[ch. 6] post-trial, w/ rebecca

[asswipe]

[Regardless of whether Rebecca is purposely seeking Veronica out or not, she'll eventually bump into her in the library. She's staring at the leather bound book, listless. Though she does notice Rebecca walking in, she doesn't do much to acknowledge her existence before meeting her eyes for two seconds and just

looking away.

Hi.]

Comments

[disclosures]

[Tat's entirely fair. After what's happened during trial, the way Rebecca snapped at Varian. The fact they've condemned three people to execution.

One of which was innocent.]

... I don't know what to say.

[asswipe]

[That gets a scoff out of Veronica, but there's no real vitriol behind it.]

There's nothing to say.

[disclosures]

Isn't there?

We just lost three people.

[asswipe]

And you think I don't know that, Rebecca? You think I slept through that whole announcement, blissfully unaware?

[disclosures]

[She swallows hard, this is terrifying. She can't- This has to be at least partially her fault. Just like everything.]

Take it out on me. Do it. I deserve it. Yell and scream all you want.

[asswipe]

[She wasn't looking at Rebecca before, but she sure is now.]

Why would I do that? It won't make me feel better, and it sure as hell isn't going to change the last two days of my life.

[disclosures]

Why wouldn't it?

[asswipe]

Because none of this is actually your fault. Isn't it obvious?

[disclosures]

[There's a distinctly uncomfortable expression on her for a moment.]

It's a little bit my fault. Do you know who the Historians are? Do you know what they're trying to do?

[asswipe]

[...]

If you're asking if I know that you're a Historian, yes. I knew that Melloi, Natsuo and Akechi were Historians, too. Not... that it matters anymore. [hm.] Your goal is to get everyone to do their objectives so we can get the hell out of here, isn't it?

[disclosures]

[She should've known.]

It's pretty obvious, isn't it? With the way I was pushing you into doing your objective.

I just- I want them back and alive-- and happy. I want to go home. I don't want to play this game anymore.

[asswipe]

If it makes you feel better, I wasn't sure until the Viziers confirmed it for me.

[So. Shrugs!! It used to make her feel smug, knowing this, but now it just kind of feels... bad.]

It's going to be over soon, anyway. We're already down to three Villains.

[disclosures]

I don't care that much.

If the Viziers and... I-- [god, it's really just her in the end, isn't it?] --can keep you all alive.

Five Civilians and six Heroes are left. But I don't know if the Blotters of next week will know who's who.

[asswipe]

... We're still working out the kinks, but I think— Some of us are taking steps to fix that problem tomorrow, or early in the week. We really can't afford to mess this up now. Not after people have literally died for this.

[Varian, Evan, Ion... She still feels like she wants nothing more than to lay down and cry, but she has to be strong until they reach the finish line. She's come too far to give up.]

I know that you're a Hero, and... Apparently the Little Mermaid? [She doesn't get how they pinned it on her, but.] Did Akechi tell you my faction?

[disclosures]

Okay... Okay. Please- let me know. Whatever you're doing, please let me know. If you need me to die that- it's fine.

[Because living seems too impossible to deal with at this point.]

Yeah, who told you?

... Akechi did. You're a Villain, but he never narrowed down which one.

[asswipe]

Don't jump to dying just yet. We... mostly want the Blotters to have direction, instead of literally taking a stab in the dark.

[Rebecca, please don't die. The other Historians did not die for this???]

The Viziers checked you, remember? [It's a boon. Anyway...] I'm the Snow Queen. There isn't really a point to hiding it anymore.

[disclosures]

[They really picked the wrong Historian to keep living. Even Akechi would've been a better pick than her. Any one of them would be better.]

Are they telling everybody who asks... [She looks tired, but considering everything that's happened today who wouldn't?]

When you said seven wasn't enough anymore during trial? What do we need to hit now?

[asswipe]

[She shakes her head.]

No... There's a group of us who are— [...] Were, sharing information with one another. It was just with us, I think.

[Which is... probably not comforting to hear, but they aren't quite telling everybody.]

This is... a guess, so take this with a grain of salt. You know how the letters kept emphasizing that we need to keep balance between the factions, right? Objectives and survivors need to be more or less even. If that's true, then... The last time I checked, the heroes had confirmed 12 objectives. So... probably something around that.

[disclosures]

[Some people in that circle must have died. Saying anything about it seems... unnecessary, and it's not like she knows what to say either.] That's... it doesn't really matter anymore. I'm all that's left.

I remember. [Damn it. Damn it. If they'd been more specific they wouldn't have had to force the villain's hands into doing more of these.] I can ask Dragon on Monday. It's- It's her ending we're trying to go after. I think I helped enough people that I can actually get- get answers.

[asswipe]

[Some people in that circle super died and her stress levels are through the roof.]

... Okay. Thank you, Rebecca. [Confirmation of just how doomed they are, exactly, would be nice.] If... you don't mind me asking, how is it exactly that your role works? I knew that you were allowed to ask questions and, um, be rewarded in exchange for doing your job. But I don't know if there are any specifics beyond that.

[disclosures]

[What if Rebecca just went to her room and died? What if she just did that?]

That's about it. The Historians, the five of us, would get memories about the previous game. The one that Beauty and Beast ended prematurely. We were trapped in one of those doors that shows up on Wednesdays when Beauty killed Tiger.

I don't know if the memories will keep happening now that I... I'm alone.

[asswipe]

[Please don't die, Rebecca. Think of Cardia.

Veronica sighs, rubbing at her face.]

I'm... I'm sorry, Rebecca. I really am. This isn't the way I imagined this weekend going.

[disclosures]

[She'd be okay. At this point Rebecca's sure anybody in the castle would be a better partner to her.]

I don't know if anybody imagined it this way. Five people dead and three up for execution. [Her voice gets higher and higher, like she's starting to get hysterical.] We... We really have to talk- about... about who we're going to execute. We don't have that many people left.

[They can't afford to lose three again.]

I don't know what your objectives are. But at this point, you're the Villain I know the best.

[asswipe]

... I know. I know. We're going to give it all we got to make sure that never happens again. We've come too far to fuck it all up when we're this close to the finish line.

[She will literally Die if they lose their chance to save the dead when they're so, so very close.]

[disclosures]

We need to get better at communicating... So tell the Viziers that I'll ask about the ink. Make sure they don't waste their questions on it.

[Rebecca's been ready to die since Natsuo and Evan's bodies were found.]

[asswipe]

We seriously do.

[God. They suck.]

When do you get to ask your question? Just in case I don't get to the Viziers before they ask theirs.

[disclosures]

I always meet them on Mondays. That's when I ask whatever questions I have.

[asswipe]

... Okay. I'll... let you know tomorrow if I managed to get to them before they spoke to the Crafters.

[disclosures]

Do they meet on Sundays...?

Okay. Alright. I'll make it to Monday.