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[justsayyes]

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Maybe I'll decide to care.

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[justsayyes]

"Even if I don't want to be helped." Phrasing it as a hypothetical is probably all that avoided another bumblebee spawn for her.

[biocomposer]

Ah, Jasper, you can't just accuse him of being smart when it's convenient for you.

"Do you not want to be helped?"

[justsayyes]

"I don't even know if I can be helped." Which is totally not answering the question. She snorts and crosses her arms defensively, looking away. "I'm just a waste of your time."

And. Bees again. She should've known, snarling as she swats them away.

[biocomposer]

Elijah smiles despite himself.

"...I see. I apologize, I didn't intend to turn this against you, but it's encouraging to know you don't believe that."

[justsayyes]

She glowers.

"I hate you."

She knows better, but it's out before she can stop herself. More bees. So many bees. It's lucky she can't get anaphylaxis.

[biocomposer]

Elijah leans back, cautious. Bees are still bees regardless of who's...generating them.

"Would it feel better for you to know that I'm affected myself?"

[justsayyes]

"How would that help?!" To her credit, Jasper isn't yelping at the stings, but by the look of the welts they have to be pretty painful.

[biocomposer]

"I don't want you to go away from this conversation and realize that you have no evidence I was telling the truth," Elijah points out. "I'm assuming you can deal with a few insects, given that you have superhuman strength and speed...?"

[justsayyes]

She glowers, muttering a defensive "they're magic insects," then sighs. "Fine."

[biocomposer]

Elijah helps, at least insofar as he can help by using a book against a few bees far away enough from Jasper that he won't exactly hit her.

"...well, then. I'm an inmate," he says, bluntly, for the experience of coughing out something with more legs than he's happy having had in his mouth. "And - affected, clearly."

[justsayyes]

She smacks the last one so that it poofs back out of existence. "Great, you've proven it. Congratulations."

[biocomposer]

"The intention was to prove the honesty of everything I've said so far," he reminds her. "That I want to see you graduate, I believe you're capable, and I do fully intend to let you benefit from my deal when it's been granted."

[justsayyes]

Jasper sighs dramatically. "I know. You already said all that."

It never occurred to her to think Elijah was lying about being affected. Even if she thinks he's too smart to believe the rest of it.

[biocomposer]

"Mm."

He looks across at her.

"As I also already said, I don't intend to use this as an opportunity to interrogate you. So unless you have any further questions for me...?"

[justsayyes]

"Why not? You ask enough questions the rest of the time."

[biocomposer]

"I do. But ordinarily, you have the option to respond however you like. I already have enough power over you without depriving you of that."

[justsayyes]

"Doesn't stop you from assuming you know when I'm telling the truth or not, you know."

[biocomposer]

"No, it doesn't, but I assume that sometimes I'm wrong."

He smiles faintly.

"Regardless, I'm a little surprised that you're not letting this go. Is there anything you want me to ask you?"

[justsayyes]

"Really?" She snorts. "Because it sure doesn't feel like it. Perfect Elijah with all the answers." No bugs, because, well. It's true to how she feels, dealing with him. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but you're a human. How about you act like it sometimes."

[biocomposer]

Elijah looks at her for several moments, then relaxes back into his seat. Clearly they aren't quite done here.

"What does 'acting like a human' mean to you, Jasper?" he asks. "What would that look like, to you?"

[justsayyes]

"It's like I'm the only one with- with feelings when we talk. Even when I try to make you mad. Like you're better than me."

She doesn't, interestingly, say that her thinks he's better. Buy it's probably not a secret to Elijah that Jasper sees her emotions as weakness.

She looks away, arms crossed again. "... like talking to a Diamond sometimes." They make her feel small too, in a different way.

[biocomposer]

"...I'm sorry that that bothers you, Jasper."

He folds his hands in his lap, looks away slightly.

"My emotional affect has always been - quite low. Flat, perhaps. It's more often been framed as a criticism. People can find me...off-putting, or inauthentic. Less than human, as you said yourself."

[justsayyes]

Jasper stays quiet and still for a moment.

"Doesn't make it any easier to feel like you care. Or won't leave."

It might be less of an issue if she allowed herself more connections with people, but after all this time, Elijah was still the most intimate relationship she has. By far.

[biocomposer]

"Jasper..."

He leans forward in his seat, placing himself a little closer to her.

"I've told you that I do, and I won't. You know that I'm telling the truth. Anything I do to...emphasise that will come across as performative at best."

But even now he looks a little off-kilter, even distressed.

[justsayyes]

She looks sidelong at him, her expression tight and sour. She hates having to say any of this out loud. But she can see that she is, finally, having some kind of impact on him.

It's enough, for now, for her to huff and let some of the tension out of her shoulders.

"Fine. But it still sucks."