trustfell | don't wait for a knight in shinin' armor, your savior's reflected in the mirror

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...yeah. I guess so.

[Unsure of herself, a little, she just folds her arms and leans against the wall.]

It doesn't feel like it's been long at all.

It sounds like it was an accident.

Yeah. She...had a really bad allergy. To pollen. Nobody knew until after. I was...I put flowers in the nursery.

[It was two separate incidents? ...Rin thinks she can see where this is going, but she has to ask.]

What about your husband?

He went out in the woods and drank himself to death not long after. They didn't find his body for weeks. It was a really hot summer that year...

[now why did she go and include all that?]

[To give the worst mental image possible?]

Everything just fell apart, then. That's not your fault.

But the wording wasn't wrong, was it? "My actions"...I only put the flowers in there because I was hiding them from Eric. There was this other man who kept sending them...

[...Rin actually can't argue against that. Keeping her head held high, her gaze lingers beyond Susan's shoulder for a moment in thought, before going back to her.]

I can't refute that. [She wants to, for Susan's sake, but her pragmatism won't let her.] If I tried, I'd be creating a double standard, or otherwise excusing my own actions.

Yeah? [Well...she won't press on that.] I don't...really blame myself as much anymore, I guess. Not any more than I blame Eric, or just...everything. But I don't see the point in pretending it totally wasn't my fault.

Did it cause problems for you back home? [Besides the obvious, she means.] No one suspected you of anything, right?

[It sounds like this Eric guy caused problems, at any rate.]

No...no, nothing like that. I couldn't make myself go back to work, though...

[She's been telling people she's "between jobs", but it's really more like "left the previous one with zero plan".]

And I take it you haven't done much else in the meantime since then.

[Susan said she can't see home as much better, so it paints a dismal view of things.]