[Alexei doesn't go down to the dungeons often; he's been here once since he got here, solely to see what was down in this area, and he hasn't been back since.
It should bother him, that he's coming down for this. But he's had some time for himself, time enough to get whatever feelings he may be having under control, time enough to hate himself and let the hatred just freeze everything over, the way it always does.
He isn't sure if it's harder for him to do that nowadays or not. He thinks it might be; he thinks that's a bad sign. Loss of control like that is nothing but a weakness to be exploited; it gets people killed.
If he had done better - if he'd been enough for once in his godforsaken life - then maybe he would be down here instead.
But for now he makes his way down, and he pauses a bit before entering the corridor, before finding the person he's looking for in whichever of these cells he may happen to be.]
week 5 | post-trial
It should bother him, that he's coming down for this. But he's had some time for himself, time enough to get whatever feelings he may be having under control, time enough to hate himself and let the hatred just freeze everything over, the way it always does.
He isn't sure if it's harder for him to do that nowadays or not. He thinks it might be; he thinks that's a bad sign. Loss of control like that is nothing but a weakness to be exploited; it gets people killed.
If he had done better - if he'd been enough for once in his godforsaken life - then maybe he would be down here instead.
But for now he makes his way down, and he pauses a bit before entering the corridor, before finding the person he's looking for in whichever of these cells he may happen to be.]
Schwann.
[It's cold, blunted. He hates this already.]