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[abrightboy]

 This is Bright. Leave a message.

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[abrightboy]

Oh. Everyone here thinks he's a joke when it comes to this side of things. Okay.

"I can find out," he offers too quickly. "If the Enclosure locks. I can. Look into it. Probably not good if someone walks in on ritually murdered corpses just... lying around. In England they put up a tent around murder scenes. We should do that. In America. To deter gawkers." He gestures in the direction of the Enclosure. "You know, maybe we should have a sign-up sheet outside the Enclosure so nobody walks in on anyone."

[empathicfault]

Well, it's not quite like when he'd thoroughly creeped out Price and Zeller, but he can tell that Malcolm's feeling hurt. He considers explaining, but- not exactly the best timing, considering his recent permanent pairing with Shaw. And there's the knowledge that he's not any good with this.

He does what he generally falls back on and looks away awkwardly, staring into the void. He can practically see the beach off in the distance, the totem pole looming up over it. "A tent wouldn't be enough for the one I've got planned. Probably should just put up a sign. Maybe we'll get some rubbernecking, but it's fine for a recreation, right?"

[cactusy]

"Provided you don't get weird about it," Shaw interjects - because yes, maybe it's not an inherently healthy activity, but she can definitely see it turning so for Will if Malcolm isn't meticulous and careful.

Maybe even if he is. Who knows.

[abrightboy]

"What if we are... starting off weird?" Malcolm asks. He looks at Will. "A 'do not disturb' sign. Good idea. I'll make one." Neal can help him in the gazebo. He's pretty intrigued by this one that couldn't be hidden by a tent.

[empathicfault]

Will chuckles, but it's down at his hands and more of a scoff than a real laugh. "Yeah, I think it's already too late for us, Shaw. You'll have to save yourself."

He does chance a glance at Malcolm, notes the interest. His shoulders relax. "I promise we'll try not to get more weird about it. I'll only cite a couple of papers when I lecture about it in the future." He aims a wan smile at Shaw. It's not meant to be a threat, but they can definitely get nerdier.

[cactusy]

"Provided it doesn't get unhealthy," she amends, her eyes on Will. Malcolm may not be Hannibal, but that doesn't mean things couldn't go south with him in a way that would be awful for Will's development and redemption. "Nerdy-weird is whatever, unhealthy-weird is a problem."

[abrightboy]

“Why don’t you supervise the first one, then?” Malcolm suggests. “Make sure you don’t dislike the line we’re walking.”

[empathicfault]

Will's...not sure about that, but he can provide alternatives, depending on how Shaw feels about it. "Yeah. I wouldn't mind. I could video some of it your way, too, if you don't want to stick around for the whole thing."

[cactusy]

"Oh, no; I'm gonna be there in person," she says firmly. Still, she knows why Will is offering, so after a moment she adds, "Thanks, though."

[abrightboy]

“We can set some up for you to solve, too, if you want,” Malcolm offers.

[empathicfault]

"You know, I don't think she will?" Will says, after a nod of acknowledgement to Shaw.

"In fact, I think we'd be lucky if anyone else on the ship wanted to. Might be a very lonely club." Now he looks at Malcolm, with a bit of a smirk. He wouldn't mind that.

[cactusy]

"Yeah," agrees Shaw, dryly. "Thanks, but pass."

Her issues with the Enclosure have nothing at all to do with boredom.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm grins at him, then laughs. “Unless Misty finds out. She’d probably enjoy that.”

[empathicfault]

"Ah. Yeah, I do remember reading something about that," Will says. "Her liking mysteries?"

Which is a very different thing than murder scenes, but that inmate ledger had also said 'violent if provoked.' So Will's thinking of an average Tattlecrime reader.

[cactusy]

"And every time I ask about dangerous inmates to keep an eye on, I get warned about her," Shaw says - more to Will than to Malcolm, since she figures there's a good chance that Malcolm already knows. "Apparently she likes mysteries, poisoning people, and murdering people."

[abrightboy]

“She doesn’t like murdering people. She considers herself a citizen detective and she has… some impulse control issues and sometimes the direction they go stems from trauma,” Malcolm explains. “And she has difficulties with empathy, so she doesn’t really realize when she’s overstepping. We’re working on that.”

So maybe he treats her. He treats Johann too.

[empathicfault]

Will raises an eyebrow as he considers all this new information. And then points out, "I haven't heard anything about her doing any of that in the time I've been here, so- progress?" It's better than he can claim.

"Didn't know about the poisoning, though. Now that's come up a couple of times, I'm wondering how careful I should be about the cafeteria food."

[cactusy]

"Staged a hostile takeover of the greenhouse during that one flood," Shaw continues, raising an eyebrow at Malcolm. "People were worried about her doing the same thing to the infirmary, too. You're looking a little starry-eyed there, Bright."

[abrightboy]

“People worry about her doing things because she’s ‘weird’ and a bit morbid and the impulse thing,” Malcolm tells her. “She wanted to lead during that flood to prove she could handle responsibility. I don’t think it’s a good idea to put her in charge of something like the infirmary, but I understand why she wants to be. It’s not a power grab. She wants people to respect her,” he tells them. He looks away from Shaw and quietly adds “She knows people think she’s a joke.”

[empathicfault]

Will watches Malcolm's face impassively for a long moment, then shrugs. "That's not the impression I got of her," he says carefully. "That she's a joke. Although I have the benefit of hindsight and other people's experiences. That said- we probably shouldn't be discussing your patients so in-depth. I know HIPAA doesn't exist here, but-"

He still feels uncomfortable going into things that people talking to Malcolm might consider private. Moreso, though, a change in topic might be a good idea in general.

[cactusy]

"She's not a patient," Shaw says, sitting up on her elbows on her bench. "She's an inmate. Sharing information about them is one of the ways that we help them. And she could be using the 'Poor old me, I'm so distrusted and disrespected" as a way to get people to sympathize with her."

Looking over at Malcolm, she adds, "Or over-identify with her."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm nods at Will’s advice and is about to concede that Shaw also has a point, but then her analysis makes him bristle.

“I get it: you think I suck at my job, but I think I at least understand people better than someone who claims not to have any emotions.”

[empathicfault]

Uuughhh, Will is very much regretting stopping here to chat, all of a sudden. He was usually the one snapping at people, not trying to stop two people from doing so at each other.

He looks from Malcolm to Shaw and back, and then just decides to give up. "You're both jumping to conclusions," he says mildly, then leans back with his arms crossed. Have at it, you two.

[cactusy]

Shaw rolls her eyes, which is rarely the best thing to do in a situation like this, but, well. There it is.

"It wasn't an insult. I'm saying you're better than her. Look at that, practically a compliment."

[abrightboy]

"I'm 'better' than her?" Malcolm echoes. He looks at Will and then at Shaw. "I'm not better than any inmate in here. Luckier, maybe. But I got a lot of help. They just need help. She needs help."