Will these two finally manage to have THAT conversation?

[myagents]

Who: Aiden Price, Dan Sagittarius
What: Price brings Concrete Blonde to Dan and they have a heartfelt discussion about imprisonment
Where: Outdoors
When: After Branch
Warnings/Notes: Prison related topics, Typical Dan related warnings, typical Price related warnings, overall toxic behaviours



Price was going for a walk on his own, figuring that alone meant staying out of trouble - which is not a smart deduction in an unknown place, but nobody tell him, he's just starting to think that maybe the brain damage didn't make him completely useless -, and he happens to run into a pleasant surprise: Concrete Blonde.

He likes to spend time with her, feeding her, and cuddling her. He was about to give her a bath but he remembers reading on the subject while in the Wilderlands library and concludes that it's not the case to do so, especially in these cold temperatures. See? He does go out of his way to serve help, it happens very often! Absolutely appalling that nobody will listen to reason when he calmly - accommodatingly, even! - explains that nothing is his fault ever.

That's why he decided to start refraining from conversations as much as he can. It does pain him because, for all those accusations of being 'antisocial', he really likes people in his own way. Dan, however? He is not like most people. There's something deeply wrong about whatever their friendship is, and Price can't put his finger on it. He feels safest when he avoids him, and yet he needs him. There are so many thoughts and feelings that he has on the matter, but he doesn't feel like being gaslighted about them so, he tells himself, he'll just bring the horse back and then leave Dan alone to his devices.

"I found your horse."

Technically it's their horse, but better not to claim her to make this less difficult. He won't say anything more than what is strictly needed.

"I figured you would want her back."

Comments

[hallelujahjunction]

"That sounds a little like you think we ought to get organized." Dan raises an eyebrow while he hammers into Concrete Blonde's foot - she remains unbothered, despite the fact that Dan knows she must pick up on his agitation at the topic. "You remember from last time I prefer the power of friendship to...whatever you mean in terms of fostering a good dynamic between each other."

[myagents]

"I don't mind getting organized. However, it doesn't have to go to such extent."

Price explains calmly, although he too is picking up on Dan's discomfort.

"To put it simply, it would be wise to be mindful of our own capabilities and our weaknesses. Sometimes that entails sitting it out without running into unnecessary risks. While I can perform surgery, I would be more comfortable knowing that we collectively decided against the probability, slim as it might be, that all our combat oriented people get incapacitated at once. Not to mention that some in our group have a very peculiar biology that I have to study secretly because they do not trust me enough with that information. In that case, we might need someone to help me with surgery...Especially since I am not at my most confident in my skills following my own injury. Which brings us once again to my point."

He still has his usual quiet monotone, but the content of his sentence suggests a certain frustration clearly enough. Also, anxiety. Did Price ever mention that brain damage comes with tons of anxiety? The fact that he was already a control freak before does not exactly help.

[cw: allusions to sexual assault]

[hallelujahjunction]

"Mm. I ain't against sharing information. I just ain't fond of organizing. You know that about me." Dan, satisfied with Concrete Blonde's shoeing on this foot, moves his stool to get to her front hoof, all the while positioning himself so that Price can see his work and continue learning.

"Are you thinking emergency surgery? Folks who don't want you nosing around with their physiology might not could be keen on letting you operate on them unless they're at death's door."

Dan doesn't want to highlight that a lot of people don't trust Price. He knows Price is aware of that. He wants to encourage Price to use his medical skill to help others, but privacy is such a loaded topic, and bodies are so personal. Bodies are sacred. Dan's had his used by others enough that he's aware of how scary that can be, and the idea of someone secretly studying his body doesn't necessarily upset him, but he can imagine it upsetting others deeply.

[myagents]

"I don't know, actually. Not to a full extent. I would prefer if you would elaborate on that, just to make sure to find the best solution."

Price doesn't want to be kept guessing, he doesn't even want to give himself room to make missteps.

"Well, yes, that would the plan. I do not understand what is the use of letting someone die. Everyone is useful, here."

Bodies are sacred and personal, in theory. In practice, some bodies are more sacred and personal than others. Price is surprisingly a great defender of the majority, for someone who has never ever been part of it. His docility is not as fake as it looks.

[hallelujahjunction]

"Alright, well, I reckon maybe I have been a little too cagey about how I feel with organizing." After all, Price hasn't been the only one to misread Dan's intentions. "I don't like folks telling me what to do. I don't like feeling like if I don't jump when folks say to, something bad'll happen to me in return. I don't like punishment."

And to him, that's all organizing - and subsequent to that, governance - has ever been. Price has been incarcerated. Surely they can level on punishment being counterproductive. Surely they can level on it being painful without purpose.

"Folks got a right to the integrity of their bodies, even if they use that right to elect to die." Dan sighs. He knows that's an outlier opinion, too. "But I do reckon in the absence of consent, in a life or death situation, it'd be prudent to choose saving a life."

[myagents]

Huh. This is...Well, suspicious would not be the right word, but it really feels, from the way Dan is framing it, that he is referring to something that he is not mentioning out loud.

"I'm sorry, is this about something in particular that I am not aware of?"

None of the information exchange has to necessarily go against what Dan said.