013 - [Voice] - It's an island paradise, right?

[hatestriangles]

Hey, warden, where are you? I actually want to get off the good ship rehab sometime, even if it means I've got to spend more time with you. I mean, I don't even give a shit if it turns out to be freaking "Death Island" or whatever. I'm sick of being cooped up here, and who knows when the next port's going to be, right?

[Added later, after Arthur

Comments

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

[And Barron's walking back from the other side of the island, still shoeless. It turns out that the other side of the island, amazingly, is simply more island. And not only that, he's come back to find that Prefect is gone. Missing. Presumably hiding from trees and "cavemen".

But oh, that's the shape of someone in the distance. Someone that Barron vaugely recognizes. He still remembers the slightly gruesome story that Perry told once. About a man called Bill. Time to call out to him.] Hey, Perry? Perry Dawsey?

[Spam] - Lo, and some stuff was assumed~

[hatestriangles]

[Perry has just been wandering around exploring since he left Sveta. The place isn't like anywhere he's ever been in real life, and honestly? He hasn't really seen any downsides yet. Apart from the food thing, but he figures he can catch some fish or something. How hard can it be, right? Anyway, for now? He's stripped down to his boxers and has been swimming. The water is warm and he's feeling good. No warden, no (immediately obvious) deadly surprises. A day or two of this can only be good.

Then he hears someone calling his name and turns around. It's someone he vaguely recognises, but he can't remember the name right now. Something slightly weird... Shrug. Who cares? He looks at the guy and replies:] Yeah, that's me. What do you want?

[Spam] - Assumed like a boss.

[sharpememory]

Yeah, hello. [Now, to continue working towards Perry. Being on an island is not so comfortable without shoes. Barron walks to a decent speaking distance, before casually taking off his gloves, talking as he does so. It's slightly difficult, given the cast that's still on his right wrist. But the last thing he wants is for this guy to realize what Barron was seriously considering doing. But they weren't on the barge. So by any conventional logic, Barron's powers should still work.]

Sorry, I'm kind of lost. You haven't seen a guy called Prefect, have you? He might be a bit drunk by now. [Barron looked expectantly at Perry, while putting his gloves into his pocket.]

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

[Perry watches the guy come closer, noticing the gloves but not thinking much of it. It's a little weird, but he has other things on his mind; he's painfully aware of the nasty scarring in various places over his otherwise very healthy musculature. He doesn't show it, crossing his arms over his chest instead, but the fact the guy can easily see almost all of his scar tissue irritates him.]

I haven't seen anyone but the warden I came down here with, man. [His voice is pretty cold and he does not look amused that Barron's there.] I was enjoying the peace and quiet.

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

[If it wasn't for years of experience with how to behave when you were doing a con, Barron was reasonably sure that he'd be outright staring at the mass of scarring on Perry's collarbone. As it is, he ignores it, despite wondering what the hell could cause something like that.]

Damn it. [Barron swore, looking away from Perry and along the beach.] That Prefect, he's always ditching me.

[Barron shrugged and looked at the ground, making a good show of being non-threatening. He moved forward, about to walk past Perry.]

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

[If he was actually a social person, Perry would probably have made some quip about how being ditched by your warden wasn't exactly something to cry about, but as it was? He just plain didn't care enough.] Whatever, man. He's not around here.

[And with that, Perry turned to head back down to the ocean again as Barron walked past. He wanted to be alone, and there was no reason for him to think there was any danger of a fight from this scrawny fucker.]

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

[When Perry turned around, Barron took that as his cue to 'trip'. He half fell, grabbing onto Perry's bare arm with his left hand. Barron worked quickly, putting in a more detailed and rather more dramatic scenario than he normally would. But Dawsey was a dangerous guy. The more dangerous someone was, the more Barron wanted to make certain that they'd be on his side of things.]

[Barron managed to not fall completely and took a few steps away from Perry after regaining his balance. He was more than a little bit wary that his power wouldn't work at all after what had happened in zero with Prefect.] ...Perry? Are you okay? [Barron said, watching Perry carefully.]

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

[For the first confused moment, the big inmate tried to shake Barron off, then the working took over and he paused. Shook his head. Blinked. Then his eyes focused on Barron as the guy spoke. Perry stared, eyes widening as he realised just who was holding onto his arm. Barron. He felt himself start to panic, all his guilt and self-hatred rising as he recognised the young man.

Barron, Bill's little brother.

After a long silence, he spoke, his voice weak. It cracked as he said the name.] ...Barron?

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

[Barron took note of Perry's change in expression and smiled slightly. It was a decidedly awkward look.]

Yeah. It's been a while, Perry. [Barron said, crossing his arms. The movement was made awkward with the cast, but that only added to the general air of discomfort that Barron was cultivating. He looked down at his shoeless feet.] Have you been okay? I haven't seen you since... [Barron trailed off for a second, before continuing in a quiet voice.] Since Bill died.

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

[Perry took a step back, eyes still wide. He was almost hyperventilating he was breathing so fast. Deep, panicked breaths. Of all people, of all the motherfucking people that could show up, why did it have to be Barron? Anyone else - bar Bill himself - and he could have dealt with it. He couldn't talk about the death, couldn't open up about that, especially not with Bill's brother.]

How-- [He shook his head, unable to meet Barron's eyes, taking another little involuntary shuffle-step back.] Why are you... here?

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

[Barron hadn't been expecting such an extreme reaction from Perry. It was probably for the best, unless of course Perry decided that he couldn't handle it. And decided that Barron was the problem. So Barron needed to present Perry with other problems to deal with.]

I don't know, Perry. I was on this boat and they said that I'd done things wrong. And then I was with a guy and he took me out here. [Barron took a second to gesture at the empty beach.] And then I met you. What's going on, Perry?

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

[Barron doesn't know it, but there is no way Perry would hurt him. Not after Bill, not after what he's done. But the problems the kid - he still thought of him as Bill's kid brother - raised do help focus his mind a little. As long as he has something to think about, he won't go entirely to pieces.]

You're- [He forces himself to look at Barron and swallows. His voice is still small, but there's an angry tinge to it. Barron shouldn't be here.] You're an inmate? Why would- [He stops, shakes his head.] Okay, this, it's going to sound crazy, Barron. The boat, it's a prison ship, but it sails through space instead of the sea. If- People get sent there, they tell you you've done something wrong and they call you an inmate. Inmates are... [He trails off. Dead. Barron must be dead. His voice drops to a raspy whisper as he continues:] We're dead. Back home, we died.

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

Yeah. I remember that. Dying. [Barron turned away, as if he didn't want to talk about it. In actual fact, he didn't have a clear recollection of dying. It might have been his power, but then again, maybe not.]

I don't want to be here, Perry. I shouldn't be here. I haven't even done anything wrong. You know that. [Barron put all the sincerity into it that he possibly could.]

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

[Perry rubbed his head hard with one hand, the movement making his hair stick up all over the place. It wasn't right. Barron shouldn't be here. He'd never done anything that would deserve ending up on the Barge.]

Of course you haven't. There's no way you deserve this. It's got to be wrong. The Barge- [He frowns, re-crossing his arms before looking Barron in the eye.] It's fucked-up there, Barron. It's really fucked-up. [He grits his teeth. There has to be some way he can fix it.] Who was the guy you came down here with?

[Spam]

[sharpememory]

I don't know his name. [Barron frowned slightly.] He told me not to look for you. That you were dangerous.

[Barron shakes his head, as if to say that he doesn't think it could be possible.] They don't know you at all. But he did say that I'd get into trouble if I spoke to you.

[Spam]

[hatestriangles]

I didn't- No one told me you were here. [Perry just shakes his head. How can this be happening?] What bullshit did he say you did?