[The exchange of filters is useful enough to maintain, but not time sensitive enough that he'd stop other work early. He feels comfortable enough with - the deal to make the request.]
[He considers something like, it's a blend I think you'll be particularly interested in, but it isn't actually time-sensitive. There's no benefit to Nat in rushing, and no benefit to making him fret if he chooses not to, so Jedao lets him finish his work.]
[The line between Nathaniel's idea of sophistication and what he likes can be blurred, especially to himself, but he does actually like trying new food and drink. With a certain amount of habitual wariness over potential poisoning.
As always, he's strictly punctual, arriving at Jedao's door in thirty minutes, notebook under his arm as he didn't see a reason to go back to his room when he was already on Jedao's level.]
[There actually is tea, because he feels like he might as well, one of the more delicate white teas he actually half-likes, although he makes sure there's sugar for Nat to add, if he wants to. Once the door closes - ]
There's actually two, today. One a bit more relevant to you.
There's nothing much for you. Belmont on weapons, but I don't think that's much of a 'secret'. [He still holds it out for Jedao to look over as he takes in Arthur's words and Jedao's conversation with him. He doesn't make any particular expression, other than the focused look he usually gets when he forgets to try to look bland.]
[He considers the 'liar' part to be deeply unfair. He doesn't think he's lied to Arthur at all. He'd been asked if there was anything he thought Arthur should know, not if he'd enacted any extremely appropriate revenge. But he'd already known that he was working from a disadvantage, so it's useful to get multiple perspectives on the shape of it.
With Jedao's conversation - well, it doesn't seem like Arthur is unreasonably upset about Eiffel, and the story is how it should be. The story of how Arthur managed to contract a demon is enough for a slight wince. Some things just make your skin crawl.]
[He goes through Kiryu's post carefully. The murder isn't necessarily interesting, the information offered by people's responses certainly are. Now this is something worth taking careful mental notes on.]
I hope the pool was cleaned properly.
[He can understand not announcing the murder, but he goes swimming in that.
Jedao telling Arthur about the arrangement now would cut off the chance to tell him later, when it might be more advantageous to him. So Nathaniel's willing to consider the deal still in play.]
[Equally dry, the bar is somewhere below the floor, in his opinion. Nathaniel puts a high value on sensible efforts to actually do your job. Anything else is an irritating waste, a description he'd use for plenty of people on the Barge.
He takes a moment to think of what part of his assessment he's willing to share.]
He's not stupid. He's sensitive to the idea of being controlled, especially in an indirect fashion. He projects some of his own issues, but not so much that he can't register what else is there. I think he could go to extremes, if pushed.
[There's much he doesn't say, both as a matter of who he's talking with and because to speak allows for your words to be heard by more than just the person you're talking to. Fear of surveillance is less conscious thought and more habitual action.]
"Mostly fretting about James. Whether I'm doing the right thing to help him."
And getting busy with Gonou, but that's not something he's going to talk about with Nat. "The flood wasn't bad for me. It was...things I already knew about myself."
"How do you think you could help him, differently?"
It's a question he has stake in, even though he doesn't have any interest in Jedao's inmate. After all, he's trying to figure out answers for himself.
"The flood was just annoying." Painful is another word for it, but he doesn't think it showed anything new. Even if he would prefer to not even have those old burns.
"I had - plans, before the Galley. Ways I wanted to push him. But after everything - I've been treading more carefully. It makes my fingernails itch. I want to try things. But I think this has to be at his pace right now. So - a lot of that."
Second-guessing himself, fidgeting, his natural recklessness against his kneejerk tenderness in the face of the way James is going to pieces, since Raylan's murder.
Personally, Nathaniel's of the opinion that Jedao's inmate is a violent maniac, so not pushing is probably the safest choice for everyone else. On the other hand, he has his own streak of recklessness that he can't always contain, so he has a certain amount of sympathy.
"Weapons are rather easy to access here." Very sympathetic.
Well, Jedao's list of his positive qualities hadn't included being nice about people.
Objectively, the list of people Jedao is extremely fond of comprises mostly vicious fuckers, on which Nat and James are sitting right next to each other.
"I'm - reasonably confident in my ability to intervene if he lashes out because I've pushed him. But I'm less confident that I can do it right now without damaging important parts of our working relationship. And some things have to be done slowly, but I don't want to mistake complacency for patience."
He gives a lopsided shrug and an equally lopsided smile. "Anyway, a lot of that, gnawing away at itself. But it's not like wardening ought to be easy."
Nathaniel would take 'vicious' with a certain amount of pride, though he doesn't see any need for bad language. He also thinks that James is far too obvious. Nathaniel's warden had to ask people if he'd been involved in any trouble, it hasn't been paraded around on the network. Not having to be subtle is a sign of the power he desperately wants, but you have to be aware of what you actually have.
He nods, mostly agreeing. "Patience is vital, you have to find the exact right moment to act. It's dangers to move too quickly - or too slowly. I used to be very bad at waiting." But he'd found a hard lessons to be good teachers.
"Very few jobs are easy. One that has such a big reward definitely shouldn't be."
"I don't understand a lot of the wardens. If I was someone desperate enough to take such a questionable deal, it would be something I wanted done, so I'd work to get it done. Not just - wait around."
Honestly, he has a hard time understanding anyone who doesn't have a focused drive, but, under these circumstances, he finds it especially strange to not work as hard as possible to get what you want.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 02:16 am (UTC)[The exchange of filters is useful enough to maintain, but not time sensitive enough that he'd stop other work early. He feels comfortable enough with - the deal to make the request.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 03:25 am (UTC)[He considers something like, it's a blend I think you'll be particularly interested in, but it isn't actually time-sensitive. There's no benefit to Nat in rushing, and no benefit to making him fret if he chooses not to, so Jedao lets him finish his work.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 03:33 am (UTC)As always, he's strictly punctual, arriving at Jedao's door in thirty minutes, notebook under his arm as he didn't see a reason to go back to his room when he was already on Jedao's level.]
Good afternoon.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 03:37 am (UTC)There's actually two, today. One a bit more relevant to you.
[He passes Nat his communicator with his own conversation with Arthur on the warden filter queued up.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 03:45 am (UTC)There's nothing much for you. Belmont on weapons, but I don't think that's much of a 'secret'. [He still holds it out for Jedao to look over as he takes in Arthur's words and Jedao's conversation with him. He doesn't make any particular expression, other than the focused look he usually gets when he forgets to try to look bland.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 03:59 am (UTC)With Jedao's conversation - well, it doesn't seem like Arthur is unreasonably upset about Eiffel, and the story is how it should be. The story of how Arthur managed to contract a demon is enough for a slight wince. Some things just make your skin crawl.]
Was there anything else?
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 04:16 am (UTC)[He flips over to Kiryu's announcement, and all the investigations that followed.]
I have no intention of telling him about this arrangement, for the record.
[And he knows that Nat knows that he could have just as easily shown Nat first and answered later, or in person.
And technically, the condition about questions still stands, if Nat wants to use it to do any digging.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 04:25 am (UTC)I hope the pool was cleaned properly.
[He can understand not announcing the murder, but he goes swimming in that.
Jedao telling Arthur about the arrangement now would cut off the chance to tell him later, when it might be more advantageous to him. So Nathaniel's willing to consider the deal still in play.]
Have you talked with him before?
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 05:05 am (UTC)Why?
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 05:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 05:13 am (UTC)So far, I like that he's making the effort to do the bare minimum of research.
[Jedao is very fond of the barge, but the bar is on the floor.]
Beyond that, I was about to ask your read on him.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-12 05:25 am (UTC)[Equally dry, the bar is somewhere below the floor, in his opinion. Nathaniel puts a high value on sensible efforts to actually do your job. Anything else is an irritating waste, a description he'd use for plenty of people on the Barge.
He takes a moment to think of what part of his assessment he's willing to share.]
He's not stupid. He's sensitive to the idea of being controlled, especially in an indirect fashion. He projects some of his own issues, but not so much that he can't register what else is there. I think he could go to extremes, if pushed.
[He goes with sharing the positive part.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-13 03:48 am (UTC)[Even if he very much hears that there's another side Nat isn't saying.]
no subject
Date: 2022-12-13 05:10 am (UTC)[There's much he doesn't say, both as a matter of who he's talking with and because to speak allows for your words to be heard by more than just the person you're talking to. Fear of surveillance is less conscious thought and more habitual action.]
How have you been?
no subject
Date: 2022-12-13 05:40 am (UTC)And getting busy with Gonou, but that's not something he's going to talk about with Nat. "The flood wasn't bad for me. It was...things I already knew about myself."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-13 05:44 am (UTC)It's a question he has stake in, even though he doesn't have any interest in Jedao's inmate. After all, he's trying to figure out answers for himself.
"The flood was just annoying." Painful is another word for it, but he doesn't think it showed anything new. Even if he would prefer to not even have those old burns.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-13 05:48 am (UTC)Second-guessing himself, fidgeting, his natural recklessness against his kneejerk tenderness in the face of the way James is going to pieces, since Raylan's murder.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-13 05:53 am (UTC)"Weapons are rather easy to access here." Very sympathetic.
Well, Jedao's list of his positive qualities hadn't included being nice about people.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-16 02:37 am (UTC)"I'm - reasonably confident in my ability to intervene if he lashes out because I've pushed him. But I'm less confident that I can do it right now without damaging important parts of our working relationship. And some things have to be done slowly, but I don't want to mistake complacency for patience."
He gives a lopsided shrug and an equally lopsided smile. "Anyway, a lot of that, gnawing away at itself. But it's not like wardening ought to be easy."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-16 07:16 pm (UTC)He nods, mostly agreeing. "Patience is vital, you have to find the exact right moment to act. It's dangers to move too quickly - or too slowly. I used to be very bad at waiting." But he'd found a hard lessons to be good teachers.
"Very few jobs are easy. One that has such a big reward definitely shouldn't be."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 03:13 am (UTC)Honestly, he has a hard time understanding anyone who doesn't have a focused drive, but, under these circumstances, he finds it especially strange to not work as hard as possible to get what you want.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-29 05:47 am (UTC)And Jedao loves living here. But that's no reason to lose sight of an objective.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-29 01:48 pm (UTC)"That I certainly can't understand."
That other worlds are worse? Absolutely. Many of them sound terrible and also inferior to his own. Choosing to live on the Barge? No.