If I don't know who I'm working with, I can't help you. And I am going to help you, even if you curse my name from here until eternity.
By the same token, anybody who wants to get that information out of me will be waiting until the heat death of the universe. I do not betray confidential information. You're as safe - safer - than the secrets I already am holding under the Official Secrets Act.
[Sure, "help" him. Whatever that means. He never asked to be helped.]
... I don't doubt that, but... [A small noise comes out of his throat.] I'd like to look over them first.
I swear you may have full disclosure of most of the information. I just— want to check for something specific. One part I... do not wish revealed just yet.
[He doesn't want any of it revealed, but he knows there's no way in hell Frankie's going to let that slide. So he's prioritizing.]
[A sudden noise of frustration tears out of his throat.]
Augh! It's not about censure, Cook!
[It takes a fair bit of agitation to get him to drop formalities.]
You can't possibly mean to tell me that there's absolutely nothing, nothing in your life that you'd be hesitant to share with others! Nothing that doesn't shame you or repulse you!
Would it be just as fair, then, to rifle through the personal diary of someone you barely know? Would it be alright just because you don't plan on ever telling anyone else, or just because some higher power gifted it to you?
Because it sounds to me like that's exactly what you're telling me, right now!
[Good. That got some of it out, at least. Which had been part of what she'd been trying to provoke. Secrets don't help. Trying to hide that they exist at all is even worse.]
There's secrets I'm sworn to uphold, but I'll be honest with you - besides that, I'm not ashamed of who I've been, or who I am. Enough people have tried over the years to tell me otherwise - but most of them were idiots and frankly, beneath contempt.
And of course it isn't fair. Nothing here is fair. The Admiral is a proper bastard, Azul, and that's the long and short of it. Giving you all a choice between coming here or death, as a general rule - and then just leaving you to either be helped or not?
It's not fair. Not a lick of it.
But it's a prison. And what I don't know can get me killed. More importantly, it might get you hurt or killed and I won't know if it's important or not until I know.
[A slight pause.]
But if I know where it is, and it isn't important. I can certainly skim past.
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Date: 2022-07-15 08:27 pm (UTC)Very well, but... I implore you do not look at those documents. At the very least, not before handing them off to me.
My privacy, particularly some... key parts of my background, is... of utmost importance to me.
[There's definitely some very real stress and anxiety in his voice.]
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-15 09:25 pm (UTC)If I don't know who I'm working with, I can't help you. And I am going to help you, even if you curse my name from here until eternity.
By the same token, anybody who wants to get that information out of me will be waiting until the heat death of the universe. I do not betray confidential information. You're as safe - safer - than the secrets I already am holding under the Official Secrets Act.
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-15 09:35 pm (UTC)... I don't doubt that, but... [A small noise comes out of his throat.] I'd like to look over them first.
I swear you may have full disclosure of most of the information. I just— want to check for something specific. One part I... do not wish revealed just yet.
[He doesn't want any of it revealed, but he knows there's no way in hell Frankie's going to let that slide. So he's prioritizing.]
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-15 10:02 pm (UTC)Which you already know is unacceptable, and detrimental to your rehabilitation.
[A slight pause]
Though I will, of course, let you provide whatever context you feel is needed.
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-15 10:35 pm (UTC)Augh! It's not about censure, Cook!
[It takes a fair bit of agitation to get him to drop formalities.]
You can't possibly mean to tell me that there's absolutely nothing, nothing in your life that you'd be hesitant to share with others! Nothing that doesn't shame you or repulse you!
Would it be just as fair, then, to rifle through the personal diary of someone you barely know? Would it be alright just because you don't plan on ever telling anyone else, or just because some higher power gifted it to you?
Because it sounds to me like that's exactly what you're telling me, right now!
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-15 10:44 pm (UTC)There's secrets I'm sworn to uphold, but I'll be honest with you - besides that, I'm not ashamed of who I've been, or who I am. Enough people have tried over the years to tell me otherwise - but most of them were idiots and frankly, beneath contempt.
And of course it isn't fair. Nothing here is fair. The Admiral is a proper bastard, Azul, and that's the long and short of it. Giving you all a choice between coming here or death, as a general rule - and then just leaving you to either be helped or not?
It's not fair. Not a lick of it.
But it's a prison. And what I don't know can get me killed. More importantly, it might get you hurt or killed and I won't know if it's important or not until I know.
[A slight pause.]
But if I know where it is, and it isn't important. I can certainly skim past.
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-16 05:57 pm (UTC)Ah... Commander Cook?
[He definitely sounds a lot calmer, and even, perhaps, a little meek.]
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-16 06:24 pm (UTC)Yes?
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-16 06:29 pm (UTC)There's a pause, and then:]
The skimming... won't be necessary.
[If Frankie really wanted to know, then she would. He still found it strange how all these wardens seemed so intent on protecting the inmates.
And her simply knowing would be more of a relief when she would always have access to that information.
After another moment of hesitation:]
Might I request that I and Jamil be there while you go over them?
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-16 06:32 pm (UTC)Oh, that's fine with me. Make it the time of your choosing while we're at it, hmm? Anytime in the next day or two.
Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-16 07:29 pm (UTC)Re: Audio
Date: 2022-07-16 11:42 pm (UTC)