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[mothmansplaining]

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"Stanford Pines. Leave a message."

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[mothmansplaining]

What? Of course I've armed myself.

[He sees nothing at all wrong with it.]

Take a look at these.

[Ford pulls a pair of shock gloves out of his pocket and puts one on.]

They're inert until contact is made at at least two points. Then, they instantly test the material's conductivity and modulate the current to account for that.

[He snaps, and a spark is generated. He grins. Not bad, huh?]

It was your idea for your security system that got me thinking about it! I liked your suggestion, so I found a way to make it work! We can modify your door to have the same capabilities whenever you'd like.

[spoileralert]

[ She blinks at the gloves. This may be a problem in the future. As a warden, she should really be concerned, right? ]

So you got supplies, then? That's good. I think.

You haven't, uh... armed yourself with anything more lethal, have you?

[mothmansplaining]

No, no. Not yet. I admit it has crossed my mind, but I don't have access to the kind of materials I would need to build something really effective.

[JUST OPENLY CASUALLY ADMITTING THIS LIKE THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT]

[spoileralert]

Well, don’t? If you think you need it just come talk to me. I can kick any asses that need it without killing anybody.

[mothmansplaining]

[He laughs like he doesn't believe her. Look, he knows she doesn't have abilities but doesn't know that she routinely punches out of her weight class. It feels like a gesture of kindness.]

Ha ha, thank you, Stephanie. It's good to know you have my back.

[SERIOUSLY, SHE'LL BE ABLE TO TELL: THE SENTIMENT IS SERIOUS ENOUGH, BUT HE DOESN'T THINK SHE IS.]

[spoileralert]

[ She knows that laugh. It makes her expression flatten as she throttles the urge to flip him across the room and prove how capable she is.

She mostly succeeds. ]

I'm not messing around, Pines. You start picking fights behind my back and it's your ass I'll be kicking.

[mothmansplaining]

[He holds his hands up -- whoa, did he touch a nerve? Ford didn't mean to. He read this as camaraderie, apparently incorrectly??]

Don't worry! I don't have any plans to make trouble. I know the recent flood might make you think otherwise, but picking a fight -- with anyone -- really is the last thing I want.

These are just for self-defense! I might not want any trouble, but I don't have the kinds of abilities that a lot of people on the Barge seem to possess, and if they attack me and I'm not prepared, it will be a very unfair fight. It's a precaution, Stephanie, nothing more.

[That really is how he sees it. The gloves, and that knife that's in the design stages. They're meant to even the playing field if he's attacked first. Ford really doesn't want to die again.]

[spoileralert]

Good.

[ She's willing to let it go at that, as long as he knows she's serious. He hasn't given her any reason to think there's a bigger threat at play... yet. ]

Then we shouldn't have any problems.

[mothmansplaining]

Do you want a pair? I could probably even make them in purple.

[Peace offering?]

[spoileralert]

Nah. I’ve got a regular taser. And a stun gun. Pepper spray. Smoke bombs, knock-out gas, small explosives, bladed projectiles... and this.

[ She pulls the three-section staff from her belt and gives it a spin before snapping it back in place again. ]

I’m pretty well equipped. But thanks. [ As peace offerings go, it wasn’t a bad idea. ]

[mothmansplaining]

Ah. Very good.

[Again: with complete sincerity. Ford sees absolutely nothing wrong with arming teenagers.]

[spoileralert]

[ Good, because that's just the arsenal she has on her body right this second. ]

So, let's see... I think we covered everything? Do you have any like, questions, comments, concerns?

[mothmansplaining]

Not really. Though I'm sure they'll come up in due time. Neither one of us has been in this sort of situation before.

But I'd like to get a look at that file.

[That is what he came up here for, after all.]

[spoileralert]

Right, yeah.

[ She got distracted by the sudden desire to whoop his ass. She turns around to grab the file from her coffee table. ]

Here.

[ She's made a copy of it already but she kinda wants to keep the original, so she doesn't tell him that. ]

[mothmansplaining]

[Literally no one can blame her for this desire.

Ford accepts the file and flips through it, scanning its surface, letting words and phrases jump out at him. His face is stoic and focused for a good few seconds, then something catches his eye and he winces.]

Oh, I remember that.

...and that.

...I suppose I did destroy that five-thousand-year-old castle. I didn't stick around long enough to say for sure.

[spoileralert]

[ While he reads, Steph flops down onto the couch next to the door. As long as she's inside the room Shadow won't run off. He's clingy like that. ]

Kind of getting an idea why you're an inmate?