3rd Wave

[tentacruelest]

[Jones is a deep, deep sleeper but he wakes with the sunrise. Each day is a new, hellish experience on the Barge but he scowls and stomps his way through them regardless.

Imagine his surprise when this morning he opens his door - releasing a small flood of his usual seawater, which, thanks to Maintenance, is contained by a make-shift dam - and spots children running about.

Not the handful of children he knows to be part of the Barge. New ones. And smaller people are easier to bully than full-grown ones.

Resolving to go about his day unbothered by the mechanics of the Admiral, Davy instead storms his way to the mess hall, literally using his claw to forcefully swat aside anyone smaller than four feet]


I'll thank whoever remains their true, full size to keep the vast majority of whelps under control. I've a mind to toss them over the side one by one; no ship is in need of this many cabin boys. No navy is.

Mind your brats. Or I will.

Comments

[with_my_teacup]

And how long is the return of your sword good for? How long will you spare the little ones? The larger ones they return to?

[tentacruelest]

I will spare them for as long as they are small.

[with_my_teacup]

Then I will request its return for as long as they are small.

[And he does, in front of Jones.]

[tentacruelest]

You truly want me to promise never to hurt a living soul.

[with_my_teacup]

I don't recall ever setting such terms.

Not to harm any person who cannot harm you, and is not trying to harm you or engaged in actually doing so. For the duration of the flood, at least. Is it so draconian?

[tentacruelest]

It is a sound rule in principle, but rarely in practice.

[with_my_teacup]

I have never experienced a flood that lasted longer than four or five days. Will you attempt to practice it, for four or five days, if the Admiral concedes?

[tentacruelest]

I will attempt.

[with_my_teacup]

If the admiral proves unwilling, would you accept the loan of one of my own weapons? I am afraid I have no taste for swords, but I have several very respectable long knives.

[tentacruelest]

Knives in my hands resemble toothpicks.

[with_my_teacup]

Then I will have to hope that the admiral is feeling reasonable.

[tentacruelest]

I sincerely doubt it.

[with_my_teacup]

My next recourse is force. I don't wish to fight today. I want to cook and care for the children.

[tentacruelest]

And I want these children to stop trying to strike me and insult me at every turn.

[with_my_teacup]

They have no power to harm you. You shall establish no dominance over the things you cannot control by striking at the ones you can.

[tentacruelest]

Shan't I?

[with_my_teacup]

No. You have proved it for yourself already, on your first day.

[tentacruelest]

After I murdered.

[with_my_teacup]

And nothing of note happened, did it?

[tentacruelest]

Yeh locked me in the brig for a week. For killing one of your own.

[with_my_teacup]

And one of my dearest friends spent an equal amount of time recovering from the death toll, and what did it avail any of us?

[tentacruelest]

It told me that you care little for justice on this ship.

[with_my_teacup]

Not in any widespread way. We're all animals, cherishing our families and disdaining intruders-- only by consensus can we agree to leave other individuals' families and friends unmolested that ours generally might be unmolested as well.

But when it comes to crime? No, no justice, only squabbling amongst ourselves. The admiral doesn't much concern himself.

[Being hyper-articulate is fucking annoying. And makes him sound like a huge jackass. He can't wait for this flood to be over.]

[tentacruelest]

Even I, who did the murdering, know I got off with hardly a slap on the wrist. Do ye value life so little?

[with_my_teacup]

We value it as much as we have the leisure to. And we each manage the idea of resurrection in our own ways.