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

[sadisticwarfare]

[Don't worry, you won't wake him up. Archer opens the door promptly and lets Kimblee in.

It looks like he was working on notes, but he's quick to put them away.]

Are you going to spend the night here?

[destage]

I can understand that, yeah. I kind of admire the fact that you can eat anything, after that.

[...she's not sure if she should approach at all.]

But at the very least, we're still alive to enjoy it.

[hentopan]

Oh? Why not?

[ It's probably vaguely unsettling that he's not smiling as much as he should be. ]

[blackmass]

...

[And just like that, the thin and hollow smile was back in place.]

['How like my father you were. Even at the very end, you never really understood me.']

That alone proves you could never comprehend it.

[explosivecombat]

Again, if you'd like.

[...He still doesn't have an opinion, it seems. It's likely a bit odd, how blank that is, but that's just going to be how things are tonight.]

[firstaid]

Well, I suppose what we saw was the worst thing I've ever seen, but... it's best to just move on, right?

[It's how Estelle works and probably why she's capable of such optimism. She doesn't dwell on this stuff anymore-- and she's seen so much death that while it's awful to see it, it doesn't shock her as much as others here.]

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...God, Tabby, all she wanted was to sneak off with some cereal, why do you have to— ]

I'm saving myself for like, the guy I know's gonna be my special someone. [ not... really the reason, but it's the easier, more understandable one. ] What's yours about?

[firstaid]

[Estelle's silent for a moment and it's telling that she's actually having to think over his words a bit and is figuring out how to respond before she shakes her head as her expression now turns serious.]

To be honest? I don't think I ever could comprehend it-- nor would I honestly want to.

[destage]

[She takes another sip of tea.]

...You still miss them, though. We still aren't even close to being enough to keep that at bay.

[It's something she's expected, at least, and she just stares into her cup for a bit before adding more wine in.]

I don't blame you. Despite the way I talk about it, I still miss everyone at home, too.

[sadisticwarfare]

[That's a little weird...]

I don't mind it. I hope I won't keep you up.

[He moves to sit on the bed before speaking up again.]

...I'm curious about the people you're working with. Is the Fuhrer involved in this?

[Well, why waste any time?? Might as well get down to business!!]

[perpend]

...I suppose. Though maybe they'll still try-- threaten to tell others about it, people in our worlds who would "care".

[He sighs.]

Not that it would matter much for me.

[blackmass]

Precisely. And if there is a question you can not understand the answer to, then there is no point in asking it to begin with.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Angel spends a long time in her room after everything, even for a little while after the notes get passed out. She doesn't really want... she has no reason to go out, she thinks. Besides, with her secret up there, it's not like anyone's gonna have anything nice to say to her, you know?

She makes an appearance later at the bar, once being on her own in a room starts to kind of Get To Her, very slowly sipping a... glass full of neat whiskey, look she poured it out, she's going to finish it, but this stuff is gross, okay?? Anyway, she spends a fair deal of time in here just... hoping no one notices her. Good luck on that, probably.

And, very late, Angel can be found wandering the hallways, just kind of... lost in thought. Today's given her plenty to think about, weirdly enough. ]

[matchbreaker]

No... No, none of you are, it's true.

[ . . . ]

Still, I already told you, right? I won't end the exercise just like that.

[explosivecombat]

[...Interesting. At the very least, that seems to...well, it doesn't get his spirits up, per se, so much as it does get his attention, and he seems to be focusing a bit more as he replies.]

I imagine you have a reason for asking me that specific question.

[After all, Archer has to be blackmailing Bradley with something.]

[destage]

["And here I thought I was emotionally dead." is...probably not the first thought that should be in her head, and she chides herself inwardly for it.]

I suppose we'll all be fine by tomorrow. By then, we'll probably have something else to focus on that isn't this.

[explosivecombat]

Do you mind terribly if I ask who this person was...? The one mentioned in yours.

[firstaid]

Well, if I don't understand the answer to, then I need to do what I can to try to understand it, right?

[She doesn't want to know what it's like to feel joy from suffering and anguish.]

And while I've said that I don't wish to understand it, that doesn't mean that I don't want to figure out an answer to it, either. It's... difficult to explain.

[And saying it just sounds convoluted.]

Since you understand it's flawed it, well, it makes me more curious.

[This girl is either incredibly stupid or she literally has no fear.]

[firstaid]

You mean the dreams?

[Estelle puts her spoon back in her serial and her expression that had a smile on it disappears...

...she's not sure if she can handle another dream.]

[sleepytimegal]

Uhh... I made a bad choice. I wanted to save myself, and...it screwed over a girl I knew.

[destage]

...I know.

[She'll take another sip.]

I worry about not being enough, I admit, but...I know. I still don't think I could really ever blame you.

[perpend]

[Well, Tarrlok will hear a knock on his door eventually.]

...Tarrlok?

[matchbreaker]

Well, that is the case, where I'm from. We vampires are born... we mature, and eventually, we die. Our powers are ultimately the same as how humans can see and smell. Sure, they're superior, but they're still natural.

[sadisticwarfare]

I do. Assuming that the odd dreams we've been having are memories, I have reason to believe that I came across some information that would allow me to blackmail Bradley in the first place. I'm not entirely sure what it is, unfortunately. I don't have enough memories to piece it together yet.

I doubt a "military operation" would escape Bradley's notice. So are you working with him?

[destage]

Yeah. At this point, they're coming like clockwork, right? So we're bound to have another. If we don't, well...I guess it was just a coincidence.

[Sayaka shrugs, though, but she's looking at Estelle's face as she speaks. Analyzing.]

...You're not excited, are you.