Eliot absolutely refuses to feel bad for the kid... kid, he almost snorts at the thought because Quentin probably isn't a lot younger than him, he just comes off as a kid. That aside, though, he's chosen to be here, chosen to take power over someone else in exchange for what the hell ever the admiral's promised him in return, and Eliot absolutely doesn't feel even the tiniest bit bad for the guy right now. Especially given he'd bet a lot more than money on Steve being way more forgiving than Quentin deserves. He'll give him a few points for just standing up and taking his lumps, though.
"Too damn little and too damn late," he observes, because it might be something but it's not enough. It's also not his decision, how Steve deals with his warden after this, hell, he doesn't have any business even having this conversation, he's sure. "But whether Steve's enough of a pushover to actually trust you again after this-" If he ever did to begin with, because Eliot's never actually bothered to ask about his warden or how he feels about the guy- "That's not my business.
"But if you ever pull that kinda shit again?" His expression has gone absolutely flat, the anger drained away as he stares intently at Quentin. "I will make really damn sure you regret the hell out of it, and not because it hurts your tender little feelings." Because there's no point pretending he's not invested at this point, he doesn't have any expectation of ever getting out of here, and he's well past being deterred by a little well-deserved murder and mayhem.
It's amazing how ten months on the barge has almost completely eroded what moral compass he'd managed to reconstruct before landing here.
He says, again, absolutely accepting that too. He'd expect it, he'd deserve it.
"And I'm not going to make bullshit promises about never doing it again, because I never meant to- to begin with, but we're working a lot harder now to make sure that I understand the way that Steve is, with the world. So that it'll be less likely to happen. I'm still- as different from the pair of you as chalk and cheese, but at a minimum I'm going to stay off the network, and I'm going to work hard to figure the rest out."
And, for that matter;
"You should probably know I offered the chance for him to request a new pairing, and I was relieved when he refused- but if he changes his mind he has a way out. If he talks this through with you then knowing his options will probably help."
Yeah, at least minimal points for taking his lumps like a man, plus not making any promises he can't guarantee he'd keep, though it doesn't shift Eliot's stony expression as he listens to Quentin's explanation. He's not exactly sure just what it is the guy thinks is so hard to understand about how Steve functions, but that's not his business. Looking out for Steve... well, that might not be either, but apparently he's decided he's doing it.
"Not gonna lie and say I don't think he should'a taken it." Because he really can't see trusting the guy, or how he'll be able to help Steve if he can't even understand him. And that's the big difference between him and Steve, or one of them--Steve's willing to work with the system, he wants to figure out just what the admiral thinks is wrong with him and get out of here. Eliot, for his part, figures there's no 'fixing' him, but even if there were... well, the things he'd have to change to get out of here are the things that make him useful to the only people he'd want to get out of here for. So there's no real point. "But thanks for letting me know."
Quentin agrees, chewing the inside of his cheek, before coming out with the most proactive thing he's managed so far- all in a rush, because it's becoming nerve wracking to do, and because he knows perfectly well what Eliot thinks of him right now, but;
"I don't know how to balance not knowing what to do for him with managing not to talk about him. Like even to you, even with this, there are huge parts that I have no fucking clue about, but I know I have to keep my mouth shut. But isn't he just in worse trouble, then? If just- no one is coming who can help, either of us?"
Eliot's honestly more irked than anything by how earnest Quentin seems to be about his perceived responsibility for Steve, though there's at least something to be said for the apparently honesty of it. "Maybe your mistake is figuring you've got any business trying to do a damn thing for him he doesn't flat out ask you for, just because the bastard in charge of this shit hole decided he's your pet project." Because as far as Eliot's concerned that's all a load of bullshit. "He's not not property and he's not a kid, fucking ask him what help he wants, and ask him who he's okay knowing his personal shit.
"And if he hurts people? Yeah, give him the same god damn slap on the wrist that most everyone else seems to get around here, except when they don't even fucking get that," he growls. Because, yeah, he's got a whole lot of rage about how that's all dealt with, especially given recent events.
Says Quentin- not pledging to agree with him, but at the very least, hearing this. He'll think about it- along with the pile of other stuff he has to turn over and over in the meantime.
"I've probably got to get back- but let me know if there's anything else."
Quentin nods, sidesteps, to give him an easy berth, and then moves to talk past him and out without further smalltalk. What needs to be said has been said, after all.
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magician_king) wrote2020-01-12 01:19 pm
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"Too damn little and too damn late," he observes, because it might be something but it's not enough. It's also not his decision, how Steve deals with his warden after this, hell, he doesn't have any business even having this conversation, he's sure. "But whether Steve's enough of a pushover to actually trust you again after this-" If he ever did to begin with, because Eliot's never actually bothered to ask about his warden or how he feels about the guy- "That's not my business.
"But if you ever pull that kinda shit again?" His expression has gone absolutely flat, the anger drained away as he stares intently at Quentin. "I will make really damn sure you regret the hell out of it, and not because it hurts your tender little feelings." Because there's no point pretending he's not invested at this point, he doesn't have any expectation of ever getting out of here, and he's well past being deterred by a little well-deserved murder and mayhem.
It's amazing how ten months on the barge has almost completely eroded what moral compass he'd managed to reconstruct before landing here.
no subject
He says, again, absolutely accepting that too. He'd expect it, he'd deserve it.
"And I'm not going to make bullshit promises about never doing it again, because I never meant to- to begin with, but we're working a lot harder now to make sure that I understand the way that Steve is, with the world. So that it'll be less likely to happen. I'm still- as different from the pair of you as chalk and cheese, but at a minimum I'm going to stay off the network, and I'm going to work hard to figure the rest out."
And, for that matter;
"You should probably know I offered the chance for him to request a new pairing, and I was relieved when he refused- but if he changes his mind he has a way out. If he talks this through with you then knowing his options will probably help."
no subject
"Not gonna lie and say I don't think he should'a taken it." Because he really can't see trusting the guy, or how he'll be able to help Steve if he can't even understand him. And that's the big difference between him and Steve, or one of them--Steve's willing to work with the system, he wants to figure out just what the admiral thinks is wrong with him and get out of here. Eliot, for his part, figures there's no 'fixing' him, but even if there were... well, the things he'd have to change to get out of here are the things that make him useful to the only people he'd want to get out of here for. So there's no real point. "But thanks for letting me know."
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Quentin agrees, chewing the inside of his cheek, before coming out with the most proactive thing he's managed so far- all in a rush, because it's becoming nerve wracking to do, and because he knows perfectly well what Eliot thinks of him right now, but;
"I don't know how to balance not knowing what to do for him with managing not to talk about him. Like even to you, even with this, there are huge parts that I have no fucking clue about, but I know I have to keep my mouth shut. But isn't he just in worse trouble, then? If just- no one is coming who can help, either of us?"
no subject
"And if he hurts people? Yeah, give him the same god damn slap on the wrist that most everyone else seems to get around here, except when they don't even fucking get that," he growls. Because, yeah, he's got a whole lot of rage about how that's all dealt with, especially given recent events.
no subject
Says Quentin- not pledging to agree with him, but at the very least, hearing this. He'll think about it- along with the pile of other stuff he has to turn over and over in the meantime.
"I've probably got to get back- but let me know if there's anything else."
no subject
no subject