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Day Two, post-trial;
[The trial had been a shitshow. That was fact. His nose continued to throb even after he applied the cold compress to it. That was also fact. But curfew was coming soon and he didn't have an appetite for dinner so he departed from his previous location and made his way back to his room.
Perhaps he should be embarrassed that when he enters the apartment shirtless with a bloody and wet shirt balled up and pressed to his nose Elizabeth is already there. Perhaps he should have some decency. But instead all he does is linger in the doorway as he studies her carefully. He takes a breath before shutting the door behind him, leaning against it.]
Well...guess that's one less person to fight with over the bed. [Even if it's a joke, it's obvious he's uncomfortable by the events of the evening. But he needs to gauge her reactions first.]
Perhaps he should be embarrassed that when he enters the apartment shirtless with a bloody and wet shirt balled up and pressed to his nose Elizabeth is already there. Perhaps he should have some decency. But instead all he does is linger in the doorway as he studies her carefully. He takes a breath before shutting the door behind him, leaning against it.]
Well...guess that's one less person to fight with over the bed. [Even if it's a joke, it's obvious he's uncomfortable by the events of the evening. But he needs to gauge her reactions first.]
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Nutshots, bloody noses, innocent deaths, name confusion, and now... well, everything that transpired with body disposal. Elizabeth had retired to her room and gotten down to the night gown that was provided to her - a robe covering her frame for closure, even if it's probably for a guy. Whatever, modesty counts.
She was dressed down - hairpins out, make-up wiped off. Honestly, only her roomies will see her like this. Youthful. Younger.
When Luke comes in, she gives him a Concerned Glance before getting up from the end of the bed. ]
You can have it for the night. [ She was honestly going to steal it since she's stressed, but. Here you go, you deserved it. ] Keep your head elevated so the blood doesn't rush any further.
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I'm okay, Elizabeth. [He still sounds sort of stuffed up but he's managing.] Got it set and everything. [There's a short pause though.] ...'side, I don't know how any of us are gonna sleep tonight after this.
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[ There's so many orphans in Columbia... just dealing with the war between the Vox and Comstock's men. If they can find solace, they could. ]
Thank you for helping Bigby. I know the suggestion was mine, so I take a bit of responsibility for it. [ Waves hands vaguely at Luke's Big Mistake. ] Don't like this any more than you do, but - we can't blame ourselves on this.
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[He does smile this time though it's a grim little thing.] You can't really take responsibility for what I chose to do with your suggestions. I didn't think that's how she'd react though. What was that all about?
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Didn't really look too invincible when she cracked your nose out of place... [ Fair. ] Just be careful.
[ She doesn't truly chews his question. She thought it was obvious. Even if the woman claimed to be some monster, some killer - she didn't like to be trapped. Whatever happened to her, it was obvious that much. ]
The woman didn't want to be caged. Held captive. There was a light switch from the moment you held her in your grasp, a desperation to escape at all odds.
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She caught me off guard. It won't happen again. [But he pauses and considers the way she says that, opening one eye to examine Elizabeth carefully.] You mean she didn't want to be caged the way you don't do well being caged? [Yes, he remembers that.]
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[ She won't really baby the guy. Apparently, he's only a year older than her but she gets an attitude... something she wants to watch. Be it for her safety or his - that remains to be seen.
When he calls her out, there's a perk of her brow. Almost as if she didn't expect it. ]
What's that suppose to mean? No one likes being a prisoner.
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Of course nobody likes being a prisoner but there're also different levels of prison. Caged seems to indicate a whole other kind of captured. Like someone who didn't do anything wrong but got stuck being caught anyway.
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[ She doesn't seem too pleased, but she lets her mask slip a little. ]
Have you heard of Tantalus? It's some.. [ hand wave. ] Greek myth.
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You do know that Tantalus was sent to the Fields of Punishment because he tried to feed the gods his own kid, right? I don't think the two situations are really comparable.
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[ If she's right, she has a point to this. ]
That's what we would be doing to that woman. Where I'm from - [ She flinches a bit, crossing her arms. ] - dangling something - a dream, a wish, a hope - just out of reach is worse than death.
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While I don't agree with the way the gods handled the Tantalus thing just because the guy stole some nectar and ambrosia, I also don't think it's entirely unjust. People...deserve punishment for certain crimes. Am I saying Diva deserved this? No, I don't...but I also don't know how I feel about everything else she admitted.
And anyway. I know. That's the fastest way to make somebody snap. If we're going with that logic then yeah. Death was kinder to her.
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[ Her words stammer a bit. ]
I understand how people looked at me after defending her. [ And the chill she got when Diva approached her. ] Point is sour, the woman is dead.
[ But, there's a bit of warmth in her voice soon after. ]
I know what it's like to be caged, that's all. If there's anything I can stop, it's prolonging the inevitable.
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He pauses, giving her another unclear look. Isn't that what he'd also experienced? Someone knowing his fate but not giving him everything? It's the same ideal of being locked in and being unable to reach what he truly wants.]
You'll do well to be careful with stuff like this, Elizabeth. I don't even know who we can trust or defend anymore. [He licks his lips, flinching again at the movement of his newly set nose.] Yours wasn't a literal cage, was it?
[...please tell him to stop questioning things.]
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Don't worry, I'm not telling you my biggest fear and weaknesses. I'm not crippled by my past anymore. [ She doesn't "trust" Luke, especially with the cautionary motion. She nods, for she can use any information she gains from him against him if needed. ] Not a literal cage, no. I wasn't an animal or what have you. It was just - ...let's call it what it was: a prisoner. I told Veronica, even if this place offered food, water, a warm bed and the appearance of a stable environment... doesn't make it any less of a prison.
[ GOD, THEY ARE DUMB. ]
Just a thought to chew.
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Can we really be considered prisoners if they seem to think we agreed to be here? That's the real question. [There's a beat.] Also the food's gross so I don't take that offer to mean much. So…wouldn't the next question be how to break out? You must have done the same back wherever you're from.
[…dumb is definitely a word to describe at least one person in this room.]
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Elizabeth watches him with a slight bit of confusion, trying to size him up. Tension may be high, but she keeps her composure a shocking amount for the most part. She stores away what she thinks he said. ]
Of course. They're lying. Even if we agreed on it, we're being denied basic knowledge alluding to such fact. [ There's a venom in her tongue. ] How to break out has been the best option and I've already talked to people about trying to find a way to the skylight.
[ Not very good theories, but it beats anything else. ]
I had a little help breaking out back home. [ Seriously, 19 years by herself and she failed every time. ] He's not here luckily, so you're stuck with my ambitious ideas. Hopefully nothing else happens because of them.
[ She lightens the mood with a tease. ]
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The skylight...you think it'd actually open if you got there? Or do you have ideas how to break the thing?
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Keep everyone out of the atrium until we do it. I don't mind being the test subject - [ she really does ] - since my ideas are what's pushing the line of logic and nonsense.
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I would really prefer you not being a test subject unless you can move fast enough to dodge. That sounds pretty risky. [Though...] You're right though, your ideas are blending both. Do you even know how to fire a gun?
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Not much of a shot at all. I know more about them than how to fire one. If my target's the broad side of a barn? Then I'll be good.
[ There's an honest laugh there, truly trying to sell her downplay of her ability to defend herself. ]
But, can anyone dodge a bullet? They're pretty fast.
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Some of us could probably figure it out. Have you studied the profiles at all? I don't even know what half of these skills mean.
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People from Rapture value style over comfort. They're too spliced out of their damn mind to give a rats ass. I'm just one girl, Luke, can't change fashion trends myself.
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You always undersell yourself? Just curious. [Because that, he thinks, might be a little dangerous.]
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[ When he tries to talk about underselling, she scoffs a bit. ]
What angle are you fishing for? What's that suppose to mean?
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[Surprise, this is how a boy from the 2000s feels.] Why do you think I'm fishing for anything? I'm actually just wondering if that's a common thing or not. Maybe I'm not used to girls not being up-front about what they're capable of.
pictured here: ty ruining my life
[ This kills man. ]
I don't think I'm really underestimating myself. I guess I'm just trying to do what everyone else is - live another day. [ She doesn't want to draw attention to herself, but there are times she can't sit idly by and let things go unnoticed. ] That's all we can do when the answers are hidden and messy.
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I suppose that's one way to look at it, but I've never been that great at sitting around and leaving answers hidden. And anybody who has a crossbox brought into this place with her probably isn't either. [He shrugs though, stretching out on the bed.] But I'll take your word for it. We're both in the same boat here. Maybe something will change soon, huh?
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[ He calls her out on her item and she smirks a bit. There's a confidence of knowing she is not the one to be messed with. She can use that. ]
The only change I want is to see the damn sun. It's been a while, it feels like. People will get all claustrophobic at this rate.
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It's only been a couple of days, but if you think people can't hack it. [A shrug.] You think more people will kill if they think it'll get them out of here faster?