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[abrightboy]

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[forensicks]

"I get that the ledger isn't a big deal most of the time, but I'm going kind of crazy not knowing for sure..."

Walter's face is serious as he says:

"I have a friend who's very important to me and happened to be less fortunate than I was. There was a small risk they'd be killed and a big risk they'd be hurt if nobody intervened. So, I did."

[abrightboy]

“Intervened in what? A violent attack? A love triangle? Blackmail?” So many possibilities.

[forensicks]

"Keeping the what secret is pretty important to me, just on principle," he says. "So, sure, let's go with the umbrella of blackmail. I wasn't acting in immediate defense of their life."

[abrightboy]

“Mm. And are you pleased that you did it?” Malcolm asks.

[forensicks]

Walter sighs and starts looking to refill his cup of tea.

"It's why I'm here. I'm certainly not pleased about that."

[abrightboy]

“You have no way to know why you’re here,” Malcolm tells him. “Murder in and of itself doesn’t seem to be a factor.”

[forensicks]

"That's a pretty dangerous thing to tell me," Walter says with the teapot in his hands. "I didn't feel good about taking a human life, but the more people I see killing left and right just to prove a point?" He tilts his head to the side like ehhhhhhhhh.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smirks. “Is that so? Because when I asked how you felt about it, what you said is that you don’t feel good about being stuck here because of it. You didn’t feel compelled to mention the sanctity of human life as your first thought on the matter.” He leans on the kitchen island. “You know… that’s the way my dad does it. When the question isn’t expected or - in some cases - when it isn’t direct, his real feeling will slip out, then when he finds out you don’t align on that thought, he’ll pretend it was a joke and say what he thinks is what aligns with you. I grew up on that particular brand of gaslighting and manipulation, you know. It makes my spidey-sense tingle. In other words, it makes you seem much more suspicious than you probably really are.”

[forensicks]

This explains a lot about Malcolm, like the way he takes things so one-step-removed from literally. Walter feels bad for him, but he's also jostled by the line of reasoning, really shows in his nose and eyes, and tacks on a bitter smile. "So you've decided what I probably really am? Look, I just wake up here every day trying to feel anything besides 'oh well, at least I helped my friend'. Whom I might never see again! How am I supposed to take back something I'd done on the very day that I happened to die? Murder is wrong seems as good a thing to focus on as any, but what do I know, maybe I should want to get better for my new friends and family, like everyone else who graduated lately."

[abrightboy]

“I haven’t decided what you probably are or definitely are or might be. I’m asking questions and you answer in manipulative half truths and I’m just telling you how that looks,” Malcolm clarifies. “I’d rather things were open between us; I haven’t lied to you. But, I know, okay? Trust takes time. If we’re not there yet, we’re not there yet.”

He steps over and pulls his knife from the floor.

“Murder is wrong is a good thing to focus on. Definitely work on that one. It’s key.” He means that.

[forensicks]

"Yeah, you know what, maybe I should head out. Like I keep saying, this much is a lot for me." He gets up with a jump, tries to put away the teacup, uses this to face away as he says: "Thanks for the tea. You can think what you want to think about me, but asking you and not Taylor to read my ledger is a fact. I don't feel right talking with her about... having a friend. I think she'll just forget about me when Wednesday [i.e. May 15th, relative to May 9th] comes around. You won't."

[abrightboy]

“You’re right. I won’t. I don’t forget about anyone I promise to help,” Malcolm informs him. “Don’t forget your knife.”

[forensicks]

"I wasn't going to," he says as he steps out around the counter. He puts out his hand and dramatically the dagger zaps backwards into it. There is a flinch when it hits his palm that shows he hasn't done it before. But he tries to play it off and walk out all sinister.