"You don't have to be an inmate to want to hurt people," Ford tells her. "Personally, I'm convinced that the only difference between inmates and wardens is that inmates are dead. Being a warden doesn't make you a good person, it just means you're willing to stay here and do the job. There's nobody here who couldn't change for the better, whether their lives are riding on it or not."
He takes a deep breath.
"I'd rather treat this like a partnership. I'll let you into any warden-only areas you want to see, and if we make port, I'll walk you off the ship. If you die, I'll bring you back. And, if you need anything -- even if it's just someone to talk to -- then I'll do my best to help.
"It isn't easy, being on the Barge. Protecting people you care about is nearly impossible, and all the most painful and embarrassing parts of your past get broadcast to the whole ship every few floods. The best advice I can give you is to stay alert, stay armed, and stay honest. Trying to keep any interesting secrets -- especially romantic ones -- will only end in everyone finding out anyway, usually at the most dramatic possible moment. It's...unpleasant."
That's why, when he and Bill were together, they just sort of didn't hide it. They went to a wedding in coordinated outfits and enough people figured it out that it couldn't be revealed in any kind of shocking way.
"There are a number of ways," Ford says matter-of-factly. "Sometimes, a flood makes snippets of your past appear on the public network. Other times, you end up saying it yourself, because the whole Barge is breaking into thematically appropriate songs or something. But, if you are permanently paired with a warden, that warden will receive a file containing a detailed account of your history. You can ask them not to read it, of course, and some of them will respect that. But it will exist."
"Is it the kind of secret that would be very dramatic and cause interpersonal conflict that would be entertaining to watch from a safe extraplanar distance?" he asks. "If it's just something boring, like cheating on a test or an embarrassing disease, then you're probably safe."
"In that case, you should probably start thinking about how to break the news to anyone it might be relevant to. In my experience, it's better to come clean and make sure they hear it from you, instead of watching it on a video clip extracted from your mind."
Ford reaches out and puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
"There's no easy way to do it," he says. "It might still go badly. Who knows? But the last time I tried to keep a big important secret, it led to chaos and destruction that wouldn't have happened if I'd trusted more people. And the time before that, my nephew misunderstood what was happening and tried to erase my mind! Both times everyone found out anyway."
Hoensty isn't always the best policy, except on the Barge, when it is.
"We're not due for a flood for a couple of weeks, so you should have some time to consider how you want to approach it."
A thought occurs to him.
"But I should warn you -- in the meantime, be careful around Jon Sims and Iris Wildthyme. Jon has the ability to compel the truth out of you with a question, though it's an ability he tries not to use. As for Iris, she's a touch-telepath. She can't get much more than your emotions, but it could still catch you in a lie. Jon's a decent fellow, and if he finds out, he'll probably be discreet if you ask him. I can't say the same for Iris." She's nosy and a shameless gossip, which is good for spreading around secrets un-dramatically but not good for keeping them under wraps.
"Maybe I could ask them to try? I don't...I don't really know either of
them, and they don't really know me, so if they know things about me it's
not a big deal."
He stands with her to see her out, a polite reflex. "All right," he says. "If you need anything, just say the word. And please, uh...try not to listen too much to anything Iris might say about me," he adds, a little anxiously. He likes Rose Quartz, at least so far, and the last thing he wants is his temp-inmate getting the idea that he's trash because Iris won't stop trash-talking him in public.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 03:45 pm (UTC)"What? No! I'm definitely not that kind of person. I never wanted to have to hurt anybody."
But, y'know, it happened.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 04:09 pm (UTC)He takes a deep breath.
"I'd rather treat this like a partnership. I'll let you into any warden-only areas you want to see, and if we make port, I'll walk you off the ship. If you die, I'll bring you back. And, if you need anything -- even if it's just someone to talk to -- then I'll do my best to help.
"It isn't easy, being on the Barge. Protecting people you care about is nearly impossible, and all the most painful and embarrassing parts of your past get broadcast to the whole ship every few floods. The best advice I can give you is to stay alert, stay armed, and stay honest. Trying to keep any interesting secrets -- especially romantic ones -- will only end in everyone finding out anyway, usually at the most dramatic possible moment. It's...unpleasant."
That's why, when he and Bill were together, they just sort of didn't hide it. They went to a wedding in coordinated outfits and enough people figured it out that it couldn't be revealed in any kind of shocking way.
"But at least you don't have to go it alone."
He extends a hand. Partners?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 04:24 pm (UTC)Rose falters at that revelation, but she smiles tentatively and reaches for Ford's hand.
"Partners."
A pause.
"You mentioned...things being found out. How does that happen?"
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 06:16 pm (UTC)"Oh."
Her voice is small. Finally, she pipes up:
"Even if it's a secret that will be....very bad for someone if it comes out?"
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 06:22 pm (UTC)"Is it the kind of secret that would be very dramatic and cause interpersonal conflict that would be entertaining to watch from a safe extraplanar distance?" he asks. "If it's just something boring, like cheating on a test or an embarrassing disease, then you're probably safe."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 06:34 pm (UTC)"No, it's...it's more that first one, really. Although not very entertaining."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 06:41 pm (UTC)He feels for her. He really does.
"In that case, you should probably start thinking about how to break the news to anyone it might be relevant to. In my experience, it's better to come clean and make sure they hear it from you, instead of watching it on a video clip extracted from your mind."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 08:47 pm (UTC)"...I....I guess you're right."
She frowns at the floor.
"I just don't know how to tell her something I've kept a secret for thousands of years."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 09:25 pm (UTC)"There's no easy way to do it," he says. "It might still go badly. Who knows? But the last time I tried to keep a big important secret, it led to chaos and destruction that wouldn't have happened if I'd trusted more people. And the time before that, my nephew misunderstood what was happening and tried to erase my mind! Both times everyone found out anyway."
Hoensty isn't always the best policy, except on the Barge, when it is.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 09:27 pm (UTC)Rose stares into middle distance for a long few moments.
"I...I'll think about it. Thank you, Ford."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 09:34 pm (UTC)"We're not due for a flood for a couple of weeks, so you should have some time to consider how you want to approach it."
A thought occurs to him.
"But I should warn you -- in the meantime, be careful around Jon Sims and Iris Wildthyme. Jon has the ability to compel the truth out of you with a question, though it's an ability he tries not to use. As for Iris, she's a touch-telepath. She can't get much more than your emotions, but it could still catch you in a lie. Jon's a decent fellow, and if he finds out, he'll probably be discreet if you ask him. I can't say the same for Iris." She's nosy and a shameless gossip, which is good for spreading around secrets un-dramatically but not good for keeping them under wraps.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 09:35 pm (UTC)"O-oh. Would those...work on me? I mean, I'm not a biological life form. I'm just this."
She gestures to her Gem.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 09:41 pm (UTC)"Maybe I could ask them to try? I don't...I don't really know either of them, and they don't really know me, so if they know things about me it's not a big deal."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 10:16 pm (UTC)"Then I'll talk to them. Thank you."
She takes a deep breath, and stands up.
"For now, I...I have some thinking to do."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 10:35 pm (UTC)"I'll try. Thank you for meeting with me."
no subject
Date: 2019-11-13 10:37 pm (UTC)