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[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

That Eiffel is nervous is very apparent, but it doesn't help that Elias feels entirely on the back foot. The man will want to come in--

and offer him alcohol, which Elias accepts automatically, and then responds, almost as automatically, with small talk:

"You ought to know, even with my usual abilities, I wouldn't be capable of something like that."

[littletonoidea]

"You sure? Couldn't pop a memory of someone having a-- I dunno, a horrible psychotic episode into my head, give me the full Fisher King treatment?"

...wait no don't give Elias ideas, Christ.

"N-nevermindanywayhi. I was just- y-you know, we didn't really hit it off that great last time after you kind of stormed off on the date after throwing the flute of bubbly in my face, soooo." He puts his hands together, spread fingers meeting at the tips as he tilts them towards Elias. "Think you'd be willing to give me a second chance?" ...wait. "Third?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

"It isn't--" he stops himself from explaining that horrible on it's own isn't what he does. He doesn't need to do that. He just. Needs to get his head in order. He'd planned on having the next few hours to himself, to sit and think about what to do and now--

"I don't believe we really get a say in the matter. And if we're going to talk about who threw the alcohol, I do believe that was you."

That's not entirely an assent. But it isn't a refusal either.

[littletonoidea]

"Yeah, well. It's the metaphor for the situation, you're still the one who cracked it like a toddler with a raw egg and a high chair."

And then he just. Cups his hands over his own mouth.

"Look. I'm not trying to screw this up. Someone up there decided they were gonna put me in charge of you, and I wanna help."

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

Elias' expression morphs into the politest of smiles as he resists the urge the slam the door in this man's face. Or this man's face into the door. Either would work.

"It was-- your first experience of what the Barge offers. You weren't to know what had just happened." Or that not everyone enjoyed those trips to another potential life.

"And I wouldn't have that much faith in the Admiral when it comes to the temporary pairings. I have a strong suspicion he simply draws names out of a hat."

[littletonoidea]

"Second, actually, the first was when we went full Yellow Submarine last month," he points out. "But yeah, honestly, that was pretty mellow yellow. This one was..." He unpairs his hands so he can waggle one with a drawn-out 'ehhh' sound. "I mean, props to it for sticking my brain in someone who was going through basically the same life experience, but it was definitely still a lot, you know?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

"Just a little something courtesy of the Admiral to help us all change." He pauses. "To help we inmates change, I should say. I presume he just enjoys seeing the chaos it causes for you wardens."

In the back of his mind Elias is aware that none of this constitutes getting his warden to leave. Which he would very much like to happen.

[littletonoidea]

Eiffel is, also, beginning to notice that he's not been invited in.

"'Life's a mess, Eli. It's chaos personified.'" Enjoy that quote, Elias. "All I'm saying is, maaaaybe we can sit down and talk about it? So then maybe whoever your next warden is can help you out better than me? Since-" And he scoffs at himself. "Look, we both know I'm not actually gonna save anyone's souls here, but I can still do someething right. Right?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

The deep breath Elias takes in and slowly exhales isn't him thinking deeply about the philosophical quote which Eiffel just shared with him. It's cover any other response he might have to the sudden influx of knowledge, grating over a short patience and very thin nerves.

"What, exactly, is the something you think you can do? I don't enjoy being forced into someone else's life at the drop of a hat, that's not a surprise. And living there as a good, close friend of the man who tortured me for a ritual and accidentally killed me wasn't all that pleasant either."

Both technically true, but neither of those are the reason for how frustrating the found it.

[littletonoidea]

He claps his hands once with way too much enthusiasm. "Hey! Look, that's something! Maybe we can organise a puppy play-date with you and Mister Murder-Pants to talk that one out! Maybe there's something left in the hivemind you two can connect over!"

His tone sounds more hopeful at the end there than truly certain.

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

Until this moment Elias hadn't been certain that he'd include his warden in what he had planned for Daniel and Jon.

But this settles it in his mind.

"I take it you haven't met Daniel. He's pathologically incapable of taking responsibility for his negative actions. I made him torture me, you see. And it was my fault for dying; he certainly hadn't meant to do it. And as for connecting-- he's nothing like I am. He's simply a victim in so much of this, where as I--" he pauses, picks the right words. They're right here in the open, after all. "I do not want to connect with him."

[littletonoidea]

"Well, I-I mean..." He shrugs, bodily and with a distinct sense that he knows he's putting his foot in his mouth. "Didn't you kinda sorta maybe set off World War End Times? You did already summon the horsemen back on your actual world, I- you can get why someone would be mad, dontcha?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

"By all means, please explain to me how that might happen." The sarcasm is out before he can stop himself; he's so incredulous that Eiffel thinks he might not understand that people get angry when you do bad things to them.

"Don't actually explain," he cuts in quickly, because his warden might just do that and then he'd have a body on his hands. He doubts Trevor's offer to help would include stashing a body.

"I know what I have done. I know the implications my actions have for others, and I have not shied away from them." He tries to be as clear as he can about that point. He knew what he was and exactly why he'd decided to be so. "And attempting to find 'common ground' with him will do neither of us any good."

[littletonoidea]

Cutting in was a good idea, because Eiffel's mouth opens and a formless syllable escapes the moment before Elias does, but he quickly shuts it again.

And then he waits a few seconds after Elias stops talking.

"....haaaaaaave you..." The words are drawn-out, measured to see if Elias will interrupt again. "...tried?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

Elias opens his mouth.

Elias closes his mouth. Not because he feels Eiffel's made a good point. Rather, it would be nice to have another avenue to remind Daniel that he was thinking about him, and wasn't about to leave him alone.

"Why don't you approach Daniel? Ask him how he'd feel about sitting down with me so that we can talk and find common ground. Impress on him that this will be a meeting between two parties who have both wronged the other. If he agrees, so shall I." Elias' tone is skeptical, as though he expects the whole endeavour to fail entirely.

[littletonoidea]

Eiffel just stares for a few seconds.

"...I mean, he might punch me in the face again, but... I can try?"

He is not thinking of Daniel from Mayfair.

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

It takes a moment.

"Not Daniel Jacobi--" he cuts off the you gibbering buffoon that he'd very much like to add. "The Archivist's inmate Daniel."

[littletonoidea]

"Oh--" he slaps his forehead, more performative than anything. "Right, duh, obviously. I know who that is."

There's a brief pause where his smile is more of a rictus.

"Cool, so! I can go talk to Archie, then, no probs!"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

"Arch-" Again, Elias stops himself. He is not going to make a scene out here in the corridor. And if it means getting the man to leave--

"He'll certainly be able to tell you just how a tête-à-tête between myself and his inmate would go."

[littletonoidea]

"Cool! And hey, this time you brought that pot roast of misery to the table," he points out brightly, "So no getting mad at me for asking him questions about it this time, capeesh?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

"The only question you'd need to ask if how he thinks a meeting between his inmate and I would go."

He really, really needs to find a way to end this conversation before he attempts violence on Eiffel again.

[littletonoidea]

"Okay, uh, Elias? You're giving me a whole lotta lines and no calls. Should we...?" He points one hand at himself, the other at Elias and gestures between them both. "Take this inside, set up a directory of questions I'm good to ask? Otherwise I'm gonna have to take the you approach and just start stalking for answers."

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

The answer 'just don't speak to him at all' though true would... probably not give the best impression.

He takes yet another breath.

"First, consider that Jonathan Sims is the man who murdered me. Then, try to imagine that I would like him to know as little about me as possible. I'd have thought that much would be obvious."

[littletonoidea]

"Okay, buuuut... that's not the same Jon that's on the ship with us, right? There's some expanded universe bullcrap going on here."

He pauses for a moment. And then makes a rewind gesture with his hands. "Also can we roll back to how he only killed you because you literally ended the world real quick?"

[extendedbrutalpipemurder]

"Neither of those points are relevant to my desire to not have my warden go about gossiping about me with others." There's no keeping the anger out of his voice now-- anger which he can tell himself is about not wanting to have the Archivist Know about his plans before he has time to put them in motion.

"Either you respect my wishes, or we'll have nothing else to speak about until I'm assigned a new warden."