don't wait for a knight in shinin' armor, your savior's reflected in the mirror

[perpend]

[That sure was a fucking thing. That execution was a fucking thing. Those secrets are a fucking thing.

Cabanela retreats to his room, but not for all that long. Everyone will get a note eventually, written in very neat handwriting

I do not plan on bowing down to threats and intimidation. If you did not act, it means you were, like me, aware of the risk, but decided against it. Your reasons are entirely your own.

Join me in the dining room if you agree enough is enough, and that you won't acquiesce to threats. I don't plan to let this stop me, and neither should you.

-C

In the dining room itself, Cabanela has set up coffee and tea for those who want it-- there's no food, because to be honest, he doesn't know how to cook. Two more candles have been lit-- he wasn't really sure what to do about the whole... parasite thing... so Fern's candle will have to make due.]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ Probably...

It sure is crawling up him, either way!! Inching towards his face, as Elda laughs. ]

[ninehundredlives]

[Great. Fantastic.]

They don't seem eager to kill us themselves, outside of punishments and the time limit. It would throw their little setup off.

[matchbreaker]

... Wonder if that means the war's far enough along it doesn't matter.

[perpend]

I think it's important to be with the group in some capacity; everything about this makes it clear the goal of this is to pull people apart, to make sure no one trusts each other, and we need to fight against that.

[matchbreaker]

No, it's true. Clearly, there's something to be gained from this set up, these mechanics. They even have specific contingencies for something... well, like what happened with Green.

[ A beat, and looking at the secrets: ]

... This has happened many times before.

[heritrix]

[Sure seems like everything restocked, anyways.]

That's good.

[Rin takes the cold compress out of the fridge thing in here, and... Well, she can't really do anything with it now, so maybe she should just put it back. Or hold it until she makes up her mind.]

So on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad would you rate your current migraine? [She tilts her head.] Wait, they're using smiley face charts these days. Maybe I should have you make a face to represent the pain.

[perpend]

About as well as I can, I think.

[Today was so disgusting the execution really felt like an act of mercy towards the group.]

What about you?

[explosivecombat]

...I can't say I know, myself.

Again, the only purpose I can really see behind all of this is killing us all, but I don't understand why it's being done this way, if it must be done at all.

[heritrix]

Maizono-san,

That's interesting. What sorts of dishes are your specialty?

- Rin Tohsaka

[explosivecombat]

What do you mean...?

[...Kimblee. Do you find nothing about what you're doing at least a little odd?]

[destage]

[Some people juggle geese, some people step on others to get ahead, some people start wars with humanity.

...At this point she'd just really like it if the goddamn status quo would quit fucking around and just stay for a bit, so she just doesn't want to let things change. But she smiles, honestly.]

...First time anyone's ever really said that. People usually just want me to think how they do, because it's expected of an Idol. So...thank you.

[Sayaka hums a bit, content--it sounds like she's trying to hum what little she heard of what he was composing, actually.]

[matchbreaker]

... As a human working to wipe out humanity.

[ Like.

What. ]

[chessturner]

Then he has no reason to return to his world. Despite everything, that man hates solitude. It'd be boring for him to be the only person alive in his world.

[ninehundredlives]

Yeah. Either they didn't get what they wanted before, or...they just aren't finished yet.

Alena told me that we were Jericho's selections. He wanted us for this, specifically. Either she didn't know his reasons, or she just wouldn't say, but it wasn't random.

[destage]

[Oh god, that gets a laugh--]

Hey, hey! I'm taking baby steps here, you know, don't go pushing me off the deep end of the deviant pool!

[...She sounds the most genuinely joyous she's ever been in a while, good lord. Never the less, Sayaka laughs a bit at the rules.]

That's what bars exist for, right? A nice social gathering place so people don't have to feel like their alone. It's pretty sweet, honestly.

[heritrix]

[If Kyrie is admitting to worse secrets, that makes the fact Jericho would use this one against her interesting. Is there more there?]

Why is it only bad if he finds out? If you don't like him, I'd think it'd be a relief.

[matchbreaker]

[ Well no, he'd still have his inhuman allies but... well, if Kyrie won't go there, she won't. Instead, she exhales, pointing out some of the other particularly bad ones. Archer. Rideaux. ]

[matchbreaker]

[ you know, this is the second time she's referenced alena's private stuff: ]

Do you find her friendly?

[shuttermouse]

Rideaux-san's, probably?

[ Destroying dozens of dimensions is kind of... sparkly pink yikes-worthy. ]

[ninehundredlives]

...no. That's not a word I'd use.

[notaccurate]

That's part of it yes. Bars are a common meeting place for people, and it is not uncommon to have musicians play and dancing as well. All in good fun, of course. And then there is...

[How does he say this in a nice way that isn't vulgar?]

...finding someone to, er, 'spend the night with'. That is very common at bars too.

But either way, the goal is to have fun, which is what drinking should be about. Not 'drowning your sorrows' or anything like that.

[didntgetdadslooks]

Huh? Oh, uh... sorry.

[ She manages a slight smile. ]

Not having a... not a great day, but that seems pretty common right now.

[destage]

...I almost wonder if they were expecting her to attack for it. That's...cruel, honestly.

[Her eyes narrow a bit at that.]

At least the blood supply replenishes with the food. I'd be worried for her if it didn't, and...it'd be so cruel to give us all food, and make her starve.

[matchbreaker]

Mmm... Yeah. Maybe it's just me though, that's so scifi that I can't really wrap my head around it.

[matchbreaker]

Who the hell would have a good day after all that...? Not even Terumi's had a good day. Kimblee's mood's clearly soured too.

[ Like... yeah... ]