wearesuperior | Week 6

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Week 6 - post-trial

Who: Athena and Maribelle
When: Friday evening
Where: Athena's Room

[That was... a rather rough afternoon, even by trial standards. Maribelle isn't particularly good at comfort with anyone other than Lissa so she didn't really approach anyone after the execution, but after a silent dinner she feels the need to talk to someone.

So, an hour or two later, Maribelle gets herself let into the Griffin Wing by someone so that she can knock on Athena's door. This feels familiar. Except Maribelle is forced to rather rudely kick on Athena's door rather than knock, as her hands are somewhat weighed down by a full tea tray.]

Darling? I do hope you aren't already in bed.

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[She's not such an early sleeper, although she's still, frankly, seething after that stupid trial. But when she knocks, Athena lets her in.]

Oh! Hi there! Not at all.

Good. You don't mind if I come in? [She's coming in. She carried this tray all the way up from the kitchen.] I... wondered if we might have a little chat.

Please do!

[You're good. Athena is too nice to kick someone out even if she did mind, but she doesn't. She...suspects she's going to be talked to about having such a meltdown, but it's okay.]

You're always welcome to come on by! I go to bed pretty late.

That's wonderful to hear. [She'll just set the tray down on Athena's sitting area table and arrange everything nicely for a late night tea party. There's a light smell of citrus from the tea.] You're very lucky you know, I don't make tea myself for just anyone. But I find that a cup of tea before bed is just perfect for calming ones nerves.

That's so sweet of you!

[Pulling chairs over from the porch door.]

I used to drink tea to pull a late night study session...

I'm afraid I would get scolded for doing the same. [Smiles at that and waits for Athena to sit down before pouring her a cup of tea, obviously following some strict pattern with how she does it. She then pours her own the same way before speaking again.] I wanted to tell you how admirably I thought you performed today.

Oh!

[Well, that's a surprise. She doesn't feel like she did much that was very admirable. She got upset and made everyone worry.]

Well, thank you! So did you!

Darling, I didn't do a thing. [She was rather out of her depth this trial. Give her a head wound to examine any day.] I'm referring to your argument with our dear Host. You launched a logical attack that should have saved that young man. You and the others did very well.

[She'll... get to the suicide threats eventually.]

Oh, of course.

[The Len thing. She immediately huffs.]

I'm still so angry! I was right. It should have worked.

It absolutely should have! They're just lousy cheats who want it all their own way. Your argument was sound and even if we did have to execute Rin, they could have at least given you that boy's body as a compromise. [Joining Athena in being huffy.]

They're just vile.

It's awful, because...I know someone who could certainly have fixed him. I would only have to convince her, but...I'm sure she would have helped.

[Although in fact she would not.]

[Maybe if Athena got Apollo to ask instead.]

I thought as much. But it's not as if it would have cost them anything if she couldn't fix him. They just don't want us to beat them at anything, no matter how inconsequential.

Grr. He said I was nitpicky. That's what someone says when they know they're wrong.

That or imply you're hysterical. Oh, it was so upsetting.

But it made me think that we may need to devise some plan of convincing to them to do as we say in the future.

Oh, of course! I entirely agree!

I think we need to start ruining their little game. If we can somehow convince everyone not to participate, that would be one way. But there's also...

Towards the end, the Host said destruction wasn't good for them, but it's not actually against the rules besides walls and doors. I was thinking we should go through the castle and just start ruining everything that could be used in a murder. It would be a terrible mystery that way.

We don't have any more explosives and littering is against the rules... But fire isn't. Controlled fire, obviously. If they're going to go against the spirit of their rules, I see no reason why we shouldn't do the same. Besides, the decor in here is frankly terrible, we should clear out some of the clutter. [They'd be doing them a favor!!]

I was thinking more along the lines of some form of leverage, however. I'm not sure everyone refusing the vote would work in our favor, but something else, perhaps... Like what happened on Sunday.

[Damn Maribelle. Even she isn't so mad she considered setting the entire place on fire. But she's impressed.]

Yes...Apollo setting that explosive was so smart and brave. We need to do something like that. To show them their rules can be used against them.

[She meant to dispose of stuff but honestly burning the place down doesn't sound too bad either. She's not too posh to sleep in the stables if she has to.]

Yes, something loud and drastic... I think it frightened the Host into being much more agreeable with me than he needed to. If he'd refused to negotiate, what could I have done? But even if he didn't give in completely, he wasn't too stubborn. Obviously they won't give us another explosive so easily, but if we could find a way to replicate the effect it could be very useful.

There's always...

We could sit quietly in our rooms with the doors locked! And only come out at breakfast and dinner, and not say a thing at either meal. It will be the most boring TV show in the world.

[She said loud and drastic, Athena...]

A silent protest? It could work, though I fear we'd all go mad.

Drastic...I think drastic is refusing to give them any single thing they want.

True. Even an explosion is likely preferable to a sleeping audience.

But I can't help feel that something like that would rely on complete cooperation from all of us to have a "drastic" effect. And we've already seen that every week, they manage to find at least one person they can convince to do as they please.

That's true. But...it feels different to me now.

Before, I think we were all trying to survive and keep the people we care about safe. At least, I was. But I realized that...as long as I let them have leverage over me, they'll always be able to hurt me. I won't let them anymore.

We should tear the incentives off the wall as soon as they appear from now on. They cause nothing but grief. I shan't humor them one inch more than I must.

... But you really believe things have changed? I know they have for me personally, but I can hardly speak for everyone.

Not for everyone. But with enough of us, maybe we can make something happen.

I'll never believe them again. Len was one of the hostages, and they brought him back and destroyed them. I'll never believe a thing they say. And I think a lot of us understand that feeling.

Mm, you're right. The incentives are meaningless, really, they're just a trick. Perhaps now people will begin to realise that and focus on our real battle.

I'm glad you agree with me. I don't think I can stand another week of this, without making any progress. Something has to change.

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Week 6 - post-trial

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