Pairings 003

[navarch]

[At precisely 7 A.M. on the Peregrine's standard time, both CommLink screens and wardens' cabin control panels flicker to life with a live video stream.

Today the Navarch is at her desk. The tabletop is somewhat busier than usual, with stacked tablets and an empty coffee mug. She's crisp and to the point, perhaps a little more than usual, but with careful professionalism.

She speaks:]

Good morning, passengers. It is time for a rotation in the assignments. For the next thirty days, wardens will be the primary point of contact for their assigned inmate, and responsible for the inmate's moral development and well-being. Inmates are also permitted to live adjacent to their warden's quarters for the duration of the pairing, if the warden deems it appropriate.

During this particular period, we will also be testing the acquisition of limited files on inmates. Through their communicators, wardens will have access to basic statistics on their paired inmate, including simplified details of their crimes. Please use this information wisely.

Without further ado, here are the pairings for this month.

Warden Viktor, paired with Conner Jaskulski.
Warden James Barnes, paired with Jason Todd.
Warden Misty Day, paired with Malekith the Accursed and Amanda Young.
Warden Claire Fraser, paired with Silco.
Warden Grace Gibson, paired with Alex Mercer and Jeremy Pascal.
Warden Aki Hayakawa, paired with Ellie Williams.
Warden Lucifer Morningstar, paired with Rhys Strongfork and Travis Touchdown.
Warden Loki Odinson, paired with Theon Greyjoy.
Warden Alice Quinn, paired with Theodore H. Crawford.
Warden William Temple, paired with Jack.

As always, I will be available to wardens for questions and concerns by appointment.

Comments

[grindset]

Better keep all our fortresses locked up, in that case. Who knows when he may choose to strike again.

[Another day, another flawlessly executed deadpan.]

But yes, that is likely the idea—encouraging discussion, building trust and so on. I would still rather know.

[shiftedshape]

Fortunately, I haven't brought any along with me.

It's a good idea. We never know when we'll be paired permanently. The more we share about our inmates, the better all our chances are, really.

[grindset]

Exactly my thinking. To share a complete file indiscriminately would be invasive, but these truncated versions are still very relevant. I question whether it's truly possible to give someone a fair chance without knowing what they did.

[shiftedshape]

Yes. In my case, I didn't really make progress until I admitted the worst I'd done. My warden didn't read my file at all, and perhaps I might have graduated sooner if he had. Then again, I might have simply felt violated too. It's hard to say. But without discussing my worst acts at all, I doubt I'd be here.

[grindset]

He didn't read it?

[Can the angle of a person's eyebrows be transmitted through tone? Yes; he's just done it.]

Why not?

[shiftedshape]

Reading...wasn't really his thing. He preferred to provide emotional support, largely. Which I suppose is what I needed.

I did tell him the worst of what I'd done. Eventually.