trustfell | One day we'll reach to emotions: unexplored, unprecedented

[ Sometime shortly after the trial small notes will be folded underneath the doors of everyone still alive, and also posted to the staircase leading up to the upper floors. Not many of you have probably seen Elda's penmanship yet unless you checked that Penmanship check a while back, but it's impossibly impeccable fancy cursive script, to match with her old timey appearance. ... She also writes a lot more proper than she talks. ]

To My Fellows,

The half of you who didn't assist me in this are cordially invited to a celebration of our continued living, and to the memories of those who aren't. We are a mismatched group,
but it has become increasingly clear that we are together in this. Do not allow yourself to be alone.

We will be congregating in the ballroom for the rest of the night.

Better chefs than I will be providing food.

Sincerely,
Elda Marker

[ she's being somewhat facetious about half the group, but the fact does remain that she got more offers than she expected, when she set out to do this. She had expected that Sayaka would help, and indeed both her and Alex provide cookies and curry for the tables. Elda herself sets up the tables, dotting one longer central one made of smaller ones in the ballroom for things to sit on. The bulk of the food's provided by Tarrlok of all people, Chinese food by any other name. Susan, bless her, provides alcohol. Hibki, once she was clean, decided to run backup on preparing the food.

And then perhaps fittingly, Aligula provided the decorations. Steamers line the room, and little cut outs hang around. At Elda's instruction, it's a mix of cats, snakes, and bats. The majority of them have little faces on them. And finally, as and afterthought more than anything else, Elda makes some tea.

... Said tea is black tea and is impossibly dark and bitter because she can't taste it, but maybe that's what you want on a night like this. Who knows. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I thought I was one of the only people who'd still come in here willingly.

[Susan's quiet, and sort of joking, as she walks in. She'd only come to get more wine, but this is...good.]

[Oh, heya Susan. Sayaka raises a hand in greeting.]

Aha, well...I think I like this place a little too much to have anything keep me away from it, if you want me to be honest. Even if it's a reminder of a lot of the terrible things that've happened.

[Sayaka swishes her drink around a bit.]

It's quieter than most places.

It is, that.

[It takes no time at all to duck behind the bar and grab what she wanted, but she lingers, setting the wine down and idly contemplating the glasses.]

I couldn't bear to live in my own home, if I couldn't stand being near bad memories. That's probably a bad example, though - I couldn't bear to live there. [Mmmmm.] You said you came down here to see Archer? I must have missed you.

[Which isn't terribly surprising, she does go and wash her hands before the trials, generally.]

[...Susan...]

They must have been very terrible memories, then...I won't ask, obviously, but that's just horrible. That you couldn't bear to live in your own home.

[The next bit, though, that...gets a bit of a sheepish look.]

...I...waited until you left, actually. Alex and I both--I, um. Wanted...to try and respect the people who...we lost, and make sure I remembered them.

[...she took a page from Kimblee's book, basically.]

I didn't wanna disturb you all. I--I know it looks weird, probably, but I...felt I should try.

...no, that's alright. You should do whatever you need to do.

[She'd feel differently if it were still Kimblee, but...eh.]

Did Kimblee give you the idea?

...Yeah, he...well, he didn't tell me whether to do it one way or the other, but he gave me the idea, yeah.

[Sayaka rubs the back of her head a bit.]

I don't know. It's kind of a weird way to make peace with...what's happened, I guess?

That's fair. I guess I get something like that already - I've looked over most of them. It's...

...I'm not sure if it's good for me. But it hasn't been bad either. I wouldn't stop anybody from doing it, if they felt like it was right. I think people would see it differently back home...

...I imagine something like that, especially with...how close you have to get...that's a terrifying, thankless job. Kind of a creepy job to some, too, but...I don't know. It's something that should be done, to kind of...

[...Sayaka shakes her head, taking a sip of her drink.]

I don't...I don't know, really. But maybe it puts their spirits at rest, too.

.....I mean, the whole trial thing means someone has to. But even if we didn't do that, I think...it's better than just having someone take the body away and trying to forget about it. And even if our lives weren't on the line, that is one thing I agree with Jericho about. They deserve for people to know what happened.

...Yeah. Not only would we be unable to solve any of these cases, but...it wouldn't be good for them, either. They wouldn't be at peace.

[Sayaka sighs a bit, swishing her drink.]

...Thank you for all you do, Ashworth-san. I know it isn't an easy job, but...you help us out a lot. I'm certain we'd be quite lost without you, you know?

Oh, you'd be fine. You've still got Rideaux, you know.

...but thanks.

[...]

Ashworth-san, between you and me, you are far less catty than Rideaux-san can be. Believe me, you're extremely appreciated.

....well, I guess. He's really not all that bad. But a lot of my talks with him have been more...uh, professional.

[They chat over corpses like 50% of the time]

...He really isn't, but he's really kind of unapproachable, sometimes. Or just...really hard to approach, I guess.

[She waves her hand a bit, dismissively.]

I don't know. I just really appreciate the fact that you're here, Ashworth-san.

...I guess I appreciate that you're here, too. However that goes.

[The problems with this statement are self-evident, so she won't dwell on them.]

Most of the people here are pretty good. Maybe not...objectively. [She's seen some of those secrets.] But it could have been so much worse.

[...man, in hindsight that's actually kind of a horrible thing to say, isn't it.]

It really could've. I don't think the fact that we're not necessarily the best isn't bad, though...I mean, we're all still willing to present a good front when the going gets tough. That's a pretty big point in our favor, I'd say.

No...as long as nobody tries to do anything here, I guess it doesn't really matter what they did at home. For now.

...For now...?

[That...gets Sayaka to avert her gaze a bit. She's not sure what Susan is talking about.]

You mean, like...until they get home, right?

Those secrets went out to everybody, didn't they...? It might not be very safe for some people at home, after this. We're going to have to think about that, if we ever do find a way out of here.

[...you know who didn't actually consider that. Despite, you know, everyone's worries?

This girl.]

...Well, that...certainly puts a snag in everything, now doesn't it.

[...]

Guess it helps that I have no plan to return home...

No? [Well, that...does not sound terrible for her, honestly.] Do you know where you're planning on going?

Most likely to Shihaba, with Elda. She said she was okay with it, but...

[...Sayaka pauses a bit, kind of looking from left to right.]

...I'm hoping there's a way to go between worlds. There's someone I want to make sure I see again, and she's...gonna be going home to her parents, first...

That would be nice. It would be a little depressing to just go back home again, and never see anyone.

[That's a poor way to look at it, probably. But you can't accuse Susan of having a ton of friends back in London.]

Rideaux's world has ways, I guess, but it doesn't sound like it's the sort of thing they just hand out to anybody.

One day we'll reach to emotions: unexplored, unprecedented

Bar

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