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don't wait for a knight in shinin' armor, your savior's reflected in the mirror
[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.]
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.]
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What would you even put up anyway? Hang a chicken on the wall, set up a creepy dollhouse? [ She just waves a hand and takes a seat, and... ] This place ain't for us getting comfortable.
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[ There's a moment where she's quiet, considering. Alex has something on the tip of her tongue, has since she knocked on that door, and the way to bring it up... ]
...I kinda wanted to talk about it. You know, the...secrets.
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I assumed you probably would, honestly. It's the topic of the hour, after all.
[he sits on his bed, sort of... listlessly.]
There's no point in keeping anything under wraps, so ask away.
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I had an older brother. Michael. Mike. He was...perfect. My best friend. He was going away for college, and...well, I was gonna miss him. He always said, "Alex, one of these days, I'm gonna teach you how to swim, and teach you real good. You'll be...swimming laps around everyone, by the time I'm done with you."
[ She cracks a kind of sad smile. ]
I was never any good at it. Always freaked me out, for...some reason. So, anyway- he's almost done with high school, and he says... "Let's have ourselves a going away party, just you and me," and we could do anything I wanted. I begged him to finally teach me, 'cause...if he was there, nothing bad could happen.
[ Her hands shake in her lap. ]
I don't...know what really happened. The- the...police said he got...tangled in something, and- maybe he hadn't eaten as much as he should've, was tired, or... [ She swallows. ] But we went out to the lake, and- while he was out in the middle of it, he just... He started diving down...and then he never came up. His hand did, once but I...
[ And she looks at him. ]
...I watched. I was...too scared, too panicky, too weak to do anything but cling to the bow line and watch him drown. Scream for help. [ ... ] The town, and...I think even mom, and dad, and...everyone to some degree, holds me responsible. I...kind of hold me responsible. My brother...and it's my fault he's dead.
[ This is completely unrelated to her secret. Entirely. ]
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...
oh.]
Yes. I... I understand.
[He doesn't quite look at her, because it's been a long time since he's quite had to empathy like this but.]
Honestly... my situation isn't too different from that, except I feel like it was more drawn out than just the one event where I could have stopped my brother from going off to his death. There had been a lot of points where I could've diverted things if I'd just been strong enough. I was just...
[He sighs.]
I think when looking at it from the outside, people wouldn't really blame us. I know my brother was making his own choice when he ran off, and he was always a lot stronger than me. But it's hard not to feel like everything would've turned out fine if you did something different, isn't it?
[he turns his gaze down, kind of to the floor.]
...honestly, I'd always hoped that things had turned out fine anyway. That he'd survived that blizzard and started a new life somewhere. I couldn't really have blamed him if he did, but... I suppose this just confirms what I didn't want to face. I don't know if it's worse to spend years holding out hope even when there really was none, or to just... deal with it when it happens.
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We certainly are a motley crew, aren't we. It's strange how that worked out.
I almost wonder if that was the intent, in some sense. Or I would, if the one who seems to be the one behind the scenes wasn't so obnoxious.
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[ Alex... ]
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Basically, yes. Other than that, it's really just a lot of pointless death.
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She sighs forcefully. ] Yeah... Still, you've...we've all got at least someone here in our corner. [ Which is. pretty nice honestly. ]
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...Anyway, did anyone actually show up to the gathering? I was really wondering, even if I couldn't really muster the will to actually go.
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[NOW HE FEELS BAD, BUT...]
I'm glad this didn't completely wreck us, I suppose.
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...It actually seems to have helped some of us. [ she's talked more about...shit than she has, like, ever ]
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[He smiles genuinely, actually.]
Let's let this be a victory, then.