shaft | hotel: rupert

[ Claude is practicing with a bow and arrow! Looking somewhat frustrated after everything. His skin seems to have a metallic sheen. ]

... Hard to say. [ His jaw looks tight. ] I want to say Bucky didn't deserve that but.

To be honest, no one does, right? Not even the actual killer.

[he nods.]

It's not fair, even if we find the right person, but... This seems even worse, somehow.

... Yeah.

I imagine it must feel shitty to be voted for when you haven't done anything wrong. That people are alright with letting you be executed on a guess.

I don't know if alright is the word for it.

[he sighs.]

But even if we're not okay with it, I guess that doesn't change anything for the person who gets voted for. It still happens anyways.

Yeah, I doubt anyone is okay with it, but if I was Bucky that would be my thought process.

It's gotta sting a little, right?

Probably more than a little.

[he sighs.]

It almost happened to you back at the school, right? I'm really glad it didn't.

[ oh, yeah. ]

I'd almost forgotten... [ he actually smiles a little ] That's not surprising, though. I'll be the first to admit I seem like a pretty suspicious guy.

[pausing for a moment, like he's trying to tell if he was joking, before:]

Wait, are you serious? Why do you say that?

[ He seems surprised that Rupert would ask. ]

I'm not particularly forthcoming about my thoughts or emotions. Or really anything about myself. That tends to be suspicious.

I guess I haven't really noticed... You've told me a lot about the ways this place bothers you, and your thoughts on it.

[kind... of...]

[ sweet rupert ]

I'm pretty impressed... You don't think it's weird I don't like talking about myself?

Oh, no. I know plenty of people like that.

[(derogatory) (but not at claude) (probably)]

I have a hard time believing people don't open up to you with their every problem.

[he laughs]

It'd be nice if that were true, for sure!

Would it? Wouldn't you be bogged down by all the complaining?

It's not nearly as exhausting as when people say they're fine but they're clearly not, or that they don't care about something when they clearly do.

[ he goes silent ]

Oh, wow. You're so right. That's way more annoying.

You're thinking about Dimitri, right?

[ he clears his throat ]

He is a particularly prominent example.

Yeah... Some things never change no matter how old he is, right?

At least he's easier to manhandle at this age.

[ . . . ]

Which is... the same age as you...

[...]

All people my age are impossible to manhandle and you shouldn't try ever.

... Well... sometimes it's necessary...

It will not ever be necessary in my case!

[debatable]

You are pretty reasonable.

(no subject)

agleam - 2022-07-05 00:03 (UTC) - Expand