[a sufficiently awkward pause ensues as he screams internally while trying to keep any trace of that sudden uncomfortableness off his face.]
Uh, yeah, totally. We can definitely go there. [...] Did he say anything to you about why he didn't want to go see the horses? Just, that's a weird thing to say, so just checking.
[ah. well, now that she's mentioned it like that - somehow, it feels worse not to bring it up. it still would have been a lie by omission before, but this feels more significant.]
...No, I remember. Actually - about that, Estelle, there's probably something I should tell you.
Um... Did he ever tell you what happened, when he died? [he's guessing she doesn't know who did it, but—] Like, why they went after him, and why he...
[the explanation he's about to give her is probably more satisfactory than what happens, but the chance is taken from him as they both experience a memory in a very familiar location.]
No, Estelle, that's... You really, really don't have to apologize.
[he takes a breath, though, nodding.]
We were told at the very beginning - if we didn't kill someone each week, three people would be lost entirely. Their souls would cease to exist. But we always knew that death wasn't the end, too. That we had a chance to bring all of them back, a chance we couldn't take if they faded away because we refused to act. [...] But we did make the choice. Both to target someone, and - exactly who we targeted. So I won't act like none of that was my fault.
[...she's too kind, he thinks. of course she's the kind of person who would be worried about him even after hearing something like that.]
Yeah, we are. We didn't really get along back at the school for - a variety of reasons that weren't really related to the whole... horse, uh, thing... But we've gotten a lot closer since we got here. It's been really nice.
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mustbepurged) wrote2022-06-04 02:17 pm
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[But it kind of looked like he tensed up for a moment there?]
-- Um, you don't mind?
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[taking a few steps in, beckoning her to follow.]
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Oh, right, there was something I wanted to see! I heard they had some strange-looking animals here...
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Strange looking animals? Do you remember what they're called?
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[Tales horses are weird, it turns out.]
I was meaning to take a look when I was exploring earlier, but Bradley didn't want to go, so we visited the dorms instead.
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[a sufficiently awkward pause ensues as he screams internally while trying to keep any trace of that sudden uncomfortableness off his face.]
Uh, yeah, totally. We can definitely go there. [...] Did he say anything to you about why he didn't want to go see the horses? Just, that's a weird thing to say, so just checking.
[child.......]
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... Did you forget that? There must have been a trial when it happened, right?
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...No, I remember. Actually - about that, Estelle, there's probably something I should tell you.
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[the explanation he's about to give her is probably more satisfactory than what happens, but the chance is taken from him as they both experience a memory in a very familiar location.]
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This isn't how I wanted to tell you. [but, regardless:] Yeah, it was.
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... You had to do it, to save him?
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[he takes a breath, though, nodding.]
We were told at the very beginning - if we didn't kill someone each week, three people would be lost entirely. Their souls would cease to exist. But we always knew that death wasn't the end, too. That we had a chance to bring all of them back, a chance we couldn't take if they faded away because we refused to act. [...] But we did make the choice. Both to target someone, and - exactly who we targeted. So I won't act like none of that was my fault.
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... Are you and Bradley, um... okay with each other, now?
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Yeah, we are. We didn't really get along back at the school for - a variety of reasons that weren't really related to the whole... horse, uh, thing... But we've gotten a lot closer since we got here. It's been really nice.
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Um... We could always go somewhere else, if you prefer...
[Now that she knows Rupert also had a bad time in this specific place...]
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