i feel the love, and i feel it burn, down this river every turn

[oyashiromama]

[The trial, as usual, was taxing. It's for different reasons every week, but what it all comes down to is there are fewer of them than there were, and that keeps on happening. The note comes, as it always does, earlier than last week, but still with some delay. There's a note slipped under everyone's door. ...One under Gold's door because of course Silver will be staying there, she knows.]

Please come to the dining room, if you would like not to be alone. There will be food, and there will be some cards and board games if you need a distraction.

- Hanyuu & Elda

[True to that, there are a variety of foods. It's nothing too fancy. Rice, grilled fish, eggs in various styles. ...No creampuffs this time, it seems Hanyuu thought that would be a little in poor taste. Also a bunch of fries? ...Really spicy fries, like incredibly so.

On a far table, board games brought from the games room have been left out, along with many decks of cards.]

Comments

sorta his room

[elepe]

[Well...it's a little later on, but once she feels she has an acceptable enough note in the dining room, she'll be making a quick stop in front of Gangrel's door, slipping it underneath before walking off. She figures he doesn't want company, but...]

Gangrel,

I apologize for what happened today. I should have trusted what you said from the start. You didn't deserve any of that.

Thank you, however, for keeping your word.

- Lusamine

[It's something, at least.]

[plegia]

[Oh, that's... That's giving him almost half of a feeling, hang on.

It takes him awhile to wander out of his room and over to hers, but eventually he'll knock on the door and wait for an answer.]

[elepe]

[...she was actually just putting her Pokemon away so she could head to the pool, it's a good thing he caught her--Lusamine goes to the door not expecting much when she opens it a crack--]

--Gangrel? [...The last person she expected to see.] What brings you here?

[plegia]

Figured it would be better to thank you for that in person.

[But maybe a letter would have been easier...]

...I'm not mad, by the way. You changed your tune quickly enough, after all.

[She trusted him. That's what he's trying to say. Lusamine trusted him even after everything was pointing directly at him. Yes, she was suspicious at first, but who wouldn't be?]

[elepe]

...You said it yourself, didn't you? You're alive out of spite, and until your revenge against...Ylisse is complete.

[She's pretty sure she butchered the pronunciation on that one, but she looks away despite it.]

...Part of me thought that you had lied about that. You wouldn't be the first to do so, and...I suppose I thought this was going to repeat.

[Silver and Gold still sting from last week, after all, and...who knows about some of these people. She's practically waiting for the second Kimbley to strike.]

[plegia]

[Close enough, honestly.]

I didn't expect you to believe me at all, actually.

[And that's why he's here, because she actually believed in him. No one else does, usually.]

You're right to be on guard. I thought I knew Killia fairly well and look what happened.

[Did anyone see Killidia coming? If Killia had trusted even one of them with that secret would they have been able to help...?]

[elepe]

[That gets a decently long pause out of Lusamine. She's not really sure how to put what she thinks into words--words that people usually put them in, that everyone else would understand. That...normal people would understand.

...Oh, hell with it, it's Gangrel. Has anything been normal between these two. She looks back to Gangrel with a bit of an odd expression.]

...You're not the sort of person to conceal their true face under a facade. As irritating as that can be, I at least know that what I see in front of me is the truth. I trust you to be no less than yourself.

[It's an odd way to put it, and she has to look away again because it feels stupid to say.]

The rest of these people act like they're saints. They have been since the first trial, and it almost feels like a game to figure out who is going to turn their backs next.

It's hideous. [Lusamine's hands go on her hips.] I don't think any of us could have expected what happened with him.

[plegia]

[That makes perfect sense, actually. He's used to dealing with people who are either just like him or are like Lusamine's describing, two-faced and willing to stab you in the back at any given moment.

(Like Aversa.)

He shakes his head after a moment.]

No, I thought I knew Killia fairly well and even I couldn't have seen that coming. It made more sense to think he was trying to frame me.

[That would have hurt worse. In some twisted way, he's thankful that Killidia exists just so he doesn't have to consider how it would feel if Killia had intentionally framed him for murder.]

Someone's going to pull the same sort of stunt next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. It's only a matter of time to see who breaks next.

...I'm glad you understand, though. I'm not the sort to be two-faced about it.

[elepe]

[Lusamine shudders a bit, but she knows it's the truth. It's one that she doesn't like to accept. And she doesn't really like that she knows this, now--it's strange. It really was a trap, in it's own way. They're all going to die here.

...Lusamine tries to get the momentary wide eyed look off of her face and stare back at Gangrel.]

...At least there's some solace, in that it wasn't quite him. It sounds like it wasn't intentional, either.

[...she's bad at this comforting thing when she isn't playing the role of 'Mom', is that obvious yet or...]

...That face of yours is irritating. Completely and utterly irritating. [That gets a laugh despite it, though.] I'm glad for it, I suppose. I don't have to play some kind of role, here.

[plegia]

[That gets him to smirk. Well done, shifting it back to something like this again. He can handle this.]

You never have to worry about that around me. I don't particularly care to go spilling your secret everywhere, and even if I did who would believe me? You're Lusamine - what kind of woman you are may vary depending on the person you're asking, but I suppose that duality isn't all bad. You certainly do keep things interesting, don't you?

[elepe]

[Lusamine brings her hand up to cover a bit of laughter. Not the usual kind--it sounds a little closer to the tone she took with Killdia.]

I simply do whatever it takes to keep entertained. Sometimes it's being the mother figure, and sometimes it's being who I truly am. One is more acceptable than the other, around everyone else.

I find it rather fun to be careless, from time to time.

[plegia]

Bet you enjoyed yourself today, then. I doubt anyone will question you about it given how rough today was on nearly everyone.

[...]

I'm glad someone had a good time, even if it wasn't me.

[Or maybe he's just glad Lusamine enjoyed herself.]

[elepe]

Ha.

[Oh, that gets a harsh laugh from her.]

To a certain degree, I give you that much. Really, I didn't want these idiots latching onto one theory that--if we hadn't called for a check of something other than the fur--likely would have killed us all. I'm not dying for that. I'm not letting the few I actually enjoy being around die for it either.

[It's blunt, but it honestly does sound like it was good to finally let loose a bit for her.]

[plegia]

...Heh. I'm honored to hear it.

[He dips into an over-dramatic bow like he's playing it up, but it gives him a moment to make sure he's not genuinely smiling.

It's kind of sad how easy it is to make him happy with simple things like that.]

With that said, I don't have any intention of placing my life in their hands like that! I don't trust them and they don't trust me, and that's precisely the way it should be! But that doesn't mean I'm going to let them accuse me of something I didn't do!

[elepe]

Hmph! You should, you.

[She says that pridefully, and she's inwardly thankful for her habits--she can cover up the smallest of smiles with her hand while she chuckles. For all of the disaster that the trial was, this is far better than where she was last week.]

They'll know better, after this week. Hopefully. [Lusamine shrugs.] We somehow have managed to solve and survive everything thrown at us thus far.

[plegia]

[Not hard to be better than losing a child, right?]

I'd like to think so. They're not quite as stupid as I was claiming, after all.

[He just couldn't take the chance that they'd bumblefuck their way into a bad end because they refused to consider any other options. Paranoia's always been a bit of a problem with him.]

[elepe]

[Damn right.]

Oh, they aren't. When they have their heads screwed on in the right direction. [...pot, kettle. Kettle, pot.] I wonder how much longer they can keep up. Or if someone is attempting to learn from our farces.

[plegia]

I know someone will try next week. Someone's going to attempt it every week until there are only a few of us left. Maybe then the killing will stop.

[Not that he minds killing, usually. But he'd like it a lot more here if people he liked stopped dying!!!]

[elepe]

I'm wondering if we're going to fail, one of these times.

[...]

I don't necessarily want to find out what their side is like. And yet, we come closer to it every week...

[plegia]

...I know. If we fail, then that's it. But with all of our lives on the line, I'm sure the others will continue to put forth all the effort they can to solve everything.

[. . .]

I just hope we don't mess the vote up one of these days.

[He was a bit concerned Gold was going to end up walking free.]