slightlyoffchilt | - IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

She's incredibly enmeshed, isn't she? Or -- you are. Don't sound so incensed -- [ he very palpably didn't, she knew; her words were meant to agitate ] -- if you're going to be that careless with what you discuss in a public setting, I'd have to put in effort to avoid your network discussions not to notice at some point.

One hardly has to be -- what was it? Constantly and thoroughly aware of you?

[ So, not only did she see the conversation -- she's paid it enough attention (perhaps repeat attention, even) to recall Danger's precise phrasing. ]

Edited 2014-12-01 01:33 (UTC)

Not even Tony Stark cares to stalk such direct quotations, and lord knows he's interested in her.

[That was a supposition. Stark liked technology, Danger was technologically advanced (and sentient), and Chilton shot his first arrow.]

What are you getting at, Karla? Are you suggesting that Danger is transgressing the line of patient?

[ A silent, scorching glare was her only response to the first contention. ]

Am I suggesting that for a patient to monitor you might cross some line? No, Frederick, I'm comfortable saying that one directly. I am suggesting that for you to give your tacit endorsement of whatever it is she's doing to monitor you out of your own --

[ She stopped. He'd been perfectly, publicly clear -- this patient's involvement, negative or not, was preferable to him to her indifference. He was aware; there was no need to throw a rephrasing of his own words in his face. Besides, declaring her analysis for the purpose of showing off held little appeal for Karla. ]

-- Hm. Well. You don't need me to tell you that part.

[At that pinpoint, Chilton shifted in his seat. It was as good as a verbal concession, given that they were both hyperaware of bodily conduct. He clenched his teeth, and rolled his eyes, knowing full well that his flesh had already said too much.]

I have already repeatedly asked her to cease and desist. I... Have found her to be obstinate in her control issues, and borderline anti-social in her disregard for human rights. She is, like I said, technologically advanced and -- and she has already acted to her capacity.

[ Nothing about that spin was convincing, in light of his body language, in light of what he'd said to Danger on the network. She didn't buy it; she didn't buy that he bought it; she didn't even buy that he bought that she might buy it.

Lord, Frederick, at least you could sell it, she kept to herself. She might otherwise have been insulted by his haphazard denial, except it seemed certain that he would have been more convincing had he not been so invested in persuading her. Whatever he'd gotten himself into must, she surmised, be humiliating to him -- deeply so.

Her own percieved threat having passed, she felt no desire to exacerbate that.

She limited herself to the meaningful look she leveled at him. ]

[Given the truth of his words, he found her reaction insubstantial -- that was his constant irony, that no one believed him when he was telling the truth. The boy had called wolf one too many times.]

There's nothing you can do about her. [He said, meaning every word.] She'll simply kill you.

[ She frowned, studying his face, watching as his distress manifested. It wasn't that she disbelieved him -- the threat didn't seem logistically infeasible, given what she knew of Danger's origin -- so much as it was difficult to parse out his own ratio of encouragement to requests to cease and desist. ]

And what about you? Is there nothing I can do about you?

Edited 2014-12-01 03:19 (UTC)

What about me?

[Despite his cruelty and coercive habits, Chilton still masked himself with the implication that he was harmless. Karla, of course, knew better -- and moreover, she was smart enough not to challenge that perception in any arena where he had the upper hand. Very few individuals could claim that level of intellect, and even fewer in Heropa.

But he didn't have the upper hand, not in this hour. He had been caught in violation of her wishes, he had been the initial negotiator, he had espoused any suspicion of Danger with vague admittance. It wasn't a fine angle to be standing for Doctor Chilton.]

[ Uncrossing her arms, she took her seat -- finally -- folding her legs up under her on his sofa. A non-threatening posture from every angle. When she spoke she looked past Chilton, to the wall behind him. ]

How did you get yourself into the sphere of her control issues?

[His mouth arced, creating a perfectly curved arch to echo his nonchalant shrug. Eyebrows upwards, creating a pointed sense of misaligned innocence.]

Her emotions got the best of her.

[ There was no blank stare leveled, no sigh, no reaction that would indicate his obtuseness was becoming at all insulting. Instead she nodded. ]

I'm sure they did. But you weren't chosen at random.

[A quick smirk -- he knew exactly what he was doing.]

One could say the same about you, surely. Not having chosen me at random, I mean.

One could say a lot of things to change the subject.

[ Her own smirk back -- not quite mocking, but purposeful, certainly. A momentary break in her own play at innocence. ]

Why do you want to be in her sphere?

I'm her psychiatrist. [Which connotates control, and power.] That's presence enough. But she wanted more.

Which you've encouraged. Or discouraged inconsistently, at best.

She's insecure and highly responsive to her emotions. Couple those qualities with her muted empathy for living organisms and desire to control all aspects in her life?

I did what I could for my best interests, which would not include consistent discouragement.

Responsive to someone's emotions, certainly. What was it, you'd prefer she hate you than ignore you? Did that fall within your best interests?

It's a little more complicated than that -- she doesn't only hate me, considering what I do for her -- but she wants to possess. Her purposeful retaliation is schemed with a particular impulse.

[ She breaks her studying gaze to pinch the bridge of her nose. ] Did you by chance do something to upset her, offer to make amends, and then ignore her questions when she offered you help? -- With you still not having made up for what you'd done, by the way.

[ File that under things to remember while he is making up for it, she thinks. ]

Hardly -- though she claimed that she routinely found my behavior disarming and irritating. The patient thought it within her right to install surveillance everywhere, in my office, my bedroom. When I protested, after she had died [the emphasis clearly victim-blaming in tone] she took other measures.

In your office.

[ "Chilton's bedroom" is not the more upsetting of the two places he just listed.

Upside, Chilton, if you wanted a friend who's not going to care about you victim-blaming your robopatients for their own deaths, she's your girl. ]

I had dismantled much of it, before we -- you know.

Fine. What were the other measures?

- IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

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