stormandwind | INBOX: lastvoyages

"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."

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."

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."

"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?"

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

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

"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.

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.

"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.

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."

"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.

"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.

"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.

"It's the joy I take in our friendship. Also the free food."

"All food is free on the Barge."

"Yeah, so are all drinks. Some are still better than others."

She allows herself a smile. "Thank you. Didn't we have a policy about flattery?"

He smirks at her. "If you call that flowery flattery, I'm obviously going to have to step my standards up again so you can remember the difference."

"I never called it flowery, and if you get too carried I'll withhold cookies until you find some common sense in that head of yours. I know that's a difficult task, it's so scarce at times."

"No, but I'm pretty sure that that came up in unreasonable compliments about my perfectly reasonable compliments before. I think that's called cruel deprivation, it can take years for me to find common sense."

"I know," Tris tells him dryly. "That's why I expect to still be on this ship with you years from now."

She's entirely serious about the fact that she has no intention of going anywhere while Erskine remains trapped on board. If time stops back home, there isn't anything but the whims of the Admiral to make her leave.

"Would you consider that pragmatism or a lack of faith in my inmate?"

He grins at her. "Just good sense, really."

"Because unlike you, I have some," Tris agrees, managing a crooked smile.

"It's all about balance," he grins back at her.

"Does that mean as you gradually find sense, I'll lose some of mine to balance it out?" Tris could probably afford to lose a little, but not enough to make up for Erskine's frequent lack of it.

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golden_eyes - 2017-08-29 00:51 (UTC) - Expand