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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[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. ]

Nah. We just make a few tweaks to it and we should be okay to go. We have a little while until Friday to figure something out...Fridays are always d-day, right? Wonder why nobody's gone off that pattern yet. If we get a group together, it'll inspire everybody else, you're right.

[He pauses then, laughing under his breath.] Kid, you'd probably be better than my last partner. [Granted his last "partner" was somebody who was actually just using him and then tried to kill him but whatever. And the partner before that kicked him off a cliff.] Besides...there's something to be said about working with somebody you're not exactly like. Means you're on guard more and you really pinpoint who you can trust.

Maybe they want us to be able to rest. You know, all considerate. [ What a stupid joke, but he kind of needs to find some humor in the situation right now. He knows what it's like to live in utter misery and he'd rather not go back to that.

He doesn't expect Luke to seemingly be alright to partner up. He assumes, of course, that the implication is his last partner was pretty awful. After all, Adam doesn't have much to give in return. He knows Luke is pretty good for protection, so he's not going to turn that down. ] Then I'd be alright with it. In return, I'll pass on any information I find out. And, I don't know, be a good alibi for whenever you're a suspect again. [ It'll probably happen. ]

If that were the case you'd think they'd wait til Saturday. [Its fine. He can appreciate a sense of humour even if it's morbid. Maybe especially if it's morbid. For a brief moment he's appraising Adam again as though debating what the boy can offer him. All things considered, he could use an extra set of eyes. And anyway, again, if he can do something right that can't hurt his chances when he gets home. It doesn't hurt that he's already grown a little fond of him.]

Deal then. But what makes you so sure I'm going to wind up a suspect again?

You're kind of naturally suspicious. [ Sorry but it's true. ] You avoid questions, you have a sword here, and you've been known to sneak into vents.

[ He sounds partially fond, though. What a horrible idea to make plans like these right after what happened, but if he isolates himself from everyone, he knows he's going to have a hard time. Plus he, admittedly, does want to be friends with Luke. ] I don't think we've gotten back to what you were talking about earlier, though.

That'd be pretty normal where I'm from. [The grin says otherwise though. He knows he has a tendency to avoid everything and be a sneaky kind of guy. That's what his dad's known for, after all. On the other hand Adam doesn't seem to find that to be a bad thing and thus Luke's unbothered.

...of course, he'd be more unbothered if they hadn't come back to the original point and his mouth draws into a thin line.]

Ah. Guess there's no convincing you that it's just that, huh? [He rolls his eyes upward to look at the ceiling instead.] Remind me which part we were talking about?

[ Adam scoffs in laughter, finding it hilarious that Luke is proving his point right after he made it. Avoiding questions, check. Hopefully there's not a vent nearby. Now this just kind of seems like a challenge: will Adam forget and leave it alone? No, he's more on top of things than that. ]

Something about you having more at stake than most people here. [ In fact, he remembers it clearly due to how awful it sounded. ]

[Goddamn this kid. He looks unimpressed but at the same time he's well aware he walked right into this. He's still not looking at him though.]

...you'd fit in with Athena's kids too, you know that? [But okay. How to explain...] Let's just say there are some things about me that if people knew, they might think I'm an easy target. I'm not, by the way. I don't go down easy. And like I said...I'll do whatever it takes to get answers. That was pretty true back home, too.

[ He'll take that as a compliment. And still Luke is continuing to be incredibly vague. It's only slightly frustrating, but mostly intriguing. He does like having to piece things together. ]

How would you be an easy target? [ Oh, maybe he doesn't want to spill his weaknesses. ] Considering we just partnered up and you've taught me everything I know about defense, you probably don't have to worry about me.

Let me ask you something. [Oh gods here we go...] What're you hoping will be waiting for you when you get back home? Who's there or what's there that you want and need to get back to?

[Bear with him, Adam, it's progress.]

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