[40] - [Voice]

[doctor_j_crane]

[Sounding irritated. And is so oblivious to the fact he's been gone for a while, but has noticed quite a few new posts. Even if Crane hasn't bothered to read them.]

It's amazing how much all of you can talk in one day. This is some kind of flood, I assume?

[Added later. Angry Crane is angry.]

Oh, good show, Admiral. I'll keep in mind that abrupt disappearances are now one of the many punishment options that you offer alongside floods, ports and zero. Bravo.


[Private - Eddie]

Are you in the infirmary? [That fear toxin was heavy stuff.]

[Private - Hayley]

I had to use that toxin for other purposes. It wasn't anything personal.

[Private - Eames]

We need to talk. [Added later.] Did you know that the Admiral was going to do that?

Comments

Private [voice] STOP REPLYING SO WE CAN SPAM.

[aforger]

Perhaps we can discuss a job as well.

Private [voice/SPAMO] LOLOL. I WILL OBEY, MY GLORIOUS MASTER.

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

That's something we can discuss tonight. I'll see you then.

[Crane arrived at Eames' room right on time that night, having thankfully avoided any unfortunate confrontations with Arthas. Which was excellent. Crane would have hated to experience the death toll so soon after arriving back, even if he didn't remember being gone. It was the principal of the thing.]

[He knocked on the door, suspecting that Eames would probably have it locked.]

SPAMO - You have served me well, young Skywalker.

[aforger]

[And locked it was. Eames moved with relative speed and ease to the door, doing one last glance around to ensure everything of importance was packed away. Crane's two vials of toxin were in the safe beside the bed, Arthur's PASIV device was in the safe hidden behind a cabinet beneath the bar. All paperwork was either in the second, larger safe or tucked away in one of the locked drawers of table to the right.

He unlocked and opened the door with a wide smile, genuinely glad to see Crane after the lengthy disappearance. The forger lifted a hand to set on his shoulder for a beat, his expression altering to something truly solemn and sincere.] "Welcome back."

[Then he moved his hand, knowing Crane wasn't all that comfortable with it, and stepped aside to let the inmate in. His smile returned immediately. The cabinets to the bar on the left were swung open with a decent assortment of mainly elitist liquors (scotch, whiskey, gin, etc), but a few of the more exotic were present as well. A select few bottles and glasses were on the small table by the leather chairs to the right.]

SPAMO - You have served me well, young Skywalker.

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

[Crane was surprised by how quickly Eames opened the door, which was definitely not a show of nerves on Crane's part. He'd been thinking through the effects of being officially paired. Because it did make a difference, didn't it? Crane tried not to look too obviously uncomfortable at Eames' smile or the hand on his shoulder, but did reply to Eames' greeting.]

Quite. There's nothing like an unexpected absence. [Crane stepped into the room, glancing around at it. It looked similar enough] Although by the sound of the last two floods I'm almost glad that I wasn't here.

[Crane walked over to one of the chairs, sitting down. He was still on the fence as to whether having the complete loss of time was better or worse than playing house in suburbia and being slaughtered by Aztec gods. The jury was still out.]

SPAMO - ohgodsorryiforgotitwasmytag

[aforger]

[Eames closed and locked the door behind them, then moved over to join Crane at the chairs. The warden took a seat and set out two glasses, then grabbed a rum for himself.] "What would you like?"

[As the warden grabbed a couple ice cubes, poured himself a half a glass, and then began pouring the mixer of some what appeared to be fruit punch, he continued.] "I had hoped we might speak about your friendship with Edward Nygma, an occupation for you, and the pairing itself. I'll let you choose the order, including your own topics, but we will be discussing all of them by night's end."

SPAMO - :D

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

Surprise me. [Crane said, even as he looked over to see what Eames was having. Some people said that you could tell a lot about a person by what drink they chose. Crane didn't tend to buy that analysis.]

[Now, all of those topics were awkward in their own way. But it was better to start with the least difficult. They'd already discussed it in part, but if Eames wanted to make the issue clear, Crane wasn't complaining.] Talking about being paired is probably the most important. It's going to have a significant impact on your life on the barge.

SPAMO - rofl. DRINK ANALYSIS IS SRS BSNS.

[aforger]

[Eames nodded, setting his drink aside and beginning to mix a rum and coke for Crane. He wasn't certain if the other man even drank normally, so the basic beverage seemed a safe choice for the potential beginner. He listened as he fixed the drink, glancing between the glass and his inmate.]

"Not at all." [The warden replied to the notion that being paired with Crane would have a large impact.] "The only thing I expect it to change is my ability to defend you to the other wardens when it becomes necessary."

[Not if. When. :|]

SPAMO - IT IS, MAN. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MIIIIND.

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

When is becomes necessary. [Crane repeated, leaning back in the chair. It would become necessary, in Crane's opinion. He wasn't suffering under the delusion that many wardens liked him. If any outside of Eames, Nygma and Claire.]

You do realize that's only half of what you're expected to do, don't you? [This was the part of the warden-inmate situation that Crane hated. How the warden's were expected to make some kind of 'fix', as if they knew how to do that. Crane glanced over at Eames, to check his reaction.]

SPAMO - <3

[aforger]

[Eames' smile shifted to one a bit more devious.] "Jonathan. Humor me with a reminder, won't you?"

[The warden lifted his drink to take a long sip, watching his inmate. Obviously he was supposed to be redeeming Crane, but most of that in his mind was just convincing the man to get away from bad influences and to continue his science in a controlled environment.]

SPAMO - <3

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

[Crane rolled his eyes, but continued speaking without any real malice.] Redemption, or whatever other word they're using for whatever standard of behavior allows you to graduate.

[Crane shrugged, slouching slightly in his chair. If it wasn't for his agreement with Rose and Eames actually having some level of interest in his well being, he probably wouldn't have even bothered with the conversation.]

SPAMO

[aforger]

[Eames slid Crane's glass to the complete opposite end of the table toward the man to encourage him to drink, then took another sip of his own. He seemed entirely unfazed by the declaration, though his smile shifted from mischievous to more nonchalant.] "I said it didn't change anything. My trying to help you--regardless of what the Admiral thinks is best--is something I've been doing for some time now. Or hadn't you noticed?

SPAMO

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

I've noticed, but at the end of the day we all answer to the Admiral. [Crane took the drink and spent a moment tilting it from side to side, so that the ice clinked against the sides of the glass. He wasn't really sure if Eames was going against the Admiral per say, but he hardly wanted to say that he hadn't noticed.]

Do you have any particular methods in mind for this helping? [Crane asked, looking up at Eames. He had hoped that everything would stay much the same.]

SPAMO

[aforger]

"Not entirely. I prefer to play the cards as they're dealt." [He replied with the same smile, taking another long sip of his drink. The truth was that Eames wouldn't tell Crane whether he had ideas/plans or not because it might influence the inmate. It was not something that Eames needed to be dealing with; after all, he meant what he said about not really expecting anything to change.] "Any suggestions?"

SPAMO

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

I don't have any suggestions. I do have things that I would prefer that you not do. [Crane took a sip of his drink before putting it on the table. He leaned forward and as he spoke counted off each thing on his fingers.]

No magic, in any way shape or form. No taking unnecessary advantages in floods. Or ports. [Which Crane counted as two things.] No mind control. No mind readers. No mind warpers. [Crane paused, before continuing.] Preferably no machines in my head either.

SPAMO

[aforger]

[Eames couldn't help but laugh a little that Crane already had a list made up in his mind.] "Anything else?"

[After a beat and realizing that his inmate was entirely serious, Eames almost instantly sobered.] "I won't promise anything, but I'll do my best."

SPAMO

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

[Crane was about to complain about the lack of a promise, but stopped himself just in time. It was the same sort of promise that he'd made countless times.] Right. That's fine.

[Crane paused, uncomfortable. He took another sip of his drink.] That just leaves the issues of Nygma and employment.

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[aforger]

[Eames nodded, rolling the ice around with the movement and tilting of his glass in a subtle and even gesture. Then the warden gave another smile, continuing to watch his inmate.] "What would you like to speak about next?"

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

[Crane put his glass back on the table. This next topic, according to him, would have the most impact on his daily life on the barge.] Employment. [Crane frowned, leaning back in his chair.]

I gave this talk to Piper and I'll give it to you. Infirmary? Medical equipment. Lab? Scientific equipment. Pool, chemicals. Cleaning, chemicals. Garden, plants to make into chemicals. [Crane shrugged when he'd finished.] There's a very limited amount of places that I could actually work in.

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[aforger]

"Don't care." [If it was something Crane had already discussed with his previous warden, then it was something Eames would have to do different. The thought of how badly his last warden had treated him almost made the forger genuinely upset, but instead he gave a light shrug.] "Do you want to work?"

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

[Crane thought that Eames was being somewhat dismissive of his point, but decided to ignore it.] Something to do wouldn't go amiss.

[Crane picked up his drink again, fiddling with it.] Aside from what flavor of the month the Admiral has decided to inflict on us, the barge's set of activities is rather limited.

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[aforger]

"Then we'll find a job for you within the fortnight." [And with that, in Eames' mind, the matter was settled. He needed to ask around in order to find what occupation was appropriate, and he would have to trust Crane more for some of it, but there didn't seem to be anything else that needed saying.]

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

A fortnight. [Crane repeated, looking at Eames with slight disbelief. He hadn't really expected for Eames to seriously find him something to do. None of his other wardens had ever done that.] You don't do things by halves, do you?

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[aforger]

"Would you prefer I did?" [He asked with a chuckle. Then he took another sip of his drink. Eames was slightly discouraged not to see Crane drinking more since it meant he would have to be careful how much he drank, but there were always other opportunities.]

SPAMO - lazy!tagging is lazy

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think I would. [Crane took another sip of his drink. The ice cubes were starting to melt ever so slightly.] If anything, a warden who does too little can be more harmful than one who does too much.

[Not that Crane really knew - he'd only really had experience with the former before Eames.]

SPAMO - Except this really just means Crane will be working with Capa for now. >>;

[aforger]

"Right then. In two weeks' time, I'll have found a selection of occupations for discussion." [Eames jumped on the reveal, though his nonchalance remained intact. He gave another small chuckle as if to emphasize how amusing he found all of this and Crane's pessimism overall before finally asking.] "Tell me about your history with the wardens."