selfsufficiency | Night 6

Night 6 - Leo

[After the trial Alice didn't waste much time in dumping Leo off so that she could go fetch Franziska's whip before someone else do it, but it isn't too long before she returns to his room with a cup of hot water, a small bottle of honey, and what's not quite a concerned expression but is actually sort of close.

She peeks her head into the room and rests her gaze on Leo.]

Lee-Lee? Are you awake yet?

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[Despite the way it must've seemed, Leo has not actually been unconscious this whole time. If not for the curfew, and the mysterious force pulling them down into sleep, he likely would've been up and making a lot of unhappy noises not long after they'd deposited him back in his room.

But "conscious" and "coherent" are two very different things, and as for the latter... well. He'd been completely and utterly floored by the pain, and the lack of proper medical care following his terrible decisions hadn't left him with a lot of energy, physically or mentally, to work with. So even with brief moments of lucidity during the trial, he hadn't been anywhere near up to speaking, or really listening, or... doing anything except breathing without throwing up from pain, really.

But back in the quiet of his room, settled in his spot on the floor instead of being jostled and carted around, it's a little easier for him to focus. It still hurts--he's not sure it's ever going to stop, really--but it's a little easier to think through it, and whatever fever or infection might be frolicking through his body, it seems to have decided to give him a respite for now.

He hasn't moved a muscle since she left him here, but he does turn his head at the sound of her voice, which is a good indication that he's alert to some degree.]

Unfortunately. [THIS WAS A REALLY BAD IDEA. But aside from sounding pretty grumpy, he isn't screaming or crying or tearing his hair out, so that's... good.

He doesn't bother to specify that he's technically been awake--it hardly counted.]

[He's handling it better than she expected, if she's being totally honest. Alice would have thought he'd be out until the next morning. Would have thought he'd be crying.

(He doesn't exactly come off as a tough guy, after all.)

But since he's coherent enough to speak - even if it's just one word - she'll slip into his room and go to sit down beside his bed.] I brought you some tea. [It's weak tea, most definitely not as good as he's used to, but that's what the honey is for.] Do you like honey?

[Appearances can be deceiving...!

But yeah no he's still a 5'3" stringbean.

Anyway.

He doesn't really like honey, no, but he's had enough of the food here to suspect that their tea isn't going to be Orange Pekoe grade, so he offers a tiny nod. It's a bit of a roulette right now, figuring out which movements will jar his leg and send pain screaming up his body, but it looks like he'll get away with that much.]

Thanks. [He may or may not die of starvation because he couldn't get to the kitchen ever again, but at least he'll have had a last cup of tea.] What happened?

[A tiny amount of honey, to match how tiny his nod is. Once tat's done, she'll hand the cup over to him, watching carefully to make sure he doesn't spill it all over himself.]

You mean, with the trial? ...well.

[There are definitely nicer ways to say what she's about to say. However, Alice is not in the mood for sugarcoating right now.]

Adam is dead. He killed Franzy, and then he confessed to it at the last minute.

[She's right to be careful. His hands certainly aren't steady, and he grips the cup with both of them, fighting not to spill anything. It's already embarrassing enough that someone who isn't elliot had to carry him around, there's no way he's gonna deal with changing out of tea-stained clothes.

He doesn't even get to take a sip, though, before she's breaking the news. He freezes, a pained look crossing his face, but there's a distinct lack of surprise.]

That fucking idiot. [Surprise, Leo's got a dirty mouth...] I should've known he would do something stupid.

You can say that again.

[Alice shrugs and lets out a small sigh - honestly, she can't believe that someone who had the balls to murder someone would be this dumb about it.]

He was super close to getting away with it, but then he had to go and run his mouth!

I doubt he wanted to get away with it.

[An angry, lonely, desperate teenager throwing himself into the path of destruction? Yeah, Leo gets it. He can't relate (yet), but he definitely gets it.]

I wish I'd-- [He pauses, gritting his teeth to stifle a whimper of pain.] --been able to vote.

[It probably wouldn't have done any good, but. Alice would've mentioned if Adam had been a staff member, right? And if he had no hand in bringing them here, then he wasn't a real concern. Besides, maybe he's cynical, but being forced to live when you want to die? That would've been a real punishment.]

It wouldn't have made a difference even if you could. Seventeen people voted for him.

[With the number of people left alive, that was a clear majority - even switching his and Shijima's votes to Ciel along with hers wouldn't have accomplished anything except pissing the kid off if he figured out who was responsible for it.]

I made sure you cast a vote, though. Judy can't punish you for not voting, because technically, you did.

[...Oh. Well. That kind of changes things. He'd been prepared to face whatever punishment came with missing out on a trial and a vote, and he's not quite sure what to do with himself if that's not going to happen.

He even feels a little grateful, for all of the .5 seconds it takes this to sink in.]

...You made me vote for him?

I had you vote with the majority.

[Alice says it like it's no big deal. Of course - she had him vote that way because that's how she was voting. If she'd been voting with a minority that could have become a majority with three votes, she'd have made him vote that way.

But the tide had turned on Adam so quickly after his confession that there hadn't been even a slim chance of that happening.]

There was a moment where Judy almost told us who voted for a certain option the first time. At the last second she decided to be useless and not tell us, but... if she changes her mind and lets it happen later, it would only make you look suspicious if you voted for anyone other than him.

[It would have made her look suspicious, too.]

[It makes sense. From an objective perspective, it really makes perfect sense. But his hands have been trembling ever since she handed him the tea, and they're definitely shaking now. Just-- not with pain.

Morons. Fucking morons, every single one of them.

Before he knows it, the cup is out of his hands, hurled across the room with a surprising amount of strength for someone in his condition (and, y'know, with his thin arms). It's not quite aimed at her, but he sure won't be mad if he hits her face instead of the wall over her shoulder.]

How dare you try and speak for me when I never fucking gave you permission for that?! And you didn't even think to try and ask me what I wanted?! I don't give a damn what the majority was, you had no right--

[Ah. Here it is.

The cup itself doesn't hit her head-on, but the hot water inside of it sloshes out and splashes her cheek and shoulder as it's whizzing by; she hisses and recoils from the shock as the cup smashes into the wall and shatters.

It was only ever a matter of time, Alice supposes. Leo is human, and no matter how nicely humans have treated her for a brief period, they've always turned on her, too. Except Decus, but he's sure to do so before the end.]

And how was I meant to do that, exactly? [She narrows her eyes, and her voice is like ice.] You could barely form a coherent sentence until a little while ago. Even if I'd asked, you wouldn't have been able to answer.

[This isn't a conversation she wants to have, actually - in lieu of hanging around to wait for him to answer, she turns on her heel and heads for the door.]

But I get it. Fine. You're not my problem anymore. Find someone else to make sure you don't get executed for not attending a trial in the future.

[And she's out, unless he says something convincing enough to stop her.]

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Night 6 - Leo

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