three; video

[iustitiae]

[oh hello hadriel. it's "connor" but this isn't the silly laid back way he normally starts his posts, he looks very serious as he starts talking.]

Man, you guys are collectively the weirdest group of social media users. One day you're asking who ships what the next day you're making vague comments about something horrible someone did once. And it's always, "oh I couldn't possibly tell you what I did, but let me look for emotional support for my vast and intense guilt!" Please. You think you deserve sympathy for that?

[connor laughs, cold and bitter and shakes his head.]

I get it, I do. It's easier to not talk about it. Easier to live on the reputations you've built while you've been here and ask for help based solely on what people know than give up the ghost and actually show them the skeletons in your closet that you're so upset about. Maybe your friends will just imagine you cheated on your significant other once upon a time, or you accidentally lied to your mom, or you did something that, when we tell the whole story, actually sounds like it wasn't your fault at all. The kinds of things good people feel guilty about.

But let's face us - how many of us are actually good people? Why waste our time talking in circles about vague half-truths or covering our obviously deep-seeded issues with superfluous shitposting?

[he clears his throat and is quiet for a moment - dramatic flair, like he's about to drop some real truth bombs. (he is.)]

Here, I'll start: I killed my professor's husband with a group of friends. We covered up the murder like the good little future-lawyers that we are. We did a good job. We'll probably get away with it. Not that I'm likely to find out, since I'm stick here with all of you now.

[he's just going to let that...sink it. better to do it now before people start getting completely paranoid about the doubles than later on. but even if they figure out he's not his original - what does it matter? this wasn't some lie he was fabricating.]

That feels good, getting that out there. Now it's your turn.

Comments

video;

[fourthsaken]

We should talk. Like, in person.

video;

[iustitiae]

Okay. I'm in my room. You can come in.

video;

[fourthsaken]

Okay. I'm on my way.

[And her voice gets closer as she talks, walking from her room to his. She hesitates at his door for a long moment, taking several deep breathes before knocking on his door.]

> action

[iustitiae]

[he gets up and opens the door for her after she knocks and then invites her back inside, leaving the door open.]

Where do you want to start?

[fourthsaken]

[She follows him inside, though tentatively. She makes sure to keep the door open behind her.]

I wanna know what's going on.

[iustitiae]

I wanted to tell people about what happened.

[fourthsaken]

Why now? Why like that?

[iustitiae]

Because I'm tired of keeping it a secret.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade sighs in frustration, pacing in a small circle in front of him.]

But this is the stupidest way to do that!

[iustitiae]

How would you prefer I did it? Call up all my friends and tell them individually?

[fourthsaken]

Uh, yeah. Obviously that'd be a better way.

[iustitiae]

That would be way too much work.

[fourthsaken]

It'd be worth the work.

[iustitiae]

I don't know.

[fourthsaken]

It would be!

[She is so frustrated, practically working herself into a panic.]

[iustitiae]

Jade, it's okay. It's done now, we can't undo that.

[fourthsaken]

... That's like, the only thing you've been right about today.

[iustitiae]

I'm sorry you feel that way.

[fourthsaken]

Are you really?

[iustitiae]

This was important for me. I wish you could see that.

[fourthsaken]

[The last thing Jade wanted to do was make Connor upset. She carefully sits down on the edge of his bed.]

... Sorry. I... I'm trying to understand.

[iustitiae]

It's hard to keep these kinds of things to yourself.

[fourthsaken]

... Yeah, I bet.

[iustitiae]

It feels better now, for better or worse.

[fourthsaken]

... I'm glad you feel better. [She's frowning slightly, though. It's clear she still thinks this was a terribly bad idea.]