[031. I can take so much. 'Til I've had enough.]

[lydiascreams]

[Open Video]

[Lydia took a break from sitting with Stiles and Kira, watching Scott as he slowly recovers from the death toll. She took Prada for a walk, showered, then got ready to go back to Kira's. But before, she wants to throw a topic out there. It's something that has been on her mind for a while now.

And after her talk with Kira about who hurt Scott and with Steve about who hurt him, after seeing what happened to Souji. After hearing about what Arthas did, she doesn't feel like they can wait any longer.]

I know everyone is still settling back in after the port. That a lot of you are still recovering from deaths and injuries, but I want to open a subject up for discussion.

I feel like there have been a lot more deaths on the barge lately. Both from inmates and wardens. And caused by inmates and wardens. I know a while back someone brought up taking the death toll for granted, and I don't remember what led to that discussion, but I agree.

We're all taking it for granted. If we die, we think we're guaranteed to come back. What if it stops working?

But even more importantly: why are we allowing ourselves to kill each other? Why are we dealing with murder as if there were no consequences?

I understand we don't always have control over our actions, I understand floods happen and we become affected. Infected. We become other people. But they are rare occasions when we're all out of control.

There is always someone around who can see things clearly. There's always someone who can take control and stop the people who are affected from hurting each other.

My suggestion -- and I would love to hear what the Admiral has to say about this -- is for us to find a system, an emergency system, where we can cap everyone's abilities -- human or otherwise, Inmates and Wardens alike -- if they become a threat to anyone. At any given time.

And I'd like to hear opinions everyone else might have on this.

Comments

[omar]

[Frankly, he's already thinking of about a thousand ways he can abuse this, but... not with people like Lydia, so that's good, right?]

Well, I doubt my vote going to count for much, but for what it's worth, I vote yea.

[Although... there's also a part of him that doesn't like the idea of needing to cap someone like Dark to be able to beat them. Hmm.]

Or maybe I need to ponder on it some more.

[lydiascreams]

[Sigh.]

Your vote counts. I didn't leave this open to inmates because I wanted only the wardens to have a say.

[She takes a deep breath when he takes it back, though.]

You have time. It's just an idea for now.

I don't think we've met. I'm Lydia.

[omar]

Omar. And that's nice to hear and all, but I been up in here a while now. Y'all don't even listen to each other, much less us. And much less us that ain't tearing everything up when we have a complaint.

Which... I mean, it's prison. I ain't expect much more than that when I come up here.

[lydiascreams]

Yeah, but that's not what we're supposed to be.

I don't know about your world, but in mine, the prison system doesn't actually work on reforming anyone. We do. People can't leave here without actually being better. You have to become a better person rather than just serve your time.

[omar]

[Oh, Lydia, you're cute. This is cute. Stupid, but cute.]

And some of us don't, but... that ain't the point. You still got two groups of people. One carry the cuffs and the other empty-handed. Apparently I ain't up to holding none, either.

[Really, he's just as much a lifer as Arthas is, he thinks. The only difference is that he's not angry about it.]

[lydiascreams]

[Sometimes, she acts like the eighteen year old she is, okay?

It all sounds like a good idea to her. She's here to help people, not punish them.]

If there wasn't a chance for you, you wouldn't be here. And when you're done, you can just leave.

[Or you'd just be sent home before your time, at least. Like her inmate Andrew. And her ex-boyfriend, Jackson. But even with them, she refuses to believe they didn't stand a chance.]

[omar]

I understand the idea, Warden.

[Whether he's interested in his "chance," however, is another story.]

Appreciate the confidence, I suppose.

[lydiascreams]

The name is Lydia, Omar.

[And yes, she can see the change in his attitude. And no, she doesn't appreciate it at all.]

[omar]

[He laughs.]

Ain't none of y'all like to be called by title.

[lydiascreams]

Would you like to be referred to as inmate? [Because yes, she's offended.]

Make you sound like you're less of a person?

[omar]

Go ahead.

[Again, he lets out a sound of amusement, this one quieter and darker. It's not that he doesn't care about this idea, but he's long since resigned himself to it.]

Ain't like I don't know there plenty of y'all that think of me that way. Even if I'd forgotten, my new warden done more than enough to remind me.

[lydiascreams]

[The amusement is annoying her, but she does her best to shrug it off.]

That's not what we're here for. The point is for you to become an actual, better person. The sooner you realize that, the easier it'll be on you.

[omar]

I'm a'ight with the person I am, thank you.

[lydiascreams]

Well, good luck to you, then. [Because the person he is obviously managed to get him arrested in a space prison. Doesn't sound great.]

[omar]

[Yeah, somehow he's picking up on that extremely subtle subtext.]

Oh, I didn't realize y'all had my file.

[lydiascreams]

You're assuming I do.

All I did was wish you luck.

[omar]

I heard what you said.

[He smirks, insolence untouched.]

You notice how this conversation started out 'bout respecting my choices and whatnot and ended up here?

[lydiascreams]

Respecting each other, Omar.

[She smirks back at him.]

Maybe you should get that selective hearing issue checked out.

[omar]

Naw, Warden. I think if you look back you'll find that ain't so.

[He wouldn't have said he respects the wardens and their choices. Maybe once, but he hasn't for a while now.]

[lydiascreams]

Different perspectives, I suppose, Omar.

[She's done with you, though, so she's disconnecting.]