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

[bloodisthicker]

...Thank you, Alex. Honestly, that's... made this whole thing more bearable than I expected. I've never actually opened up about any of this before, so I was expecting it to be more... isolating, I suppose.

[sleepytimegal]

You're tellin' me. Even- even mom, I didn't...in that much detail. [ She breathes deeply. ] But...I dunno. There's this little group of us here, looks like. Little fucked up group of people who...can understand.

[bloodisthicker]

[He actually lets out something resembling a chuckle at that.]

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.

[sleepytimegal]

[ A snort. ] Yeah, any good coming from all this is absolutely unintended, Jerry's a world class jerk. A...jerk-icho.

[ Alex... ]

[bloodisthicker]

[...that was immature and childish but he still kind of laughs at it anyway, it's been a long day]

Basically, yes. Other than that, it's really just a lot of pointless death.

[sleepytimegal]

[ Immature and childish yet somehow charming? Hey! That's her M.O.!

She sighs forcefully. ] Yeah... Still, you've...we've all got at least someone here in our corner. [ Which is. pretty nice honestly. ]

[bloodisthicker]

Yes, which is honestly a new experience for me. I always thought burying the past was the best way to deal with it.

[sleepytimegal]

...Me too. Looks like we were both wrong.

[bloodisthicker]

It's a pleasant kind of wrong, though.

[sleepytimegal]

True that.

[bloodisthicker]

...

...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.

[sleepytimegal]

Oh, yeah. A good bunch did. Some only for a little while, but...seems Cabanela's notes really did work for a lot of us.

[bloodisthicker]

...that's good, then.

[NOW HE FEELS BAD, BUT...]

I'm glad this didn't completely wreck us, I suppose.

[sleepytimegal]

[ IT'S COOL WE'RE ALL KINDA FUCKED ]

...It actually seems to have helped some of us. [ she's talked more about...shit than she has, like, ever ]

[bloodisthicker]

It did, unexpectedly.

[He smiles genuinely, actually.]

Let's let this be a victory, then.