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[stormandwind]

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[stormandwind]

Tris knows Erskine can figure out who, and will probably mention Alan without making it any sort of announcement should the subject continue or circle back around. She has a lot of faith in his observation and deductive reasoning, which is part of what worries her about him.

"I'm also contemplating very careful ways to word a request to the Admiral. I don't trust him, but managing limitations on powers is one of the few requests he does nearly always grant." Drastic measures, she knows. "If I decide to go that route, I'd appreciate another set of eyes on whatever I write before I ask."

[golden_eyes]

Erskine likes to cheerfully deny any detective abilities. And it's true enough, in it's own way. But he is good at people, which generally far more dangerous.

"It's always good to have another pair of eyes to look over a contract and I'd be happy to offer mine." Drastic measures indeed. He tilts his head back a moment, to look up at the stars. "Some of your abilities are more dangerous than others, when you don't have control over them. I know of specific stuff that could deal with electricity, for example."

[stormandwind]

"Thank you." She's careful in what she says to the Admiral when making requests pertaining to powers in any case, but Tris would appreciate the additional assurance that she isn't neglecting any clause that could deprive her of power she needs in a crisis.

"What would you suggest do about the electricity?" A pause, then she admits softly but steadily, "That's how Alan died. I was angry with Mick, and he got too close trying to calm me down."

[golden_eyes]

"Any time." He grins, "As long as I'm not asleep. Not that I'm saying it isn't important but I do feel like you'll probably be able to survive without the request for an hour or two while I make sure I get my full beauty sleep."

He shrugs, not surprised at the name or story and, since it's Tris, not trying to pretend his is. "We have these gauntlets, made to channel electricity, actually, but they could, have been in the past, modified to instead work as grounders for it. You'd have to wear some new bracelets, probably, but there's nothing wrong with a little jewelry.

[stormandwind]

"You know you'd be pretty however little you sleep," Tris tells him dryly, because Erskine's looks really are absurd. Not that she'd interrupt his sleep for a request, but beauty sleep is irrelevant.

And she appreciates him not feigning surprise. She knows how intelligent he is, so the lie would be a blatant one. "How would they work? Having to consciously activate or deactivate them is counterproductive. The alternative, though, seems to be that they'd keep me ever from using lightning if I needed it."

[golden_eyes]

"That's what you say now. The next thing you know I'm wandering around, haggard, and, lets face it, I only have two or three redeeming qualities as it is. I feel that it's important not to sabotage one of them." Said with his best smile.

He waves a hand. "The point of them is more to provide... grounding than prohibiting. Not the sort of thing I'd recommend in general but here not accidentally killing someone by electrocuting them, though it'd make using lightning in general more difficult, can be weighed differently. And considering the potential modifications, it's one of those things I'd call a more... open ended possibility than one with a concrete outcome."

[stormandwind]

That gets a smile out of her, even if it's tired and somehow as aggravated as it is amused.

"Tell me about how they work in more detail, please. You know how fond I am of specifics." Tris never likes to use anything unless she really understands it. She'd be curious anyway, but the prospect of relying on them sharpens that considerably.

[golden_eyes]

"I hope that anyone would want specifics on something like this. Or even close." Slightly teasing because he does know how much she likes specifics and why this would really make her want to know. "As I said, I can't give you exact specifics yet because predicting how it'll interact with magic from your world opens up a whole new realm of possibilities but generating electricity is a discipline on my world. For people who like being extra dramatic." Does he think that kind of specificity is limiting and stupid? Only if the person doesn't know how to use it. Lightning Dave was not a loss.

"Unsurprisingly, devices have been made to both amplify and limit their powers. What I'm thinking of is something like one of the limiters, made ground any electricity, taking care of... stray sparks. But I should be able to alter it to be somewhat weaker. Instead of binding the electricity it would just lower the voltage. If would require an effort to push through, giving you time to think, but wouldn't be impossible in case of a situation where it'd be necessary."

[stormandwind]

"I wouldn't want to rely on it entirely, but I'm open to it as an avenue to pursue. You'd work with me on it?" Not that they don't already have a magical project on their plates, but Tris would appreciate Erskine adding another.

"And I want to see all the calculations for how it works, not just what it does." That understanding is enough for a start, she just wants more of one for its use."

[golden_eyes]

"You should never rely on anything entirely." Said as an agreement, not because he thinks she isn't fully aware. "Of course, you know I always like to have stuff to do." And he never minds adding another magical project.

"Of course. We couldn't work on it together if you didn't understand all of it. Besides, explaining how it works right now will be useful when it comes to starting on modifications."

[stormandwind]

Tris nods. She'll want to follow up on that very soon, but since they're out on deck and not in a workshop, there are other questions to ask. She undoes a braid and swirls wind around them to muffle voices and limit eavesdropping. Clark could still hear, and maybe the werewolves and Kol, but she doesn't mind any of them enough to detour to a cabin.

"I have another question for you."

[golden_eyes]

He senses what she's doing and if it's something that she wants limited from eavesdropping... He spreads his fingers creating his own barrier of air to block their conversation from outside listeners.

"Ask away, I'm always happy to hear questions."

[stormandwind]

"I killed one person. But Alan wasn't the only person killed by lightning, by someone who looked like me." Her hands shift slightly, but don't quite clench into fists. "I was in the kitchens with Eliot when Helen died. It isn't that I don't remember or might have been controlled or possessed. I was physically somewhere else, with witnesses to corroborate my memories."

[golden_eyes]

He nods, sure that she's checked and double checked that it definitely couldn't have her which means, "I could probably draw up a list of possibilities." He assumes that's what she wants. "They looked like you and the lightning - well, I suppose Helen probably wouldn't be able to tell if there was any different between it and yours unless it was clearly visible and she would've shared that."

[stormandwind]

She appreciates that he offers before she even needs to ask, managing a small smile for him. "Thank you, Erskine. I know that you pay attention, and magical abilities are relevant to your interests."

[golden_eyes]

"They're all so fascinating." He tilts his head, he's already been running over names and he pays attention to the network but that's only part of a picture. "Does Helen have any ideas?"

[stormandwind]

"None that I think could manage this magic, no." Tris has already crossed off most names Helen gave her.

[golden_eyes]

"Could you share any names she might have mentioned anyway?"

[stormandwind]

"Tarkin, Eliot, Yara, and Alec couldn't do this, and neither she nor I thinks Alec would have anyway." She doesn't want to think Eliot would have, because Eliot is one of Tris's favorite people on this ship, but Tris is trying not to let that color any judgments. She knows that he couldn't, even if he weren't with her when it happened, and that's enough for now. The one name she can't actually eliminate, because she doesn't know her is, "Zinzi, I'm not familiar enough with to say."

But Tris genuinely thinks it isn't anyone Helen named.

[golden_eyes]

He nods. He wanted the names less because he thinks that they're wrong in the names crossed off and more to see who Helen thinks could have problems with her. "I'm pretty sure Yara would've just killed her with a sword," he says, a little dryly. "Though I'm not sure about labeling any 'couldn't' to quickly, there's magic here that can be learned." He adds this slightly abstractly as he continues to move around his own mental list. He doesn't think it's anyone who didn't already have abilities of some sort or another before arriving but it's something to remember. "Two parts, three really, but might as well start with the first: shape shifting, illusions, telepathy..." He's talking mostly to himself.

[stormandwind]

"A fair point." But she's fairly certain Yara and Eliot would both default to physical combat. She's seen plenty of Eliot in combat situations. Had her life saved by him when she was powerless during the mutiny, fought by his side during the most recent battle.

And then she waits, watching Erskine think.

[golden_eyes]

He's lost in thought for another few moment and then gives her his usual grin. "I feel like I should be wearing a hat. Anyway, there's some stuff I want to check but I think I might be able to offer a list of possibilities."

[stormandwind]

"What does a hat have to do with anything? I'd appreciate the list. Thank you, Erskine." She's more angry that someone killed Helen and used Ashley to lure her into it than she is about being framed for the murder herself. She's concerned about the latter in terms of future implications, though, for someone who doesn't know her well enough to doubt the evidence of their eyes.

[golden_eyes]

"This is practically detective work. Detectives should always have good hats." One of those important rules. He grins at her. "It's not problem. Besides, I wouldn't want the Admiral to get confused and demote you. I really couldn't be expected to have to deal with a whole new warden after getting used to you." He's purely teasing now, still running through the list of possibilities in one part of his mind and considering real future consequences in another.

[stormandwind]

"Was that affection, or just avoidance of change?" Tris asks, eyebrows raised. Maybe she'll find Erskine a hat, if it's so important to him. She can't promise it will bear any resemblance to the detective hats in his world.