[And while he knows many people who have been here longer than that, it still feels as if it's been more than long enough. He leans against the railing as well, finally finishing off his cigarette and idly putting it out.]
Was actually set to leave a few months ago, but... things changed, I guess. [A small sniff.] Doesn't mean I like it here any better. Place is fucking awful.
[Faolan’s eyebrows furrow slightly at that combination of words, before he raises one at the other man again.]
You hate it here, and yet you chose to stay.
[There is a question in Faolan’s words. And a story in the other man’s explanation, he would assume. Something must have kept him here, and Faolan doubts it is anything so flimsy as a whim, if he had been given the chance of escape.]
[The lesser of two evils. Faolan supposes he understands that sort of a choice, although it is unfortunate. If he were offered a choice to go home…
Well, that would mean that he had done something to earn it in the first place. Or something to seek it out. He dislikes this place greatly yes, but because it has removed his choice. And his choice had been at the time to cease to exist entirely, so…
He does understand. He offers the other man a nod after a moment.]
Which finds us both here on the deck in the middle of the night, I suppose.
[He grins a little as he says that. It's hard to tell if he's entirely serious or not, but there might just be something about his demeanour that would tell someone like Faolan that he's not messing around.
[Faolan raises an eyebrow again at the other man. There's clearly something there behind his words, even if he's choosing to hide a truth behind a laugh. Faolan's met more than a few men who handle their pain that way. He's known to crack a joke here and then, himself, although all in all it's much easier not having to answer questions if you don't let anyone close enough to start he's found.
Handshakes aren't really the same thing for Faolan that they are in more modern times, but he reaches out to grasp the other man's hand as it is offered. Less of a shake and more of a clasp of hands and arms.]
[The greeting doesn't seem to faze him, and he claps his free hand lightly against the side of Faolan's arm before letting him go.]
Ochen' priyatna.
[A brief smile before he goes back to leaning on the railing. He was not joking about the trauma, but sometimes it's easier to just make light of it while also being open about it... because he doesn't, at this point, see any reason why he shouldn't be.]
Mostly up here 'cause I've had a weird sleep pattern for a while. You taken a look around the library yet?
[Faolan has trauma of his own, but is decidedly more... Cagey about it. Any emotions are a weak point, a target on his back. When he's on a mission, half the time he is either traveling by himself, or under cover and posing to be someone else entirely. His own trauma is baggage he cannot afford, and is best left boxed up in a secret corner of his mind and left untouched, for the best of everyone involved.
He has no idea what the other man has said to him, but he supposes it does not matter in the long run as he turns to other topics. The library, for instance. Faolan side-eyes him before shaking his head at the question.]
I cannot say that I have.
[In truth, Faolan has spent the better part of his free time vascillating from severe depression and dedicating himself to investigating this Vessel and how he might be able to get himself out of here -- and nothing about a library has indicated there might be any answers there-- but he's not going to admit that to someone he's just met either.]
[He'll get used to that. The random little Russian phrases, and the cursing. Especially the cursing. At least the tone he speaks in makes it evident enough that it's not some kind of insult.]
One of the first places I started spending any time here.
[After he got past the initial fury about being here at all.]
[Faolan shrugs slightly at the question. He's not exactly an open book even at the best of times, and this is certainly not one of them. But Alexei doesn't really deserve any poor treatment from him, at least as far as he knows, and so he supposes he can at least offer some form of an answer.]
I work in the kitchen. Dining shift.
[He runs a hand over the railing, tracing the line of the wood.]
I spend time in the greenhouse.
[He glances up at his companion.]
I meet with my Warden and try to adjust to the idea of this place.
[He shifts his weight against the railing. Honestly, he never really understands people who voluntarily work canteen shifts or custodial, but if they want to feel useful...]
How's that last part working out for you? Some "Wardens" here aren't worth the breath it takes to say the title.
[Faolan shrugs slightly. Honestly, the verdict is still out a little on that one for him on how this is going to go for him, but he suspects that is more his fault than Anduin's.]
He is... A kind man. Supposedly there are others who have 'graduated' underneath his watch. I expect that I am lucky to not be stuck with someone else who is far less understanding than he.
[Especially if you're the sort of person that they are, not that he knows yet of the number of similarities between himself and Faolan.]
I spent most of my time as an inmate here completely rejecting the system. I still do, even though I somehow muddled my way through it. And yeah, I know there's an element of fuckin' hypocrisy in the fact I'm still here.
[Still here. Doesn't like being called a warden, but still here.]
[Faolan does not know how to describe the way he is feeling now. Is he mad? Yes, yes he is. But it is not the primary emotion he is feeling. But what is? Exhaustion, perhaps, but a bone-weariness that goes far beyond what such a word could describe. And a grief as well, he supposes. He cannot touch or look too closely at this emotion though, for fear the walls he has built for himself will crumble apart and he will be no better off now than he had been when he first arrived. The broken shell of a man.
He takes in a deep breath, disturbed by the unsteadiness in it. By the tightness he feels in his chest. The next words that come are quiet and guarded, brittle as broken glass, and not at all the ones that he means to say:]
[It was a lot more complicated than just being angry for him, too. He was angry, yes, but he was scared and tired and so many other things. Being angry just... made it all easier to deal with, somehow.
Alexei glances across at Faolan, carefully hiding his surprise at the unexpected moment of vulnerability. He takes a breath.]
That might depend a lot on you.
[Because, well, look at Trevor. There are so many ways to make being here worse for you.]
[Faolan does not mean to let his guards down. And truth be told it's more of a momentary lapse than anything else. But there is a reason he finds himself here, awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, a secret part of him wondering whether it might not just be easier to step up and over the edge of this railing and be done with it all, another part of him knowing that the Admiral will likely just bring him back again and he might as well save himself the added misery. Alexei has caught him in a moment of vulnerability as it is, and it is not so surprising that the more he continues to let himself think, the more he finds himself slipping.
Faolan presses his eyes shut tight, so he need not look out into the darkness beyond and tempt himself any further.]
Please. [He swallows thickly, and his knuckles are tight on the railing before him. He does not even know what he is asking for, simply that he is.]
[Another moment of observation. Alexei puts his cigarette out against the railing and lets it drop over the side for the cleaning bots to deal with when it inevitably ends up somewhere back on the deck after slipping through the nets.]
Hey...
[It's careful and slow, the way he lifts a hand and almost-but-not-quite places it against Faolan's shoulder. He'll wait a moment, and if the other man doesn't flinch away, he'll let it land.]
[Faolan does not flinch away from the other man's touch, although he is noticeably stiff under Alexei's hand when it does connect against his shoulder. An undercurrent of emotion vibrating through him as he does his best to keep a tight grip on himself -- he absolutely cannot lose control of himself in front of this man he has only just met. No more than he has already done. The thought is intolerable.
Faolan does not know what he's asking for, does not know what he's looking for, but he is at least at least appreciative of the other man's presence and support. The tentative press of his hand, a reassurance that someone is there for him, even if it is a man he barely knows at all.
He takes in a deep and shuddering breath, letting it out slowly.]
I should not be here.
[It's fairly obvious he does not mean on deck, but rather on the Barge in general.]
[Though he doesn't know the full story here - of course he doesn't - Alexei can recognise the emotions at play. It's a picture so similar to one others must have seen on meeting him not much more than a year ago.]
Yeah?
[Quiet, careful. He keeps his hand where it is as if it might offer some sense of grounding.]
[Faolan shakes his head. How can he explain how he is feeling, why he is feeling it, without giving away certain deeply personal details he has held so closely to his chest for so long... How can he stress the fact that he does not deserve this second chance he has been given? That he has been given a second chance, and a third, and Lord knows how many more, and he has ruined them all. That he ruins everything he touches, and then when he had finally accepted his darkness and given in, he had woken up and found himself --
Here.
Faolan lets out a sound that is half laugh and half sob, but all bitter.
He squeezes his hand against Faolan's shoulder. Is Alexei equipped in any way to deal with this..? Absolutely not, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd ended up tripping himself into a position like that. Sometimes you just have to Cope.
[Faolan shakes his head. No, there will be no sharing of tales here. He is not keen on sharing his story even at the best of times, and this is most certainly not that. For so many different reasons.]
There is no more to say.
[It is an obvious lie — of course there is more. In another life… But that life is over now, and this is all that Faolan can give Alexei in this moment, even if he should give him more.
He squeezes his eyes tight, shaking his head again.]
Escaping one prison, only to find myself in another. What a godsdamned mess, all of this.
[He nods a little, as if to say 'all right then' without saying it, and clasps his hands loosely behind his back to give Faolan a bit of space to breathe. It's an obvious lie, yes, but not one he's going to challenge at the moment.]
Yeah, thought the same thing when I got here.
[On both counts. It being a mess hasn't changed much. Maybe offering some more information about himself is a change of topic that Faolan would appreciate.]
[Faolan takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly.
And -- okay. For all that it is a prison, it kind of is better. In some aspects, anyway. Considering the prison he had been in before he had woken up here had been, well. ]
I suppose... At least I do not find myself chained to the wall, here.
I guess I did enjoy not being beaten by the guards for mouthing off on a daily basis.
[Which... well, he could have just not mouthed off, but he's never been the kind of person to just stay quiet in those kinds of situations. More to the point, he was a teenager, and trying to batter him down only made him worse.]
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Over a year.
[And while he knows many people who have been here longer than that, it still feels as if it's been more than long enough. He leans against the railing as well, finally finishing off his cigarette and idly putting it out.]
Was actually set to leave a few months ago, but... things changed, I guess. [A small sniff.] Doesn't mean I like it here any better. Place is fucking awful.
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You hate it here, and yet you chose to stay.
[There is a question in Faolan’s words. And a story in the other man’s explanation, he would assume. Something must have kept him here, and Faolan doubts it is anything so flimsy as a whim, if he had been given the chance of escape.]
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[He knows how it sounds, but he also knows he is by far not the only person who feels that way and is still here regardless.
His shoulder lifts in a shrug.]
Bad as it can get here... Bad as it is... It's still better for me here right now than going home.
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Well, that would mean that he had done something to earn it in the first place. Or something to seek it out. He dislikes this place greatly yes, but because it has removed his choice. And his choice had been at the time to cease to exist entirely, so…
He does understand. He offers the other man a nod after a moment.]
Which finds us both here on the deck in the middle of the night, I suppose.
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[He grins a little as he says that. It's hard to tell if he's entirely serious or not, but there might just be something about his demeanour that would tell someone like Faolan that he's not messing around.
The young man shrugs, offering a hand.]
Alexei.
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Handshakes aren't really the same thing for Faolan that they are in more modern times, but he reaches out to grasp the other man's hand as it is offered. Less of a shake and more of a clasp of hands and arms.]
Faolan.
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Ochen' priyatna.
[A brief smile before he goes back to leaning on the railing. He was not joking about the trauma, but sometimes it's easier to just make light of it while also being open about it... because he doesn't, at this point, see any reason why he shouldn't be.]
Mostly up here 'cause I've had a weird sleep pattern for a while. You taken a look around the library yet?
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He has no idea what the other man has said to him, but he supposes it does not matter in the long run as he turns to other topics. The library, for instance. Faolan side-eyes him before shaking his head at the question.]
I cannot say that I have.
[In truth, Faolan has spent the better part of his free time vascillating from severe depression and dedicating himself to investigating this Vessel and how he might be able to get himself out of here -- and nothing about a library has indicated there might be any answers there-- but he's not going to admit that to someone he's just met either.]
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One of the first places I started spending any time here.
[After he got past the initial fury about being here at all.]
So what are you doing with yourself all day?
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I work in the kitchen. Dining shift.
[He runs a hand over the railing, tracing the line of the wood.]
I spend time in the greenhouse.
[He glances up at his companion.]
I meet with my Warden and try to adjust to the idea of this place.
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[He shifts his weight against the railing. Honestly, he never really understands people who voluntarily work canteen shifts or custodial, but if they want to feel useful...]
How's that last part working out for you? Some "Wardens" here aren't worth the breath it takes to say the title.
[Alexei has Opinions.]
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He is... A kind man. Supposedly there are others who have 'graduated' underneath his watch. I expect that I am lucky to not be stuck with someone else who is far less understanding than he.
But it is not easy. To be here.
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[Especially if you're the sort of person that they are, not that he knows yet of the number of similarities between himself and Faolan.]
I spent most of my time as an inmate here completely rejecting the system. I still do, even though I somehow muddled my way through it. And yeah, I know there's an element of fuckin' hypocrisy in the fact I'm still here.
[Still here. Doesn't like being called a warden, but still here.]
But when I first got here? I was mad as hell.
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He takes in a deep breath, disturbed by the unsteadiness in it. By the tightness he feels in his chest. The next words that come are quiet and guarded, brittle as broken glass, and not at all the ones that he means to say:]
Tell me that it gets easier.
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Alexei glances across at Faolan, carefully hiding his surprise at the unexpected moment of vulnerability. He takes a breath.]
That might depend a lot on you.
[Because, well, look at Trevor. There are so many ways to make being here worse for you.]
But it can get easier. I can tell you that.
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Faolan presses his eyes shut tight, so he need not look out into the darkness beyond and tempt himself any further.]
Please. [He swallows thickly, and his knuckles are tight on the railing before him. He does not even know what he is asking for, simply that he is.]
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Hey...
[It's careful and slow, the way he lifts a hand and almost-but-not-quite places it against Faolan's shoulder. He'll wait a moment, and if the other man doesn't flinch away, he'll let it land.]
I got you.
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Faolan does not know what he's asking for, does not know what he's looking for, but he is at least at least appreciative of the other man's presence and support. The tentative press of his hand, a reassurance that someone is there for him, even if it is a man he barely knows at all.
He takes in a deep and shuddering breath, letting it out slowly.]
I should not be here.
[It's fairly obvious he does not mean on deck, but rather on the Barge in general.]
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Yeah?
[Quiet, careful. He keeps his hand where it is as if it might offer some sense of grounding.]
Why's that?
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Here.
Faolan lets out a sound that is half laugh and half sob, but all bitter.
Finally, he replies:]
I did not ask to be saved.
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He squeezes his hand against Faolan's shoulder. Is Alexei equipped in any way to deal with this..? Absolutely not, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd ended up tripping himself into a position like that. Sometimes you just have to Cope.
So, after a quiet and careful breath in...]
... Go on.
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There is no more to say.
[It is an obvious lie — of course there is more. In another life… But that life is over now, and this is all that Faolan can give Alexei in this moment, even if he should give him more.
He squeezes his eyes tight, shaking his head again.]
Escaping one prison, only to find myself in another. What a godsdamned mess, all of this.
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Yeah, thought the same thing when I got here.
[On both counts. It being a mess hasn't changed much. Maybe offering some more information about himself is a change of topic that Faolan would appreciate.]
Didn't feel like much of an improvement.
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And -- okay. For all that it is a prison, it kind of is better. In some aspects, anyway. Considering the prison he had been in before he had woken up here had been, well. ]
I suppose... At least I do not find myself chained to the wall, here.
[He lets out a somewhat broken laugh.]
Progress.
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I guess I did enjoy not being beaten by the guards for mouthing off on a daily basis.
[Which... well, he could have just not mouthed off, but he's never been the kind of person to just stay quiet in those kinds of situations. More to the point, he was a teenager, and trying to batter him down only made him worse.]
So yeah, there's that.
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