trusthell | WEEK 3.

WEEK 3.

WEEK 3
As the second week draws to a close, two more have joined the deceased. Christo and Alani are dead, leaving twenty-six of you remaining.

It may not seem like very many have died, but their absence will certainly be felt.

Saturday is given to regrouping and rest; on Sunday morning the clock chimes as it always has, but at least there are no bodies to find today. It seems you're safe for now. The night before wasn't necessarily a peaceful one, however; you'll probably feel a bit groggy when you wake up, and it seems you've regained something that you didn't realize you'd lost...

Just like last week, a door in the stairwell has opened, leading you down further into the building; there are more rooms open to you down there - possibly even one that you'll find personally interesting.

Go ahead and explore all you like; after all, you did well at completing your lessons this past week.

~~APPRENTICES REMAINING: 26~~

APPRENTICES REMAINING: 25

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[OOC: Welcome to week three of Trustfell! Feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget to save those threads for coins and the activity check!

If you'd like to get in contact with the Wordsmith, you can do so through letters or the switchboard!]

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[Estelle figures she has no problem looking at hers or sharing hers. After all her friends at home know all of her secrets.

Except she does open hers and..

...oh...

...oh...

She looks horrified at her own secret and hides it back in the envelope.]

[ Well, it's certainly difficult not to miss that, especially considering that Mikazuki isn't looking at his own and not even bothering to take it out of the envelope. ]

...Miss Estelle?

[She's lost in her own world and jumps a bit when she hears her name...

...Except she backs away a bit she turns towards him.]

Y-yes?

[.....yyyyeaaaaah, she's not hiding much.]

Can I get you something to drink?

[ His voice is gentle and calm, with traces of what can be discerned as reasonable concern for a companion. ]

Maybe some tea can help calm your nerves. You appeared rather stressed I assume because of the motive.

[She's keeping her distance, but she also knows that's making her pretty obvious.]

I...I'm going to go back to my room if you wish to bring tea there.

[So she's not going to say no, but also just a way as of trying to just get distance and process all of this.

And she's quick to retreat to her room as well where she will be with the door unlocked.]

[ Mikazuki will follow Estelle at first, before he halts in his step, remembering to get the tea first. He'll then head down towards the kitchen to prepare the tea, and then go towards her room in a brisk walk. The man will knock gently, before his hand goes to the doorknob, turning it a bit. ]

I'm coming in with the tea, Miss Estelle.

[ He figures its only fair to alert her of his presence right before he enters, even if she knew he was coming... just in case. ]

Ah, yes, come in.

[She's just sitting on her bed, hands in her lap. She doesn't sound cheerful when she speaks and her expression is rather forlorn. After her dream and this, she's not having too great of a week. If anything, she just looks... defeated.]

[ He'll come right in, and... oh dear. It's unfortunate, he thinks, that motives have such strong reign over everyone here. Although it is what it is. ]

Miss Estelle, I know you may not wish to discuss what is bothering you, and that is fine. However, if you need someone to listen to you speak about those things, I figure it may do some good to let you know that I would be glad to be that "someone".

[ With that, Mikazuki closed the door behind him, for the sake of privacy and stepped closer to her with the tea. ]

[There's something really nice about him coming to talk with her and being concerned. When he approaches her with the tea, she accepts it holding out her hands to take it.]

I... I just don't know what to think. That dream I had and that secret-- Just... just who am I?

[That's probably a heavy question to ask someone who has no idea what her world is like and she just met.]

...do I look like a poison?

[ He almost nodded to that before he realized what she was asking at first. However, before he could try to respond to that, there was her other inquiry. ]

What? No, of course not.

...Did someone here call you that?

[ Or someone in the dream, he wonders. ]

At home and my secret said it, too.

[She just didn't know what it meant back home, but she figures it must be quite literal.]

Ah, I would like to have a couple of choice words with the one who addressed you with such harsh words back at your home, then. But I am afraid even someone as old as I am may lose my patience, ha ha ha.

[ After the laugh and good-natured smile, Mikazuki's expression shifts a little to something that can come close to being serious, yet still calm. ]

Still, no matter what anyone may say about you, the Miss Estelle I know is not a "posion". She is a kind, compassionate young lady, who I always enjoy spending time with, and she is also quite strong as well. She's a good companion, and one I do not regret meeting.

I am sure that will continue to remain true, no matter what may happen.

[The words are reassuring, but...]

...my secret also said I killed someone as a result of this.

[And it's just hard for her to digest this. Really, really hard. Is she a murderer? She didn't think she could ever take a life, yet her secret very blatantly mentions she did.]

So, how am I not a poison? If I'm killing people then perhaps... perhaps...!

[Perhaps that's why she asked to be killed.]

[ ... Oh dear. ]

It did?

[ Mikazuki will slowly reach out to place a hand on her shoulder, and although he can't see what she saw, he's not going to go ahead and assume she's been murdering just anyone "just because". ]

Shh, I don't think it's that black and white. Besides, it's possible that you don't have the full picture of why those things are being said. Someone could be accusing you and it being a lie of some sort, or that circumstances wound up that you had to kill someone but with good cause. Of course, the latter still can be troubling, but...I don't think you're the type to go around killing just anyone.

But if I killed someone just by existing, by being a poison...! Why--

[It doesn't make sense in her head. She knows he's trying to be the voice of reason for her, but she's just not able to twist it in a good way. Instead, she trembles and starts crying, she doesn't know how to do this... she doesn't know how to handle this!]

Is this why they kept me inside because I was just a poison? Wouldn't it just be easier if I died?

[She looks at him, pleading. She can't take this. The dream being as awful as it is and that secret. She doesn't have information so the worst possible scenarios are coming to mind about herself.]

[ Mikazuki didn't think he'd ever hear such words from her, and he lifts the hand from her shoulder as the shock hits him like a tidal wave. He's always kept things under control, right? He is sure of it, but for a moment, he grits his teeth, and his expression shifts something that attempts to be unreadable. However, the moment passes swiftly. ]

They are wrong. You are not a poison.

[ ...He's decidedly going to try to pull her into an embrace next.

Is this what it means, to be human? To struggle in such a way that seems so futile. No, that can't be right. But, for the second time he's a little afraid, he doesn't want her to do anything reckless. ]

It's not like that, I'm sure of it, and they're wrong to say that you were. And, I -- I would be terribly sad if you died, and so would your friends, and so...please don't think that.

[The words are definitely forceful, as she jumps just a bit. Even if they were encouraging words, the fact that they sound angry is more than enough to jolt her. Yet when he brings her into an embrace, she can't hold it in anymore. She has one hand holding her tea in her lap, but her other arm wraps around him, fingers grasping on to the clothes of his back as if to hold on. As if silently asking "please don't go".

At this moment, she starts crying some more, releasing everything that she's been holding in. All the anguish and fear that she's been holding in because she didn't want to burden it on anyone...]

I-- I...! [She takes a sharp intake of breath, choking a bit while continuing to cry.]

But what if I hurt you, too, Mikazuki?

[He's walked into a doozy, oops.]

[ Can he or she guarantee that she wouldn't hurt him? To those who wouldn't know him, they'd likely think he would say yes, but he wouldn't. Deep in his heart, he knows very well how things can wind up. He has seen many things in his life, how many times his previous masters or people have been hurt, betrayed or killed, and used on the battlefield himself.

He is no fool. And yet, Mikazuki has begun to rub at her back some, thinking about his words. ]

I'll never fault you for it, if you hurt me as well. But, at the same time, I am one of the five great swords of Japan under Heaven, so it would take a bit more than your presence to be the thing that "kills" me.

[ It would have to be someone's actions. ]

Still, please do not try to think of it as a reason that you may need to do something even like stay away. I would be sad if that is the case. Not to mention, we're going to make it out together, right?

I don't want to hurt you, though!

[Her crying subsides a little, trying to think while emotions take her over while slowly becoming physically drained. She takes a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself even just a little, to attempt to think with reason more. He's trying to hard to calm her and she's here being unreasonable, yet could anyone really blame her?]

However, you're right. We must make it out of here together. All of us. [Even if she doesn't quite believe that last part... no, that last part is no longer true...]

[ Mikazuki sort of expected that outburst, so at the very least, he remains calm for his part. It doesn't matter how upset she had been, he would have continued doing what he was doing because of the fact that it was expected to be out of sorts, given her personality and what she had received... ]

Or at least most of us.

[ He'll smile wryly. ]

Yes. We have to keep trying.

[Her hand that was holding on to his clothes loosen as she rests her head on his shoulder. She's tired. Just... exhausted. This place being what it is and just this week so far.]

...can you stay with me for a little bit?

[She doesn't want to be alone right now. That is a scary thought.]

[ He's almost a little surprised when she does, but...he's holding onto her as tightly, but gently, as he can manage. He's almost tempted to stroke at her hair a bit. ]

Yes, I would love to.

[ Deep down, he knows he shouldn't be allowing himself to get so close to people, but at this point, it seems one thing has lead to another, and he's here. And he has only himself to blame. ]

[There is definitely a sense of relief when he doesn't leave her and even mentions he'd love to stay. Perhaps she also knows this is something she shouldn't be doing, but she doesn't want to wallow in these negative emotions either.

He can probably feel her chest moving as she takes deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Right now, this is comfortable as she feels reason starting to come back to her after all that happened.]

Thank you. I appreciate this a lot. Thank you... for being so kind to me.

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