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... see. So your preference is - people who are older?

[Weird.]

Close enough to that.

[ Nod. ]

It's the opposite of James's.

I see.

[Not... really. This is all still entirely strange to her.]

Was it easy for you to find people willing to feed you?

... They aren't willing.

[ Flatly. ]

...Oh.

[Well, then. It seems as though it may take her a moment to know what to say next.]

Why would they be? I've said it over and over and over, but no one seems to get it. Blood is life. No human who was anywhere near sane would offer some part of their lives up willingly up to some creature who is so different from them. Humans despise us, in so far as they even know we exist, these days.

[ And if the girl's not read her secret, she still might not know ... mm. ]

But... I may not know much about medicine, but to my knowledge, spilling blood when you are injured does not lessen your lifespan. You simply heal from it. If they despised you because of something like that, it is truly their loss.

[A pause.]

But things are different for you here, aren’t they? People do not look at you in that light.

Of course not. We've been called demons, monsters.

[ She meant to be upbeat tonight, but she's getting angry all over again to talk about this. ]

...I am sorry. It is awful to hear you’ve been treated that way - you didn’t deserve one person saying such a thing to you.

[ But she is a princess who fights monsters, right? Under other circumstances, could she really say the same? She waves a hand, dismissively. ]

[She pauses for a moment, but—]

What is it?

Nothing. Ultimately, it's nothing of value - to say that... well.

[ It's... obvious, but at the same time, to hear it from a human girl (Adelina, she corrects) feels... strange. Like it's too simple, too forgiving. She heard that pause when she clarified that she is a hunter. ]

I don't know the right response to it.