trustfell | It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world

It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world

[ So, Yuri's going to be going around, putting up slips of paper for everyone to see, because even with everything that was that trial, he is sure it could help. He doesn't know--it's worked from time to time before anyway and someone should do it. ]

[ Yuri, for once, is going to be making some food for the afterparty that isn't desserts. On his side of things, his food is generally going to be geared towards something more western-style and hearty. In essence, there is some things of curry with beef, chicken, and vegetables in them, take your pick. Sayaka and Kyrie also will be assisting with food, providing stuff that is likely to be geared towards something asian.

This whole set up, of course, is going to be done in the dining hall, since that's where it usually is. ]

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[ . . . She should hit the man.

In fact, she does, but there's no force behind it. But what comes out is a defeated sounding groan of a thing, ]

My granddaughter's going to die, because of some damn bloodline malarky.

[AND HE IS KNOCKED OVER AND IN PAIN- yeah no that was not even strong enough to hurt Luca. Elda's heart really isn't into it, it seems. And boy howdy, what she says sure explains why.]

Why will that kill her?

Because she's lost too much blood. Blood is life, especially for a vampire.

[ That... might not make sense, without more context. ]

[It absolutely does not, but blood loss sounds bad, and Luca can at least tell that this is upsetting Elda, so.]

I'm sorry for what your granddaughter is going through, and by extension what your family is going through too.

It's... the mood now is triumphant, where my memories end. The girl's rescued, we saved her from those bastards that kidnapped her. [ Her language is slipping much more than she normally lets it. ] But it's not. Like anything's changed. She'll still die because of the goddammned Psyche.

Sometimes all we can do is take joy in the small victories, even if the overall picture is gloomy. Perhaps that is why the memory is a triumphant one, even if there is something heavy on your mind.

Stop philosophizing.

[ She punches him again, still very softly. ]

You sound so insincere when you do that.

[That gets a frown from him.]

I was speaking sincerely, that's just how I talk.

No one talks like that.

[ She laughs, but it's throaty. ]

... My species is also going to die out. Probably by the end of my lifetime.

[He would say he does, but.]

Mmm. It must be hard to find suitable vampire families for marriages and such when you have to stay hidden.

It's more than that.

[ She... She knows no one is going to understand this, but she'll make it more clear: ]

There's only been ten or so births in the last three decades, a full third of those belonging to my family. None in the last decade. And every year, more and more of us die - we grow too old, or some other tomfoolery kills us. We're dying out.

["But what about marrying into human families?" "But everyone dies eventually, you won't care when you're dead."

Those two thoughts immediately jump to Luca's mind, but he holds his tongue on them. No, those wouldn't help right now. This is obviously a deep pain, one that logical thoughts won't help.]

It sounds very painful to experience. And terrifying too, to think that your people will be gone soon.

That's why they took her - Karin, I mean. Her blood. He damned blood is a magic tonic, of sorts. The "Psyche," it's called. A miracle that appears in the vampires darkest hours.

[ and Elda... loses her temper. She hits not Luca this time, but the bedpost. It actually cracks from the impact, but Elda's knuckles are bloodied. ]

And that's supposed to be worth my granddaughter?!

[That actually gets him to jump, and he stares at the bedpost for a moment, and then at Elda's knuckles. He's very glad she decided not to hit him that time.]

No, of course not! No supposed 'miracle' is worth someone else's life.

[ He can really say that, can he really believe that? No... No, of course he does, he moralizes- ]

Anyone else. Anyone else but my family! Why is it her?!

[God, his heart aches for her. Seeing her break down like this, all over her family, her granddaughter...it's unimaginable to him.

Carefully he reaches out to Elda with a hand, seeing if she will let him place it on her shoulder.]

I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't.

[ She will. She's trembling, and honestly she's no longer sure if it's rage or sorrow or both or ... or what it is. Whatever it is, it's too much. It's simply. simply too much. ]

Sayaka...

[He will keep it there for a moment. Maybe if he's holding onto her like that, it will help her calm down a bit.]

Sayaka? What about her?

I need to scold that stupid girl. ... Not tonight.

[ Tonight, she'd lose her temper entirely. She hisses through her teeth. ]

[Oh. Well that gets a huff of amusement out of Luca.]

Whatever for?

Over and over and over and over and over again about what she deserves and what she's like and how she's not changed. The damn brat.

If she says that - no, if anyone says anything about "deserving" in front of me again I'll rip their throat out.

...ah. So she does that with you too, then.

[Yeah he's only heard that about a dozen times from her so far.]

I'm sick of it. I'm done with it. I love that girl, and if she can't take that for what it is...

[ Then... then what. She doesn't know. She looks down at the dress she's in and growls, plucking some random sketch from a wall near her bed.

... Ha, it's one of the few Caren ones. ]

[Luca glances down at it too, before speaking again.]

Hopefully she will get it eventually, with enough repetition of the fact that she matters and that she's not a bad person.

[ If she doesn't get it by now...

If she doesn't get it by now, the fact is that Elda failed somewhere along the line. It's a thought she keeps to herself as she drops the Caren picture to the ground. ]

She only has a short life for that.

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