originallutece | (no subject)

[ he shakes his head a little, though the gesture is subtle, his eyes darting back and forth, tracing the rise of his knuckles as he leans on his hands, still braced against the table's edge. his fingers flex slightly, lifting and then settling. ]

I don't know, I mean. I scrolled through the network to see if anyone else was talking about it, and I only found one other person. [ he straightens up, then, and turns around, leaning his back against the table and lifting his arms to cross them over his chest. after a moment, he uncrosses one of them and rubs one hand over the back of his head, forward over his scalp and then back, fluffing his hair a little. ] I read through what he said, some of the things he said to people who had responded, and the only thing—

[ stiles pauses for a moment, his hand slowing, then lifting away so he can gesture with it. ]

The only thing we have in common is that he didn't have a contract with anyone, either. I don't know when he got here, but.

[ but stiles was at the end of his allotted three months. he doesn't feel like he has to say as much, because rosalind got here at the same time he did, and he knows for a fact that she can do simple math. ]

[That must be it. Of course it is. They were given a deadline and Stiles hadn't followed it, and god knows they have ways to punish those who don't do as they like. With that said: her next decision comes swiftly and easily.]

Then make one with me.

[ stiles, who's been staring down at the rubber toes of his sneakers since he turned around to lean against the table, snaps his head up, brows furrowing sharply. he turns his whole body to look at rosalind, lets his one hand rest lightly against the top of the work station as he rears his head back a little, as if she's just proposed something crazy. ]

What? [ he blinks, then lift his hand off the table to cut it horizontally through the air in the space between them, shaking his head. ] No. No way.

[ there's maybe half a second's pause, his expression softening a little. ]

I mean, no offense. It's not— you. You're... great? You're awesome. Like, really smart and I trust you? [ get rid of that question mark stiles. you trust her, that's not a question. ] And this is sounding like a really bad break-up.

[ stiles exhales, draws his hand up to touch at his chin a little, then let's his fingers drift a little to his throat, like he might be able to feel the mark that's there. ]

... But this isn't what they said would happen if we didn't find someone to enter a contract with. They lied. [ he wets his lips, makes a point to make eye-contact. ] ... And I've been thinking.

[Her fingers drum impatiently, but given he's just suffered through a trauma, she'll bite her tongue for a little longer.]

Go on.

[He's clearly got some sort of idea in mind-- and he's a clever boy. Clever enough that he's worth minding.]

[ stiles drops his hand from his throat, turns his palm up and out, about hip-level. he wets his lips, drags his teeth over the bottom one as he tries to gather his thoughts into something that's concise and straightforward. which is nearly impossible, because this is stiles, but at least he recognizes that he is the way that he is, and who he's talking to. ]

When we first got here, they snapped those bracelets on us before we could leave. You remember? [ stiles sure as shit remembers, because it's how he met rosalind, and it's kind of hard to forget the resulting smothering in an alley. a n y w a y. ] If you filled out that survey truthfully, they came off easy. If you lied, you... paid a fine. [ #fearboner ] If you refused to pay the fine, well.

[ he gestures with his hand, shrugs. he doesn't really need to explain all this, because he's sure she knows. ]

So it seemed like those who lied were being punished, right? But then there was Tumin— Tu...minalia? Whatever. There was that, and I'm not 100% sure on this, but I'm pretty sure anyone who was still wearing their bracelet? They were treated like Gods. They were rewarded for lying, for refusing.

[ stiles pauses for a second, tries to bridge the points he's trying to make. ]

I refused to contract with someone, and I was sent below, demoted. Whatever you want to call it. But they said they would force a contract if we didn't find someone in time, and they didn't. Punishment... but rewarded. Maybe not by their standards, but the last thing I wanted was to be attached to someone. And I'm not.

[ he rubs his fingers against his forehead, squints a little. ]

I just. I don't know. It's called the Lies program. They're looking for the Deceit Gene. It's like they want...

[ he tapers off. ]

I do hear you. And you do have a good point.

[She takes a step forward, not so much to be intimidating but to get closer to him.]

But that being said: are you truly willing to risk yourself on a hint? They've taken away so much from you already. Do you want to see what else they might take away? Stiles, I don't disagree that-- that fighting against them is necessary, but not at your own risk. Not foolishly.

You can always break the contract. But it seems illogical to refuse on a whim when you haven't gotten more evidence yet. So: contract with me, and study more.

[ stiles doesn't back away from her when she steps closer. instead, he looks at her, silently, and for a long time. he thinks about all the risks he's ever taken, in the last two years of his life especially.

he thinks about all of the times he's found himself face to face with the barrel of a gun. all the times he's looked a predator in the eyes. he thinks about how he literally sacrificed his life, once, gave it in place of his father's, knowing there would be risks, both during at after.

this is not a risk, by comparison. in the face of everything else stiles has been through and gone up against, this is easy. this is nothing.

stiles blinks, lowers his gaze for only a moment. he likes rosalind. he really, truly does. he enjoys her company, appreciates her attitude, even if sometimes their stances on certain topics clash. he respects her, but— ]

I can't. [ he looks up, offers her the weakest attempt at a smile, lips closed, mouth tight. ] I'll be fine.

[ he's always fine. his headstone is going to read "i'm fine". ]

At least do me the courtesy of not lying to me, Stiles.

[She won't insist on it. He seems intent on his decision, and she won't argue pointlessly. But she does think this a mistake, and refuses to think otherwise. But she'll be waiting, if and when he changes his mind.]