IC Contact Post

[therushingsky]

"Heyyyy, you've reached the head office of the Atlas Corporation, leave a message and your number, and one of our people will get back to you."

Comments

[therushingsky]

It's like-- a conversation starter. Or like, an activity for getting to know each other on a level that isn't mutually homicidal...

[worstweasley]

I thought you had more faith in me than that.

Nevertheless, I'm here to request you put your cybernetic expertise to the test and set up some safeguards in my cabin.

[therushingsky]

I'm just accustomed to a certain level of being allowed to meddle in your life at this point.

What do you want safeguarding against?

[worstweasley]

You think I'm at risk of killing him?


I want to make sure I know who's coming or going inside my cabin. I want a tracker on me so that you, Iris, and Bodhi know if I'm living, dead, or in heightened levels of distress.

What do you have in the way of cloaking?

[therushingsky]

I think he's at risk of killing you, and you--

You just negotiated a ceasefire in your universe, so I fully, fully believe that you can deal with him, but... he does already like me, so if you wanted to use that, you know it's yours.

Tracker's easy. It'd be better if you're okay with an implant, but it's up to you. Surveillance in your cabin that Jedao wouldn't be able to find might be tricky, but I'll see what I can do.

And-- I guess it depends on what you need cloaked?

[worstweasley]

I thought Fives at least tolerated me and that went poorly, so I don't want you to sour your relationship with Jedao on my account.

Implants are fine. Is it a relatively quick procedure?

Mostly me. Or barring that, his file.

[therushingsky]

What happened with Fives?

And I think me and Jedao have had enough wild arguments that he'll know that if I insert myself into your relationship, I'll be doing it for him as well as for you. I think we'd be okay.

And sure, just a little pinprick.

I guess I mean like-- How do you think he's going to be detecting you? Heartbeat monitor? Brainwaves? I don't know what to block.

[Pause]

You don't want him to see his file?

[worstweasley]

We had a disagreement. He thought..I'm not going to get into it right now.

I don't know. What do they use on your world?

I don't want him to steal his file. Not without me going over it with him.

Stars, Rhys, can't I try without everyone on this fracking ship acting like I'm a moron five steps from tumbling to my death?!

[well that outburst was unwarranted]

1/2

[therushingsky]

On my world-- I was mostly tracked my network access. Sometimes by components in my cybernetics.

And I'm sorry. I'm not worried because I think you're going to be bad at this, I'm worried because--

2/2

[therushingsky]

Because I was bad at it.

And-- no criticism of you now, but you kicked my ass, and shot me, and I-- I spent a lot of the first six months we were paired just waiting for the next thing to happen and having to try and convince you that I was a complete idiot who you literally couldn't hurt badly enough to make me quit because I knew if I showed you what freaked me out, then you were going to go right at it like a piranha, and it sucked.

And-- you're probably going to be better at this than I was, but I also think Jedao's going to be worse than you were, so-- honestly, if I can leverage anything-- including guilt about you being my friend, to stop any of that? Then I want too. And I'm sorry if that's--

Y'know, if you don't need it.

Re: 2/2

[worstweasley]

[This stuns Hux into momentary silence. He's slightly horrified to hear Rhys admit his failings, because he'd been banking on taking from Rhys' examples as a warden what to do and what no to do. He swallows tightly, thinking all this over]

I'm not...not afraid to die. It's more the anticipation of the event that has me on edge. And when I spoke to Fives, all I wanted was some assurance that if Jedao went and killed someone - most likely me, let's be clear - that I would be able to enact some measure of discipline. Because they share a room, so obviously I can't remove weapons or the like. But anything that has Jedao angry or hurt or in any way not a positive encouragement is going to have Fives up and armed and in my face.

You weren't bad at it, you know. After the first few weeks, I really started to like you.

I just don't know how to garner Jedao's more open side without something traumatic happening to either of us, and then I've got half his friends watching me to make sure I don't...

I don't know. It's...

I've got nothing.

[therushingsky]

Fives is such an asshole.

[Rhys turns the problem over in his mind.]

I think-- the best way you can approach it is from the perspective that-- you're trying to protect Jedao from being stuck here forever, and you're trying to protect Fives from getting demoted. Honestly, I'd go way over Fives's head and take that to Jedao. Tell him that whatever happens between the two of you-- whatever he does or you have to push back against, you don't want to make any problems with his relationships, or let it jeopardise how far they've come.

He still won't like it, I don't think, but-- stick with it. Prove that you're willing to protect the things you know he cares about.

And hey, for the record? I'm afraid for you to die. Nothing wrong with taking a strong anti-death stance on this ship.

[worstweasley]

I am going to stick with it. That much is obvious just from the start. But even speaking to them under the impression that what I say is private from one to the other is a dangerous assumption.

Don't be. I've been living a half life for a very long time and death experiences only seem to want to make me more determined to come back stronger. Stubbornness, more than likely.

[therushingsky]

Oh, yeah, I think you're probably right about that. I guess-- I think ultimately, if Fives wants to hurt his husband's chances of getting out of here, then it's his demotion.

I'm afraid because it still hurts, you putz! I know you're stubborn and good at coming back from the dead, that doesn't mean I need to be super hype for you getting your ass kicked.

[You're never gonna make him not-protective of you, Hux.]

[worstweasley]

I'd rather not go through that, if it's all the same to everyone involved.

[seriously that is nuclear cases of fuck-ups. Hux is trying not to implode the ship]

[He is slightly, morbidly cheered up at Rhys being protective of him. It makes him feel...well, loved. Or at least cared for, in more than a method of obligation]

Well, what do you suggest?