I dreamed of a world so far from here that's not on the map

[matchbreaker]

To my Fellows,

What is "good" and what is "evil" is something that can be debated for longer than most of you will ever live, as is the nature of men. These debates are without meaning in my eyes. Despite that man's belief, men are not born to be good or evil, and what flaws they have in personality or character are things that can be overcome through their choices. Both for better and, as we've seen, for worse.

Life is not without suffering, but I should hope that every one of you is loved by someone. Loves someone. Many of you probably know that some of those loved ones are entering into an experience similar to our own. The terror of that is an undeniable sword which hangs above our heads.

Do not isolate yourselves, and hold onto what belief will best inspire you. And if you wish to join us for another one of these gatherings, meet us in the dining hall at 8PM.

Sincerely yours,
Elda Marker

PS: Those who can taste will once more provide food.

[ Well that sure is a lot of words which is being put under your doors, put on the fridge, and generally distributed around. It... uh, sure is a letter? It's in the same impossibly perfect cursive as last week, and is written with an almost angry bravado. Because even if she was vindicated at the end there, she was vindicated by a (by his own admission) evil priest. So. That feels bad.

Anyway, with some effort, the dining hall (which now has a lot of candles at Cabanela's little shrine, even with adding the two more here) is filled with food: Susan's got the booze as usual but also a big pot of mac and cheese. Adelina's done her noble best with some finger sandwiches. Yuri's brought some sweets that Estelle might've made. As for Elda, well, she still basically can't cook, so what she provides instead is:

A few board games including a Settlers of Catan, Sorry, and Candyland knock off. I guess we're playing games. Or at least she's suggesting it, who knew? ]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ She's gone far, far, far too soft.

Because what she's doing is reaching her hand out to pat the top of the girl's head, reaching out to do that and surprisingly gently tug the girl's head down towards her (Elda's) shoulder.

She's totally going to get hit doing this and she knows it, but she felt like she ought to do it. ]

[matchbreaker]

Mmmhm. Like I said, I don't have anything against you specifically, not... really. I just wonder about how much you or her comprehend things.

[matchbreaker]

[ How does she even begin to explain this. She frowns a little deeper and she shakes her head ]

... Her blood, that's the long and the short of it. Her blood's something of a magic tonic, as silly as that sounds.

[matchbreaker]

I will win this, somehow or another. I'm not going to leave that family of mine alone - I refuse to do that.

[ She grits her teeth a moment and exhales before she nods to herself. ]

... Regardless. The point is that your life is no longer our failsafe. I - I will not have you die on me either.

[sleepytimegal]

Boo-yah.

[sleepytimegal]

...Comprehend things? That's a broad term.

[matchbreaker]

[ Mmmm. ]

... You're young, is all. I know she's young too, don't you start with me there. The whole thing is endearing, though my instincts find it frustrating.

1/2

[heritrix]

[Elda does get hit for her trouble, but it ends up being an incidental thing; a blow that brushes off her upper arm instead of the inside of her forearm, as Rin had intended.

A moment later, her forehead touches something soft and warm and Rin freezes shock still, eyes wide. Unsure of what to do with herself.]

What—?

[...Is this a hug?]

[heritrix]

[Rin tries to pull away again, one more time, but it's a feeble effort. She doesn't get very far, not because Elda is too strong, but because she herself suddenly feels too weak.

Weak, but tense in a way she wasn't before, like this scares her more.

Because of course it does. It's why she wanted Elda far, far away from her. She knew her emotions were too high, and that she'd be incited to burst one way or another if they kept going. But she wasn't expecting something gentle like this. Her emotions aren't bursting every which way, but running over instead.

To her, that's so much worse. Like water breaking apart a dam, slowly it pushes her undone. The tension bleeds out of her, but in little tremors; fighting all the way. Her shoulders shake with it, and her breath on the sobs she tries desperately to stifle.]

No, no, no... Please, no...

[Just that one word, muttered over again. Not this, please not this. The tears are already there, hot on her face, but she didn't want to cry. If she starts crying, she doesn't know how she can stop.]

[matchbreaker]

[ It is. It didn't begin as one, per see, more just a forced movement, but once the girl seems to tense up and then release the tension all in one go, the smaller and older vampire knows what she needs to do. Rin's a strong girl, impossibly capable and smart. But there's a certain fragility there that she wanted to assist with, and to that end, she'd barged on in.

She didn't know what she expected or even intended, really, but the movement now feels natural as she gently takes her arms around the girl - or well, one arm around her and the other up to the girl's scalp to gently scratch it with her nails and to keep it on her, Elda's, shoulder.

For better or worse, Kirei was this girl's guardian. For all of the persnickety talk, that leaves an impression, and now he's dead. What's more that man killed her real father, based on that last admission. And now she was denied even vengeance, or at least real vengeance. Elda...

Well, she doesn't precisely relate, but she doesn't need to, really. It's not like Sayaka, she's not the girl's mother, not even close. But she is an older woman, a more experienced one. And it seems right to be supportive now. ]

There, there. It'll be okay.

[sleepytimegal]

We won't know how to do things until we do 'em. ...I'd prefer they don't end with death, that one we're- going to try and avoid, but... We won't know things for ourselves until we get some experience, right?

[matchbreaker]

Of course you won't. It's part of why I offered to give you sanctuary in Shihaba. Once you're free of this dump, there's nowhere else on Earth you'd be able to better experience things.

[sleepytimegal]

...I know. She told me.

[ But...? ]

I'm...thinking about it. I want to, but only if I can see my family too.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

With all of your timelines, can that even begin to be possible? Won't any return to your world see you right back in that day?

[sleepytimegal]

I don't know, but I'm not gonna just give up. I'm...out of that place, so that...has to change something. I'm not content with just leaving my family to mourn.

[matchbreaker]

[ They're a bunch of humans, so who cares?

... But that said, it makes sense. Honestly, the conviction of it sees Elda keeping a steady eye on the girl for a long second before she nods. ]

... Truth told, that girl of yours doesn't understand family. Not really.

[heritrix]

[From this angle and the spot they're standing, Elda will be able to see what wasn't immediately visible before: Rin's bed.

It's unmade, sheets rumpled, but more eye-catching is what's been left on top of the covers. Along with a motive envelope there are five photographs, all of the same man, scattered about haphazardly like they were put down when she got up. Fingerprints litter the edges of them, like they've been held many times.

Rin's trembling becomes less pronounced the closer Elda holds her, but it's harder to hold back her tears at the same time. She buries her head in the vampires shoulder, trying so hard to quiet, but sobs steadily rack her frame.]

He trusted him...! [It's not anger her voice cracks with, just grief.] He loved him...

[All she can think of is Kirei's smile as she screamed at him, and that twisted expression of glee. Was that the last thing her father saw?]

[matchbreaker]

[ and he love was, clearly, demonstrably, misplaced. The woman is torn for a moment - what's the best response... to fuel anger, to allow grief to live? To trust the girl to move through it as she needs to?

Honestly...

The best bet is probably to just allow her to cry. So she's going to continue to scratch, hold her steady, and generally feel much more solid than a woman of her size and stature should even begin to feel. That's... best. ]

[bloodbiter]

[A small laugh, warm.]

You make it seem obvious, but it was kind all the same.

[bloodbiter]

[Likewise, there’s a pause before she speaks again.]

If you would rather be alone, I can take my leave. If you would like company, though, I could certainly provide.

[bloodbiter]

No, someone explained how it works. Even with that, though... I don’t have much experience in actually using it.

[bloodbiter]

[She has to think about that for a moment, to grapple with it.]

It depends upon what kind of understanding you seek, I suppose.

[heritrix]

[Rin continues to cry then, without commentary. She feels like she should say something; once or twice she tries. But the words are choked by her sobs, and she quickly gives up each time.

Bit by bit she breaks further down, until she's openly weeping into Elda's shoulder. At some point she stops thinking so much too, and she holds the vampire back. Tightly. Giving in just this once to this small comfort.

Eventually though, her fingers will begin to loosen, and her cries will die down. Her breathing is still shaky, and it hasn't quite stopped, but she's gotten a lot out. Her chest physically aches, and she feels so tired from it.

That hurt is still evident in her voice when she manages to speak up again, quietly.]

Your shirt's a mess now.

[Her feet, too, but Rin feels less sorry about that.]

[sleepytimegal]

[ Oh Elda, you and your awful fantasy racism.

She understands that I love them. ...And that you love yours. She's...making her own family, in the meantime.

[sleepytimegal]

You don't think reasoning with people like that is possible, do you?