weboftime | IC Inbox

"For when you piss off half the Barge again."

She's a realist.

"It'd be easier."

"They're easy to annoy." He glances into the room again and the closes the door. "Are we talking here?"

"And when you cross the wrong person half of 'em will come for your fucking head. Which I'm letting you know is fucking vexing beyond belief, because I hate when they all start shouting over me."

All of them men. Most of them well-meaning, but Jesus God, is she ever annoyed with it sometimes.

"No, let's go check on your spiders."

He nods and takes the lead out of the room.

"If only they had listened to you before," he says idly.

She snaps her head to look at him, unsure of whether to smack him again or laugh.

"If you'd have fucking listened."

"Trixie, there was nothing you, or anyone, could have said that would have talked me out of my mistake," he says, trying to be reassuring.

"I know," she says quietly. She does know; others have said as much too, but that doesn't stop her from wishing for a different outcome.

"Once we get to your cabin, I need the names of all the people whose minds you entered."

"Alright."

And he's quiet the rest of the way there, tending to his spiders in their terrariums first. He lets them out, trusting that he can keep them safe.

He lists off names as he does so.

"Fitz. Zack. Xiao Xingchen. Norton. Jamil. Sweeney."

Six people, but he only killed one. She takes a seat at the only chair and crosses her arms over her chest.

"And you attacked Arthur."

"He deserved it," he says firmly. Harshly.

"Just adding his name to the list, Henry."

She really, really wants a smoke, but she's trying to be better about lighting up indoors and around other people who don't.

"Now let's talk about Zack."

"Why? He's told the story already," he says, sitting down heavily on his cot to unpack his bag.

"Ain't your side, and that's what I care about. Tell me what happened, else we're having another sleepover."

He sets his jaw, silently seething about it but keeping it as hidden as he can.

"I saw his memories. They were familiar. I lost control. I killed him."

He threads his fingers together, letting his breath out slowly.

Oh, she can tell he's furious, even with that calm demeanor of his.

"The laboratory, right? Zack told me that's what it was. What were you doing fucking with him to begin with? Just for fun? Just because you could?"

"Yes," he answers, looking a little over her shoulder. "It isn't entirely conscious sometimes. Imagine a web. And if you follow the strings, you find people."

"And sometimes people think of things that makes you uncomfortable. That's the problem with free fucking will and the like."

Trixie falls silent for a moment, thinking of her next move.

"Were you scared?"

Six months ago, he would have said no. Three weeks ago, he would have said no. But as he stares at her, he manages a small nod. No words, only the tiniest gesture.

That nod means the world to her. "I know," she whispers, nodding very gently. "I know you were. It don't mean you're off the hook for killing him, but I know why you lost control."

"Then there isn't anything else to say about it," he mutters, though he has one more concern. "Are you taking the rest of my abilities away?"

"I'm keeping you at the level you were before the flood." No more, no less. "I don't want you to severe the links you have, but you ain't ready for anything else."

He's surprised by that, but he's always surprised when she chooses not to muzzle him completely.

"So that's all?"

"So what's all? Your consequences?"

She chuckles to herself.

"Your consequences are that people'll are gonna be pissed off at you for a while. They might even try to punch your face if they see you. Other consequences include telling me that I was fucking right to distrust you, and having to talk about your fucking feelings."

"And we've done that. I don't mind if they hit me. Steve did it already before. It's a base instinct, but they can't help it."

He leans forward. "And we've talked. So. Are we done?"

"They can so fucking help it, but the point is actions have consequences."

Trixie gets to her feet, sighing. "But yeah, we're done for now. Although...when I put you in Zero, do you feel the same way as you did in that lab? Caged?"

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