travailler | Empatheias Inbox

[Through tears, snorts, and sniffles, Elphelt shouts. Uh, mentally. ]

Zwei, stop, I don't want to see--!

[The mutilated corpse of a...balloon? The confusion is powerful. So powerful that the crying stops.]

? ? ?

[She literally sends '???' into Ruby's mind. Something beyond language--the pure sensation of 'what'.]

Ruby. That is a balloon.

[ Though Elphelt's confusion may be quite distinct, Ruby doesn't acknowledge it. What she's done is very clear-cut, after all. She's so ashamed!!! ]

I know...I know!!! Someone should have had this for the birthday! But instead, I...I...

[ She can't hold it in any longer. She must be free of her sins! ]

I STOLE IT!!!

[GASP.]

You stole it?! That's...That's theft, Ruby!

[Her entire perception of the heroic protagonist is crumbling before her eyes. Ruby is nothing more than a common criminal! A thief! A ne'er-do-well! A villain.]

I can't believe you. Why would you do something like that? And then hide the evidence...?!

[ That's right...she's no better than Roman Torchwick now!! If he ever finds out about this, she'll never hear the end of it...what was she thinking?! ]

I-I-I don't know! Something just came over me, and I saw that balloon through the window, and I...I wanted it so bad! So...

I took it. Without paying!!!

[ What she doesn't mention is that she just forgot to pay in her excitement and once she realized, she was too horrified to go back and own what she had done. ]

I'm despicable...the Enforcers should lock me away and throw away they key!!!

[Is Ruby's true nature that of an edgy, rule-breaking badboy--uh, girl? No, that can't be true. It is time for Elphelt to intervene! She cannot allow Ruby to fall down this spiral into delinquency.]

Ruby. We are marching down to that store and you are going to tell them what you did.

[If the shopkeeper decides to involve the Enforcers, well...hopefully time behind bars will scare Ruby straight.]

What? N-no! I can't go back there! What I'd they really do send me to jail?!

[ Sure, she might deserve it, but that doesn't mean it's what she wants! There must be some other way for her to make recompense! After all, it's just one balloon...

But who knows. This week it's balloon, next week it's cars and national monuments. Where will she draw the line?! ]

RUBY.

[Elphelt takes a deep breath. She doesn't like having to be firm, but she will when necessary! And it is necessary here!!!]

You can't live a lie. It's not who you are--just look at how much it is already bothering you! You need to own up to what you did and make it right.

[She expects so much more of Ruby! But she also knows Ruby can fix this.]

I won't make you do it alone. I'll come with you...for emotional support and a character witness.

[Maybe she can get the jail sentence lowered a decade or two.]

But...but...

[ But no buts. She has no excuses for her behavior, and Elphelt is right. She'll never feel settled again if they don't resolve this sooner rather than later. The longer she waits, the longer it will fester, and the closer she will come to being a real thug...

She can't do that. She's a proud huntress! ]

...Okay. I'll do it. Just...promise you'll visit me in jail. And bring chocolate chip cookies, if you can...

Of course! I promise to bring as many as you can eat to all our conjugal visits.

[Pretty sure the visits will be of the non-conjugal variety, as exciting as the tumultuous, strenuous life of marriage to a hardened criminal would be. But maybe Elphelt can get the inevitable prison sentence cut down if she plays the role of a distressed wife, unsure of how to raise their child (Zwei) all on her own...?

Or maybe she can hide a chisel and crowbar in the cookies.

Either way, she knows she will have to think of a way to keep Ruby from suffering the full extent of the law, no matter how she may deserve it. Think about it. Ruby is too sweet, innocent, pure--prison will eat her alive! She'll get gang tattoos, shank a guy, and have a 6 o'clock shadow at all times. Elphelt cannot allow that.

For now, though...]

I believe in you, Ruby. You can do this. I'll be right there beside you as moral support.

[And to grab her when Ruby invariably has second thoughts.]

[ Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), Ruby doesn't know what a conjugal visit is, only that it means cookies and that's all that matters to her, really. Whatever comes, she can at least look forward to that...she'll have Elphelt's support, as well as that of her all her friends and family!

Assuming they can still look her in the eye after learning about what she's done... ]

Alright. It's going to be okay...I know it will!

[ She just has to keep this positive attitude, all throughout her years of eventual prison! ]

[The support of everyone who doesn't disown her for committing such a heinous act. Elphelt is sure most of them will still accept her. She gives Weiss a 50/50, though.]

That's the attitude. The truth will set you free. [Uh.] Metaphorically. The truth here is liable to get you locked--that isn't important! I'm sure they will go easy on you.

[The gears are turning. Something clicks.]

--Wait, wait, wait, hold up. You threatened to kill me over a balloon? That's seriously messed up! Maybe they'll just throw the book at you.

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