I don't believe in fretting and greiving, why mess around with strife?

[greenmamabear]

[In some ways, this trial was simpler. The killer was lacking in remorse, the victim innocent. The lines were clearer. Was that better, or worse?

Either way, Fern and Alex make up something of a green team, preparing a meal in the kitchen. Nothing particularly complicated. Coffee and water for whoever want it is at one end of the dining table. Along the rest of it is a variety of foods. A plate of cheese and crackers, a bowl of salad and carrots for the healthy people, some handy finger sandwiches, and... a big pot of mac and cheese. What they lack in presentation they make up in sheer volume of food. That's a big tub of mac and cheese.

They struggle with the invitations for a bit before eventually coming up with possibly the most awkward phrasing possible. These notes are quietly shoved under doors with little fanfare more than a quick knock.


We got food in eat place. Food is good to eat. Enjoy food with us?

- Fern and Alex

[The dining area is lined up with some appropriate decorations, quick paper streamers and even some doodles that have been taped to the walls.

Its possible too simple. But maybe people need something simple to gorge on after a complicated day.]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

Yeah, that's the point. I could have still been biding my time. My three weeks isn't up.

[ Dumb girl. ]

[heritrix]

If it weren't for the fact you're still in front of me and not a pile of ash, that would seem fishy. Even knowing that, it's still hard to believe, to be honest.

[matchbreaker]

... You don't turn to ash. You shrivel up and then if you can't attack on instinct for whatever reason you fall asleep and die.

[heritrix]

...That's surprisingly peaceful.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Peaceful. She winces a little, and... ]

The line between life and death is blurry, the older you get. I suppose it's more peaceful than a violent death, but the exchange is how easy it can be just to slip to the other side.

[heritrix]

[Those words are so poetic, they can only come from dwelling on them; from experience. Elda's most likely lost someone she loved dearly this way. A friend, maybe a family member.]

Humans are the same, when they get old. [...] Sometimes long before they get old. They're more frail before then, I suppose, but one only needs to substitute what things they need to survive.

[matchbreaker]

Don't you compare me and mine to humans.

[ She says this sharply. ]

[heritrix]

[Touchy.]

It was just in the one sense, the same as acknowledging we both have skin. Don't worry; I won't make a mistake like that where it counts.

[matchbreaker]

Good, see to it that you don't.

[ . .. Not that she answered the initial question abut the blood packets, but. ]

[heritrix]

[No, she did not.]

Does Sayaka know what you are?

[matchbreaker]

I fail to see how that's your business to know.

[ She responds, still... huffy. ]

[heritrix]

I'm doing you the courtesy of asking you first. You were pretty protective over her at the trial today. I don't mind you making friends, but if you're that close she should know the truth. After a day like this, you're going to mess her up if she doesn't.

[Because you know. Vampires eat people.]

[matchbreaker]

[ She's not sure if that's a treat or not. Honestly... She grunts and digs a heel (no shoes) into the blood packet, smearing it on her foot and the floor. ]

She does.

[heritrix]

[...]

...Good.

[Then if it comes up in conversation between them now, it won't matter. Just to validate that, nothing more. And if something happens to Sayaka anyways—well, then she should have known what she was getting into.]

[matchbreaker]

... and yes, I can survive on this garbage. It's incredibly bland, but human blood's human blood.

[ Still digging in her heel... ]

[heritrix]

[That's going to be fun for someone to talk in on.]

Because it's been refrigerated, or is there another reason?

[matchbreaker]

How should I know? Maybe because they were in a coma their whole lives or maybe they took that sense of mine too. It's just bland. Chilled or unchiled can affect things but not that bad.

[heritrix]

So it has more to do with freshness.

[matchbreaker]

No, it has to do with who it was taken from.

[ Like she said, coma patients??? ]

[heritrix]

I'm following you. It's a freshness of life energy.

[matchbreaker]

... No? Sure those emotions can fade over time, but they're pretty well in the blood for a long time unless they're utterly uncared for.

[heritrix]

...It's about emotions? Vampires like you are empathic too?

[matchbreaker]

What else would it be about? The blood affinity of a vampire determines their taste, and then human's emotions and make up determines the flavor.

[heritrix]

[What else would it be about?]

Eating to survive, of course! Dead Apostles don't have such sensitive pallets, nor empathetic taste buds. I'm annoyed "I can sense emotions, but only with my tongue," is only the second strangest thing I've heard today.

[matchbreaker]

The hell's that? I'm a vampire, girl, you said yourself.

[ :T ]

I can smell them normally too.