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As Xie Lian is pretty sure Jacob expected, after talking with Arthur, Xie Lian goes looking for the other half of the merry duo.
Jacob's in a common room, finishing his drink in his flask. He's got his feet propped up on the table. The television is off, but he's scrolling through pictures on his phone.
"Hello, it's Jacob Seed, isn't it? My name's Xie Lian. My apologies for the rough introduction."
He puts down his phone, tucking it into his pocket.
"Whatever you say, Warden."
There's a bruise blossoming on his cheek, into his beard, but he doesn't seem to notice it.
"I didn't kill him, did I?"
He doesn't really feel remorse for it,l either way, but he's trying to feel out what sort of punishment he's going to be facing.
"Whatever you say, Warden."
There's a bruise blossoming on his cheek, into his beard, but he doesn't seem to notice it.
"I didn't kill him, did I?"
He doesn't really feel remorse for it,l either way, but he's trying to feel out what sort of punishment he's going to be facing.
"You didn't. I'm sorry Arthur insulted your brother." He doesn't know what Jacob thinks about his brother, there are lots of reasons that a fight might start, but Xie Lian knows his own feelings and he thinks there was no reason for that.
But his duty as a warden are there, too.
"Would you have stopped hitting him if I hadn't intervened?"
But his duty as a warden are there, too.
"Would you have stopped hitting him if I hadn't intervened?"
He looks to the wall across from him. It had been about Joseph, as it always is, but he wanted this.
"No," he answers honestly.
"No," he answers honestly.
Xie Lian nods.
"How in control would you say you are, once the violence starts?" From the way he'd calmed himself down after Xie Lian had pushed him away, it strikes him as something he has experience with.
"How in control would you say you are, once the violence starts?" From the way he'd calmed himself down after Xie Lian had pushed him away, it strikes him as something he has experience with.
He stares at him a moment, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"Usually I can stop myself if I want to," he says. "Can't train soldiers if I don't have the discipline to know when to quit."
But sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes the war comes back in his ears and his eyes and his hands.
"Usually I can stop myself if I want to," he says. "Can't train soldiers if I don't have the discipline to know when to quit."
But sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes the war comes back in his ears and his eyes and his hands.
Xie Lian simply listens, taking in what he has to say.
"I don't think there's a reason to punish you for the fight. No one died, and it wasn't just a random burst of violence. But it could've ended badly." He scratches his cheek, thinking. "Would you be willing to carry a talisman for the next, hm, two days? It will let me know if you get into a physical fight."
"I don't think there's a reason to punish you for the fight. No one died, and it wasn't just a random burst of violence. But it could've ended badly." He scratches his cheek, thinking. "Would you be willing to carry a talisman for the next, hm, two days? It will let me know if you get into a physical fight."
"Surveillance?" he scoffs, but he feels like he's getting off easily enough as it is.
"Do I actually have a choice?"
"Do I actually have a choice?"
"The other option is that I can follow you around in person. But I feel that that's much more of an invasion of your privacy."
There's not a choice about the surveillance, but he can chose what kind.
There's not a choice about the surveillance, but he can chose what kind.
At least that feels more like a choice than not. "Talisman is fine."
He doesn't even question the magic involved. His acclimation to the Barge is based solely on the fact that he's too depressed to care or be bewildered by the mechanics involved.
He doesn't even question the magic involved. His acclimation to the Barge is based solely on the fact that he's too depressed to care or be bewildered by the mechanics involved.
He nods.
He pulls out a piece of paper from a sleeve, tracing glowing characters onto it with a finger. The glow fades away as he holds it out to Jacob.
"Will you let me do something for the bruise?" That much is a choice.
He pulls out a piece of paper from a sleeve, tracing glowing characters onto it with a finger. The glow fades away as he holds it out to Jacob.
"Will you let me do something for the bruise?" That much is a choice.
He takes it and folds it into his pocket, the same one with his phone.
"What can you do for a bruise? More magic?"
"What can you do for a bruise? More magic?"
He's apathetic about the bruise, but curious enough to nod. "Alright."
He holds out his hand towards Jacob, something that looks like faint blue smoke goes from his fingers to Jacob's face. For a moment it's cool and refreshing, before fading away along with the bruise.
He reaches up, blinking a little in surprise, and touches the spot where the bruise was.
"Handy," he remarks with a laugh. "So who are you? One of the handlers?"
"Handy," he remarks with a laugh. "So who are you? One of the handlers?"
"It's very useful for fights." He's not a doctor, but he can deal with a lot of the minor injuries that can come with someone being knocked around.
"What do you mean?" Jacob knows he's a warden, so he's not sure about 'handler'.
"What do you mean?" Jacob knows he's a warden, so he's not sure about 'handler'.
"You take care of the new guys?" he clarifies. "Two days of surveillance and then what happens? I move to another one?"
"Yes, that's right. I try my beset, at least."
"Alright. Well. Thanks for the help, at least," he says, picking up his flask again and taking his phone out. "What - what did he call you? What's your name?"
“Xie Lian,” he politely inclines his head. “I hope your time here so far has been…” he takes a moment to consider all the things the Barge can be, “Not overly violent.”
He shakes his head. "Home is more. But that's life. Nasty, brutish, and short, as they say."
He pauses on a picture on his phone.
"He tell you why he popped off about my brother?"
He pauses on a picture on his phone.
"He tell you why he popped off about my brother?"
Edited 2024-03-14 21:40 (UTC)
“Yes, I’m afraid a lot of people here have come from lives that could be described that way.”
He wouldn’t share Arthur’s confidences, but this doesn’t fall into that.
“He said something about a cult. I assume he’s had issues with such organizations before, and reacted with those in kind.”
He wouldn’t share Arthur’s confidences, but this doesn’t fall into that.
“He said something about a cult. I assume he’s had issues with such organizations before, and reacted with those in kind.”
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