sasetai | Week 1 | Jinah and Vriska's hut

You can say that but--

[ She bites her lip, frustrated. Not at Vriska, but at something else, something intangible. She wants to speak but she doesn't know if she should, doesn't know if what's in her head will make sense once it's given life through her voice. ]

No one really knows what they're capable of till they're put in that situation.

[ It is not a yes or a no. Her pulse is loud in her ears, too loud for her to hear properly.]

I think, I think a lot of people have done a lot of bad things to me. And.. I don't think I've never done anything back.

[ Her expression is troubled, not because she is hurt or upset, but more like...like she's trying to solve a word problem in her head. ]

But all those times.. I never had a chance to do anything. If I had a chance to defend myself or make a choice...it might have been different, it might not have. And that's what's scary, the idea that I might not know because everyone else here.. they all seem like they know what they're going to do.

[ Just ... watches her, feeling far more mixed feelings than she thinks she really should about someone she barely knows.

I think a lot of people have done a lot of bad things to me. And.. I don't think I've never done anything back.

She's got spine and a good heart, this girl. What a lethal combination for someone like Vriska.

Wordlessly, Vriska clambers off her bed and moves to sit on the end of Jinah's instead. Their arms almost, but don't quite, brush. Vriska will look at her sidelong. ]

So fight. Stop taking people's shit. Don't take anyone's shit. Not even mine. Let's be real, even if people here seem like they know what they're doing, they're making it all up as they go. It is a whole fuckton of bullshit and bluffing! Act like you know what you're doing, and everyone else will believe it, too.

[ Glances down at the floor. ]

You showed spine back at the longhive. I can appreciate that! You didn't want to show weakness, and that was smart. So if you ask me, all you need to do is trust your instincts.

[ Drums her fingers on her leg. Tap-tap-tap-tap. ]

Can you fight?

[ She is so occupied with piecing together the fragmented thoughts buried in her head (and trying very hard not to cut her finger on the sharper edges) she does not notice Vriska stir. Suddenly she is so close and Jinah flinches instinctively.

But then she speaks, every word carrying a quiet spark of conviction. If Vriska believes all these things then she wants to try hard to believe them too. ]

I don't think I'm very good at it. [ If the blurry memories and constant taste of iron in the back of her throat mean anything, anyway. She frowns, gaze fixed on her own hands and then Vriska's.

She trusts Vriska.

So she stands up and kneels in front of the chest she'd previously been sitting on. ]

I'm going to show you something, but you can't tell anyone about it. No matter how much you want to. [ she says all this without looking up. She's digging through beach towels, and shells, and other trinkets she's collected in the past three days. And then from the very bottom of her chest, she pulls it out. ]

Do you remember? Everyone got something from home. This is what they gave me.

[ It's sturdy and sharp. The blade is about 6 inches long. In gleams in the dim light of their hut. Looking at it makes her feel a little sad. ]

Edited 2017-08-08 18:41 (UTC)

[ Vriska watches her stand, brow furrowing slightly, but she doesn't say anything. Not at first.

And she ends up being glad she didn't immediately run her mouth, because her skin flashes cold when Jinah brings the weapon out. Vriska has a moment of inward panic where she wonders if she judged Jinah wrongly, if this girl is a killer after all and has simply been hiding it well, if she's been duped--

... but she doesn't feel like she's wrong in her estimation of the other girl's nature. Frowning, Vriska will stand again and reach for the knife. Assuming Jinah lets her have it, she'll look it over, twisting it this way and that in the low light. ]

This is no fucking joke. This is a knife you use if you want to really hurt somebody before you kill them.

[ Her brow furrows in a mixture of confusion and concern. ]

Why do you have this?

[ she frowns, openly frustrated. if it was earlier in the day, if they weren't in the privacy of their own living quarters she would shrug off vriska's chiding. but it's just the two of them, so she is annoyed.

she still let's her have it. her eyes only briefly leaving the cold glint of steel so she can properly scowl at vriska with the whole of her expression. ]

I'm not stupid, I know that. [ despite the look on her face, her voice is quiet. hand on her heart, fingers on her pulse, steady rhythm letting her relax even though someone else is holding the knife. ]

And I don't know why I have it. It was already here when I got here...

[ it is quiet for a moment, and she looks at the knife thoughtfully, like she might see something more when someone else is holding it. she doesn't-- but she figures its fair to offer at little more than her own frustration. ]

It was my boyfriend's, so its still a piece of home even if it doesn't actually belong to me.

[ Really, Vriska isn't trying to tell her off. She's just at a loss for how to judge the situation, which is an unfamiliar feeling for her. She keeps frowning as she watches the other girl. She doesn't have to argue or protest the point, thankfully - Jinah ends up answering what she meant by that question with her last statement, anyway. ]

So that's why. I didn't mean why the chiefs gave it to you, you dope! I meant that other thing. I was wondering if you were familiar with it.

[ Sighing through her nose, Vriska will hand the knife back. ] I am pretty curious why your boytoy had something like this! I would like to hear that story. For now, you definitely need to keep this hidden. Stashing it in your trunk is not a bad idea, for now, but you might want to move it to a different hiding place later. It could easily incriminate you if someone decided to go through our stuff.

[ She takes the knife back from Vriska and sits on her knees in front of the trunk, re-organizing her things. ]

That's what I was worried about. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea. I don't know what I'll do about it later though..

[ From where she's kneeling she looks up at Vriska, her hands cease in moving around the baubles and towels at the bottom of the chest. ]

What did they give you? From home I mean..

[ If vriska wants the story behind her own token from home she'll have to pry, Jinah opts instead to switch the subject if Vriska will let her. ]

Edited 2017-08-12 02:25 (UTC)

We'll figure it out. You've got me on your side now! [ flashes Jinah an abrupt grin ] I won't let anything happen to you.

[ Oh she's gonna pry, alright. But in interest of not being a huge bitch, she figures it's fair to make it an equivalent exchange.

So she'll shrug and move over towards her own trunk. After digging through it, she'll pull out, uh, some weird house shaped thing and toss it onto Jinah's bed. Except her version isn't glowing. It's just a dull off-white and sits there pointlessly. ]

That. Believe it or not, it's a weapon, except for the part where it's completely useless now.

[ She pokes her head up and watches Vriska throw the mysterious object over to her, before reaching over so she can poke at it (quite literally, one finger, just once-- poke. ]

Well.. at least it's not a liability right? [ She doesn't feel any safer with a knife at the foot of her bed after all. It's a sobering thought; to realize that from here on out she'd have to be careful about everything. ]

Um, what you said before. I know that you have to care because we're on the same team, but you've been really nice-- more than you have to be!

[ She stands up and clasps Vriska's hands much like she did in the Longhouse. ]

I really mean it when I say I hope that you can depend on me! And that if you need anything that you'll come to me for help.

[ There's an awful lot of determination in the way she says it. She doesn't even care if Vriska yells or calls her stupid again. ]

[ Vriska ends up staring at her when she ends up going off again about how nice she's being. She seems to be trying to formulate a response when Jinah stands up and comes over and grasps her hands.

Again!

There's a mix of horror and revulsion on her face, though she doesn't immediately snap. She just lets Jinah say her piece and kind of keeps on staring at her like she's maybe never seen anything like her before.

For what it's worth, she doesn't break Jinah's grip. Vriska curls her fingers slightly and stares down at the floor and all in all actually just looks ... horribly unhappy. ]

You deserved a better teammate than someone like me, Jinah, [ she says to the floor, her voice a quiet mutter. ] You deserved someone nice. Someone who could actually take care of you.

[ And then, with a deep breath, Vriska squares her shoulders and looks up at the other girl with an angry sort of determination.

And she'll actually grip Jinah's hands in return. ]

But you got me. So I will have to do my best to be that person for you.

[ She swallows, suddenly awkward in her own skin. ]

I'll, uh... sure. Rely on you too, or whatever.

[ It takes every bit of patience she has not to immediately interject. Vriska had listened to her without yelling this time, this is the least she could do in exchange.

But when all is said and done she grips her hands a little tighter and she frowns a pouty sort of frown. Because she is concerned, because she is sad. ]

You don't need to explain yourself or apologize for anything. You are nice! I mean you can be really mean sometimes! But you're still nice when it matters.

[ She has some mercy and frees Vriska from her vice grip. Her own hands fall at her sides, and after a moment she smiles just a little bit. ]

I'm not a baby, you don't need to take care of me. And if you want to take care of me then I'm going to take care of you too! You can yell about it all you want but that's just how it's going to be.

... pff.

[ Somewhat despite herself, Vriska will smile. It's a vulnerable, private thing. Usually her smiles are big and loud and full of teeth, but this one is as quiet as her mood seems to be. ]

Whatever. You don't know shit. But I am starting to think maybe my luck was holding out when they assigned us together, or ... you know, whatever.

[ Once Jinah frees her she'll move away and dive onto her bed, landing face down with a groan that's like "hnnngngnhnhngngn."

And then she'll fold her arms and use them as a pillow for her head while she stares at Jinah. ]

You're so nice. Seriously, what gives? No one is this nice. Sometimes I think you're just bullshitting me.

[ Her chest closes with a quiet creak, when the knife is put away she feels like she can rest easy again. She sits back on top of it, feeling safer when the whole of her weight is keeping it shut.

She's been listening the whole time-- she's got a sort of confused look on her face.]

I can be mean, and I've done bad things before. But I don't have any reason not to be nice to you.

[ Good people, bad people, no one was ever the sum of their capabilities at face value. She's never been able to think of anything, let alone a personality in absolutes. ]

Oh, but I also have no reason to lie to you. You're my friend! And you're a girl! So you can trust me and I can trust you.

... haha. It's not that I don't believe you're capable of those things! That actually doesn't surprise me to here. It's that you're still a nice person anyway, which says a lot about you.

[ Things Vriska could never say of herself. She internalized awfulness and gave the world back awfulness in return, because that's just the kind of person she is.

The "you're a girl!" catches her attention, though. As opposed to...? Does Jinah have some kind of general problem with boys? Time to file that away to casually bring up later in an attempt to pry. ]

I know, Jinah. I trust you. We will be a real team. [ a small smile. ] Now can you maybe like shut up and get some sleep? It's pretty late!

[ She rolls her eyes a little but she smiles nonetheless. There are many uncertainties about this place and what will come, but at the very least in the confines of this shabby little hut, she feels safe. ]

Okay, okay, but I mean it. So don't try and keep anything from me.

[ She does not expect to sleep, but for Vriska she'll try. ]

Week 1 | Jinah and Vriska's hut | Sunday evening

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