returnjourneylogs | action

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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?

[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.]

[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?

[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.]

[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.]

[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.

[Says more about Travis than Waver, Aki thinks.

There's a beat of silence as he takes in the apology, scrutinizing Waver over the top of his cup.]

You've been rehearsing this.

[Or at least it feels that way, between the professionalism and neatly done explanation.]

[He winces slightly at that accusation, because Aki's right.]

... Perhaps, but it doesn't make it any less sincere.

[He tries to relax a little, taking another drag.]

I know that they'll never see it this way, but I just wanted them to know that I'm on their side. I want to work with them, not against them.

I don't doubt that. It just seems...excessive.

[Is this guy gonna apologize to every other warden on the ship?]

They might come around to the idea, eventually. But as far as I can tell, only one or two of them aren't completely skeptical about graduating. We need them to believe that's real and actually to their benefit, before they're willing to work with us.

Is it? Some inmates definitely could have escaped, someone could have gotten hurt a lot worse than I did.

[He's quiet for a moment, frown deeply creasing his face, gently tapping away the ashes on the cigarette.]

How much do you trust the Admiralty? Do you think they're going to make good on their deals with us?

You're going to end up apologizing again in your report, aren't you?

[He glances away, out towards the empty stretch of space.]

I don't know. But it's a risk I'm willing to take. [That they're all willing to take, apparently.] I doubt many of us have alternatives.

[Wow called out yet again. Embarrassing.]

I-- It's the the least I owe, yes? Especially to the currently paired wardens to those inmates.

[He lets out a huff of smoke.]

Same. But, we have no way for the inmates to trust us or the process yet. I don't know, maybe it's just a matter of time. Maybe I'm just rushing things.

That'd just be William, wouldn't it? [He gives a light shrug.] Technically, we're all at fault. Unpaired wardens especially; we're supposed to keep track of the unpaired inmates.

[If anything, this has really brought to light the fact none of them have any fucking clue what they're doing.]

It'll probably be a while, maybe even until one of them graduates for any of us to believe this works. Talking to William and Odinson wasn't very promising.

Do we have awhile, though?

[Not an accusation, just a consideration. How many more escape attempts will come?

He doesn't know about William and Loki, though.]

... Why's that? What did they say?

We might not have a choice.

[Unfortunately. It's not easy to convince someone of something they don't want to believe, let alone without concrete proof.]

As for the two of them... [He sighs.] Despite graduating themselves, it sounds like they graduated despite the situation and not because of it. The wardens were disorganized, maybe in part because of turnover—it sounds like people frequently left without graduating or obtaining a windfall. Though Odinson was at least tentatively optimistic about the Peregrine and Navarch.

[With hearing this news, William's words ring back instantly in Waver's head: Have you ever been locked up? Cut off? Things about that interaction made a little more sense now.]

We haven't had that here yet, right? Everyone is still fairly new. Why send an inmate home before graduation...?

[There's a lot to think about there. He doesn't like it.]

Maybe a question better asked of the Navarch.

[It's not something William and Loki knew the answer to.]

A couple of the wardens have left so far, but none of the inmates. [Jinx doesn't count because she got retconned, rip. But there's a quick beat of silence, of hesitation, before he continues.] It's hard to tell if the Admiralty usually brings on more experience people or it's intentional oversight. But it doesn't really make sense if it's the latter.

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