week 5 ( friday );

[reidentify]

[...

The grief has dulled to an empty edge, his mind shutting down, as it tends to do, so that he can focus. Perhaps not to the extreme it would if he were facing danger, but... well, he can put aside his feelings for now. There's someone he's worried about, as much as he knows she won't appreciate it, most likely.

With that in mind, his expression grim, he sets out to find Vriska.]

Comments

[hypertoxic]

[ His frankness gets a quirked brow before she glances off into the fire. ]

I was trying to break you. You specifically, but the rest of these naively trusting idiots as well. And it would have worked! Except for Jinah.

[ Vriska sighs out and shuts her eyes again. ]

That one is also my fault, though I didn't intend for it to happen.

[reidentify]

[...

Well, that answer's a surprise. Absent-mindedly, he rubs at the recent bruise forming on his forehead.]

Why?

[Still no anger. Perhaps he's too tired for it, or it just doesn't occur to him at this moment.]

[hypertoxic]

Are you asking me why I was trying to fuck you up, or why Jinah's death is my fault? I have so many crimes to answer for, Lief. You will need to be more specific!

[reidentify]

... Whatever you are willing to answer, but if you want a specific question—the former, I suppose.

[hypertoxic]

Remember what I told you about the influence you have in this village, Lief? I was counting on that! I was counting on people being furious over someone breaking you in two like a cheap piece of shit. Obviously my plan totally backfired because Prussia is fine. Seriously, what the fuck happened last night?

[reidentify]

I really do not think I have as much influence as you think. Bellamy would have been a better target.

[Lief knows he's not the "beacon of hope" Jacopo and the others claimed him to be.]

... I do not know what happened last night. [...] What were you hoping to achieve with that?

[hypertoxic]

I wasn't touching Bellamy. [ there's a dark note in her voice.

again vriska opens her eyes, still just slits, but this time she stares at nothing in particular. ]

Figure it out, genius. What possible purpose could all this bullshit serve? I can't just tell you. I have a bargain to fulfill and I'm not fucking it up now.

[reidentify]

[He supposes that proves his point exactly about Bellamy, unless he's mistaken.]

Well, my first thought was that you wanted everyone to hate you. Is that anywhere close?

[hypertoxic]

[ vriska just kind of gives him a flat look and then goes back to staring into the fire. ]

Guess all you want. I'm not answering your questions. You wanna know so bad, ask the Chiefs. I'm sure they'll be more than willing to provide! Hahahaha. Fuck.

[reidentify]

[...]

I am sorry. In any case, I did not originally come here to ask anything of you, Vriska.

[hypertoxic]

Why don't you hate me?!

[ She bursts out with it all at once, throwing her hands up and partially dislodging the cloak. She'll pull it back up, blue in the face and frowning hard. ]

I've lied to you, I've betrayed you, I never actually stopped killing people! You were supposed to hate me! That was literally the entire point! I just...

[ With a soft sound Vriska just buries her face in her knees. ]

What more could I possibly have done?

[reidentify]

... To begin with, I did realize that something like this was likely to happen. I was not entirely honest myself.

[He'd had full faith, or close to it, when he thought she was the item role but...]

After you confessed, though I did believe you had good intentions, I thought that you might betray me.

[But still, for the most part, he kept his promise. And it does sting, however dulled, to hear all this from Vriska—to have that confirmation now, but—well, even he's not completely sure.]

[hypertoxic]

Tch. You beat me to the punch, or don't you remember going behind my back to find out who the last Siren was?

[ Her tone is nasty and snide. ]

[reidentify]

[Truthfully,]

... I did not realize you did not want me to know. I never had any intention of revealing any of you, if that is what you think.

[Well, unless Vriska stabbed him in the back, but.]

[hypertoxic]

Really? Even after I refused to tell you Raven's identity, you thought it was fine to just sneak around? It wasn't, Lief. Fuck you.

[ Vriska bows her head, sifting her fingers into her hair. ]

... whatever. Just understand I'm not refusing to tell you things out of some principle or because I'm deliberately trying to be frustrating or whatever. I just can't! My part in this ridiculous farce is over. Tomorrow, the rest of you have a job to do, and it's figure out the final mystery of this game. Good fucking luck.

[reidentify]

... I am sorry, then.

[Again, genuinely: if she had made it clear that she didn't want him to, he wouldn't have done it. Even if, to be frank, he doesn't think her anger is entirely justified, as someone who just admitted to having lied to and betrayed him (and had said then that if he wanted to know, he had to ask them himself, which is, well, exactly what he did)—but he has no interest in turning this into an argument.]

I really did not come here to talk about the game.

[hypertoxic]

[ Honestly, in the end, it's not really him she's mad at. Not right now, anyway.

Vriska just curls up again, resting her cheek on her knees and shutting her eyes. ]

Then what do you want.

[reidentify]

I do not think you will like the answer.

[He remains where he is, silent and trying not to shiver in the cold.

He just figured that Vriska didn't deserve to be alone right now.]

[hypertoxic]

[ Vriska pulls off Lief's cloak and flings it at his face.

By the time he gets untangled she'll have buried her face in her folded arms, still curled up tight. ]

Could you just ... leave me alone?

[reidentify]

[...]

If that is what you want. [Well, it's not a surprise. She could very well hate him, so him being here does nothing.] Try not to fall ill.

[hypertoxic]

I'm a ghost, Lief.

[ flatly. ]

I'm pretty sure I can't get sick. But thanks for your pointless concern!

[reidentify]

[Mildly,]

You are welcome.

[And with that, he'll take his leave.]