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

[heritrix]

[Reassuring words? That doesn't sound like her.]

Hey, are you positive you're not asleep now? There's a rule against that.

[sleepytimegal]

[ She lets out a laugh of surprise, though her heart isn't really in it. ]

You totally did, come on. After... Before we all stared investigating. It helped to hear some kind of...thing to do other than stand here soaking my shoes.

[heritrix]

[Ah. Rin tilts her head, and there's a smile in her eyes, if not on her face.]

There's nothing more frustrating to me than being able to do nothing, or looked down on like I can't handle a problem. I thought you might be the same.

[sleepytimegal]

[ She nods. ]

Even if it's...you know, rough as hell, I don't wanna just freeze up again. So...something to help push through that was...good.

[heritrix]

[Rin turns her stir fry over with her chopsticks a few times, mixing it without taking a bite.]

I know what you mean. Honestly, I've only handled it as well as I have these past two weeks because I went through something similar recently.

[sleepytimegal]

[ Well, that... ]

Something similar to...all this? The death school, the- trials? Jesus.

1/2

[heritrix]

[Oh geez, the face Alex is making. Rin quickly waves her hands.]

Oh, not like that. It was in a school, but not a death school. And only one person died.

[heritrix]

[W-Wait, she was trying to be reassuring, but that sounds worse...]

[sleepytimegal]

That's still bad!

[ this is going swimmingly ]

[heritrix]

[Oh god with Alex "swimmingly" is like saying everything is on fire.]

More people would have died if she hadn't. [Rin settles her hands in her lap, drawing in on herself somewhat.] Dozens of them came close enough as it was.

[It was bad; she's not trying to downplay that. It was just different. From all of this.]

[sleepytimegal]

[ ...Something about that puts a somber tone in Alex's next question. ]

So...what happened?

[heritrix]

[Oh, nothing really. It's just the guy she laughed in the face of when she rejected actually was crazy enough to do the mage equivalent of bringing a gun to school, as it turned out.]

...It's complicated to explain, but all of the students and faculty were trapped in the building right after lunch. We covered up the incident by saying they fell ill to a gas leak later on, but it was much worse than that. They were...

[This probably isn't the best thing to discuss over food. To a normal person it would be terrifying even away from a dining room table, so Rin ends up censoring herself.]

Something was sucking the life out of them. Everyone was dying, and when I saw them dropped in their classrooms like flies, I froze up too.

[sleepytimegal]

[ What...a horrible situation, jesus. ]

Sucking the... God. What- and someone...died, and it somehow...stopped it all?

[heritrix]

She was the one responsible for it. Well, in a sense. It would be closer to the truth to say she was a living weapon following orders.

[It's like disarming a gunman, in other words.]

[sleepytimegal]

[ Oh, right, of course, naturally. ]

What the... A living weapon? They- they have those where you live, you sure she wasn't just...possessed or something?

[ "just possessed" she says ]

[heritrix]

She wasn't. [Rin says this with absolute certainty, not even missing a beat.] Wouldn't possession be creepier to you?

[Like Rin knows people can become possessed, but that's an idea that tends to creep out most people.]

[sleepytimegal]

I mean... Yeah, it would be. [ She shivers, involuntarily. ] It is. But...that's just something I can wrap my mind around a bit more than living weapon.

[heritrix]

Maybe I painted the picture too starkly... There aren't many words fitting enough to describe someone that powerful, is all, especially if you want to keep it simple.

[sleepytimegal]

[ ... ]

It all sounds so sad, however you say it. You talk like she was a...tool used by someone else, and in the end she had to die, not that person.

[heritrix]

[Rin looks almost surprised by this, before recalling Alex of course wouldn't know.]

Just because she was given orders doesn't mean she was unwilling. [Rin sighs, her shoulders heaving with the motion.] Well, I've probably talked too much already. I meant to relate to your experience, not needlessly depress you.

[sleepytimegal]

Oh- no, no see, I'm the one who...asked, in the first place, so. [ b r e a t h e s ] The day's already been pretty needlessly depressing, you're doing fine.

[heritrix]

[There's not a lot of subjects that aren't needlessly depressing, huh. Though considering that...]

Did you find anything? In Blue's room.

[sleepytimegal]

[ Mmm, the most needlessly depressing of all! ]

Uh, yeah. It was...just notes, though. Personal ones, nothing about anything here.

[heritrix]

I see... [Rin frowns, looking back into her plate.] Maybe after this, we can find a way to get them to her family somehow.

[sleepytimegal]

[ Alex silently wishes never to show her family...exactly what was written because no one should see their child's terrified thoughts like that, but. ]

That's...what I was hopin'. At least give them some peace of mind.