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[abrightboy]

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[inthebiblicalsense]

"By disabling the most destructive artillery on the gun decks and getting blamed for the sudden disruption to life support." He says almost casually as he walks, another nervous glance behind him. Clint had been a walk in the park compared to Cain.

"That's how."

[abrightboy]

“…Life support has been disrupted?” Someone hasn’t been getting out much. “Did you cause it?” Malcolm asks.

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel shakes his head a very sure 'no'.

"It started malfunctioning after we'd already been caught, by nearly twenty-four hours. It wouldn't take that long for it to be damaged, someone else did something, potentially strategically after we were discovered to cover their actions."

[abrightboy]

“Then… why would anyone think they’re related?” Malcolm asks.

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel is thankful for John and his healing or else he would have bruises reminding him exactly how Cain had shoved him to the floor and held him down. The memory doesn't go away though, and probably never will.

"Undirectable anger, a convenient scapegoat, irritation at my tampering in the first place. There are plenty of reasons." He folds his arms over his chest, keeps moving down the hall, "Anyways, what have you been up to? I haven't seen you much since I got on board."

[abrightboy]

"Oh. Scapegoating. I know that one."

He glances over at the question.

"I ran out of medication right about the time we were brought on board, so I've been getting.... a sort of alternate treatment in the infirmary. So I've been mostly staying in there. Just in case. But it seems to be holding steady, so I've just started... sticking my head out a bit more."

[inthebiblicalsense]

And he can imagine that the Cap'n isn't doing requests.

"That sounds...questionable. what sort of alternate treatment?" Is someone messing with your brain chemistry, Malcolm? He doesn't like that...

"Trade off for being okay, I suppose. I'm glad you're feeling okay. Withdrawal isn't fun or easy if you had to experience that and the symptoms you were trying to prevent with the medication."

[abrightboy]

"A magic doctor named Sokie did a spell to regulate my brain chemistry. ...We're mostly hoping that's all it's doing," Malcolm tells him uneasily.

[inthebiblicalsense]

The look Malcolm receives in return is just as uneasy, "I'm sorry you had to resort to that."

He worries about his own brain chemistry, the affect the jump drive had on him. It hasn't become a problem yet, but with Cain being on board...he wonders if it might be.

"You haven't noticed any side affects? Intense, intrusive thoughts?"

[abrightboy]

"I always have those," Malcolm admits. So how would he know?

[inthebiblicalsense]

There is a soft laugh, hardly appropriate but Abel understands.

"I meant ones that don't fit the usual pattern."

[abrightboy]

"I don't think so. But, like I told your friend, a lot of things are wrong with me," Malcolm points out. "Will is looking after me. In case my behaviour changes or something."

[inthebiblicalsense]

He isn't sure who he's referring to, "my friend?" Because of course he actually has a few of those now and he's not actually been privy to either of the two interactions that Malcolm has had with Cain.

"It might be subtle. Subtle enough that you won't even recognize it until it's loud enough to drown everything else out." He says quietly, obviously having some kind of experience, though he isn't wanting to expand on that really, outside of the warning.

"But I'm sure Will can take care of you. He knows you well enough I'm sure to notice something you wouldn't if it was something small."

[abrightboy]

"He can read people he's not even close to. He'll know if something goes off with me for sure," Malcolm says. He glances over. "Your friend Cain. He offered 'anyone' lessons in energy weapons and I just asked a question about the weapons but he was like.... 'anyone but you', basically," Malcolm tells him. "So I asked him why and he just said because he doesn't like me and asked what's wrong with me. So I summarized that as just.... 'a lot' and then left him alone." He shrugs.

[inthebiblicalsense]

Welp. Abel cant say that he's all that surprised. That certainly sounded like Cain.

"Have you spoken with him before?" He ventures cautiously, rather aware that Malcolm could be grating, but he's learned to live with it. Cain isn't quite so patient from the get go to put it simply.

Especially if he was already in a foul mood.

[abrightboy]

"I said hi to him when he first arrived. Tried to welcome him. But he wasn't in a very good mood. This was the first time I've talked to him since." Malcolm gives him a look. "I wasn't rude to him. I didn't say anything about the other Cain, just like you asked."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Ah. Well there's the rub.

"He isn't the easiest person to get close to. And I don't think it would have mattered much what you said if he was in a foul mood." He stops in the hall, looking down the empty corridor and sighing. He doesn't want to have to call John again if he gets jumped, but it's probably fine if he was with someone else. Maybe. He's not going to give anyone as much time to corner him as he had with the other Cain.

Leaning his shoulder against the wall, he crosses his arms and nods to Malcolm. "I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not at all surprised he doesn't like you. Your a warden, you try too hard and you're friendly with strangers. I don't see that meshing well if he already has any reason, justifiable or not to dislike you."

[abrightboy]

"Disliking me is one thing but offering 'anyone' some survival equipment and then going 'oh not you' is a different level. I didn't do anything," Malcolm points out. "So probably he doesn't like a lot of people but he was making a public offer to 'anyone' so it sounds like he was going to largely overlook it."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel considers the hundreds of things he could say before he decides a different option might be more helpful.

"Would you be willing to show me exactly what was said? I speak 'Cain' well enough..."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm takes out his phone and hands it over.

[inthebiblicalsense]

He looks at the back and forth, a hand rubbing at his mouth as he listens to it.

"Well. He didn't tell you no definitively from the beginning, he gave you an alternative, which-" Abel shouldn't say he's proud of him for doing so when it's clear to him that just hearing from Malcolm immediately set him off, not to Malcolm anyways. He might take it wrong. "Is better than I expected. And while you're totally within your right to ask why, or question the answer, his reaction doesn't really surprise me at all."

He offers the communicator back to Malcolm. "That's certainly not him on his worst behavior."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm takes the device back.

"Oh, he can be even more mean for even less reason. Awesome. I can see why you like him so much." He puts the device in his pocket. "Well, I don't want an energy device. So. Doesn't matter."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel raises an eyebrow at Malcolm.

"Be thankful you're not his temp, I've seen those conversations. But I certainly hope you're not getting mad at me for it. I can't control or change his behavior." He can try and supplement though, the loss of information.

"Did you still want to learn about them?"

[abrightboy]

"I don't blame you; I just see where it's going. You'll be spending more and more time with him and it will be less and less practical to spend time on people he doesn't agree on spending time with. Easier to not. Tale as old as time."

The question makes him pause. It's like a turn with no turn signal. "...Learn about what?"

[inthebiblicalsense]

Something in Abel's expression shifts, there is something hard there that obviously comes from a place he doesn't like to spend much time in, but it existed as a part of him now. He hasn't received an apology, he's still waiting on one, but if he thinks he can take all his time just because they were close, he'd be sorely mistaken.

"If Cain ever thinks he can tell me who I can or can't spend time with, he can go fuck himself."

He shakes his head, clearing the stormy look before patting the gun at his thigh, "energy weapons. You don't need Cain for that, he's right to say Fives would be a better instructor for you, but I can teach you too."