chiseler | We drown traitors in shallow water [post t5]

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!the cradle project

We drown traitors in shallow water [post t5]

[There are a lot of things Luke could have said about the trial and the way things played out. There's a lot of things Luke could have said about someone like Kazuma fooling all of them and the anger people felt...but he won't. He won't say anything about it to just anyone.

He won't talk about how he gets it. How he knows first-hand what that's like. How he's hardly affected by this at all. It's a pretty fucked up situation, but...over the course of the last week he's come to find there are people on this ship that are a little more delicate and need to be watched over. It's sort of like watching kids back at Camp again before everything went to hell.

Adam Parrish is one of those people. He hadn't stuck around for most of the after trial, but later in the evening he continues to think about the fact that Adam was genuinely upset about the betrayal.

...gods, why did coming back mean having to feel things again? Uggggggh. So maybe he feels bad. And maybe he's a little worried but Adam has other people to look after him, doesn't he? But what if they're busy? What if they also have problems and he's left alone and it turns into bitterness and angst and anger and--

--yeah he doesn't get much time to think on all of that before he finds himself in front of Adam's door. So he pauses, scrubbing a hand over his face before curling his hand into a fist and knocking.]

Parrish, you in there?

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[ The best way to describe Adam after the trial is sulking. There's so much going through his mind that the only way he knows how to process it is by blaming himself. He did his best to defend Kazuma, didn't vote for him, was about to let him get away with it because he was tricked. Because he was stupid and actually trusted that they were friends.

To top it off, his tarot cards are now gone. He wouldn't have killed for them but they were important and entrusted to him and he's failed at that too.

He'd had a routine of talking to Kazuma after trials, comparing notes in his room and trying to figure things out for the next week. Now he doesn't know what to do with himself. He can't trust himself to write decent notes down, so he's just sitting at his desk when he hears the knock. He tenses and thinks to ignore it because there's no way he can handle company, not when he's so angry. He wants to punch something and he knows not to be around people when he feels like that.

But it's Luke. Luke is one of maybe two people he could see at the moment, someone who he thinks is genuine. Of course, that's easy to doubt now. Still, he climbs down his ladder and opens the door, face blank. ]

Hey. Do you need something?

[Well. Now that he's here he's not entirely sure how to start this. Kazuma had his reasons that were selfish and overruled everyone and everything else. Because of this week, they'd all lost something important to them and while he knows he's lost Annabeth's knife and he's worried about what that means, he's not thinking much about it.

He has no idea how close Kazuma and Adam were, but he recognizes sulking when he sees it. So he lifts an eyebrow.]

Not particularly. [He even folds his arms over his chest and leans against the doorframe, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.] You seemed pretty upset after the trial. [And an awkward pause. Truthfully, it's been a while since he's really dealt with kids. He's not entirely sure how to say "I was checking up on you", especially when he's had people pull the same thing on him recently.] I guess "are you okay" is a pretty stupid question, isn't it?

[ Adam's face tightens and gets a little more cold when Luke tells him why he's there. He sees it as pity. Poor Adam has done this to himself, or maybe it's the opposite, poor Adam was fooled. It makes him embarrassed and angry. But a part of him knows he's not angry at Luke.

He doesn't talk about what he's feeling, ever. It's not the way he works. He pushes it down until it drives him forward. He just hasn't had the time for it yet. ] I'm fine.

[ He manages to look decidedly Not Fine. He stares at Luke for a long moment before he can't keep his thoughts at bay. ] Or do you have something to tell me about pretending too?

[Luke's probably the last person who'd ever show pity, if only because he hates when people show him pity. He doesn't allow his own expression to change even when Adam's does and he doesn't move away from the door. Instead, he lifts an eyebrow. Right. Absolutely fine, huh?]

If you're asking if I have sound, worldly advice for you? The answer's no. I'm not good at that. [At least he's honest.] Let me guess...someone's already tried to talk to you about Kazuma being...Kazuma?

[ Truly, he doesn't understand why Luke is here. People don't generally ask him if he's alright, probably because he reacts so negatively to it, but he especially doesn't understand it here. What reason does Luke have to care about what he's feeling? How does that benefit him?

Given the events, he can only equate it to Kazuma. ] No. [ Why would he think that? ] I mean, if you're going to pretend to be someone you're not, don't bother. You don't have to pretend to care. Whoever you are, it probably wouldn't matter to me.

[Things he's learning about Adam Parrish: he's a cagey motherfucker just like Luke can be. A normal person would probably leave it at that, say their goodbyes and apologize for bothering him. Granted, Luke's never been a normal person and he's always been the one to push his limits.]

Let me ask you something. Do I really strike you as somebody who'd bother with that much effort in a place like this? [He would ask if he seemed like someone who would bother at all, but he knows there are things back home that would surely counter that point.]

[ The answer to that question is obviously no. That's why he opened the door in the first place. He has decent instincts about people, or at least he once did, and it's been clear to him since Dave told him about Luke in the first trial that he probably doesn't care. And Adam likes people like that. He envies them. ]

You'd have to have some pretty big plans. [ Luke doesn't really seem like that type either. If he's anything like Adam, he's probably in survival mode as well. So he steps back as an invitation in. ]

I think I know who you are, but I'd like it if you were straight with me.

[Its good to know he still can bullshit his way through a conversation. Adam steps back and Luke enters the room, letting the door close behind him. There's a lack of Backbiter with him today. Actually he appears completely unarmed which is just another sign that he trusts Adam. (It also helps that he's still valued for another couple of hours.)]

Can't say you're too off about that. [Theres a pause as he considers.] I've been saying since day one that nobody's being completely honest in this place. It's why I'm watching more closely. It's what you have to do in things like this you know? Really study the monster you're going up against. [Demigods are always in survival mode. But even so, it's a lot of why Luke's bothering to interact with people at all.] I can't promise that I'll be open about everything, but maybe we should make a deal in light of certain things...you'll do the same thing if you're asking me to be honest, won't ya?

[ Once they climb up, Adam goes to sit on his chair by his desk, which is covered in papers. Otherwise, the room is fairly neat since he wasn't sure if he was going to be a suspect or not. ]

What sort of deal is that? We'll be honest except about some really important things? [ He's angry because he told himself the same thing Luke did. You can get close to people but not trust them. And still... ] I don't have anything to hide. I just don't wanna look stupid again. Let me know if you're gonna to drown someone. [ His southern accent is out in full force. He can't be bothered to hide it right now. ]

[While Adam sits at his desk, Luke's making himself pretty acquainted with the wall here and leaning back against it. Even while standing though it's clear he has trouble not fidgeting, fingers drumming on his arms that keep folding and unfolding over his chest. For the most part though he's behaving himself and he's listening.

The accent, of course, is a surprise. He doesn't comment on it if only because he's more focused on what Adam's saying.]

Fine, I'll let you know if I'm going to drown someone. But let me just say water's a pretty dangerous tool and I'm not a huge fan of it. [Being smacked around by the son of Poseidon would do that to a person. He gets it. He gets why Adam would be angry and what a shitty deal that is, but at the same time...]

Look. Let's just say I've got more at stake here than most of the people on this ship. Or at least I think so...hard to tell when we don't know much about anybody else. I'm already missing half of my powers and--[Noooope let's pause that.] I don't have any plans of making anyone look stupid. The people who know me best will know when I've done something, even if they won't believe it.

[ Adam scoffs when Luke is so specific about the drowning, but he definitely deserves it. So he's projecting a little, seeing Luke as the next person who's going to show a completely different side. Or maybe it'll be Dorian. It has to be someone. ]

You have more at stake? [ That's upsetting. Adam has his own reasons for wanting to get out alive, but he's always figured everyone else does too. And Luke thinks he's different. ] Just because we're not demigods doesn't us worth less. I—am I even in that category? Of who knows best?

[ He's weirdly candid about his anger and insecurity. Probably because Luke has interrupted him from repressing and now they're all spilling out. Nice one. ]

[Surprise, Luke Castellan is an asshole who likes to pry fingers into open wounds and pull them apart. (...and being on murder ship sure has made that literal. So that's gross.) There's a harsh huff through his nose because he knows how that sounds, and he knows he has to explain in order to get Adam to chill out. But explaining means things he's not even sure he wants to explain.

Is it worth it? In a way...yeah, it is. He knows he needs people on his side and he knows he can help some people here. That requires a degree of trust, and he just happened to pick someone who's really, really prickly about this sort of thing.]

That's not what I meant. [Weirdly, his own tone is much harsher than usual, albeit slightly panicked, too.] And don't be an idiot. You think I go around telling just about anybody I'm a half-blood? I can count the number of people on this ship that know on one hand.

[With that out of the way, he narrows his eyes and seems to glare at the wall across from him rather than at Adam himself.] Besides. Who said I meant I have more at stake in terms of getting back home? Maybe I'm talking about something else.

[ Now Adam stands up. For no reason, no dramatic declaration. But he's uncomfortable when Luke is standing and he's sitting and they're arguing about personal things. There's power in positions like those and he's not willing to let himself be weak.

There is a part of him that is taken aback by the fact that Luke is saying that Adam isn't just anyone. Of course, he knew it was a secret from the way Luke acted when he told him. There's just something different about hearing it from him and it makes him feel a little less upset. ]

Then what're you talking about? [ It's asked calmly now, his expression more open. He seems to have defused but, well, if Luke is going to admit there's a secret there, he wants to know it. ]

[He remains where he is, but his eyes shift from the wall to follow all of Adam's movements. He recognizes this tactic and he's not sure he likes it. This is actually backfiring in a major way and this is really just one of the flaws that Luke's never quite learned how to fix in himself. Going off of a plan usually winds up with him floundering a bit.

He more or less just confirmed to Adam that there's a very, very big thing he's hiding and he has no way of turning that around to say he's lying. If he says he's lying, Adam gets pissed. If he says it's a secret he can't tell, Adam still gets pissed. The kid's a negotiator, clever and analytical and subtly crafty. It's something Luke could, ordinarily, appreciate. This isn't one of those times though.]

Now wait a sec. What proof do you have that you aren't hiding anything either?

[ Their positioning really has made a difference. He's not a kid being talked down to anymore, he's managed to hit on something. He's talking to Luke as an equal, which is what he wants. Sure, he's impressed by Luke and he wants to learn from him, but Adam has a hard time seeing him as just a teacher. Their relationship has always leaned a little more toward friendship, in his opinion.

The question just proves to him that Luke's having trouble. He has hit on something important. And really, is it Adam's business? Definitely not. He respects secrets because he's always had a lot of his own. But, in his opinion, Luke has brought it on himself. ]

If you asked me something, I'd tell you. Just like I've asked you. A secret for a secret.

[Despite the fact he's been thinking of Adam as a kid (and he is, what with being five years his junior) and thinking of Adam as a student, he's well aware that they're more on even playing field than Luke wants to admit. It's the same way he feels about Clover sometimes. These are people that need to be kept safe, but at the same time they're good at wiggling their way up to being on an equal level.

He has a lot of questions. He has a lot of questions for Adam in regards to the tarot and his tree thing and other things from home. But that doesn't mean he's not going to try and get himself out of this.]

All right, all right. But before we get into that...I wanna run something by you especially with what's been happening lately. You think most of us on this ship know what we're doing? Or are people just planning murders out and hoping for the best? [There's a reason he's asking, even if Adam may or may not realize that.]

[ Adam narrows his eyes. Not in an angry or upset manner, just scrutinizing. It seems, at first, to be a distraction. He wouldn't put it past Luke to divert the conversation and hope Adam forgets. After all, Adam would do the exact same thing.

But the more he thinks about it, maybe it isn't. ] Do you mean the third parties? [ Those have been on his mind since he read the rules, especially because he's heard no one talk about them. He's endlessly curious about them and, well, it would be a good distraction. ]

I think they've been given a lot more information about what's happening and that might include a threat to stay silent. Unless you're talking about experience. Then, yeah, there seem to be a lot of murderers here.

[For once he's actually asking out of genuine curiosity and also to make a point. If Adam wants an answer, he's going to make him work for it, at least. It's the fact that he's open to these questions and that he's self-aware enough to realize what's happening that allows Luke to continue talking.]

Little of column A, little of column B. It's less of a question of how many murderers we have on this ship. I can probably guess just by looking at some of these people. It's the third parties I'm interested in. Who they are, if they really exist, what they're being offered...stuff like that. We're getting motives each week. What if the third parties are getting motives that are even greater in order to ensure silence and also getting them to carry out their bidding? I want to know how we could even tell that sort of thing.

[ Adam is definitely relaxed now and he's even smiling. Not a creepy Kazuma smile. He actually just seems really pleased that Luke is asking the same questions he's been. It was starting to seem like no one cared about the third parties. Or they all knew something Adam didn't. Though with that strange segue, he feels like Luke also knows something. ]

I've been working on that actually. [ He digs around on his desk for a moment and comes back with some little pieces of paper. He'll show them to Luke, but they appear to just be random letters. ] I've been trying to get people to communicate with me through coded messages. Something is being done to ensure their silence, but maybe they'd be willing to talk through something unmonitored. [ That smile does falter. ] No bites yet, though.

[ He sets the notes down and tilts his head in question. ] Are you trying to tell me something or...?

[Thank you for not being a creepy 8 year old, Adam. He watches, allowing for room to get the paper and he pushes himself enough away from the wall to get a closer look. The letters don't mean much to him other than to confuse him and he blinks, about to ask "why" when Adam charges ahead with the explanation.]

While that's not a bad plan, guess it would also depend on if they want to talk. If they're being promised something much greater then who knows? They might be doing whatever they want to do. That's about the point we've gotta start looking at everybody's character.

[And a shrug.] I'm mostly looking at all possibilities here. I'm not really sure how I feel about letting this play out as we keep killing each other off week by week just because somebody else told us to. Not really a fan of doing things just because somebody else said so. [But no. There is a little more to it than that, but that's about maybe 85% of it.]

[ Adam nods because he's also considered that. Considering the silence he's received once he asks about the third parties, it's entirely possible they just don't want to tell him. Which he can't really blame them for. ]

Also, the message plan hasn't exactly been tested. It could be that they know everything we write down. I wouldn't take that chance if I was threatened... or going to receive something good. [ He leans more toward threats, but given all the motives, it's possible that they have what a certain amount of people would want. ]

That's why I've been trying. I'm not really comfortable with people having roles and then not even knowing what the roles are. If you have a plan, I'd help with it. But that's all I can really tell you.

And all I can really tell you in all honesty is that I don't have another role in all of this. I don't know what Alice is planning, I don't know what's living in the vents, and I don't know what our next move is. I know as much as you know.

[...however.] But I think I know how they might be thinking if they're really operating under promises. Even at their most threatened or most promised, if people feel like they can't handle the load that comes with being an outside party, they'll crack to at least one person. That's kind of another reason I was interested in getting a system going like Adrien and I suggested.

[ Adam does believe him. He doesn't really know enough to disbelieve anything, and bringing something up only to lie about it doesn't seem like Luke's plan here. Not that he really understands what he's thinking by bringing the third parties up. ]

Yeah, well, if we had to choose our partners I probably would have gone with... [ The disgusted look on his face suggests Kazuma. He would have specifically because Kazuma seemed so innocent and unwilling to murder at all. ] That's my problem with it. You're tying someone to another person who they might trust, but it could just be making them an easy target. [ Actually, he's not really that selfless. He just doesn't want to partner with someone who's going to kill him. ]

Yeah. There's the flaw with that. [He seems utterly unconcerned about that, but that's just Luke being as detached as possible. Somehow he's not surprised that Adam would have chosen Kazuma. They were all pretty fooled…but then again, he's finding a pattern in most of their killers. They seem innocent. They seem okay. And then it's always those ones that flip and hit betray.

…then again, he surprised the entirety of Camp Half-Blood when he betrayed everyone, so maybe it really does make sense.] It's not a perfect system, but it's what I'm working with right now. It takes a lot more than just trust. It's putting people with people they're on an equal fighting ground with just in case somebody flips out. It's putting groups of two with other groups of two to crosscheck each other. And even then it's probably not enough, but I've gotta keep trying whatever it takes. [They all have semi-selfish motivations at the end of the day.] I want answers. If this is how we're gonna get them, then fine. I'm not afraid of anybody on this ship.

[ It's a better plan than Adam's, he feels. The notes aren't accessible to everyone, there's no motivation for anyone to respond to him. This one uses people's natural tendency to create intimate relationships. It's good. Not perfect, but people are going to die anyway, aren't there? ]

Alright. I'll support you in it. Although this last trial, I think, might make it harder. [ He shrugs. ] If we get a group of people doing it, though, and we have success with it, it'll attract more. We just need a core group. [ There's a hesitant pause. ]

I guess we wouldn't make very good partners. [ But that's his way of saying he wants to. Luke is probably the only person he'd trust to be around; he's pretty sure Dorian and Bull would partner up. ]

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