snapping isn't going to help. It's going to be okay.]
Well, at least you've proven that that's not how comas work. In this case, anyway. It's hard to be sure of anything on this ship.
[He looks at Betelgeuse.]
If I go look for her, will you sit tight?
...
I'll be back, I promise.
Hey, there's a chance you're getting a few of these right now- but you're a good guy.
Not to rat him out but it appears Bill Cipher loves you and is seemingly worried about you.
Not to rat him out but it appears Bill Cipher loves you and is seemingly worried about you.
He warned me he was going to do something like this, but -- no offense, I wasn't expecting to get a message from you.
[His impression of Quentin's impression of him is: suspicious and overattached to Bill Cipher. He knows Quentin is decent enough to sit with him in a crisis and calm him down and share research with him, but out of decency, not out of any particular respect for Ford.]
[His impression of Quentin's impression of him is: suspicious and overattached to Bill Cipher. He knows Quentin is decent enough to sit with him in a crisis and calm him down and share research with him, but out of decency, not out of any particular respect for Ford.]
That- doesn't surprise me either exactly. I'm not effusive. I don't always succeed in conveying-
[He pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts.]
I admire you. I admire your work and I think highly of the way you stand up to people. I'm sometimes uncomfortable with seeing in you the mistakes I've made- I think you know I killed a fuckton of people that one time trying to make an end run around the admiral because I didn't trust him and so the idea of getting drawn into even thinking about what you seem to spend a lot of time thinking about feels psychologically like a slippery slope and begging for another demotion, which sometimes makes me keep my distance-
But you're pretty- you seem pretty good, all around. And I hope you feel better soon.
[He pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts.]
I admire you. I admire your work and I think highly of the way you stand up to people. I'm sometimes uncomfortable with seeing in you the mistakes I've made- I think you know I killed a fuckton of people that one time trying to make an end run around the admiral because I didn't trust him and so the idea of getting drawn into even thinking about what you seem to spend a lot of time thinking about feels psychologically like a slippery slope and begging for another demotion, which sometimes makes me keep my distance-
But you're pretty- you seem pretty good, all around. And I hope you feel better soon.
....oh.
[No, he hadn't been told that. None of this is anything Ford's expected to hear, and it makes him think.
The way Ford reads this is, Quentin is afraid to think too hard about where the system is failing, because if he gets pulled in, he'll risk permanent death for himself (disappearance as an inmate) or cause a lot of suffering on the Barge through making another mistake, or both. Quentin's not just choosing his own comfort, he's choosing to avoid something he knows poses danger. It gives a humanizing dimension to an attitude Ford's broadly categorized as complacency and willingness to be complicit with the things it does to inmates poorly suited to the ship. He gets it better, in Quentin's case.
He keeps these thoughts to himself, partly because he's extremely hesitant, at this point, to assume he understands anything about anyone at all and could be completely off, and partly because it would be extremely rude to say.]
I understand your -- hesitation. But thank you for telling me. It really means something to hear you say so.
[No, he hadn't been told that. None of this is anything Ford's expected to hear, and it makes him think.
The way Ford reads this is, Quentin is afraid to think too hard about where the system is failing, because if he gets pulled in, he'll risk permanent death for himself (disappearance as an inmate) or cause a lot of suffering on the Barge through making another mistake, or both. Quentin's not just choosing his own comfort, he's choosing to avoid something he knows poses danger. It gives a humanizing dimension to an attitude Ford's broadly categorized as complacency and willingness to be complicit with the things it does to inmates poorly suited to the ship. He gets it better, in Quentin's case.
He keeps these thoughts to himself, partly because he's extremely hesitant, at this point, to assume he understands anything about anyone at all and could be completely off, and partly because it would be extremely rude to say.]
I understand your -- hesitation. But thank you for telling me. It really means something to hear you say so.
Sure. And if you ever want to have a cup of coffee some day and talk about the world in general, let me know.
[Theology and employment negotiations may be off the table as topics of discussion for him, but there's still many wide worlds out there.]
[Theology and employment negotiations may be off the table as topics of discussion for him, but there's still many wide worlds out there.]
Oh!
[This one's unexpected?? He didn't think they were that close! But, it's nice.]
Thank you, Gortys. I really like playing dungeon nerd games with you, too.
[This one's unexpected?? He didn't think they were that close! But, it's nice.]
Thank you, Gortys. I really like playing dungeon nerd games with you, too.
[Gortys you're doing great sweetie. Ford is really touched that he's helping someone else have a good time with his favorite game ever?? He didn't realize he was helping that much.]
Demona's a great bunker master. She really goes for the throat!
[Spoken like a true munchkin. Ford is having such a great time with competitive B&B.]
Demona's a great bunker master. She really goes for the throat!
[Spoken like a true munchkin. Ford is having such a great time with competitive B&B.]
HEY FORD!
[There is absolutely no need to yell, but here he is, doing it anyway.]
You got any saltpeter? That seems like a thing you'd have laying around somewhere in your science stuff.
[There is absolutely no need to yell, but here he is, doing it anyway.]
You got any saltpeter? That seems like a thing you'd have laying around somewhere in your science stuff.
Yes, I believe I still have a jar of potassium nitrate.
Great! Now I don't have to raid the greenhouse for suspicious reasons!
Lemme borrow it?
Lemme borrow it?
Of course. I'll bring it up from the study and leave it on the table. You can come get it anytime. Use it responsibly!
Of course.
[It belongs to Betelgeuse -- he's just borrowing it.]
Do you want me to ask what it's for?
[In case Betelgeuse is worried about the ol' impulse control. Does he need to run whether this is a good idea or not past Ford, is what Ford's asking. It's chill if nah, though, and it is not a condition of the book's return.]
[It belongs to Betelgeuse -- he's just borrowing it.]
Do you want me to ask what it's for?
[In case Betelgeuse is worried about the ol' impulse control. Does he need to run whether this is a good idea or not past Ford, is what Ford's asking. It's chill if nah, though, and it is not a condition of the book's return.]
[Immediately after this exchange, Stan skips the network and goes right to just knocking on Ford's door.]
You home, Sixer? We gotta talk. Now.
You home, Sixer? We gotta talk. Now.
[Now that the flood's over and he's confident he can leave the gym unattended, Ford is taking a well-deserved rest day. So, he's in his cabin when Stan knocks, and opens the door. Stan's tone and face immediately have him worried. Whatever this is, it's serious.]
Stanley? Wh-what is it?
Stanley? Wh-what is it?
[Stan shuts the door behind him. Whatever it is, it's apparently something he wants to keep private.]
Ford. What did Bill try and do to the kids?
[Before Ford can move though, Stan puts up a hand.]
Don't get the Journal. I know I used to know, but I wanna hear it from you. What did he do?
Ford. What did Bill try and do to the kids?
[Before Ford can move though, Stan puts up a hand.]
Don't get the Journal. I know I used to know, but I wanna hear it from you. What did he do?
Edited 2020-05-22 23:46 (UTC)
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