sharpememory | [17] - [Private to Prefect, backdated to the flood.]

Why not? What's wrong?

What's not fair?

The flood did something. I don't want to talk to you. Just wait a few days.

You don't want to talk to me? But you know you can tell me anything, Comrade. Where are you?

I don't want to tell you anything. And I'm in my room. And I didn't want to say that either.

I'm not going to make you tell me anything. I just want to make sure you're all right.

[WHICH IS WHY HE IS A'KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR NOW, BARRON.]

Go away, Prefect.

[Said through the door, without even asking who is it. BECAUSE REALLY, BARRON ISN'T BIG ON THE FRIENDS FRONT.]

[SADDEST PAUSE.]

Why?

[Knock knock knock?]

Please stop knocking, I know you're there. [And he's leaning against the door, and it's really loud from that position. :c]

I don't want to tell you things I normally wouldn't tell you.

Why would you do that? You lie all the time, it's not like you've just decided to stop...

[La la la Prefect doesn't ever remember lying to you though Barron. He's always been like this.]

[KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK?]

I can't. I tried and it didn't work.

[Whoops, too much information there, Barron. But damn, that door knocking is annoying. Time to open it and confront Prefect.] Seriously. Just leave.

[Hey, it's Barron! YAY! Prefect grins a big happy grin, before his expression becomes one of concern.]

You can't? Comrade, could it be that there is something wrong with you? That's a little worrying...

It's worrying. [Barron said shortly, stopping himself from saying more.] You can come back when it's over.

But when it's over, I won't be able to help you with it. And what if it doesn't end?

[Prefect put one hand on the door, trying to ease it open.]

Besides, Comrade, as your warden, it's my responsibility to try and challenge what you want sometimes.

I don't want your help. [Barron said, keeping a firm grip on the door.] I think that I'm fine, almost all the time.

[Pause. Well, that was an awkward thing to say.]

But what about the times when you don't think you're fine, Comrade? And, also, do you not think that it's possible your judgement might not be perfect on this matter?

[Barron doesn't reply, he just tries to shut the door on Prefect.]

Wait! Comrade! No! [Prefect wedges himself between the door and the door frame. No closing door!] Comrade, I really like you, but you have horrible judgment, so I think we should talk about your problems even if you don't want to.

[He paused for a moment, then added.] You know that all I want is to help you, don't you, Comrade?

You're right, I don't want to talk about them. [Barron pauses. He wants to say that they're not problems, but with the flood he just can't. But it's impossible to close the door with Prefect wedged there like that.]

I know you want to help. [Barron said, finally.] But I don't want you to.

[Prefect rests his head against the doorframe lightly, watching Barron.]

Why not?

You can't get rid of blowback, can you? [Barron snapped.] So you can't help.

[Prefect was quiet for a long time, watching Barron carefully. Finally he responded:]

I don't know. Do you... Do you want to remember, Comrade?

Want to remember what? If I don't know what I'm missing, how can I miss it?

[That had gotten a bit heated. Barron paused before continuing.] It's not going to happen either way. I'm not going to be miserable about something that's beyond my control.

Your childhood, Comrade. Or... I don't know, Comrade, your life. Don't you want to remember how you got to where you are now?

[Prefect reached forward to touch Barron's arm lightly, it was intended as a reassuring gesture to the other man.]

Comrade, almost everything about this place seems to be impossible. Maybe there's some way we could get the Admiral to nullify the kickback? Or... some other kind of record of those memories he could give you access too.

[At the touch, Barron backed away fast, abandoning the door.]

Don't try to work me. [He said, despite the fact that he was wearing a long sleeved shirt and to the best of his knowledge Prefect wasn't a worker.]

I don't want records. Not when there are people here who are going to flip through them every five minutes.

[Prefect jerked his hand back the moment Barron began backing away, realizing what had alarmed the other man. Still, Barron vocalizing his fears made Prefects eyes widen slightly.]

I couldn't-- Comrade, I wouldn't.

[He pushed his hands into his pockets, then glanced up at Barron.] No records, all right, but memories, Comrade? I actually think that... if there was some way to get them back, then would you be willing to try it?

[Barron watched Prefect putting his hands into his pockets. That was better. Much safer.]

I probably would. [Barron said. After all, it meant that he'd be able to work more.]

[Prefect nodded.] I'll ask the Admiral then, Comrade. And I'll get some books about amnesia, and... Edward Nygma mentioned that he might be interested with helping you with something like that some time ago, I could talk to him about it as well, if you were all right with that?

Books aren't going to help. [Barron said, with the firm conviction of someone who hadn't really thought through the impact that being on the barge would have on normally stable magic systems.]

And Nygma won't want to. Not after Beatty.

I'm just saying, we should try everything. It's not like anything else is permanent here.

Maybe not. If he did want to help you, would you accept it from him?

[Barron sighed, but didn't argue with it.] I could try it.

[Barron paused.] I might. He broke my wrist but I killed his inmate. That makes us sort of even.

I'll ask them, Comrade. All right? I'll ask him and the Admiral, an we'll see if we can get some of your memories back.

[Pause.]

Would you like to go to the pub for a little bit?

[Barron looked around his room, then back to Prefect.]

I will, if you're not going to leave me alone.

[Better the pub than hanging around in Barron's room with all the post its.]

I am almost certainly not going to leave you alone. I'm a little bit worried about you right now, so either I'm going to overcompensate for a while or we can get drunk.

We should drink. [Barron said with a nod.] And not talk to anyone else.

[The last thing he needed was to say things that he didn't want to to other people on the barge.]

[Prefect beamed.] All right, Comrade. There's no one else I'd rather be talking too! [Hideously over invested, thy name is Prefect.]

I'd rather by talking to one of my brothers. [Barron replied instantly. Then paused.] No offense, man.

None taken, Comrade. In the Factory we called our workers Brother and Sister to try and replicate the kind of loyalty and affection that real siblings have for one another. I don't think it ever quite worked, but I'm sure that if I had a real brother then I'd rather be drinking with him.

[But instead, he has you! A delightful stand in brother!]

I don't know about affection, but you're right on the mark with the loyalty. [Pause. The most awkward of pauses.]

Can we change the subject now?

Don't you like your Brothers, Comrade?

And of course, we can talk about whatever you want.

I- [Barron starts, but he catches himself.] It's complicated. We need drinks. Now.

[Hopefully so many that Prefect wouldn't remember anything Barron had said.]

All right!

[Prefect power walks the rest of the way to the pub, because that sounds important. He lets them both in with a flourish of his item, and gestures for Barron to go ahead of him to the bar.]

[Barron follows Prefect, firmly ignoring everyone they walk pass in the corridors. Once they get to the pub, he goes quickly inside.]

Thanks. You want the usual, then?

[17] - [Private to Prefect, backdated to the flood.]

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