i'll wait, so show me why you're strong

[ravagers]

[ Generally, people need time to cope and gather themselves after a... thing... like that. Unfortunately, that's not how Vanille sees it. Her thing is avoid, and once she gets out of that hellhole that's the courtroom, she makes her way to the supplies closet, then to the library. She spends some time setting up things, pushing things aside to make room. Once she's finished, and she's met up with the Party Brigade, she makes enough invitations for everyone. She slips them under everyone's doors, or hands them out if she sees someone walking around.



Inside the library, there are candles set up to provide some soft, comforting lighting. There are pots of tea, courtesy of Mercy, pancakes made by Viktor, and books (picked out by Estelle, of course) laid out on the surrounding tables. The others have provided their own touches, and Vanille's even managed to make something: sugar cookies, which are actually very good. They're flavored lightly with all sorts of flavors--not all in the same cookie, okay--and each plate is marked with whatever flavor she's put in them.

After a successful trial, it's healthy to indulge, right? Let's mingle. ]

Comments

outside Kyrie's room

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda's done her own little bit of restless exploring, but then - this was the guy urging them not to tell ghost stories. So there's more to him than just the kid with the replaced eye. ... Or well, going off the initial profile thing, not quite a kid. Still, on seeing hm and not wanting to dwell in her own mind, she cruelly pushes out ]

Find their ghosts yet?

[foundfate]

[Watanuki jumps a little when he hears Elda's voice, but it's not the same huge reaction he usually gives. It's just a quick startle, but then he calms down right away when he sees Elda.

And given Elda's age and how she has been acting, Watanuki has guessed that she is decidedly not human, so lying to her about this won't help anything.]

...No, not yet. I didn't really expect to find Kyrie anywhere, but Adelina should still be around, and she's not.

[matchbreaker]

[ She's pleased to see him startled, a little disappointed it wasn't dramatic. But when he responded, she frowns a little. ]

I'm not the most up on ghosts. Some people I've known can talk to 'em all the time, but not so much me. [ Inhale, exhale. ] So do all dead people leave them behind?

[ Because if he can be clear on the conditions in which people leave spirits behind... ]

[foundfate]

All humans do, yes. Provided they still have a soul when they die.

[Fun fact: people can lose their souls during their lifetime. And since souls are what become ghosts...]

I don't know about non-humans, though.

[matchbreaker]

You wouldn't be suggesting that vampires don't have souls, would you?

[ Of course he's not, she knows he has no reason to. But her voice holds a hint of malice, probably because the older woman is looking for someone to snipe at. Or at least needs to get some petty feelings out of her system to calm her nerves ]

[foundfate]

[Well that was unnecessarily snippy. Ordinarily Watanuki might rise to the bait, but right now he's still in shock at what happened.]

I- I don't know, I've never met a vampire before. I would guess they do, since they're just humans who were changed into something else, right? Or am I wrong?

[If Elda is a vampire, she would know much better than he would.}

[matchbreaker]

[ That's an easy mistake to make, it's one of the most common legends that exist about vampires, this idea that they bite people and turn them into more of their kind. It's always been laughable - but right now when she's trying to bait the kid-

Her eyes flash, becoming catlike and oppressive ]

I've never been and never will be human. That old legend's the height of human arrogance, you know.

[foundfate]

[He still doesn't rise to the bait, and actually he instead looks a little uneasy. You're worrying him, Elda.]

I didn't know, sorry.

...

Are you alright? You're not acting how you usually do.

[matchbreaker]

[ Tch. ]

You don't know me well enough to call that, bean sprout!

[ But all the same, she doesn't flee, instead knocking a knuckle against Kyrie's door. Perhaps testing if it'll open. ]

So why wouldn't see have a ghost?

[foundfate]

Er...

[He is not going to explain the whole 'I think she got eaten' thing to Elda while she's mad.]

I more meant, I don't think she would be here specifically. She would be wherever that thing took her.

[matchbreaker]

So it doesn't count as "here" that she died, basically.

[ That... makes sense, probably.

She says that pensively, but pushes at the door again.

Che. ]

You were worried about that hundred ghost story thing.

[ She observes that, still angry, but not actively furious sounding like she was a moment ago. ]

[foundfate]

[He doesn't know what exactly to say to that, so he just nods. Yes, he had been worried. That's why he tried to warn everyone.]

[matchbreaker]

[ She turns, her eyes now changed to ... something more obviously not human. Red isn't a very human color to begin with, but now they're predatory, catlike ]

Do you think those kids summoned up that killing?

[ And her, admittedly, but. ]

[foundfate]

I...

[He will definitely take a step back there. Elda, you're scaring him. It's written all over his face.]

M-maybe? I don't know.

[matchbreaker]

Yes or no, boy.

[ She's being too harsh by half, and she knows it. She knocks against the door again, but keeps her eyes on him ]

Did your ghosts show up and make that Ushiromiya woman kill that girl?! Or whatever it was that killed her back?!

[foundfate]

[Oh god this is not what he wanted at all

Watanuki is definitely taking several steps back now, towards the hall that leads to the foyer.]

I don't know! If I did know, I would tell you!

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda snarls, but doesn't break the distance. Instead she... bites down on her nail. ]

Her reasoning made sense, you know. It's not like anyone knew we'd all die if she ended the experiment, and what's one person...

[ But at the same time, she didn't do it. Does that mean she's soft? Did that mean that Ushiromiya liked her family more than her...? ]

[foundfate]

[He really shouldn't say it, he really shouldn't-]

One person absolutely does matter!

[God, he can't keep his mouth shut today.]

[matchbreaker]

Do you think any of you brats matter to me half a much as my family does?!

[ She's being defensive now, and she knows it. She's projecting, she's stressed, and she's not quit sure what to make of that trial. Of Hanyuu's little ending speech. Of all of it. But she does know that she shouts that back at Watanuki and that in a quick movement she got herself right back up in front of him ]

[foundfate]

[He should stop. She's dangerous, she's angry, he's just going to get hurt-]

Maybe not to you, but they both had families too! Families that aren't going to know what happened to their loved ones, all because of this!

Just because someone isn't important to you specifically doesn't mean they're not important!

[matchbreaker]

[ He's right, of course.

But on the other hand, ]

What do I care about that?! Those human families aren't anything I'll ever touch or know, and the sooner my James and Henry have me back, the better!

[ She snarls this, her claws (well, long lady fingernails but they sure look like claws) drawn ]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki glances down at those claws, and they do make him pause for a moment. But he swallows down that fear and looks back up to meet Elda's gaze.]

If that's true, and you really don't care, then why are you so angry right now?

1/2

[matchbreaker]

[ Because she didn't strike first.

...Right? ]

You're pretty uppity, aren't you?!

[ She wails this, and then finally strikes with her claws!

... But doesn't intend to connect, she intends to stop short of his heart. ]

[matchbreaker]

[ He can get out of the way before that, of course, but still. ]

I don't have a plan yet, and we'll try to escape until I do.

[ Because she knows she can't outsmart one of those trials. At least right now. And... ]

[foundfate]

[It's not so much that he dodges her attack, but moreso that he stumbles backwards, falling on his behind as he holds his arms up to protect his face.

But when that strike never comes, and Elda talks instead, he carefully lowers his arms slightly so he can peek over them and look at her.]

...

[He doesn't speak right away, but the look he gives her is probably enough to say what he is thinking: he's afraid.]

Don't do anything you would regret later.

[he's afraid FOR her, not OF her.

...well okay, maybe he's a little bit afraid of her. But it's more of the other thing.]