the combo of this very soft gesture and thinking again about what happened to lead to the injuries themselves means he's blinking back a few tears suddenly
[ aaaaaaaaaAAAAA HIGH PITCHED MENTAL NOISE, he immediately looks distressed, concern all over his face. ]
-- Oh -- Hey. Hey, Rupert... it's alright, you don't have to ... you don't have to tell me.
[ normally he's not this touchy necessarily, but those leftover big brother urges from vi are really coming out strong here - he shifts in his comfy sweater and gently nudges it under his eyes, careful not to hurt but trying to wipe away any tears before they show up with the edge of his sleeve. ]
[ oh that'sn ot good. he knows enough to know that much - he wipes away any more tears, then just kind of shifts to join him on the bed, gingerly. strong shoulder to lean on, if he needs it. ]
Was it... reliving something? Or something else entirely? [ softer. ] Take all the time you need.
I hadn't left. I'd been there... long enough for all three of these rounds. Having to do it the entire time.
[he trusts strohl can guess what it means in this context.]
And the last time - it was blurred together, that place and the hotel. There were three people there like family to me, and I had to pick which of them to...
[ he's perfectly happy to let that happen - despite his injuries, he can always carry, can always help.
as rupert talks, it brings back that strange woman at the very end, the one who looked at jacopo. you always choose wrong. it comes back to this, doesn't it? to choices. to cruel, unfathomable choices brought about by cruel systems. it burns up strohl, makes him scowl the minute he realises what "it" had to be. ]
Of course. [ half spit out of his mouth. angry. righteous, as always, furious that rupert had to be put through it. ] Place can't just let sleeping dogs lie, can it? Has to make the worst of the worst?
[ rupert deserves better and strohl will fight god about it ] 'm sorry. I know it doesn't make up for anything, but - still.
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Bed.
[get out of the chair you loser!!!!!]
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but also ]
I'm fine, it's fine, I promise, I'm all bandaged up, see...? Let me get you some water.
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[puppy eyes......]
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sits back down. ]
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[a beat]
What... happened to you?
[says the person missing a limb]
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LOOKS AT HIS MISSING ARM AND HIS THROAT ]
I feel as though I should be the one asking you that question - you had none of that, in that bar...
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[the injuries, that is - he would have given a heads up if he was expecting them to pop back into existence as they left. sorry strohl.]
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... What happened? It's - the gesture's appreciated, but...
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the combo of this very soft gesture and thinking again about what happened to lead to the injuries themselves means he's blinking back a few tears suddenly
sorry strohl x 2!!!!!]
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-- Oh -- Hey. Hey, Rupert... it's alright, you don't have to ... you don't have to tell me.
[ normally he's not this touchy necessarily, but those leftover big brother urges from vi are really coming out strong here - he shifts in his comfy sweater and gently nudges it under his eyes, careful not to hurt but trying to wipe away any tears before they show up with the edge of his sleeve. ]
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N-No, it's... it's okay. [little sniff.] I was back at the school.
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Was it... reliving something? Or something else entirely? [ softer. ] Take all the time you need.
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I hadn't left. I'd been there... long enough for all three of these rounds. Having to do it the entire time.
[he trusts strohl can guess what it means in this context.]
And the last time - it was blurred together, that place and the hotel. There were three people there like family to me, and I had to pick which of them to...
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as rupert talks, it brings back that strange woman at the very end, the one who looked at jacopo. you always choose wrong. it comes back to this, doesn't it? to choices. to cruel, unfathomable choices brought about by cruel systems. it burns up strohl, makes him scowl the minute he realises what "it" had to be. ]
Of course. [ half spit out of his mouth. angry. righteous, as always, furious that rupert had to be put through it. ] Place can't just let sleeping dogs lie, can it? Has to make the worst of the worst?
[ rupert deserves better and strohl will fight god about it ] 'm sorry. I know it doesn't make up for anything, but - still.
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[genuinely, even if it doesn't change what happened. after a moment:]
What about you?