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

[notaccurate]

[Yes it definitely wins out over Luca's, and it's enough to make his actual anger drop off a bit, but not so much as to completely kill his desire to mouth off.]

How would you like me to look at you, then?

[brandnewday]

Rin, you've got no idea what I'd give to be an optical illusion today instead of Hibiki.

[Can she just forget the last 24 hours??? That would be so nice.]

Um...I was hoping I could get some advice. But if you're not up for it, I can come back later!

[brandnewday]

I don't really wanna sit in there. The energy's bad, y'know?

[It feels cursed. All those death tolls on the wall.]

But I still wanted to be out and around, I guess. I can hear and see everyone just fine! But I don't wanna be near that wall.

Re: hallway

[brandnewday]

Mm. Somethin' like that. Maybe it's more like...tryin' to process everythin' I've seen and read today? I feel like I'm gonna go to bed and wake up somewhere new again. Like, a spaceship.

[Today was a trip, Elda.]

[brandnewday]

Eide-san!

[Of course, sniffling was heard as soon as Hibiki cracked the door even a little. Really, she should've slammed the door shut right there because she's not sure if she trusts Sigrun? But instead, she's so surprised to see her that she opens her door wide open out of surprise. From her eyes, it's obvious she's been crying.]

Did I do somethin' wrong? D-did somethin' happen? Is there an emergency?

["Are you here to kill me" doesn't cross her mind, thankfully.]

[notaccurate]

It certainly seems like a fun job. I don't think they make much money, but if you love the work then money shouldn't be too much of a problem. You could probably make a business out of it and have your own bar.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Well, whatever. She nods. She's sort of always doubted she'd get on okay with this man, and the fact he's a god on top of it all seems to cinch it. There's no need to press it, even if she was curious, perhaps even a little doubting. As is, though. ]

No wonder you expected your kick to do more.

[destage]

[...Honestly, she doesn't even care. She's happy to stay in Elda's arms, honestly.]

Mmm. It probably came with having her son, wouldn't you say? She grew up too quickly, and it left her with so much stress on top of...all of that.

[...the shit she had going on, basically. Jesus christ, Fern.]

[zomgboom]

Nice. [She means that sincerely.] I mean, like, sucks to be you for whatever reason they won't let you do magic but also: sticking it to the man is, like, the number 1 way to live your life. Letting people tell you what you can and can't do is, like, so stifling.

. . . Also usually the people trying to tell you what to do are, like, bad people that are trying to do bad in my experience so, like. 'em.

[ninehundredlives]

...I'm sorry.

[A good way to go, in her opinion. But that's not something you say.]

[paralogical]

If that's what you wanna call it.

[ Because basically, yes?? It is. You were standing around and now you don't have to. Problem solved. ]

[notaccurate]

[Well, it's nice to hear something other than a scolding for once.]

You are right, 'sticking it to the man' is a good way to live. Though if I get home I will probably go straight to prison, if I am not immediately deported.

[matchbreaker]

[ Well then, in the arms they'll remain. ]

Even so.

[ She... she shakes her head ]

I've gotten far too old if I'm sad over that cretin.

[captainobnoxious]

No, no! I just wanted to keep you company, that's all. It's been a rough day.

[She cries when she's alone, after. Sigrun can't have that and the evidence is enough.]

[zomgboom]

Is your arm okay? You didn't get hurt earlier, did you?

[She wasn't keeping track of that whole fight, but there was some shit going down.]

Anyway, uh. I may or may not have been part of an anti-terrorist group that was being funded by terrorists and we, like, may or may not have had a disagreement about that soooooooo. I definitely blew up some cities where, like, the terrorists were located to get rid of them.

Bar

[ninehundredlives]

...are you really okay to drink all of that?

[Susan has fewer problems with the teenage drinking here than a lot of people, but also Angel probably weighs like forty pounds.]

[matchbreaker]

[ To have ignored a kiss from his lover...

It's still so weighty on her chest. ]

It's just going to be silly if we keep up a circle of that, isn't it? Let's change topics.

[heritrix]

...Well, I tried to kill him once, but it didn't work. I gave up, and in the end he became my ally instead.

[SHE'S JUST GOING TO QUICKLY SKATE OVER THAT SUBJECT.] When it comes to those types, it's like telling a river to flow backwards. It doesn't work, so you're better off laying down ground rules like stones designed to make the water flow the way you want it to.

[matchbreaker]

Not so uppity as to think you can threaten me.

[ She shrugs, and while her look relaxes, her eyes don't shift back. She's... well, she's been in cat eye mode most of this whole time, stressed. ]

But I don't control you, you can do what you want, really.

[zomgboom]

Sure. I'll even go first if it, like, makes you feel better.

[She'll even explain it properly, from the beginning, instead of the weird abridged version she keeps telling people.]

[matchbreaker]

That you would be so lucky.

[ she says it with a laugh, crouching down next to Hibiki, her lips parted into a smirk. ]

No, I imagine we'll still be stuck here tomorrow. And then the next day, and some new dream'll happen.

[didntgetdadslooks]

I'm... going at it very slowly. Guess I didn't inherit a taste for this stuff from my dad.

[ninehundredlives]

We'll probably get more than enough of it.

[Her fear with her own secret was never really that other people would blame her for it. She just didn't want their pity. And now...well. It is what it is.]

Have you talked to Sayaka since we got out of there? She looked...really bad. [Literally everyone did, but you know.]

[matchbreaker]

Obviously.

[ . . . ]

God it's annoying I can't see it as a victory.

[ninehundredlives]

A big drinker?