[ch. 3] post-execution, w/ evan

[asswipe]

[...

There isn't really any bracket text distraught enough to describe how Veronica feels right now.

Evan will find her carrying two bottles of liquor, presumably pilfered from the kitchen so she can get drunk elsewhere. She's obviously been crying, and she doesn't bother to conceal this fact when she spots him.

After a beat:]

... I'm going to the earth suite if you want to join me.

[She's emo.]

Comments

[selfinserting]

[He stays silent on that particular point for a moment, instead glancing at the bottle Veronica's handed him. Slowly:]

...Does this help? I've never, um...

[A sigh, his hand tightening against the glass.]

None of this should have happened, Veronica, this isn't...

[asswipe]

... It takes your mind off it.

[So, no. It doesn't really help. Getting wasted is yet another bad coping strategy, but Veronica doesn't care as she pops her bottle and takes a swig. No cups. Just down the hatch.]

Rapunzel didn't deserve this. Her partner... [He has a name, Veronica? But she can't pronounce it and she's too distressed, so.] How could everyone vote for him like that? And 2B— They could have been saved, Evan. Did you know that? At least Rapunzel and 2B... They could have been saved, too.

[selfinserting]

[He seems uncertain, but he unscrews the cap anyways, though he doesn't drink yet. Instead, he listens to what Veronica says, letting out a noise that might be a laugh if it weren't halfway hysterical.]

...I told her it would be okay. I thought, I really thought... None of the other partners have been killed. I tried to make her believe she would be fine. I told her she, she didn't deserve to be here, and she told me I didn't either, but she doesn't... She deserved it so much less.

[asswipe]

I know. I... I thought so to. I thought that if we had an even number of partnerless, it would be okay. But it wasn't. And she...

[The image of Rapunzel hanging from the noose is going to haunt her for the rest of her life. She feels nauseous just thinking about it, so down the hatch goes another big ol' gulp of booze.]

I'm scared that we're not going to be able to save her. I don't want her to stay dead. She didn't deserve to die because we're idiots who can't get our shit together for five seconds!

[selfinserting]

We... We have to. Veronica, we don't have a choice, that's not an option, we - have to. She has to be okay.

[Then, after he watches her do the same, he takes a swig as well... And nearly spits it out once the flavor and the burn hit him, only swallowing reflexively.]

That's - disgusting.

[asswipe]

Then tell that to the asshole who got six people killed in one week. If all the villains die, Evan, we— It's going to be bad. It's... going to be really bad.

[She rubs at her eyes, not quite crying but... definitely tearing up from sheer anger and frustration. When he nearly spits out his drink, though, she laughs halfheartedly.]

... You'll get used to the taste. Try it again.

[selfinserting]

That’s not going to happen. We won’t... let that happen.

[He looks skeptical, but takes another drink, making the exact same face.]

...You said that the, the objectives mattered, right?

[asswipe]

... I did. [Taking another swig, which bodes well for her decision making skills.] It's really important that enough people from each faction gets their objectives done. Why?

[selfinserting]

...Because I kind of want to try to break into the Crafter's room and I was wondering if you wanted to help?

[A long swallow. God help them all.]

[asswipe]

Oh.

[Well. That gets her to put down the alcohol. The last example of rule breaking they saw is still, uh, fresh in their memories since it happened this morning, but Veronica manages to swallow down the bile in her throat long enough to answer.]

I... Right. Your objective is to get three people to break a rule. I can help you with that, sure.

[selfinserting]

[This sure is good timing! But he reads her expression, and continues with something else.]

Varian said... For Stephanie, it was only so bad because it wasn't the first time someone broke that rule. If we pick something that nobody has tried before, then we should be... better off, at least. Natsuo only got put in the stocks the first time.

[Also:]

I talked to the Crafters, and they said that the consequences wouldn't be, um, as severe as they would have otherwise. Since it had to, to do with my objective.

[asswipe]

[It's a good thing he read her expression, because that does get her to relax. Just a little.]

... That's good to know. [It's going to be unpleasant, but not as unpleasant as it could be.] How, um... How do you want me to do this?

[selfinserting]

I was thinking... The last time I wanted to talk to one of them, a door just appeared on it's own. So maybe, if we thought about wanting to go in, the door would appear, and we could try to break it down? That would count, right...?

[asswipe]

I... I guess so. [Trying to break in would definitely be breaking the rules, sure, but she frowns.] When you say "we", who are you referring to?

[selfinserting]

...The four of us. Me, you, and the other two people I'm thinking of.

[He says this like it's obvious.]

[asswipe]

[...]

Evan, you don't count for your own objective.

[selfinserting]

[Quickly, he shakes his head.]

I'm not... asking you all to do something I'm not willing to do myself.

[asswipe]

... As noble as that is, you don't know if the "lighter" consequences apply to you, too. You really don't have to come with us.

[selfinserting]

I know I don't have to.

[He takes a breath.]

[asswipe]

Then don't and stay safe, seriously.

[selfinserting]

I don't have to, but - I'm, I'm going to. Okay?

[asswipe]

But why? We don't know what the punishment is going to be, Evan. You shouldn't put yourself at risk out of some sense of morality.

[selfinserting]

Because I'm not just going to stand there and watch all of you do it, okay?

[asswipe]

[EVAN... There's a twist to her lips like she wants to keep arguing, but. She doesn't.]

Fine. [More or less spitting that out. This isn't over. :/] But if I'm letting you do this, I want a favor from you, too.

[selfinserting]

...Okay. What's the favor?