unnames | night six;

night six;

[It's really hard to work himself up to go ask for help like this, especially from someone who totally stole his name from him, what the fuck.

On the other hand.

Alice is kind of...well, really dazzling, in a way that he doesn't entirely understand. She's fierce in trials, she's fearless, she-- well, actually, she's really scary a lot of the time.

But.

He's also pretty sure she won't break his limbs so here he is, trying to find her after a lot of that shit went down and hoping things are kind of okay with her (he didn't really care all too much about Franziska or Adam, and honestly... the fact that Adam was guilty makes this a little less horrifying, even if it's still bad).

A few hours have passed, so he's a bit less frazzled.]

Hey--uh. Can I ask you something?

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[By this point, she's dumped Leo off in his apartment and claimed Franziska's whip (wHY), so that's on her hip as she turns toward Alice?'s voice. Her hand wanders to the handle, but when she sees who it is, she relaxes and lets her hand fall to her side.

Even feeling as sick as she does, she's pretty sure she could take him if he tried something. But he doesn't really sound aggressive, either...

It's hard to know what to make of him, sometimes. He complains a lot, but he also hasn't raised a huge stink about the fact that she stole not only his name but his apartment from him. He's not exactly helpful in the trials all the time, but not exactly unhelpful either.

He's sort of interesting, but he would be more interesting if he stood up for himself more.

Alice might have brushed him off and kept heading back to get some rest, but she wants to see where this goes.]

You already did, just now. ♡ But you can ask me something else if you want.

Ha ha very funny.

[That's said so wryly, his expression souring immediately--but that smoothes out pretty quickly as he tries to think of what to say. He jams his hands into his pockets and his brow furrows a little, and finally, he blurts out:]

Hey, how do you do what you do? In trials and...other situations too, I guess. Where you just kinda... don't let anyone stop you.

[HOW ARE YOU SO FIERCE]

I know, I'm hilarious. ♡

[She has way too much self-confidence sometimes, which is... exactly what Alice? is asking her about!

Alice blinks rapidly, a little startled by the question. It's not something she's never heard before, but her reputation is such back in Sylvarant that nobody's bothered asking in a long time. After a moment, she giggles.]

Oh, that's easy. I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to let anyone stop me, no matter what. So I just act like I can't be stopped, and usually, that works out.

[She grins.]

It helps that I'm willing to back up my words with action if I have to, though!

[Well, that self-confidence is something he...absolutely does not have, even if he tries to fake it sometimes. He's just bad at it, and she's... well, someone that he has to try to emulate, he thinks.]

Huh, really...? [That's interesting, though. He tilts his head to one side, frowning a little.] Why?

... I mean, not that it's a bad thing, but like--you just decided? Just like that?

Mhm. Just like that!

[Alice beams. The smile stays on her face even as she keeps talking, which - considering what she's talking about - might seem kind of odd.]

...where I come from, most people treated me like dirt. The more it happened, the more annoyed I got! So I decided that I'd become so powerful that nobody could look down on me ever again.

[She clasps her hands behind her back.]

If I get scared, if I act afraid, then people have power over me. I'm never going to let that happen.

[It is a little odd, but on the other hand... it strikes him that she's a lot stronger again than he'd even thought. To be treated that way... and then to decide to just not let it happen again?

To just become strong, and stop it from happening...

He laughs a little, a short and somewhat deprecating one, because he's impressed by her (but he doesn't know if he's strong enough to do that too).]

Hah... just like that, huh? You really are strong. Jeeze, I never stood a chance.

I don't see why anyone would treat you like dirt though. You're a cute girl with some violent tendencies sure, but...

Well of course you didn't stand a chance if that's how easily you give up. [Dizzy as she is, she still manages to lean over and jab him in the chest with a finger.] You have to fight back. Before you can change anything about the world around you, you have to change yourself.

[And then use those changes to repay the people who treated him badly, tit for tat.]

Oh, that's easy. I guess it's not the same where everyone here comes from, but in Sylvarant, there are elves and there are humans and people really don't like people who are both. Because they're scared of them, probably.

[tl;dr fantasy racism. Also she's a half-elf, surprise!]

Well that sounds stupid.

[Thanks for that nuanced view on racism, Jeff. Still, he straightens a bit when she pokes him in the chest, and fights the urge to reach out to steady her because he thinks she might bite his hand off.]

Change myself, huh... [... It's good advice, actually. It's really good advice, and he's not sure he'll be able to do it, but...]

Look... thanks. You can keep the room, but it's not because you took it, it's because you seem happier there, and whatever, doesn't matter to me. But... I'm not gonna let you walk all over me either in the future, okay?

[He's deciding that now!!! Good luck sticking to it, Jeff.]

It is, but what can you do? People are stupid.

[By people, she means humans, but eh... humans are numerous enough that it's pretty much the same thing.]

But I guess I should be thanking them for being a bunch of idiots, because it made me stronger.

[On second thought, nah. Alice doesn't really do the whole "please and thank you" thing unless she can get something out of it.

...Alice?'s declaration that he's not going to let her walk all over him anymore makes her giggle. She was right - he is a lot more interesting when he's acting like he has a backbone, and she claps her hands, delighted.]

But you're just so easy to walk over... [wait for it] Jefferey.

[Rude!!!!!

But also he can kind of see what this is, and so he crosses his arms, huffing.]

It's Alice. You can't just take the name from me no matter what you guys voted on. And I'm not giving it up, not in a place like this.

But even Judy agrees that's your name now. It's official and everything.

[She grins.]

What are you going to do about it?

... Probably nothing.

[He has to admit that with a sigh, rolling his eyes, and he knows that doesn't go along with what Alice was just saying, except, well--]

S'not like anyone believed in that name for me here anyway even before Shijima happened, and even if I've got a reason to hold onto it back where I came from... it doesn't really matter here.

But if you think I'm gonna go along with anything else... you're absolutely wrong.

Wrong answer!

[Alice punctuates the declaration with a crack of the whip, but at least she didn't hit him with it. She... isn't stowing it back on her hip, though. Uh-oh.]

It was changed by a vote, so that means you should be able to change it back with a vote. Gather support from people in the time we have before someone else ends up dead, then take it to Judy right away so we can get it over with. It'll get you your name back, and make you look good because you won't be using trial time to get people to support you.

People're getting murdered and you want me to focus on a name change?

[He huffs out, faintly. (Keep that whip to yourself.)

Besides... he's starting to get used to it, and it's...not such a terrible thing to be known by a name different from everyone else??

(It's complicated.)]

When we get through all of this, I'll make sure everyone calls me by the name I wanna be called by, and that's that.

It's not like there's a lot we can do between now and when someone dies again, but if it doesn't matter to you enough to change it, then don't harp on about it.

[Well, he seems determined enough not to need another crack of the whip to scare him into action, so she'll stow it back at her waist for now.

This time, her smile actually looks like a smile instead of a smirk.]

...that's the spirit. ♡

[He's gonna harp on about it!!! It's what he's good at.

But.

He just blinks at the smile, and the somewhat...almost-praise, and flushes.]

Er... right.

[Oh no, now he's embarrassed.]

So like--

[...Aaaaah.]

--I'm gonna go, and don't take this the wrong way but. Thanks.

[...what an awkward guy.

But her opinion of him has actually shot up by quite a bit, so she doesn't bristle at being thanked. Instead, she grins.]

You're welcome! ♡

[But since he's leaving, she'll go, too! A successful conversation.]

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night six;

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