No. Zero's no punishment, especially not for you. You know real gaol, seven days in Zero is like a peaceful monastic retreat in comparison.
[He takes a breath.]
Here's what we're going to do: First, I'm going to search you and your cabin. I'm sure you've already stashed away any contraband you really want to keep with other people, but I won't have people say I'm not doing my due diligence. That's not punishment either, that's just common sense. I'm even inclined to let you keep a weapon for self defense, in case any of Abel's or Hilbert's friends come after you, but I'm still pondering that.
For punishment, for the next week, five mile run every day. Must be done on deck. Must be completed between 2pm and 4pm. You can take breaks, drink water, have some flexibility when you do it, so long as you complete the miles within those two hours. If, on any given day, you don't complete the task within the timeframe, there will be a trigger set up with the Admiral so that for the rest of that day you'll feel compelled to talk about your feelings. If you want to avoid feelings, got to run the miles. If on any day you can't complete your run, if you're sick or injured or anything like that, tell me and I'll modify the terms for that day and you'll make it up another day. It's supposed to be hard work, not torture.
Oh, and I'm going to arrange some sort of alert so people will know if you're keen on hurting them.
Sound fair to you?
[And he'll think about telling Jacob more about himself, but that's harder, especially right now when he's already feeling agitated by everything that's happened.]
[He leads him down to his cabin, which is mostly untouched. Much like the checks in prison, he stays right outside the door at attention, his arms at his sides.
Needles and vials of unmarked drugs are found behind his dresser, but no other weapons.
There is a bottle of ibuprofen on the bedside table. There are harder pills inside, buried at the bottom. Norton would need to pour the bottle out or confiscate it to find them. Jacob fully expects him to.]
[Norton takes the needles and vials. He pours out the bottle of pills and doesn't recognize any of them (ibuprofen not being invented until the 1960s), so he puts all the pills back in the bottle and takes that, too. He'll ask the infirmary what they are. The search doesn't take long.]
Now your turn. Let's do this inside where there's some privacy.
[He walks inside and takes out his gun, setting it on the nightstand.]
Let me give that back to Trevor in person. You can verify with him in an hour if you want.
[He takes off his jacket, handing it to him to inspect, and slips off his shoes. He stands in the middle of his room, arms out. There's nothing on him, save the dog treats in his pockets, the whistle and dog tags around his neck, his phone from home, and his communicator.]
[Norton searches the pockets of the jacket and pats the whole thing down to make sure there's nothing hidden in the lining. Then inspects the shoes with equal care. He starts to pat down Jacob, but while he's crouched down and halfway up Jacob's thighs he freezes abruptly for a few seconds, then sits back on his heels, hands pulled up to his chest mouse-like.]
I have been mind controlled before, and it was a bloody nightmare.
He was named Adam and he had the ability to alter memories and did so repeatedly. So I don't know everything that happened. But I had no control over anything, even my own thoughts and feelings. I didn't have the power to so much as acknowledge reality properly.
[Norton resumes the pat down as the song plays from the phone on the floor. Right now he only has Jacob's word that's the trigger. But he has to keep moving forward at least for now. Plenty of time to spiral later.]
[Norton steps back, search finished, and sits down on the edge of Jacob's bed.]
I think what disappoints me most is that all this is over something so silly. The brainwashing itself to show off to a boy--a commie boy at that. And the murder on account of a petty spat. You're better than this. If you murder someone I'd expect it to be more worthwhile, like dealing with someone who hurt one of the people you're close to.
So...why did you really do it? Are you trying to prove you're irredeemable? What is it?
If you want drugs you can just ask me. So long as they aren't, you know, mind control drugs. I think it's best to not be too beholden to them and I'd encourage limiting use, but I'm not a Temperance Tabitha. You can't spend years going to Soho clubs and come out rigid about that sort of thing. [And Norton would rather Jacob get it from him, so he can know what he has and how much he's using, than have Jacob smuggle it. Although he thinks Jacob would probably prefer to acquire it on his own for precisely the same reason.]
What made you feel it was wrong? Mind you, that's absolutely the correct way to feel about mind control, but what changed?
[Norton can understand the impulse to take out someone who'd angered him if everything was going to go tits up anyway. Probably something he'll need to address with Jacob at some point, but right now he'll settle for "mind control is bad."]
[He's broken Norton's trust and he knows that he should repair it somehow, starting with answering his questions, but he's feeling far too worn out. Wrung out and twisted and broken and all he wants to do is lie on his bed and stare at the ceiling until exhaustion takes him.]
[Norton pauses on his way to the door at Jacob's statement of remorse.]
It's worth a great deal. To me, at least. It doesn't...fix things, but.... [He stops, bites his lip for a moment, then resumes.] ...I've had a number of people who've hurt me and aren't sorry, so it matters when someone is.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 05:31 pm (UTC)[He takes a breath.]
Here's what we're going to do: First, I'm going to search you and your cabin. I'm sure you've already stashed away any contraband you really want to keep with other people, but I won't have people say I'm not doing my due diligence. That's not punishment either, that's just common sense. I'm even inclined to let you keep a weapon for self defense, in case any of Abel's or Hilbert's friends come after you, but I'm still pondering that.
For punishment, for the next week, five mile run every day. Must be done on deck. Must be completed between 2pm and 4pm. You can take breaks, drink water, have some flexibility when you do it, so long as you complete the miles within those two hours. If, on any given day, you don't complete the task within the timeframe, there will be a trigger set up with the Admiral so that for the rest of that day you'll feel compelled to talk about your feelings. If you want to avoid feelings, got to run the miles. If on any day you can't complete your run, if you're sick or injured or anything like that, tell me and I'll modify the terms for that day and you'll make it up another day. It's supposed to be hard work, not torture.
Oh, and I'm going to arrange some sort of alert so people will know if you're keen on hurting them.
Sound fair to you?
[And he'll think about telling Jacob more about himself, but that's harder, especially right now when he's already feeling agitated by everything that's happened.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 05:41 pm (UTC)Yeah. Fine. Whatever.
[He looks behind him, to the door, annoyed and tense.]
Laura already got Mae, so you can search away.
I'll give Trevor's gun back to him.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:19 pm (UTC)[He shifts restlessly on his feet, unable to stay still.]
What do you want to know about me, anyway?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:25 pm (UTC)[But he's already been burned, so he steps back.]
Nothing. Are you searching now or later?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:35 pm (UTC)Needles and vials of unmarked drugs are found behind his dresser, but no other weapons.
There is a bottle of ibuprofen on the bedside table. There are harder pills inside, buried at the bottom. Norton would need to pour the bottle out or confiscate it to find them. Jacob fully expects him to.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:45 pm (UTC)Now your turn. Let's do this inside where there's some privacy.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:55 pm (UTC)Let me give that back to Trevor in person. You can verify with him in an hour if you want.
[He takes off his jacket, handing it to him to inspect, and slips off his shoes. He stands in the middle of his room, arms out. There's nothing on him, save the dog treats in his pockets, the whistle and dog tags around his neck, his phone from home, and his communicator.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 07:12 pm (UTC)I have been mind controlled before, and it was a bloody nightmare.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 07:26 pm (UTC)What happened?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 09:32 pm (UTC)That's why I don't like mind control.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 09:34 pm (UTC)I wouldn't do that shit to you.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 07:19 pm (UTC)This is the song I used. I know you would suspect Only You, so I changed it up.
[His shoulders sink and he drops the phone on the floor, keeping his arms out again.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-09 03:48 am (UTC)How do you pick the songs?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-09 04:46 am (UTC)[He stares at his wall.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-10 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-10 01:59 am (UTC)If he hears the song, he'll wait and eventually snap out of it.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-11 01:13 am (UTC)I think what disappoints me most is that all this is over something so silly. The brainwashing itself to show off to a boy--a commie boy at that. And the murder on account of a petty spat. You're better than this. If you murder someone I'd expect it to be more worthwhile, like dealing with someone who hurt one of the people you're close to.
So...why did you really do it? Are you trying to prove you're irredeemable? What is it?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-11 01:16 am (UTC)Hilbert was supposed to be useful. Got some drugs out of him.
But - [He clears his throat, shifting his feet.]
Seemed - wrong, after a while. [After meeting Tor. After meeting Cazador.]
Didn't know how to fix it without all the shit happening, so I figured, if the shit was gonna happen, I might as well hurt someone who pissed me off.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-12 02:45 am (UTC)What made you feel it was wrong? Mind you, that's absolutely the correct way to feel about mind control, but what changed?
[Norton can understand the impulse to take out someone who'd angered him if everything was going to go tits up anyway. Probably something he'll need to address with Jacob at some point, but right now he'll settle for "mind control is bad."]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-12 02:47 am (UTC)No. Not today.
[He's broken Norton's trust and he knows that he should repair it somehow, starting with answering his questions, but he's feeling far too worn out. Wrung out and twisted and broken and all he wants to do is lie on his bed and stare at the ceiling until exhaustion takes him.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-12 02:50 am (UTC)Okay, not today.
But someday soon.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-12 02:51 am (UTC)[He steps away and to his bed, sitting on the edge of it.]
I - am sorry. For what it's worth.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-12 03:10 am (UTC)It's worth a great deal. To me, at least. It doesn't...fix things, but.... [He stops, bites his lip for a moment, then resumes.] ...I've had a number of people who've hurt me and aren't sorry, so it matters when someone is.
Not doing it again matters more, though.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: