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[abrightboy]

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[abrightboy]

“I didn’t do anything!” Malcolm insists.

[inthebiblicalsense]

"Malcolm, I have no idea what actually happened, and I'm not about to ask Cain because that would only make it worse. But I sincerely doubt that your interaction, what ever it was, started as hello, go away, and it was over." He straightens from his lean against the wall.

"Walk me through what happened, don't leave anything out, and maybe I can help you understand."

[abrightboy]

Oh, here it comes. The part where they forensically examine at exactly which point this became Malcolm’s fault.

“You know what? I think you were right from the start: it’s not worth it. “ He shifts his grip on his bag. “So… how do these energy weapons work, exactly? Obviously that have to be some sort of directed beam…..”

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel stares at Malcolm a moment, catching his scar between his teeth before he ventures forth.

"Malcolm, are you changing the subject because you're afraid of something, or is it because you spontaneously decided this thing we've been talking about for fifteen minutes is suddenly and strangely unimportant? I just want to be sure."

[abrightboy]

“It looks like a road I’ve been down a lot now, so now I understand it. You said you’d tell me about the weapons,” Malcolm replies.

[inthebiblicalsense]

"Just because you've been down it, doesn't mean it's the same for every person you meet. But If you'd rather not, I'll let it go." He isn't Malcolm's therapist, he's his friend. He isn't here to push him to do uncomfortable things.

Instead he'll unsnap the band of his thigh holster and offer Malcolm his gun so he can look at it.

"Safety's on, and there are two settings, a stun and a more lethal shot. The guns that Fives are offering have a few more settings than mine."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm takes it and looks at one side and then the other.

“The ones Tendi mentioned only stun,” Malcolm tells him as he examines it. “I got one for Walter.”

[inthebiblicalsense]

"Mine originally was only a stun gun before that reality bending bullshit happened." He returns, not having felt the need for something like that until he felt like he needed it to protect someone else from something other than a fellow crew member.

"I'm glad she got some takers. I was talking with her about that before we left for the Enposib. I hope he can prove to be responsible with it...I understand that having the ability to disable someone temporarily can give the opportunity for further violence, but...until proven other wise, everyone should have some form of defense."

[abrightboy]

“His biggest stated beef with the Barge was the lack of defence regular vanilla humans like us have from super-powered and magical assailants,” Malcolm tells him, aiming at the wall and sighting down the barrel before offering the weapon back. “I thought that would make him feel safe without encouraging lethal responses.”

[inthebiblicalsense]

"It is a little scary to think about, and Walter isn't a large man either, which I would think makes him an even easier perceived target if he was worried about it." Abel takes the gun, slipping it back in the holster, snapping it into place.

"I gave Fitz an identical gun to mine. Both are biolocked to myself and him respectively. You wouldn't actually be able to fire mine if you tried to pull the trigger, though I don't believe Fitz has even taken his out of his room. He's not big on violence, more the sort to try and run away."

[abrightboy]

“More the sort to strike to wound with words,” Malcolm corrects.

[inthebiblicalsense]

"He's rather good with those," Is the compliment that follows. He'd most certainly made him cry a few times when they'd first gotten assigned.

"I don't think he usually cares enough to bother with that though."

[abrightboy]

“I think he enjoys it and when he doesn’t care, it’s even more fun,” Malcolm suggests.

[inthebiblicalsense]

"You don't have a very high opinion of Fitz, do you?" He asks, not quite sure he agrees with that, at least not in the way that Malcolm seems to think he does.

[abrightboy]

"I don't have a low opinion of him. He seems like a smart and interesting person. But any time I try to engage him in good faith, he's cuttingly mean for no reason. So it's more like he has a very low opinion of me," Malcolm points out. "He and Cain must get along. They can hang out and talk about how annoying everyone but you and their three friends is."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel raises an eyebrow, "I am pretty sure Fitz doesn't like Cain much, and if disliking you is the only thing that might tie them together, that's a terrible basis for a friendship. And while I am not above being petty, I think maybe we should change the subject."

A beat.

"Also It's probably because you work in counseling, which...isn't a good reason? But still a reason."

[abrightboy]

"Oh; I assumed they didn't like a lot of people, but if it's just me... then I will change the subject," Malcolm tells him. "Is anyone from the Barge making progress on getting in touch with the Admiral?"

[inthebiblicalsense]

"I'm pretty sure that's also true, that they don't like a lot of people, but also, between the two of them, the two things I can think of that they have in common is liking my company and disliking yours. Pretty sure that's about it. And in this case, Opposites wouldn't attract. Fitz would probably annoy the shit out of Cain, and Fitz knows what happened back home, so. I'm not saying he would dislike him just for that reason, but I certainly haven't seen them talking to each other." He kind of hopes to keep the two of them separate anyways because it would be very annoying to have to tell Cain to fuck off if he decided one day he needed to punch Fitz in the face.

Anyways, he stands from his casual lean against the wall to look behind him, check the still empty hall and shrug, "I think there are a few people trying, but nothing concrete yet that I'm aware of. Have you been talking much with the crew? I haven't socialized much and now I'm sure I would rather not."

[abrightboy]

"Just Sokie and Julian in the infirmary. Since Will and I have been living there. He goes out more than I do, to get supplies and keep an eye on things. Ulla has been singing us food that I can eat. Will has to leave the infirmary to cook it. I'm sure he knows a lot more people here than I do," Malcolm explains.

[inthebiblicalsense]

"Food you can eat?" He hasn't exactly seen Malcolm sit down and eat anything so dietary restrictions weren't anything he was aware of.

"I forget about stuff like that...is it food allergies?" Genetic modification when used right removes the possibility of those kinds of things. Unless you had a flaw, but he isn't sure he's ever met one who did, it was rare.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm is one big flaw.

"It's... more than that. It's a combination of things. There aren't a lot of things I can eat."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel isn't going to be nosy about his issues, it's none of his business, but it is frustrating to hear when he's pretty sure most humans are rather resilient to most disease and disorders post genetic modification. It solidifies not mentioning it to Malcolm all the more seeing as if it felt like bragging when faced with people who hadn't had cognitive enhancement, telling someone who had a disorder felt even more so. He at least has the sense not to say 'if you lived in my time it probably wouldn't be an issue'.

"Well, I'm glad you have access to what you can eat. I might not like magic all that much, but it certainly is helpful."

[abrightboy]

“We were fine on the island without it,” Malcolm mentions. “Will could catch fish. I found some berry bushes.”

[inthebiblicalsense]

"I should have asked Will to teach me how to fish instead..." He murmurs as he thinks about it, though that had been a good talk with Jacob. He was trying to get along with him more, and talking to him about stuff that he knew and knew well, that Abel didn't? It was a good way to build a better relationship.

"It's a good thing they weren't poisonous. I worried about that while we were there."

[abrightboy]

“Will can teach you later, on the Barge, if you want to learn. He has all the gear and he’s really good at it,” Malcolm tells him.