we'll make it happen, we'll turn it around

[quadruples]

[ Well, that... certainly was a thing that happened. Viktor wishes he could unsee what he witnessed in the library, but it seems like it has etched into his memory forever. Thinking about it makes him sick to his stomach, and eventually he decides that he needs something to keep his mind off it, at least for a little while.

So around noon, a note goes up on the fridge: ]

If you need a distraction after what happened today, come to the dining room at 6 pm.
There will be food and we'll be playing truth or dare!
♥ Viktor Nikiforov ♥

[ There's also a cute doodle of himself underneath his signature. Later in the day, he writes copies of said note and slides them under everyone's doors. ]

[ Those who come to the dining room at will find that Viktor has made plenty of borscht, pancakes and open-faced sandwiches for them. He isn't the best chef ever, but it tastes pretty good and will fill you up! There's also juice, water, and a few bottles of alcohol for those who are old enough to drink; try to be responsible, okay.

And for the truth and dare, he's prepared shots of hot sauce as punishment for those who refuse a dare. ]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ It's the impossible game, an unwinable quest ]

Hey ma---- Mei!

[stepout]

[ THANK YOU FOR NOT SHOUTING "MANNEQUIN GIRL" oh my god. ]

What's up, Elda?

[matchbreaker]

[ ... HOW DES FUNNY???

. . .

. . .

She makes a funny face??? At least she's already wearing this yeti costume?! ]

[stepout]

[ .........

??????

She's more confused than anything, that didn't really answer anything??? ]

1/2

[matchbreaker]

[ shit ]

[matchbreaker]

--A joke! I know a good joke!

A man says to a preacher "Your sermon was excellent, but it's hardly original!" The preacher's all offended, but then the man says that he has a book at home with every word the guy just said! And the next day the man brings the book to show him!

... And it was the dictionary!

[stepout]

[ ...she's snorting a little at that, oh no. ]

That's clever.

[matchbreaker]

[ Holy fuck she got her to laugh?! ]

[stepout]

[ a snort but yes, yes. ]

Did you get dared to act the fool or something?

[matchbreaker]

To... to uh, make you laugh, actually...

[ she thought it would be unpossible... ]

[stepout]

[ Ohhhh. ]

...Did it seem like it'd be hard? [ chiyuki you're like one of the most composed people here what do you think ]

[matchbreaker]

Yes.

[ . . . ]

Truth or dare?

[stepout]

[ . . . ]

Truth.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

Come on, you should have picked dare.

[ . . . ]

Well, whatever. Did you ever get married?

[stepout]

I've picked dare most of the time, actually. Thought I'd change it up.

[ ... ]

And no, I didn't. I dated for a while, but... I never really thought about marriage.

[matchbreaker]

Well you are pretty young by these days' standards. You're like twenty-five, right?

[ Or something close to that. ]

[stepout]

Twenty-one, so... almost close enough.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . She died and turned into a mannequin at 21?

... She never thought about it like that until just now holy shit that's so- ... so young. That's not a lot younger than she was when she met James. ]

Truth.

[ Her first of the night. ]

[stepout]

[ Everyone's young to you, Grandma.

But 21's young to die at, yeah. ]

...What was your childhood like? If you can remember it.

[matchbreaker]

[ Oh.

... Elda's expression in response to that is strange, slightly complicated. Like she's nostalgic, but that same nostalgia pains her. All the same, she shakes her head (which causes the little cat collar Hanyuu put on her to comically jingle) and smiles ]

No, no, of course I remember it.

Back in the old country, the Marker clan had a great manor and we had numerous relatives and branches. My father was the head of the household, a stern figures... actually, I probably take a lot after him. [ she sees herself as stern... ] and my mother was beautiful. I actually had a younger brother too! It was more common for vampires to have more than one child in those days, you see. Father had a title of lesser nobility in the region, so we didn't want for much, and often enough other Marker relatives visited, like my uncle, who always told us stories from the south and from the old days. We didn't have the Assembly back then... But I was being groomed to be the new head of the clan. A lot of my youth, that time before I awakened, was spent with my studies, usually with my mother.

[stepout]

[ She sees herself as stern... ]

...Before you awakened. [ As a vampire, she'd guess, but. ] How old were you when that happened?

[matchbreaker]

Oh, just the average age, thirteen or so! Of course, with how father raised us, I was already mostly active at night anyway, so it was jut a matter of thinking that our chef's blood smelled delicious and going for it!

[ Aaah, romantic childhood memories ]

[stepout]

[ THIRTEEN......... ]

...So it's like puberty, but for vampires. [ I MEAN?? ] Are there late bloomers?

[matchbreaker]

Yeah, sometimes. I've never heard that much further on than like fifteen or so.

[introspects]

[ VERY GOOD, ELDA!!! ]