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[brushoff]

"You've reached the inbox of one Dorian Gray. Don't forget to leave me a message. If you're interesting, I'll get back to you."

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[brushoff]

"I honestly find that hard to believe," he points out, with a frown.

"She just seems so...insincere. Like she's playing at friendship because she has no idea how to actually do it."

[crab_rangoon]

He leans forward. "What happened to my drink?" he mutters.

[brushoff]

"It's coming," Dorian sighs. He turns his attention to the drinks so he can finish them off and offer one to Pagan.

"And let me guess. I said the wrong thing?"

[crab_rangoon]

"No, no. Not at all. But if we're getting on this topic, I intend to have a goddamn drink in my hand." He takes it and holds it close before actually tasting it. "You're right about her. In her normal friendships. But there's a reason that she has free reign to my cabin. There's a reason that she has full access to my life. There is nothing she can hold over me. There is nothing that needs to force out of me. I offered my friendship freely and she gets nothing out of reciprocating it."

[brushoff]

"But there's still the matter that you're her warden," Dorian points out, frowning still, as he takes a little sip of his drink. "You have to pay attention to her. You can offer your friendship freely, but your attention was instantly taken the moment the two of you were paired."

[crab_rangoon]

"Dorian, why don't you trust me on this, hm?"

He taps his drink on the counter. "Why are you so convinced otherwise?"

[brushoff]

"I do trust you. I'm just...worried, I suppose. I think if she puts her mind to it, she can be more dangerous than people give her credit for."

There were a few glances, a few looks, a few moments during their talk where Misty didn't seem like the nuisance who everybody views her as. Besides, if she's willing to snort some mystery cocaine for a friend, who knows how far she'd go?

[crab_rangoon]

"Darling, I know exactly what she's capable of. It isn't pretty, but I do know what to look out for."

He reaches over to take Dorian's wrist. "What are you worried about? Truly?"

[brushoff]

There's a pause before Dorian sighs,

"Everything? Honestly, at the moment I think I just need an inmate. Someone to focus all my time and attention on so that I don't get bored."

Because Dorian knows that when he's bored, that's when he makes poor choices.

[crab_rangoon]

"Ah yes. Trixie took yours away from you."

He takes another drink and his touch turns softer on his wrist. "You need a hobby."

[brushoff]

"I have plenty of hobbies," Dorian corrects. "What I need is something new."

[crab_rangoon]

"You came back from a trip with Trixie, showing her so many new things. You can't simply take a few weeks off?" he laughs.

But he knows Dorian.

[brushoff]

Dorian lets out a little laugh, shaking his head before,

"I think with hindsight, the Trixie trip was different. I don't want to be one of those people who vanishes from the Barge and goes on a little vacation the moment things get hard or boring."

[crab_rangoon]

"You don't want to be, but now you're causing problems because things are boring," he points out.

[brushoff]

"I mean let's be real, I'm going to cause problems just by existing," Dorian points out, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Even if I wasn't trying to bait Misty, there would have been a few things I mentioned that she'd take offense with."

[crab_rangoon]

"Maybe, but at least you can admit that you did it for the sole reason of riling her up."

Another drink and he moves off of the chair, walking idly through his rooms.

[brushoff]

Dorian adjusts his position so that he can watch Pagan as he wanders through the room.

"I'm troublesome, but at least I realize it."

[crab_rangoon]

He looks over his shoulder. "You realize it but do nothing to curb that impulse. Dorian.."

[brushoff]

"I never said I was a good person," he shrugs. Besides, sometimes causing trouble is fun!

[crab_rangoon]

He finishes his drink, setting it aside. "You are a good person, Dorian. Even if you don't see it."

Leaning forward, he drapes his hands between his knees. "That was all I needed to figure out from you."

[brushoff]

"Why do I somehow feel like I failed a test I wasn't aware of?" Dorian points out, little frown on his face. He walks over to Pagan so he can sit close to the man, leaning over to rest his head against his shoulders.

"You're making me feel like a truant schoolboy."

[crab_rangoon]

He leans his head against Dorian's and then takes his hand. "You didn't fail and there was no test. You know me too well for that. But this whole fucking ordeal has me - thinking, I suppose. Not about you, but what the fuck I'm doing here."

He takes his hand. "I was going to go back to my room, but I can stay, if you want."

[brushoff]

There's a pause before Dorian asks, "Is this about what I told Misty? About why wardens are on the ship?"

Nobody was here for altruistic reasons. They were here because they wanted something or were scared to return home. Dorian will still hold true to that maxim. But it does make him wonder: what the fuck is Pagan doing here?

[crab_rangoon]

"I can't read what you reply with. Only what she says. What did you say?"

He pulls away, but only so he can look at him properly.

[brushoff]

Dorian frowns for a moment, putting his words in order before,

"I don't think truly altruistic people exist. Nobody's selfless. At it's core, every action that people make is driven by something selfish. Misty thinks it's not about the job or the deal for you. I told her I think she's wrong. I told her that every warden on the ship is either here because they want something or they're too scared to return home. Nobody signs up on this ship just to help."