crau2 pcs: rupert

[unbested]

Comments

[agleam]

...My everything could probably be better.

[honest, if a little awkward in return. he gives a little frown.]

What about you? You seemed... really distressed, there.

[unbested]

W-well, yeah. And I don't understand why most of the rest of you weren't! I mean— we're sentencing a girl to death for something that already got undone, and that she didn't even have a choice in anyway! It doesn't make any sense at all!

[agleam]

...Just because we weren't yelling about it doesn't mean we don't care.

[a beat.]

In the end, you voted too, right?

[unbested]

...Not for her.

[agleam]

So you voted for someone else who didn't do anything wrong.

[clem didn't do anything wrong, either, and he knows that - but to him, there wasn't a good option.]

I get it, but I don't think you get to act like the rest of us are doing something wrong when none of us wanted to be in this situation to start with. Maybe focus on the person who started all of this in the first place.

[unbested]

I didn't know he didn't! Yuri said that memory he saw in the thing with the tickets made it look like maybe he was the one who started it and she was just fighting back!

[ also cloud was already dead earlier that day so like, it kind of seemed fairer to just have him go back to being dead again than kill someone new but he's... not going to say that... ]

A-anyway, I know there wasn't any good way to vote when it got to that point! But that whole situation with the victim coming back to life in the middle of the trial was clearly a weird exception, and I think it stinks that everyone just immediately gave up and decided we still had to execute someone without even trying to argue for an alternative sentence!

[ he grips his baton in both hands, bending it into an arc. ]

No one ever takes me seriously, and... yeah, last week maybe that turned out to be kind of fair (even though I did correctly deduce the killer), but this time I even explained that there was president [ precedent... ] for what I was talking about with the thing me and Sylvain were in before this! I know the rest of you guys were in these things for a lot longer, and our experiences — and Estelle's — were different, but it's like everyone thinks they don't even matter!

[agleam]

Of course your experience matters.

[first and foremost, but:]

We didn't give up. There's a difference between that and knowing that there wasn't another option. Have you read the contract yet? It makes it pretty clear somebody is going to get executed on Sunday regardless of whether or not we wish that wasn't true, or what happened in our last groups. Of course we wish it could be different. Clem is...

[his voice tightens, a little.]

Clem is my friend. [...] So I'm genuinely sorry if you're having a hard time with this, but if you're going to act like the rest of us are heartless or that we don't care enough, I'd really rather not talk to you right now.

[that's not said with any particular anger - he does look frustrated, but not necessarily at sebastian.]

[unbested]

I— I didn't see it again after I signed it, and once I got here, I couldn't remember what it said.

It... actually says that?

[agleam]

It was like that for everyone at first, but if you go ask one of the staff, they'll let you read it now. We're allowed.

[he nods, with a frown.]

I don't remember the exact wording, but... Part of it says that we're responsible for attending executions every week.

[unbested]

What?? When I told that Orion person I didn't remember they just said that was unfortunate and didn't offer to let me see it or anything...

[ ugh ]

And if that was everyone's reason, why didn't they just say that?! Everyone's always telling me I'm wrong and stupid for not understanding things but no one ever explains them!

[agleam]

It changed recently - if you asked them at the start, I don't think we could see it then. And I'm pretty sure you need to tell them outright you want to read it, not just mention it and hope they offer.

[a beat.]

Did anyone actually call you wrong or stupid?

[unbested]

Yes!!

[ ... ]

Well... I guess I'm... not sure if they did here...

[agleam]

Okay. Then... Maybe people aren't thinking that of you, like you're expecting them to?

[unbested]

W-well, they're probably still thinking it even if they aren't saying it out loud! Or they're just saying it behind my back instead!

[agleam]

Isn't it kind of unfair to just assume that?

[unbested]

I mean... I guess it's not everyone...

[agleam]

Okay, but it sounds like you don't really have evidence that it's anyone at all, though...?

[unbested]

You really think it isn't...?

[agleam]

I think it's a little worrying that you're assuming people are thinking you're stupid or talking about you behind your back.

[sebastian your self esteem!!!]

[unbested]

[ look he has reasons!! ]

W-well... whatever.

[agleam]

Come on, it's not whatever...

[he sounds legitimately concerned]

Doesn't thinking like that make you unhappy?

[unbested]

I mean, yeah?! It's not like I like hearing it! A-and it's wrong anyway, because I was the best in my class and everything...

[agleam]

Who are you hearing it from, though? I mean, did people back home actually say those kinds of things to you?

[unbested]

Yes!!

[agleam]

...I'm sorry. It's hard to go through something like that. But, just keep in mind that it doesn't mean the people here are going to do the same thing, okay?