001.

[anewlanguage]

[Cain has no interest in vlogging, but his video feed was switched on accidentally as he got settled into his room. So for a long while there's no sound, and the only picture is of the side of his leg. Then he notices that it's not cooperating, and he's not such a stoic prisoner that he'll just turn it off and pretend it hadn't happened.]

This is some kind of reality show, huh? 'True Lives of the Deadliest Inmates'?

Comments

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Yes. There are always more.

[anewlanguage]

Gotta cross our fingers and hope for the best, then? That's a fuckin' mess we're in.

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

It's shit. But there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Sometimes it's better than doing nothing all the time.

[anewlanguage]

[Ok. A little smile. Kids swearing does his heart good.]

Well I can't argue with that. After a week of staring at the wall I bet half the ship would be begging for a death match.

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[Wait till she calls him a camel cunt.]

They do that sometimes, too.

[anewlanguage]

[No don't do that, he might try to adopt you and turn you into an assassin]

Huh. Who usually wins?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[She is pretty much a-ok with this idea]

No one. Nobody stays dead.

[anewlanguage]

That sounds frustrating as hell.

You seem to be taking it in stride. Familiar with murder, kid?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

People die. They don't usually come back.

[anewlanguage]

Kind of a pain that they do. I bet they come back with a vengeance.

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

And a headache.

[anewlanguage]

Know that from personal experience?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Only from watching. I'm not stupid.

[anewlanguage]

Or hated, I guess.

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Are you hated?

[anewlanguage]

Yeah. [He sounds like he could laugh over it.]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

It doesn't bother you.

[anewlanguage]

Nah. You do what you gotta do, let other people figure out what they feel about it. No concern of mine.

What, you think everyone out there is gonna like you?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

No. That's stupid. Being liked doesn't matter. [But being safe does.]

[anewlanguage]

You're pretty smart, kid. You must've had a hell of a lot of hard knocks.

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

You learn to survive, or you die. I didn't want to die.

[anewlanguage]

How'd you go about surviving?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

I just did. [She doesn't really want to relive all the details, especially not for a stranger.]

How does anyone?

[anewlanguage]

Well that's the thing, darlin'. Most of 'em don't. Even the ones who live don't really survive. You know what 'shell shock' is?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[She just shakes her head, brow creasing a little. It's still hard sometimes, admitting she doesn't know things, or understand - but learning is better.]