justsayyes | [Inbox]

justsayyes

Report in.

Maybe I'll decide to care.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

justsayyes

I believe it, because it's true.

[More bees now. She smacks her own face as one gets past her, but there's already a welt forming.]

From:

biocomposer

...I really did intend for this to be an opportunity for you to ascertain my sincerity.

[look, no bugs!]

From:

justsayyes

Ugh. What makes you think I'm more likely to believe you now?

[Her voice is a little muffled and she's half out of frame as she tries to deal with her pest problem, but no new bug appear that he can see.]

From:

biocomposer

We've already established that you don't really believe this is just the Admiral's attempt to...strengthen his own narrative.

If you don't believe I'm affected by this, feel free to test me.

From:

justsayyes

This is stupid. What's the point in testing when you can't prove that this... annoying problem only happens with lies, every time?

From:

biocomposer

Do you think it's feasible that something else is the case?

From:

justsayyes

You're saying it's not possible?

From:

biocomposer

I'm not saying that.

I'm saying that a flood which makes people regurgitate live insects, either when they lie or when you personally think it would be convenient for them to do so, is extremely unlikely.

I'm also saying that you're too intelligent to fail to recognize that.

From:

justsayyes

I'm saying that the Admiral could be controlling it, not me.

[Which doesn't produce any bees, if only because she's just explaining her theory rather than directly asserting that's what's happening.]

From:

biocomposer

And we could spend hours dissecting the semantic possibilities.

If you don't want to talk to me until this is over, just say you don't want to talk to me.

From:

justsayyes

I'm just saying that I don't have to believe anything just because of a stupid flood.

From:

biocomposer

That is what you're saying.

And if you don't want to talk to me, just say you don't want to talk to me.

From:

justsayyes

I never want to talk to you.

[Buzz, buzz.]

You're annoying

[Smaller buzz. He's only annoying sometimes.]

From:

biocomposer

[A smile.]

Is there anything you'd like to know, Jasper?

From:

justsayyes

What's that supposed to mean? You like being stung or something?

From:

biocomposer

Of course I don't like being stung.

You've always at least appeared to be suspicious of my motives. I'm sure I've said a lot that you believe comes from a place of self interest. I'm offering you an opportunity to address all that.

From:

justsayyes

Fine.

What will you do if I never graduate.

From:

biocomposer

That depends on what you mean by 'never graduate'.

If you tell me you no longer want me as a warden, I'll request with the Admiral that we be unpaired. When you have a new permanent assignment, I'll go home.

If that doesn't happen, and you're here for ten years, I'm here for ten years. That's very unlikely, however.

If you disappear, I'll wait for a couple of months to be sure you won't return, and if you don't, I'll go home.

If I disappear, I may not remember any of this and I may not be able to return.

From:

justsayyes

[Jasper scoffs softly. Maybe he believes that now, but...]

You can't enjoy being stuck with me.

From:

biocomposer

If it was just you and me on board, then I probably couldn't cope with that longterm. The impact on my mental health would be intolerable. But I would say the same thing of any one other person's company.

In reality, that's not what life on the Barge is. The trauma is very real, and I won't claim it isn't. However, being here has also broadened my horizons and created opportunities that I couldn't have even imagined, back in Detroit.

In short, I can't respond to that statement because I disagree with it. I'm not 'stuck here with you'.

From:

justsayyes

So I could be anyone, then. It doesn't matter who you're paired with.

From:

biocomposer

No. If I had been paired with anybody else, I would have contested that with the Admiral. If he hadn't listened, I would have left the Barge.

From:

justsayyes

Oh yeah? [Challenging.]

Why. What could you possible like about having to spend time with me?

From:

biocomposer

...I can admit that sometimes it's frustrating, to see you caught up in the same cycles of thinking. I've had to come to recognize that that's my own inadequacy talking. A lot of the time you let your self-loathing take the reins, and there's little I can do to fix that, besides being here to support your own healing.

But when it's you talking, you're fascinating. You have a unique perspective, and you're more adaptable than you'll let yourself believe.

From:

justsayyes

[She's silent for a long moment.]

Tell me.

What's fascinating. Why do you care?

I don't matter to anyone else. I think it's what I am, not who.