action | OTA

[professor_charisma]

Passengers: Waver & You
Location: Infirmary/Loading Bay
Date: Backdated to Feb. 14th. Happy Valentine's?
Summary: Post-outing scuffle fallout
Warnings: Just one big nerd feeling sorry for himself.



Infirmary

[A shoulder sprain, a cracked rib, head and neck contusions, and a rather burned right hand. All in all, it could have been a lot worse for Waver, and it’s not long before the autodoc has him patched up. He sleeps through the process, desperately in need of rest in a safe place. His dreams are vague but tense; trapped at the edge of a desert cliff, the ocean impossibly far below, a charging army on the horizon.

There’s the beeping of machinery alerting anyone nearby as Waver comes to, good as new. He doesn’t move at first, staring blankly at the sterile ceiling above, letting the reality rush back in. He doesn’t seem awake until he picks up his right arm to look at his hand, which he burned twice in the fight, using the fire as a catalyst for magic. He flexes his long fingers, now unblemished and whole, before laying his hand on his chest. It’s another moment until he sits up, eyes scanning the room. Part of him was hoping he was alone, so he didn’t have to talk yet. Luckily for him, he was not.]

I, ah. I guess I’m all better now.

–

Loading Bay Observatory

[Before he can retreat back to his room and hide for a while to sulk write a very long, very detailed report of the incident, Waver stops at the designated smoking area inside the loading bay. It was cold, but right now that’s what he felt like he needed. It had a way of making you feel awake. Alive.

He’s in there for a long time, blankly watching the equipment mindlessly roll back and forth. As you approach, he’s finishing up one cigarette, which he stubs out on a nearby railing, before immediately taking another from his pack. He lights it up with a spell, using two fingers not unlike an old car lighter, holding them to the end until it begins to smolder. He pokes sadly at his nearly empty packet, sighing deeply, a quick cloud of smoke emanating from him. Only two left after this.]

Not good.

Comments

loading bay

[dealwiththe]

At least you have some. No cigarettes in Hell.

[ Ah, here's Lucifer. Being all tall and dark and charming. Hands in his pockets. ]

Good to see you out of the infirmary, anyway.

[professor_charisma]

[As foul of a mood Waver is in, he's not going to take it out on the guy who helped save him from being a hostage.]

Well there go my plans for visiting. [There's a flash of a smile before it slips away.]

Thank you. I, ah. I'd like to apologize. For the whole ordeal, and for you needing to intervene on my behalf.

[dealwiththe]

Nothing to apologize for. You didn't take yourself hostage. Most people would be overpowered by three violent inmates hell-bent on escape.

[ He shrugs. He gets it, though. The feeling of responsibility. ]

[professor_charisma]

[He shakes his head, frowning. It seems to be his default expression, considering the deep lines he gets on his face when he does.]

Ridiculous that I thought I'd be okay with three of them. Absolute dangerous foolishness.

[He thought this port of call would be quiet enough, dull enough that he could manage it. Waver fiddles with the cigarette in his hand, rolling it back and forth.]

I can at least assure you all that it won't happen again.

[dealwiththe]

We all make mistakes. [ Lucifer won’t deny that mistakes were made - that would just insult Waver’s intelligence on top of everything else. But he’s accepting, rather than angry, or upset, or mocking. ]

Hubris is a hell of a drug, sometimes.

[ Again, no accusation. Just a simple understanding. Speaking from experience. ]

[professor_charisma]

[Waver grimaces, almost arguing that hubris remark, but he bites it back. It wasn't incorrect. Instead he takes a drag on the cigarette.]

I just... I wanted them to trust us. And now we've thrown them all in solitary. I've set the wardens countless steps backwards.

[dealwiththe]

Don’t be ridiculous. [ Okay, that does get a scoff from Lucifer. He’s not unsympathetic but that’s taking things a little too far. ]

They made their choices, and now they’re experiencing the consequences. Would you rather we coddle them?

[ He raises an eyebrow at Waver. ]

When I lived on Earth, I helped solve murders. When we caught a murderer, they often had very understandable reasons for what they did. Some, I even felt sympathy for. Does that mean they should’ve not gone to jail? A murder is still a murder. They were still responsible for their own actions.

[professor_charisma]

[Waver shakes his head. Respectfully disagree.]

They never got a trial. Never got due process. Some of them claim to not even know why they're here, and we can't tell them. They don't need to be coddled, I just wanted to... respect them. Be on their side.

[A deep sigh.]

Do you think... Maybe, we should ask the Navarch if we can see their files. How can I help someone come clean, when I don't know what it is they're coming clean from?

[dealwiththe]

The universe doesn't generally operate on due process.

[ Lucifer shakes his head. ]

They all know why they're here. Those that claim not to - at worst, they're just lying, trying to gain your sympathy. At best, they honestly may not think they know, but it's buried under layers of denial and avoidance that wouldn't be helped by seeing their file. In those cases, you have to nudge them in the right direction, but you can't just give them the answer. Because that'll turn them defensive, let them dig in their heels. It has to be their realization.

[ He pauses a moment. ]

I don't have files for anyone I deal with in Hell. I let them tell me. It's often part of the process, coming to terms with what they did.

infirmary

[omniavincit]

Yeah, bad news. [ Comes from across the room—not until Waver's done testing the workings of his hand. William's seated atop one of the supply cabinets, legs dangling. A neglected ice pack beside him. ] Looks like you're gonna live.

[ But he's swiftly on his feet and crossing to the Auto-Doc to offer the other man a hand up. ]

[professor_charisma]

Unfortunate news for the inmates, I suppose. [Waver accepts the hand, his brain still catching up with the idea that everything with him is fine now physically. Strange to just take a snooze and wake up whole again. Even better than any spells he could have done.

Waver is quiet for a moment, unsure of where to start. He adjusts his ponytail, straightens his shirt, before he figures it out.]

How long will they be in solitary?

[omniavincit]

[ William watches intently as Waver rises from the machine—the flawless interplay of newly restored bone, sinew, muscle. He studies the other man's face for any trace of pain, his interest not purely compassionate.

For his part he looks tired, sports some telltale red stains on his hands. The bump on his head is sizable but, fortunately, not visible from a distance. ] A week. [ He says, matter-of-fact. ]

Did they really want you dead?

[professor_charisma]

[Waver reflects on that a moment, looking at his hand again, opening and closing it slowly a few times.]

Not Rhys. I thought I might convince him to my side, but it's not surprising he chose his fellow inmates. Jack, maybe not. Travis, though.

[Waver shakes his head before looking to William again.]

He took my gun. I am fairly certain he would have used it on me, then to ambush any wardens who showed up to help.

[Waver's having difficulty suppressing the guilt sweeping over him, but he makes a very good attempt in the name of professionalism.]

I owe you and all the wardens an apology. I was being very shortsighted, and as a result, put a lot of people in danger.

[omniavincit]

[ He steps back, giving the other man some room (and yet: he doesn't suggest leaving the infirmary). At mention of Rhys his expression constricts, his gaze sharpening as he studies Waver. ] Nobody died. The people living in those places—they don't get to come back. [ He allows that a moment to sink in. ]

I don't know Jack hardly at all. Smart, I guess. [ Stay off everyone's radar, literally and figuratively; leap at the first chance of escape. ] How were they together? Friendly, squabbling? Travis broke Rhys' fucking nose a few weeks back.

[professor_charisma]

[That comment obviously stings him. That guilt now manifests as a deep frown now.]

I-I know. This is why I at least had us camp quite far from the village.

[At the mentioning of Rhys, Waver does manage to raise an eyebrow.]

That so. Bad luck for him, then, I think Jack broke it on him again.

[He takes a moment to think on their behavior. Other complaining about Waver's driving, everything had gone pretty uneventfully. He shrugs lightly.]

They must have been in on it since the beginning, but if so, the alliance didn't last long. None of them seemed surprised by what was happening, but they also weren't about to help each other either. Rhys got his nose broken because Jack wanted the ATV to herself, I think.

[He absently rubbed the back of his neck, looking around at anything that wasn't William.]

They're in it together in as much as they're against us. I think that's about it.

[omniavincit]

[ He looks to the side, his face carefully blank. There's a hysterical laugh buried deep down somewhere: Rhys, pissed at him for not stopping Travis from breaking his nose; Rhys, knocking him unconscious and driving off with none other than Travis only to get his nose broken again.

God, it'd be nice to fucking scream. He wonders if Waver Velvet's experiencing the same urge.

His voice, however, comes out soft and even. Considering. ] Who did all that damage? [ He trails a hand along his own collar. ] Travis?

[professor_charisma]

[In retrospect? Yeah, it's a little funny, even to Waver.

He gives William a light nod.]

Yeah. Never in my life did I ever think anyone would be pulling WWE moves on me, let alone twice in one night.

[He looks at his hand again for a moment.]

The burn was my fault, though. Fire expels enough energy in an emergency good for casting. That's how I got that flare off. Called in the cavalry. I'm still a little shocked anyone saw it.

[Waver folds his arms, that frown returning as he keeps his eyes on the floor.]

I... I owe you all an apology. I foolishly thought that taking them on a quiet trip in the middle of nowhere wouldn't lead to anything. That they wouldn't be interested in running off in a place like this. I underestimated how desperate they really are.

loading bay;

[spanning]

[Aki falters, only for a second, when Waver lights the cigarette; it's still odd to see someone use magic so casually when devil contracts come at so high a price.]

How long can you make them last?

[One day? Two? He's never seen a pack of cigarettes survive longer than a week.]

[professor_charisma]

[Waver shrugs lightly, looking his cigarette over in his hand as he exhales the cloud of smoke.]

You always like to tell yourself that'll you'll be fine, you don't really need them much, right? Until... something happens. [Something stressful, that's the word he leaves out there.]

The rate I'm going, I'll be lucky to make it til the end of the day. Had been doing so well up until now.

[spanning]

[He's heard devil hunters say that before. The problem was the job was a 24/7 stress factory; most of them, especially those unprepared for it, didn't survive. This job is much gentler, so...he decides to keep that to himself.]

The commissary has cigarettes, but it's only open the first week of the month.

[And then, because he's only capable of being tactful half the time:] You're the one mentioned in the reports. How bad was it?

[professor_charisma]

[He's surprised and relieved to hear that.] Well that's a relief.

[This is fine. Waver is trying as hard as he can manage to remain professional and detached from this incident. From this job in general. No room for letting his emotions making it worse.]

I am. All in all it could have gone much worse. No one got killed, no one ran off or got left behind. I'll have an incident report written up shortly. I, ah. I just needed a break first.

[He indicates the cigarette with a quick nod of his head.]

[spanning]

[He nods; no judgment there. But he does give Waver another cursory examination, even as he leans against the observatory rail with his half-drunk coffee.]

They said you were injured. [Severely was the word William had gone for.] You're really alright after that?

[professor_charisma]

[Waver nodded lightly, breathing out a cloud of smoke. He held up his right hand, which had gotten fairly burned during the fight. He looked it over a moment before giving the fingers a half-hearted wiggle at Aki.]

Stitched up good as new, it seems. Travis got to show off some of his wrestling moves, but the autodoc took care of it, thankfully. I know a lot of mages who'd be jealous of how well that thing works.

[Himself included.]

[spanning]

[His eyebrows tick towards his hairline, expression bemused at the wave.]

He didn't suplex you, did he?

[His tone doesn't change, devoid of any tells to indicate if he means it genuinely or as a joke. Maybe a bit of both, all things considered.]

[professor_charisma]

[Either way, Waver's expression flattens at that question, a twitching frown opposing his even voice.]

Yeah. He did. Among a few other moves.

[He's trying to remain professional here, trying to act like he wasn't horribly embarrassed by the whole situation.]

I owe you and a the wardens an apology. I thought even though it was three of them, everything would be fine since there was little civilization around. Nothing to tempt them or get them in trouble. I severely misunderstood how desperate they all are.