| Details for Perspectives of Honour |
| Summary: | Ria and Ripley try to convince Lucian to stay in the tournament. Lucian goes nuclear. |
| Date: | November 24, 1937 |
| Location: | Slytherin Common Room |
| Related: | Immediately follows Integrity |
| Characters |
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Lucian bursts into the Slytherin common room in a silent rage. His jaw clenched, the seething can be seen in his eyes as he stares down a few underclassmen who have the misfortune of being in his path. Nearly every student in the room exchanges confused looks, as just over an hour ago, he was in high spirits at dinner. Though it is Polly Parkinson that smirks smugly over at Vera Valentine, murmuring, "I told him Christmas Jones is back in the tournament." The girls giggle softly, and start to make their way to the girls' dormitory.
After returning from a rather enjoyable dinner, Ria is just making her way out from the girls' dormitory in time to catch Polly's words. She pauses in the middle of loosening her tie to ask the girl with a quirked brow, "Wait. What?" A few terrified first years slip past her, and she follows their trail to catch a very steamed Lucian standing in the middle of the common room. Uh oh. Her first instinct is to try and diffuse the situation, and walking her way up to her fellow prefect she asks, "What's wrong, Luc?"
Thankfully for the rest of the room (much of which is emptying, though plenty are happy to stay and watch the show), the sight of Ria brings a measure of calm to Lucian. But he is still boiling under the surface. "Auror Bates is what's wrong. That ridiculous man-child has let Jones back into the tournament. It's an insult to the art itself!" He reaches for her hand to tug her along so he can flop down on a couch, but keep her near.
The door opens to the common room and in walks Ripley with a stack of books under one arm. He stops as he sees Lucian and Ria and then just grins a bit, "Got some news for you Lucian…"
Auror Bates? Ria's ears perk up instantly at the name, my god she could watch that man duel all day. Hell, she could just watch him all day. Bannon Bates in all his bowler hat glory. But she snaps back to reality when Lucian tells her what happened. And she instantly frowns turning to where Polly Parkinson just disappeared. "So it is true…but how could he? Did Dumbledore or Dippet allow it?" she lets herself be pulled by arm over to the couch. Looks up she winces at Ripley, making a slicing motion across her neck in a 'probably not a good time' fashion.
Lucian growls at Ripley without really looking at him, "I know, Fox." He shakes his head, wrapping an arm around Ria and staring straight ahead…causing a Second Year to move before he's burned by the beams of fury undoubtedly about to project from Lucian's eyes. "I'm sure Bumblebore's all for it. Jones is a Gryffindor after all, and so was Bates. Do you know the man had the nerve to call regard for the honour of the duel 'sanctimonious'."
"Oh. So you already heard." Ripley says and places his books on a nearby table as he moves to settle in and gives a little smile, "Pity, huh?" He speaks once more and chuckles, "But you just get the chance to show him he's an idiot again, right?" As he leans back in his chair and regards Ria and Lucian.
Lucian snorts. "I don't need to show him anything. Christmas is very capable of showing everyone what an idiot he is, all by himself. But no, he's going to be dueling Seamus Cavanaugh for third place. The final duel still would have been between Hawker and me. But I guess she's the winner. I withdrew from Bates' pathetic little games."
"Withdrew?" Ripley's eyes go wide as he looks at Lucian. "So you quit." He says and then slowly shakes his head, "I don't think I would have ever seen you do that. Figured you would stick in until the end." He shrugs, "I mean, that is what people will say. What should I tell them?"
And word exchanges are flying so fast Ria can hardly keep up with them. "Wait but shouldn't Dippet get the last word?" "What? You're going to have to face/ that idiot again?" "What do you mean he's dueling Seamus?" Her questions are answered almost as soon as she asks, but one tidbit of information makes her come to a screeching halt. Ria's eyes go wide just like Ripley's when she exclaims in surprise, "You withdrew?! Whyyyyy?"
Lucian sighs, lolling his head back against the back of the couch. "Why does nobody get this? I fight for honour, and Bates just proved that this tournament has none. He insulted the sport. He insulted me. He even threatened me. He's a former Gryffindor who let a Gryffindor risk numerous lives and get away with it. You wonder why I withdrew? This so-called tournament is a joke, that's why. It's offensive."
Ripley just shakes his head, "You know that people won't see it that way, Lucian. They will see that you got your robes in a twist and quit because you couldn't get your way." He chuckles, "They will just see the prat instead of the honor bound. You know that, don't you?"
"But Luc, people won't se—," Ria grumbles when she realizes she's saying the same thing as Ripley. She just can't get her words out fast enough tonight! Maybe it's all the turkey at dinner. But rather than taking her housemates amusing approach, she takes the more abrasive round and nags (like all good girlfriend and wives and whatnot do), "Honor?! You're withdrawing for honor? Win the whole damn thing! That's how you get honor! Lucian, quitting isn't going to make everyone suddenly revere the sport and its holy name. People will listen to you if take the contest home though."
Lucian frowns with disappointment at the both of them. "Honour is the only reason to fight. Otherwise it's just a game. I haven't worked my arse off for five years to get this good just so a bunch of sheep can have a good show. They can go to hell. I'm used to people thinking I'm dirt. It hasn't slowed me down so far. Why should I let it bother me now?"
Ripley looks to Lucian and in all seriousness, "Because they don't see the honor when you back out." He shrugs his shoulders, "They see you throwing a fit."
Ria grimaces and sighs, "I get it. I get the whole honor thing. It's just … if you have a message to send it's no going to be received properly the way you're doing it." Gesturing to the Fox twin, she says, "Listen to Ripley. People are going to think you're running around stomping your feet throwing a tantrum. But if you beat Mabel and then refuse to take any prize or any sort of recognition for winning, that'll speak volumes. Win the tournament and prove your superiority like I know you can with ease, and then say your peace. People will be listening."
Lucian lifts his head, frowning. "Are either of you even listening to me? I don't care what they think. They're sheep. They already think I'm scum. If I win, they'll still think I'm scum, and hate me for beating their precious Gryffindor. I didn't join this thing to prove anything to anyone but myself, and to pay respect to the art. Winning won't give me either of those things. So no, you don't 'get the whole honour thing,' obviously. I thought I could at least count on you for support, Ria. Excuse me while I go throw a tantrum and stomp my feet elsewhere." He pulls his arm free, rising to head off to the boys' dorm.
Ripley shakes his head, "No. I totally get the honor thing. I do. But this that I see… This isn't honor. It's you, throwing a tantrum over something you see as dishonorable while all the rest of the world sees Christmas get back in to prove his honor… Listen to us, Lucian. Really listen. Maybe some day someone else may have something to say that matters to you other than what your thick skull bounces away every minute."
"Well you're not proving anything to yourself other than the fact that you're a quitter when a small detail goes your way," Ria frowns with equal fervor back. "If you're going to pay respect to dueling, do it with your skills. Because you're not doing the sport any good by what you're doing now. Ripley's right Luc. Whatever business you have with Jones, it's done. Let him prove whatever the hell he has to, and worry over your own match with Mabel." But she looks rather insulted when he yanks he unwinds his arm around her and stalks off to leave. And with irritation she groans and says something she know will hit home without really thinking, "You know you're being such a Gryffindor about this!" The statement earns a few gasps from students listening on, and everyone in the common room bites their lip tensely after she lets the words fly free.
Lucian stops dead in his tracks, and even facing away from the room, the raw anger building up in his muscles is evident through his robes. He turns slowly, and a few more Slytherins decide now would be a good time to depart the common room. His voice starts out cold as ice. "You can both go to hell with the rest of them. Gryffindors pretend at honour. But honour is all I have!" Now his voice raises, the lion's roar makes itself heard. "It's the only thing that nobody can take away from me! Not you, not Bates, not anyone at this damn school! Nobody! It's mine, and mine alone! So don't tell me how I should fucking act about it! I couldn't give a rat's arse what anybody else thinks! That doesn't change me! I am not. A fucking. Gryffindor!"
Ripley takes in a deep breath and casts a little glance to Ria as if to say 'Wow. That's rough.' And then he looks to Lucian, "Honor. You always have that in your heart Lucian." As he rises from the table he was seated behind and comes in front of Lucian. His demeanor is still calm. "Lucian. Listen to me as a friend that I know you don't see me as one. Please, listen. This way is not honor. It just looks like you are running. We aren't trying to take anything from you. We are trying to give you advice. Breathe. Calm down." He watches the last Slytherin go running. "Is this how you want them to see you? Prefect?"
It's only in retrospect that Ria realizes the cruelty of her words. But at this moment in time, she's too proud to back down from her stance. "You know how a Gryffindor fakes honor? Because he does so through words and by parading around and bragging about his own righteousness. And that's what you're doing right now Lucian. You're bragging without backing it up! You want to walk around like some authority on the dueling arts, you need to show your competency first. Otherwise you're nothing but talk." Her eyes narrow when she delivers the brutal words, not using volume but instead utilizing a sharp tone - like a true snake making one decisive but intense strike. It seems like Ripley will have to calm down two prefects this evening.
Lucian holds up a finger to warn Ripley off of coming too close. He certainly looks like he's willing to deck him. "Get it through your thick head already! I don't give a damn how they see me! I especially don't give a damn how you see me!" Then it's Ria's turn, and his roar quiets to an angry growl through clenched teeth. "But you. You I give a damn about, and you stabbed me in the back. Just…stay the hell away from me." He gives her a final look filled with the hurt of betrayal, and storms off to the boys' dorm.
Ripley rubs at his face and as the room is totally emptied and the silence hangs in the air. Ripley sighs and looks to Ria, "And this is the guy you chose over me?" He laughs a bit and walks over to settle at the table with his books. "What the hell was that all about"
Scowling, Ria too is seething where she stands as she glares at Lucian walk off and calls out a final, "FINE!" She looks around the room with her arms crossed to find that the last few stragglers were staring at her now and she too gives them the death glare. "Something to see?" she says with deathly venom in her voice and they all scatter, like panicked rats. But she growls at Ripley and frowns, "I don't want to hear it, Ripley!" And in similar fashion to Lucian not too long ago, she too stomps back off to the girls dormitories. She may have chosen Lucian over him, but for once Ripley got a taste of how terrible Ria really could be to the ones she truly cares for.
Ripley sits there and rubs over his face for a moment before he finally just chuckles, shakes his head, and begins to open a book to study. Yes, study.