ataraxion | SIX: video

Entry tags:

SIX: video

[The feed comes on to show Taylor looking pretty annoyed, a sharp frown pinching her brows even as something a little more weary lingers in her eyes. Her tone, when she starts speaking, still comes out strong, more authoritative than might be remembered from her before. Her first real announcement as Head of Security, she's keeping her shoulders set and her gaze level.]

I was thinking that this was basic fucking common sense, but seeing as some of you seem to need someone to actually say this shit, I'm gonna lay it out for you.

You don't kill each other, you don't assault each other, you don't steal each other's belongings and you don't damage each other's belongings.

[A pause, making sure those sit clearly before she carries on.]

There is a security team here, we're active and we will take action to enforce these basic rules and rights if we see or are informed of them being broken. Each infraction will be dealt with individually, so don't ask me for a blanket 'what will you do if'. SEC's here to keep everyone safe, not to control your lives. Most of you know the kind of shit we've had to deal with here - if you don't, you should've read about it. It's bigger and it's nastier than this kind of sniping, so calm the fuck down and stop fucking with each other already.

[A moment, keeping the same hard expression before she seems to relax slightly, looking away at something off camera and then back again.]

Personal request: if there's anyone that can do tattooing or just art shit, drop me a message. [A slight motion of her shoulders, almost a shrug.] Been doing them myself, but I want these somewhere I can't get at. Can show you how to do it bare-bones, if you don't know.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So you're saying someone idly threatened her animal and she threatened them back. You pull Heather up on that shit?

There's a significant difference between saying "If you don't take care of your animal, we'll eat it" and "I'm going to throw you out the airlock."

[A nod, like she's agreeing with that, but her expression looks significantly unimpressed.]

You don't keep Pess under control, I'll shoot her.

[The muscles jump in his jaw. His voice is stiff.]

I hear your concerns, madam, and request that you do not threaten such extremes. Let us please meet to discuss this further; we can come to an agreement.

That's not what your gut says when you hear that. That's just the pretty words you know you should use, 'cause that's the life you've lived. Your gut says you'll do anything to keep that dog safe.

[She says it with certainty, has seen enough of him with Pess, has seen enough of him in general.]

[His jaw works itself down a little further.]

...Maybe so. But I'd never kill you. I'd never even threaten to kill you.

'Cause it's different for you, like I said. Jaye, me, we're from places where threats is all people listen to.

...You know that the place I came from wasn't some utopia, don't you?

Wouldn't need lawyers if it was.

And we'd have rather longer life expectancies. I understand the paths of violence, Tyke. I know that it's easier to kill and threaten and beat your way through life, because that's the way people operate in my home, too.

So what's the difference, truly, between her and me? I would never murder someone; she'd do it casually. Why will I not when she will? You really believe that it's because she's seen it works in the past - that she's a trained animal unable to change her learned behaviors?

[She frowns, harshly.]

You think it's easier, living in a place where you've got to be violent 'cause that's all that's around you?

[A tiny shake of her head as soon as she says it. She doesn't want an answer, doesn't want to talk about herself or the Academy, and he'll push that way if she gives an opening, she's sure.]

What she did wasn't casual. I've seen casual. She was responding to things she considered threats. And you aren't talking about change. You're just talking about punishment.

[He does see that.]

You're not understanding me. First: no, I don't think that. What I said is that it's easier to act violently. It's easier to go through life like she does - threatening and killing to get her way. Not bending, not compromising, but relying on fear at best and bloodshed at worst. It's a hundred times easier to murder your enemy than to bring him to your viewpoint. She chooses the easy path.

And no, I'm not talking about change, because you can never change anyone else. They can only change themselves. And she's never going to change herself - not without extreme intervention.

Yeah, 'cause all the time you're wasting trying to talk someone around, they're using to get at you. [She's seen it. But she still doesn't want to talk about it.] And you just contradicted yourself.

No, I didn't. It's still up to them to change themselves. But if you punish them for their misdeeds, show them that simply going complacently along their path of violence and bullying won't be tolerated, then sometimes that will show them that it's worth changing. Upon seeing that, some will change; some will not.

[A slight hesitation - ] And that's a self-justifying mode of thinking, Tyke. Surely you recognize that you can defend yourself by more than going out and cutting the throat of your enemy.

[And a bit more quietly:] And surely not even she thought I was trying to "get at her" when she tried to kill me. She did that purely to enforce her will.

She was hurting. You poked at the wound. She warned you off, several times, and you just kept at it. So which of you is the one with the 'change' problem, Edgeworth? The one with the problem at getting talked around to someone else's viewpoint?

No. That's just an excuse and nothing better. Tell me: by your words, you have implied that you grew up in circumstances similar to hers. In a similar situation, would you have tried to kill me?

No. It's not a fucking excuse. The people on this ship are people. They're not robots following your set scenarios and hypothetical morals & ethics problems. You listen to what I'm saying: She was hurting. You made her hurt more. What were you expecting except getting lashed out at?

Fuck, I know lawyers and cops have training to deal with sensitive witnesses and the bereaved. Did you just skip that class?

[His lips thin, but he doesn't rise to the bait.]

Please answer the question. Would you have tried to kill me?

I'm meant to be your boss. Why don't you try acting like it for once and answer my questions, instead of pulling me into these huge fucking debates that do nothing except waste my time.

[The look on his face is belligerent - but, resentfully, after a moment, he does drop his eyes. His voice, though, is none too happy.]

Fine. Then yes, I did expect to get lashed out at; of course I did. That's what happens. But there's a significant difference between someone screaming at me and someone actually trying to kill me.

I don't flatter myself to think that I'm the greatest stressor that will happen to anyone aboard this ship. What happens the next time she feels stressed? Who do you think will be the first one she kills?

[A slight pause, and then he looks up again - ]

And you should just say it. You wouldn't have killed me. You also came from a difficult background, but you don't try to hurt people to get your way. Not like she does.

It wasn't about her feeling stressed. It was about her feeling vulnerable. Feeling threatened. And I can't tell you what I would've done, because I've never hurt the way I saw her, and I'm not gonna pretend like I know what that'd do to me. [A shrug.] I'd almost definitely threaten you.

[A pause.]

You didn't answer me about the sensitive witness training.

[He lifts his chin, now, and speaks stiffly.]

Because I took that question to be a pointedly rhetorical one. Does that mean you actually wish an answer?

Does that mean it's a hard question to answer?

[He clenches his teeth. He tries to answer brashly, snidely and arrogantly, but it's clear that this is an old wound.]

Oh, quite. I took it, naturally. Afterwards, everyone said that it was clear now why I'd been assigned to homicide cases in spite of my youth: it wasn't because I was skilful, but just because if I was asked to deal with a victim, it'd end up turning into a homicide regardless. I'd drive them to kill themselves, you understand.

[He presses his lips together a moment later and deeply regrets that tirade, shaking his head. To admit that to anyone would be a mistake; to have said the same to the woman who has the power to kick him off the force was a very grave error indeed.]

Never mind. Yes. I took it.

[She just stares for a moment, because there's no way that would be true without Edgeworth letting her know, right. Except he doesn't make it into a joke afterwards, and it fits. It fits too well. She frowns, harshly, and if he'd wanted to see what real anger looked like on her face, he'd gone the right way about it.]

So you went into a situation you knew you were unqualified for, got pretty damn close the consequences predicted by your peers or instructors, and still left me dealing with the mess and uninformed about the gap in your skillset.

[A shake of her head.]

It's not even a gap. It's a fucking black hole.

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%

video; encryption 95%