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

[perpend]

[As he was the one to write the note in the first place, Cabanela can be found... around in various places. The evening will find him by the candles, making sure all of them are lit and in good condition, making sure the growing fire hazard doesn't look like it's going to be vanishing anytime soon, and otherwise just... observing it in silence.

Later on, he can be found examining his own secret, looking forlorn, but not too horrified. Jut sort of... sad, and ashamed.

Later in the evening, he can be found in the library, reading a book, and drinking a cup of tea, just to get some time with his thoughts.]

secrets;

[explosivecombat]

[...Well. Hi, Cabanela. All of this is kind of a lot, isn't it.]

...I suppose, in some way, we should be grateful for this. It's unpleasant, surely, but everything they've written on this wall can't be held over our heads or used to manipulate us anymore.

[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.

[explosivecombat]

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

[perpend]

A computer programmer-- ah, you might not know what that means, right? The shorter explanation is that his job gave him access to a lot of sensitive national secrets. Those secrets got out, and he was brought in for questioning. I was a young man back then, a little too eager to be successful.I went to far with him, and when I left the room he was in, I made an amateur mistake-- I left my gun behind.

He seized his opportunity to escape, taking a young girl hostage in a nearby park, before he was killed by a freak accident. Had he not been killed, he would have died anyway-- another police officer had shot at him.

[explosivecombat]

...So your secret is technically true, but not necessarily correct.

[He sounds like he's convinced of that much, at least.]

You're technically responsible in that you provided the means for that man's death to happen, but ultimately his choices were his own in reacting to it. The accident wasn't your doing, nor was the other officer's choice to shoot.

I'm certain you know all of this, factually speaking. But I'm assuming you still feel responsible for all of it anyway, is that it...? I don't imagine it would be on that wall otherwise.

candles

[sleepytimegal]

Thanks for this.

...No one really wants to be out and about, but...it'd be worse alone.

[perpend]

......I agree.

We've lost so many, and there's no end in sight.

[sleepytimegal]

Just set 'em up to knock 'em down, I...

...Still, I appreciate it. Mighta just held up if I didn't know anyone else would be out here.

[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.

[sleepytimegal]

Some "trust exercise," huh? ...Still took some guts to do this after reading all...you know. [ The secrets. ]

Library

[destage]

[Sayaka honestly just kind of came in here to pick up a book for her drawing practices, but...well. There's someone she didn't expect to see. She's...not sure if he'd want to see her, but she'll wave anyway.]

Hey. Thanks for setting everything up earlier. I'm sure everyone appreciated it.

[perpend]

[He smiles.]

You're welcome. I'm sorry there wasn't anything to eat.

[But to be honest, after all.... that... he wasn't sure anyone actually had an appetite.]

[destage]

...Don't worry about it, Cabanela-san. I don't think much of us had an appetite anyway.

[...does he mind if she sits nearby? Because she's...gonna, actually.]

How are you feeling?

[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?

[destage]

...Well, no one's tried to tell me I'm bad person for my secret, yet. I'd say that's a miracle in and of itself.

[...]

I don't think you are, either, for what happened with Yomiel-san. I'm...very sorry, for what happened, even if I don't know what did.

secrets

[notaccurate]

[Luca has been trying not to pry too much- he did read the secrets once, but he's not trying to memorize them or anything- but when he sees Cabanela standing there looking so sad he can't help himself. Such a normally upbeat man shouldn't look like that.]

Want to talk about it? Or are you more of the 'brooding in silence' type?

[perpend]

Talking about it is fine; I'm not really the brooding in silence sort, am I?

[notaccurate]

I don't know, you're ruggedly handsome enough for it.

[Maybe a bit of humor will help? Luca hopes so, he's trying to help.]

Who is Yomiel?

[perpend]

[That earns a laugh. It's surprisingly warm, actually.]

Thaaank you, for that! A bit of an ego stroke now and then never hurts.

Yomiel was a computer programmer. [oh, what, luca's one of those past-types, isn't he?] ...Ah, that can mean a lot of things, but in his case, it means he had access to national secrets as part of his job. Those secrets were leaked, and he was brought in for questioning. I was young back then, and I... went too hard on him. Pushed him too hard.

When I left questioning, I'd left my gun behind. I was young, brash. Stupid. He used the gun to break out, and take a young girl hostage. He was killed in a freak accident, moments before he could be shot by police.

[notaccurate]

[Well, that's quite a story there. Even if he doesn't understand what a 'computer programmer' is, Cabanela explained it well enough for him to understand it for this story.]

If it was a freak accident, how is that your fault?

Secret

[ninehundredlives]

[Susan will join him, quiet for a little bit.]

Why would you have told me that, if it was such a secret?

[She guesses she already knew this was his secret. And that it was obviously something he wouldn't want getting out back home. But...up on the wall like that, it's really hitting her that she already knew, just...because he felt like it, or something.]

[perpend]

....To lessen the guilt, I suppose. I don't really have a good reason.

[ninehundredlives]

...I guess we don't always have good reasons for things.

[..........]

My daughter had a rare pollen allergy. I'd put flowers in her room, and left the window open. We didn't hear her coughing, because we got in a fight...

[perpend]

....How awful. I'm so sorry.

[He's not sure what to say.]

...We all have terrible things in our pasts we regret.