The world is all one! Unity mind!

[brandnewday]

[Another week, another set of disasters. Hibiki’s head is still reeling from the lengthy ordeal that was Solf J. Kimblee. But it’s because of that exasperation that she’s able to turn her restlessness into something useful. It’s too late to set about making curry for everyone, so it’s time to make some easier dishes. A replication of Fern’s mac-and-cheese, somehow she’s whipped up some kind of donut to go with her animal-shaped rice balls. There’s coffee, tea...hopefully it’s enough? And if it’s not, Rin has provided some delicious Chinese food. And that always tastes better late at night, doesn’t it?

And for the adults (or the exasperated teenagers), Susan is carting down booze from the bar. Joy. Hibiki’s never written to the group en masse before, but she delivers a piece of paper to everyone while Rin and Susan finish up the preparations. Each paper has a drawing of an animal on it, too.]

Too much has happened today. Whether you want to get angry, cry, smile, laugh, or just be out of your room, you don’t have to do it alone. Rin and I have prepared food for everyone, and Susan’s brought the drinks downstairs so none of us have to go into the bar tonight.

Even if it’s just for a little while, won’t you think about joining us in the dining room tonight? Being together is just as important as working hard. And remember, nankurunaisa!

-Hibiki Ganaha

[Three more candles are lit today. Tabitha Smith. Sigrun Eide. Solf Kimblee. They’re all Cabanela’s doing. There aren't any decorations, but the food is spaced out so everyone should be able to grab something and munch if they need it. It’s not clear how many people will come, but a serious attempt was made this time.]

Comments

[innocentloveholic]

[ One down. Three like him to go. Blue flames, psychic powers... She'd almost forgotten about those today with the everything that had happened. Aligula's pretty sure he wouldn't have been against their use like that; he's a weird one, but he's still one of them.

Aligula, despite the fact this party was held by someone she's not that fond of, does in fact go to the dining room; she's not as cagey this time? In fact she's taken a seat right in front of the wall of secrets, and she's studying them as she eats those weird donut-like things. Hers is still insufferably embarrassing, but no one's decided to poke fun at her for it, and... that's probably a good idea, thank you for not doing that.

She does appreciate the whole chatter of people thing, but eventually, she's gonna leave and make a parfait to take with her to the foyer. She's sitting opposite of the office door, staring at it contemplatively as she eats; she may or may not go in tonight, though she's hardly staying here forever since she... has a few people she either needs to talk to or check up on. ]

Foyer or ... idek somewhere?? magic??

[matchbreaker]

[ I mean, yes, she did ask about the boyfriend and even if it's sort of superfluous in light of everything else, that does still have her curious. So Elda sort of slowly intended to get to aligula tonight, even if she ends up dragging her heels abut it.

She intend to sneak up on the other and tap her shoulder. Like a real vampire. ]

[innocentloveholic]

[ She jumps and gives a little shriek, turning around to scowl at Elda; her eye's open and it's Mad, look at that. ]

Don't spook me like that, Indomitable! [ but buh, one less person to seek out. Aligula's pouty frown stays even as she sits back down, turning back to the office door. ] ...You wanted to talk to me about my boyfriend, right? Go on and ask anything you want. I love talking about him!

[matchbreaker]

Sure did.

[ She smirks a little wider at that - of course she was going to sneak up on you, it's what vampires do. But then... well, she doesn't old lady laugh. She doesn't immediately bounce back or anything, just settles down next t the other, glancing the same way. ]

I just wondered what you meant by pure blood to bring back the dead, I suppose.

[innocentloveholic]

It's a little simpler than that, actually! He never died in the first place.

[ ........aligula. ]

I just turned him into blood while he was alive, took all the blood out of a hotter guy, and put my blood-based boyfriend into him as a replacement! It was a pretty easy process.

[ ALIGULA. ]

[matchbreaker]

...Th-that's easy?

[ Um? ]

[innocentloveholic]

Well, yeah! For me, anyway, but I've been at this doctor... surgeon... sort of thing for a while.

[ don't ask me if she's licensed. i don't know this. maybe she is, maybe she isn't. maybe medicine is just a fun hobby. ]

It helps that my boyfriend was someone like me though, I guess—you know, not human?

[matchbreaker]

Well clearly, if he survived being turned into some pile of blood and then shoved on onto some other person!

[ That's... that's so far outside what she expected, she can't help but - well, it's sort of weird and she got a little surprised-shouty.

... Doctors can do that after a thousand years? Jeez. ]

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...sorry, Elda, that kind of reaction's the type to get her to laugh. She's having such a good time!!! ]

That's my Deldro~! He's great. [ A sigh. ] I wish he was here though, you know? Him and me could be a power couple!

dining room

[bloodbiter]

[In contrast, Adelina has been trying hard to ignore the secrets engraved into the wall, so she can't help but speak up when she sees Aligula studying them.]

Is it still bothering you to have everything written up there?

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...She definitely didn't squeak in surprise, no— ]

I wasn't bothered in the first place! [ she very obviously was though? ] I just... haven't, like, really read these! I've glanced over them a couple of times, but—

[ she usually stopped when she got to her name. That's still a good chunk of them, admittedly, but sometimes she'd just immediately find her name, get pissed, and leave. Aligula pouts, staring at the wall. ]

I didn't, like, really read them, I guess. I know everyone's got a buncha skeletons in their closets at the very least though. [ They're pretty awful. ] I'm committing them to memory now though, since I figure they'll make good talking points sooome time.

[bloodbiter]

[A pause, and then:]

...You could also simply not read them, you know.

[innocentloveholic]

[ ... ]

They make the people here a lot more interesting, too. [ Well, most of them; some of them were already interesting, and this is just another point for them. ] What'd you do to make your sister unhappy?

[bloodbiter]

[She opens her mouth to respond to what Aligula says first, but then halts immediately at the question. Her gaze drifts down to the ground, and there's something like shame or guilt in her expression. She doesn't seem to have many qualms with answering, at least.]

I asked her not to leave the castle until we were grown.

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...Oh, hm. ]

I'd totally die of boredom if that was me. [ ...she is doing her level fucking best here, obviously. ] She didn't have to listen to you though, did she? Like, if you just asked her, she could've totally been like, "No way!" and just gone out or whatever.

[bloodbiter]

No, she didn't. But...

[She pauses, trying to think of how to frame this in a way someone who didn't know either of them when they were younger would be able to catch on to quickly.]

When I was younger, I was very easily frightened of many things, both dangerous and harmless. But Meryl - she has always been extremely brave. She wanted to have adventures, to be a hero. However, the place I come from is extremely dangerous. There are monsters and other things that seek to cause harm to anyone they come across. Our country is small indeed, but thousands perish each year just from these threats. When she was as young as twelve, she wanted to leave. I knew - I thought that if she did, she would... [She trails off, but it's probably clear what she was about to say.] I was frightened to lose her.

But now that I've had cause to travel myself, I wonder... No, I'm certain I underestimated her. If I can survive the world outside the castle, then I know I was wrong to ask her to stay.

[innocentloveholic]

That sounds totally rough. [ buddy. ] Did you go off traveling when you were a kid, or did you wait until you older? Because, like, obviously someone older's gonna have an easier time than some snotty twelve year old.

Foyer

[ninehundredlives]

I really hate Jericho a lot.

[She says conversationally as she wanders up. It looks like she was making her way over to the office door too.]

"One down?" What's that about?

[innocentloveholic]

[ hey, salt buddy. ]

Beats me. Think Coordy-A knows anything about it? [ ...wait. ] You were gonna ask her, weren't you.

[ninehundredlives]

I was thinking about it. But she told me once that Jericho chose us all, specifically, for reasons she didn't know. [shrug] If she didn't know those, she probably doesn't know about this either. Whatever it is, it must be why he picked those four. He wants them dead...

[innocentloveholic]

Who do you think the other three are? If we're going with people who're on the same level as Observant...

[ There's a couple of people who come to mind, but the more she thinks about everyone's secrets, it's not as clear. Her and Terumi for being unabashedly here for things like what happened to Meteoric, Archer for... a lot of reasons, and his secret helps with that, especially since it matches Kimblee's nicely. Tarrlok? Kirei? ]

...there's a lot of choices, huh?

[ninehundredlives]

Kirei comes to mind, after all that flirting they did in there. Archer, too.

...but no, you're right. There's a lot of choices. [People who've committed atrocities aren't exactly in short supply here.] It could have been anything about him. Even something he didn't do himself - like having come back from the dead.

[innocentloveholic]

Guess if we get another one we'll get to narrow down our list of suspects.

[ ...Hopefully it's no one she likes. hahahaha ]

Think we should get some yarn and pins and start making a conspiracy board?

[ninehundredlives]

God, we really might as well.

[She turns to go and look up at the profile wall.]

He dislikes "failure, obstinacy, liars, and dying"...well, those middle two apply to more than four people, I'm sure. Do you think that means he's afraid of dying, or he's done it before?

[innocentloveholic]

[ Aligula'll go join her over there, tapping her lips thoughtfully with her spoon. ]

Could be both? Just because you've died before doesn't mean you can't be afraid of dying again!

[ that's a weird sentence but. the sentiment is there. ]