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

[destage]

...Mmm.

[Sayaka...actually has to think about it for a moment, before just kind of shrugging? And taking a seat.]

We've got so many varied secrets, you know? One person's responsible for destroying dimensions, another's poison to their own world...one hates their stepson and fakes it, another's rendered a girl nonexistent multiple times. I've even destroyed fourteen other people's careers. So on, and so forth.

[Sayaka takes a sip of tea.]

I don't understand any of it, honestly...and So I don't think that gives me the right to judge. That's just what they want us to do to make the game go faster, probably. I don't know if I'd say I don't 'care', but...I don't know.

[...]

I like talking to you, too, and I'd rather keep talking to you. It's not a good reason, but...well, it's mine and I suppose I can own it.

[explosivecombat]

[He considers that for a moment before just sort of...shrugging a bit.]

I'm not going to tell you to do otherwise. Because I quite enjoy your company, and I don't do anything that can be considered working to my own detriment.

[...Says the human who's out to crush humanity with war.]

However, if that's the reason you have, I'd say it's a good reason simply because it's enough to convince you. What others may think of it has nothing to do with it.

[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.]

[explosivecombat]

[...That's flattering, good lord.]

Let's say that personal freedom is one of those things that's always been important to me.

[destage]

[It's a good tune, goddammit.

...Sayaka peers up a bit at that.]

Have they tried to take that away from you, in the past?

[explosivecombat]

...In a few ways, yes. I'm not particularly free to express my personal views, given that I've already been labeled a heretic in several ways; I would prefer to not be considered such to a point that consequences come down on my head.

[Read: He's a psychopath. People have noticed, in the past. Let's not end up in some sort of facility.]

The rest is...something that I haven't discussed with many people here, but I suppose there's no harm in telling you, should you want to know. It's far from the worst thing that's been thrown around here.

[destage]

[...considering the stuff he says at meetings sometimes, she's not surprised that issues would be taken. Still, she'll nod her head when he says that. It's understandable, and honestly, it's probably for the best.

That second bit...that gets a bit of a pause. Inwardly she wonders if it's...actual trust involved in any of this, or if this is just something that he's resolved to tell others. Either way, Sayaka nods her head]

If you're willing to trust me with that much...I wouldn't mind hearing it at all, Kimblee-san. It's important to you, isn't it?

[explosivecombat]

I don't know if I'd say this much is important to me, so much as it likely just explains a few things.

[But that's...probably fine, honestly; he's not really the sort to be terribly affected by things, at least not outwardly.]

The last thing I recalled before arriving here was being released from prison. I was arrested shortly before the end of the war I've talked about; I've spent the past seven years in solitary confinement.

[destage]

...What?

[Hi, holy shit, what the fuck? Like...okay maybe this explains some things, but--]

I definitely understand, now...you must not have had any sort of freedom at all.

[explosivecombat]

None beyond what was offered to me, and that wasn't much, if any at all.

It's all right now, however; as I've said, I was released recently - I've been granted a pardon by our nation's leader. But the past seven years haven't been particularly kind.

[destage]

...So this place...has been kind of an adventure in finding independence? After all of that time.

[Within the walls, of course. But she...smiles a bit, able to relate on a minor level.]

[explosivecombat]

...Something like that, actually.

[He actually had to think about it for a moment, but honestly, she's...not too far off.]

I was in the military for quite some time before that as well... You could say that I'm accustomed to taking orders at this point.

[destage]

What do you think of it, then?

[Sayaka turns a little bit so she can face him properly, tilting her head. Color her a bit curious. She knows her feelings were very much like being thrown into the deep end of the pool, but it could be different for him.]

[explosivecombat]

I find that I can't complain, really.

[...]

...Well, I could likely lodge a complaint about any number of things, giant sentient bacteria colonies among them. But the personal independence isn't one of them.

[destage]

Oh, no, trust me. You're far from the only one who wants to file a complaint about that. That was...disgusting, to put it very bluntly.

[Who the fuck allowed that to happen, seriously.]