[She's quiet for another few moments—she tends to take her time in conversations like these—as she flips around to lean against the railing, looking out over the waves.]
I wager I'd look at it differently than you. Whatever position you've been slotted into, it's made-up. No one in real life plays by rules like this. The weight of the world isn't on your shoulders, even if this stupid game is telling you it is.
[She takes another hit off her cigarette.]
You and Haymitch have too much in common. I figured out his role all by myself, for the record. I'm not useless, and I'm not going to go spreading this shit around.
So I've heard. [Which like. Hit and miss, some people have told him to rely on others and others have told him that he's the one to be relied on. Sometimes you play games where you have teammates and sometimes you don't.]
I know you're not useless and I know you're not stupid. I overreacted. [You think?] I just needed to know I could trust people with what I've been finding out and...whatever. I get it.
[She nods, passing him the cigarette again if he wants it.]
You're forgiven.
[...]
Conditionally. You don't let this sour you on Haymitch and we're square. We ought to be working together.
[She's put in a lot of hours trying to convince him of that, so she doesn't need a setback, lord.]
Well, in fairness, he spilled the beans about you and some of the others before I caught on. I didn't even know roles existed up to that point. Obviously he was in the loop, so figuring he had a role was easy, and after that we talked about what kind of shit he knew. I put the pieces together. Guessed right on the first try.
[Mostly, anyway. She flicks her spent cigarette butt into the ocean before, ah, right—it comes shooting right back at her, splashing her in the face with seawater. She just fuckin' lets it happen at this point, grumbling apathetically under her breath.]
[Sure. He'll take another puff because today is enough to actually be a little more than stressful and he hands it back before he just. Frowns.]
...kinda makes it hard not to sour me on him when you lead in with that. [Still not thrilled, even though he knows why Haymitch did it. But it's a tricky situation and trips a bunch of wires and dredges up old memories from multitudes of timelines.] But I suppose it would be easy to guess after that, yeah. Hope the others know he spilled, too. Whoever they are. I don't want to know, because that's going to be something for Haymitch to deal with.
[Little does he know. It says something that the rebound butt only gets a slight smirk from him. It says something else when it fades immediately at the question.]
Life? Experience? Literally what you just told me? Take your pick. [He's bitter, but what else is new? It's maybe less relaxed and playful than she's ever seen him but he's glaring daggers at the ocean instead.]
"Assume everyone you meet is a thief." It means you shouldn't trust strangers so easily. And I've tried to trust the people here. There are plenty I do. There are some I still don't. But in games like these even the people you trust the most can, and possibly will, backstab you if you're not one step ahead. Sometimes your own teammates will turn on you because of something they think is true. Sometimes the person you love will take away your choices to succeed in their goals.
Humans are a mess and trusting them is only easy if you stay on the surface. When you get into it all, it's the most terrifying thing in the world.
He and I have been working together from the beginning. I'll be honest, I don't get the shock factor in that reveal. It's not like we've been hiding it.
[She takes a moment to wipe the water off of her face with her sleeve.]
Dick and Beck are the only others that know that I know. It came up when we were helping Beck with her eye. Haymitch was there.
[So, yes, the chain of information is clear. And as for his answer... She listens carefully, watching him as he talks.]
You two really do have a lot in common. I'm sorry. Someone must've really let you down for you to think that way.
[It's said gently, respectfully, because she can only understand where he's coming from to a point, and she knows it. This situation is hell, but it's hands down the worst thing that's ever happened to her. She's not so sure it's that easy a contest with Junpei. He'll elaborate if he wants to, and if not, that's his right.]
Where'd you hear that? "Assume everyone you meet is a thief."
It's not surprising, I already knew that. It's why I told Haymitch that I had to wonder about you and asked him to be discreet if he talked to you about it. [And this is why he's annoyed, amongst other things.] I made a promise to Beck that I wouldn't tell anyone about her. I only told Haymitch in confidence because we're working together. You can see what the problem is.
[It was still his own fault, but. He just...glares at the sky instead. He can glare at everything and there's a bark of a laugh before he just. Shakes his head.]
Japanese proverb. Wording's a little different but same thing. [He doesn't want to explain but this week's been awful with memshares that the constant reminders aren't helping. So there's a pause.] I never told you why I dropped out of school and became a detective, did I?
Hate to point out the obvious, super chief, but sounds to me like the slip-up with Beck is on you. And what does "discreet" even look like in a situation like this? Do you think I would've let him dangle vague little snippets of intel in front of me without giving me the full story? You ought to know me better than that by now.
[She shrugs.]
It's possible he hasn't told me everything. It's not like I'd know better, out here on the fringes.
[There's just a hint of bitterness to that. She's so sick of stumbling around in the dark.]
But the fact remains that he saw fit to tell me what he did. I'll stand by him in that.
...maybe it is. I don't know anymore. [And that's frustrating, too.] I didn't think he'd actually tell you the list of people to prove a point is all. Can we agree on that? Given that things are getting worse I still think it's the right thing not to completely tell everyone everything. Especially since nobody is safe from possession.
[But with that point he drops it and digs a hand into his pocket. A moment later he's pulling out what looks like an emerald-cut diamond ring. He turns to lean his back against the rail.]
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polyapathy) wrote2019-10-19 01:33 am
no subject
I wager I'd look at it differently than you. Whatever position you've been slotted into, it's made-up. No one in real life plays by rules like this. The weight of the world isn't on your shoulders, even if this stupid game is telling you it is.
[She takes another hit off her cigarette.]
You and Haymitch have too much in common. I figured out his role all by myself, for the record. I'm not useless, and I'm not going to go spreading this shit around.
no subject
I know you're not useless and I know you're not stupid. I overreacted. [You think?] I just needed to know I could trust people with what I've been finding out and...whatever. I get it.
...how'd you figure him out anyway?
no subject
You're forgiven.
[...]
Conditionally. You don't let this sour you on Haymitch and we're square. We ought to be working together.
[She's put in a lot of hours trying to convince him of that, so she doesn't need a setback, lord.]
Well, in fairness, he spilled the beans about you and some of the others before I caught on. I didn't even know roles existed up to that point. Obviously he was in the loop, so figuring he had a role was easy, and after that we talked about what kind of shit he knew. I put the pieces together. Guessed right on the first try.
[Mostly, anyway. She flicks her spent cigarette butt into the ocean before, ah, right—it comes shooting right back at her, splashing her in the face with seawater. She just fuckin' lets it happen at this point, grumbling apathetically under her breath.]
What makes you think you can't trust people?
no subject
...kinda makes it hard not to sour me on him when you lead in with that. [Still not thrilled, even though he knows why Haymitch did it. But it's a tricky situation and trips a bunch of wires and dredges up old memories from multitudes of timelines.] But I suppose it would be easy to guess after that, yeah. Hope the others know he spilled, too. Whoever they are. I don't want to know, because that's going to be something for Haymitch to deal with.
[Little does he know. It says something that the rebound butt only gets a slight smirk from him. It says something else when it fades immediately at the question.]
Life? Experience? Literally what you just told me? Take your pick. [He's bitter, but what else is new? It's maybe less relaxed and playful than she's ever seen him but he's glaring daggers at the ocean instead.]
"Assume everyone you meet is a thief." It means you shouldn't trust strangers so easily. And I've tried to trust the people here. There are plenty I do. There are some I still don't. But in games like these even the people you trust the most can, and possibly will, backstab you if you're not one step ahead. Sometimes your own teammates will turn on you because of something they think is true. Sometimes the person you love will take away your choices to succeed in their goals.
Humans are a mess and trusting them is only easy if you stay on the surface. When you get into it all, it's the most terrifying thing in the world.
no subject
[She takes a moment to wipe the water off of her face with her sleeve.]
Dick and Beck are the only others that know that I know. It came up when we were helping Beck with her eye. Haymitch was there.
[So, yes, the chain of information is clear. And as for his answer... She listens carefully, watching him as he talks.]
You two really do have a lot in common. I'm sorry. Someone must've really let you down for you to think that way.
[It's said gently, respectfully, because she can only understand where he's coming from to a point, and she knows it. This situation is hell, but it's hands down the worst thing that's ever happened to her. She's not so sure it's that easy a contest with Junpei. He'll elaborate if he wants to, and if not, that's his right.]
Where'd you hear that? "Assume everyone you meet is a thief."
no subject
[It was still his own fault, but. He just...glares at the sky instead. He can glare at everything and there's a bark of a laugh before he just. Shakes his head.]
Japanese proverb. Wording's a little different but same thing. [He doesn't want to explain but this week's been awful with memshares that the constant reminders aren't helping. So there's a pause.] I never told you why I dropped out of school and became a detective, did I?
no subject
Hate to point out the obvious, super chief, but sounds to me like the slip-up with Beck is on you. And what does "discreet" even look like in a situation like this? Do you think I would've let him dangle vague little snippets of intel in front of me without giving me the full story? You ought to know me better than that by now.
[She shrugs.]
It's possible he hasn't told me everything. It's not like I'd know better, out here on the fringes.
[There's just a hint of bitterness to that. She's so sick of stumbling around in the dark.]
But the fact remains that he saw fit to tell me what he did. I'll stand by him in that.
[...]
You haven't, no.
no subject
[But with that point he drops it and digs a hand into his pocket. A moment later he's pulling out what looks like an emerald-cut diamond ring. He turns to lean his back against the rail.]
You want the long or short version?