04 . Spam for pre-arranged threads

[godsays]

[ He settles into his own mind with a jarring sense of wrongness, from thoughts that fell in orderly lines to a jumble, mismatched and unsettling. With the ebb of the flood, he has changed, from sanity to the lack of same, and he feels the difference all the more starkly now that he knows for certain what both of them mean.

Heel of his hand rubs at the lump over his breastbone.

He would be sane, if not for the voice. Is that what this meant? Or was it the weakness in his heart that stopped him from being as dangerous as he otherwise would have been? Was the Admiral's goal to take away his teeth, to make him meek? Or was this truly a lesson he should take to heart?

He tries to herd his thoughts, settles into stillness in the corner. Utter stillness, not moving a muscle for hours.

In the meantime: his door is closed. ]

Comments

[patheticvillain]

[So, here's the thing. As far as positive coping mechanisms go, Cassel doesn't really have any. Bothering Zane is better than a lot of them, though, and he's self-aware (and crabby) enough in his hangover to realize that it's easier to get in a fight with Zane than to sit alone in his cabin.]

[Which is why it's very annoying that he's nowhere to be found. Not that Cassel's looking for him deliberately, because he's not, but after a while it becomes pretty obvious he's not out and about.]

[Cassel knows where his room is, because of Reasons (Reasons being he makes a note of some people; he's made a note of Zane whether he likes it or not), and approaches with curiosity. He knocks lightly, fingers curling around the paper clip and piece of cardstock in his pocket. Not the best, but better than nothing. And this door looks easy.]

[godsays]

[ The knock registers, on some level of his mind, but he has settled so thoroughly into stillness that he doesn't want to move. It seems too much effort to break the fragile shell of silence.

...so the door's not answered. ]

[patheticvillain]

[It's probably a damn stupid idea to break into the cabin of somebody who's admitted to be an entire drawerful of spoons short of sanity, but then again, Cassel's done stupider things in his life. Besides, he never got to break into Chris's room, he's feeling out of practice, and this is fun. Maybe there'll be something he can snag if Zane's not there. An anti-calling card.]

[He unbends the paperclip and inserts it into the keyhole - it's incredibly crude, as is the card, but just the paperclip seems to work. After a little fiddling and a few clicks, Cassel turns the handle and steps inside.]

[godsays]

[ Zane lifts his eyes. Fixes a hard stare on Cassel. He isn't surprised, he finds, just irritated at being interrupted. ]

Is there a reason I shouldn't throw you back out into that hallway?

[ Besides the fact that he doesn't have pewter, is only as strong as an ordinary man right now. ]

[patheticvillain]

Because if you do, I'll just find a way back in. [He grins, looking around with his hands in his pockets; kicks the door shut behind him.] Sharpes are like cockroaches that way.

What's wrong with you?

[godsays]

[ Well, welcome to Zane's chamber, anyway. It's a stone thing, somehow giving the impression of being in a tower, despite, you know, not. The furniture is simple, but expensive. It's a nobleman's place - but not any ordinary nobleman.

He eyes Cassel, not yet moving. ]

I told you before.

[ Insanity, that is. ]

[patheticvillain]

Yeah, but when you told me that you were out and about interacting with gen pop. Now you're a puddle on the floor. What's the difference?

[It's as close to are you okay as Cassel's going to get, especially when he's a little distracted taking in this - this. All of this.]

[godsays]

What do you want?

[ It isn't an answer. He doesn't have an answer, not a good one. His insanity hasn't changed. It just feels like it has. ]

[patheticvillain]

[When most people look at someone and think freak, they don't feel any measure of kinship. Repulsion's more common. Cassel, on the other hand, feels like he's looking at some weird alternate-universe version of himself. He can't put his finger on why. Maybe it's the look. Zane doesn't trust anyone.]

[Cassel sits down across from him, posture deliberately relaxed.]

To bother you.

ugh he is being so tight-lipped

[godsays]

[ He's never met anyone who would do this.

Except -

His mind touches, briefly, on Vin, and then his thoughts shy away again. ]

You've succeeded.

HE'S GREAT. HE'S AMAZING. you're amazing.

[patheticvillain]

Go, me. The crowd goes wild.

[His voice drips with sarcasm as he leans back against the wall, hands folded behind his head.]

Of course that just means I have to outdo myself. So I guess you're stuck with me.

[godsays]

[ He is silent, for a long moment. Looks like he might just accept Cassel's presence in the room, insofar as barely acknowledging it goes.

But then he speaks: ]

I was different as a warden.

[ This isn't the root of his troubles. It's a distraction and a somewhat related problem. ]

[patheticvillain]

[His hands slide to the floor, lazy. His head lolls to one side, but his eyes are bright and attentive on Zane's face.]

Yeah? I was pretty different, too. I wasn't a warden, though.

[wemaketheworld]

[He didn't want to accept the request. Didn't want to leave his cabin at all until he was ready, until he had the situation firmly in hand, but Iris had intruded and made a request of him and obligation more than occasionally trumps personal turmoil. Which would be why Rorschach is currently stalking down the hallway towards Zane's cabin.

Oh. Hey, Zane. Especially cranky Rorschach has been sent to retrieve you.

There's a banging on your door.]

[godsays]

[ The banging on the door gets no response. Zane is not particularly inclined to heed his surroundings, right now. ]

[wemaketheworld]

[He bangs harder, but if there's no answer for long enough he's coming in regardless, even if that means breaking the door down.

Yes, it would probably be less invasive to pick the lock, but he doesn't have the patience for it today and breaking it down is more immediately rewarding anyway.]

[godsays]

[ Unfortunately for Rorschach's sense of catharsis, at some point, Zane glances up, irritated, and stalks to the door. Perhaps he's learned his lesson from Cassel.

Opens the door, to see a completely unfamiliar figure, with some odd cloth stretched over his face. ]

What do you want?

[wemaketheworld]

[Ink shifts across the cloth, agitated but without any clear patterns in it yet. None that Zane doesn't create himself from them, anyway.]

Sent to retrieve you. Have been in your room too long, apparently.

[godsays]

[ Is this something from the Admiral? Inmates can't stay away?

Flicker of confusion, through the annoyance on his face. ]

Who thinks that?

[wemaketheworld]

[Rorschach doesn't know either, Zane, he'd been more than happy to stay in his OWN room rather than drag you out of yours.]

Iris.

[godsays]

[ Iris? Has he been assigned a warden without knowing about it?

The movement of the mask is subtly hypnotic. Odd, the way the patterns change. ]

What does she care?

[wemaketheworld]

Didn't ask. Isn't my problem.

[For a moment the pattern gives the impression of a butterfly's wings, but it's a fleeting moment, and they soon give way to more aggressive impressions, restlessly shifting from one to another.]

Can take it up with her yourself if curious. Only here to get you out of cabin.

[godsays]

[ A beat, as he considers.

Then ] No.

[ The word is testing, to see how Rorschach will respond. ]

[wemaketheworld]

[He growls under his breath, taking a step closer.]

Don't have time for this. Leave now.

[godsays]

Or?

[ It interests him, that Rorschach hasn't made a threat. (Yet?) ]