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

[isafraid]

[And so the day's trial for the attempted murder of Gabriel Knight draw to a close with... charitably better results then usual.

They were alive, at the least, but that didn't mean there wasn't several blows against the trust that had been built up here. One mole that attempted murder, another that quit, and another that was given the offer no doubt put strain on several relationships... most notably Sigrun's.

It was all, in a word... frankly shitty. But now it's all out there, no sense in trying to get it back.

An hour (or two) after the "trial" ends and everyone's gone off on their own business, Speedwagon heads back to the kitchen. It was the usual plan in mind, what they did after every trial. And everyone, regardless of what was said or done, would soon find a note being slipped under their door.]

[Name],
There's gonna be food in the dining hall, in case anyone's got an appetite for it.
I know some might want to be alone after that mess of an investigation, but if you don't then the offer's as open as it's always been.
I'd say sticking together might still be safer then not.

-R E.O. Speedwagon

[And yes, folks that arrive in the dining hall will find a nice spread of sandwiches, soup, and what leftovers Speedwagon could scrounge out of the fridge. Speedwagon isn't the best cook in the group, but there's definitely stuff here that's good enough to eat.

...Sigrun's 'masterpiece' was, thankfully, left out of this. Keeping folks alive is the goal, after all.]

Comments

[garudynamic]

Because it's not worth it. I'll get nothing out of it other then feeling awful for... however long this lasts.

And cuz... I understand. I don't forgive you. I don't even know if I want to have anything more to do with you yet.

But I do get it. You never lied about where you were coming from, from the start. It's my own fault for ignoring that.

[He takes a deep breath, obviously keeping his anger in check- there's no joy in his voice at all]

[penduli]

[ I don't even know if I want to have anything more to do with you yet is a knife in his ribs, and Black nods after a moment—jerkily, like he remembered that when humans socialize, they show their understanding somehow. ]

It's not your fault, Yosuke. [ ...it really isn't. ] I'm sure you thought I was a better person than I was three years ago, and... I'm really sorry I couldn't be the person you thought I was. That's on me for letting you think that.

[penduli]

[ ...that was totally lost. ]

I'll probably just pass out on your floor. [ Probably. ] I'm fine right now, Miss Sigrun. Promise.

[pokexplorer]

[After the discussion, Colress once again retreats to his room for a while. This week was already rough enough, but it somehow managed to get rougher. Despite there not being a full-fledged trial today, from the way it went, it may as well have been. Secrets were spilled, trust was broken... Colress legitimately feels sick, partially for what was revealed, and partially for his own actions. He mulls it over for a good while as he sits on his bed, tinkering away at some sort of device with his Pokemon nearby. He will answer the door if anyone wants to talk. But at this point he wouldn't be surprised if everyone wanted their space from him too. He very easily almost became a mole himself, after all.

He makes a brief appearance at the after-party, but he doesn't stay very long. He's still tired and feels pretty awful, but he does at least check in to see if anyone wants to talk.

He has a similar idea to a few others, heading up to the chapel to once again sit near the portraits of the ones they had lost. The ones who are currently in more danger than the living. He sits curled up on the bench with his head and arms resting against his knees, staring at the portraits with the same worry he has had all week. He's thinking, though. Thinking about what to do next. As much as he wants to get Beheeyem out right now, he...will wait for Sigrun. He's not entirely sure what to think of Sigrun right now, but he does intend to at least hold up the offer to have her in on their next successful interaction.

He just hopes that there will be a next successful interaction.

Feeling a heaviness in his eyelids after some time of brainstorming, he'll head back downstairs to his room where he'll stay for the night, his exhaustion finally giving way to some more sleep.]

[captainobnoxious]

You will not be sleeping on my floor.

[penduli]

I'm not kicking you out of your bed.

[captainobnoxious]

Who said you would be?

[penduli]

[ well if he's not sleeping on the floor and he's not kicking her out of b






NO ]

I'm not sleeping with you.

[garudynamic]

[He closes his eyes, steadying himself]

I think... you're better then you give yourself credit for. And I'm glad you're getting a second chance to prove me right. Or wrong. That's on you either way. Because we would have caught you.

[And he says that with perfect clarity and belief. There is no doubt]

I never wanted to see you in that goddamned hole.

[captainobnoxious]

Why not?

[penduli]

I haven't shared a bed with someone since I was a kid. Like, a little kid. [ ...talking with Yosuke in one doesn't count.

...and that makes him feel sick all over again, so he's just going to turn away. ] I'll be fine on the floor, Miss Sigrun. I like it down there anyway.

[ he belongs there. ]

[captainobnoxious]

[She'll smack his back gently.]

You're my charge, you're sleeping with me. We'll take sides. Like, one up here, one down there. I'll feel better if I know you're nearby.

[penduli]

[ As much as he'd like to fight it, Yosuke's right; they would have. He's been staying off the killing thing because the risk to reward ratio was bullshit, but they were all going to die anyway, so— nothing left to lose.

Except to fuck up and lose the respect and trust of his peers, he guesses. ]

I don't deserve it. [ ...the faith he's putting in him now, not the hole; he probably deserves the hole, as much as no one wants to see him in there. ] But thank you. You didn't have to say any of that.

[ ... ]

Sorry that I used my request on something really stupid like that. I was planning on waiting for a good moment so I could ask you to kiss me. [ He's sure glad his head's on the table. This thing is delightfully cool. ] ...that's really stupid to tell you now, too. Sorry.

[ (He should probably stop apologizing, but he can't. ]

[penduli]

[ NOOOoooooo ]

I'll be on the floor, that's still nearby!

[pokexplorer]

[Colress realizes as he slinks into the dining hall for a bit that he hasn't had a proper chance to say anything to Gabriel just yet. So...he makes it his first priority to do that, taking a seat across from him.]

...At this rate, I suppose I should give you Klinklang every Thursday night.

[It's a horrible attempt at a lighter mood to the start of the conversation, but...maybe he's not actually attempting to lighten the mood. It's frightening in hindsight that he had just been worrying about something like this happening to Gabriel last week, and they almost lost him this week.]

I am glad that you are all right, Mr. Knight.

[Well, "all right" as in not dead.

And he just kind of glances off after that, since he knows he didn't come off so great at the meeting.]

[captainobnoxious]

No arguments, Black.

[penduli]

[ .................. ]

Fine.

[garudynamic]

...

[His chest flutters and he knows, in that moment, that he was going to forgive him. And he hates himself for it a little, for being that weak to this asshole's charms.

But not yet. He has his pride]

That was... cruel. What you did yesterday. Even if you didn't know you were gonna attack someone last night.

[captainobnoxious]

Thank you. I'll try not to take up a lot of room, and... I have a secret you can't tell anyone. Okay?

[penduli]

I'm good at keeping secrets. [ .................HAAAAAAAAAAA..................... anyway, ] What is it?

[pokexplorer]

[Colress isn't at the gathering for too long, but he does make a point of checking in with Stan for sure. They obviously didn't have a good chance to talk about their offers from the Kingmaker at the earlier meeting.

Colress' voice is low as he sits near Stan.]

...So he did get to you too.

[May as well cut to the chase.]

[captainobnoxious]

[... He's gonna find out anyway. And there's, uh. There's luckily one in here too, actually, so after a moment of searching she's holding a... goat... thing... with what is clearly Mettaton's face on it.]

I have a doll like this in my room. [She pauses, glancing at him, then at the doll, and then away.] It... helps me sleep at night. When I hold it.

[... She sleeps with a Toriel doll that has her dead boyfriend's face on it.]

[penduli]

[ ..................... ]

That's cute. What'd you do with the Zagibear I made for you?

[captainobnoxious]

He guards my chest.

Bruce's room

[pokexplorer]

[As night time draws near, Colress comes back down to the first floor to finally try to get some sleep. But he lingers in the dorm hallway, thinking about how he hasn't found a good time to talk to Bruce since the meeting earlier. Not that...he hasn't really known what to say, but he figures he should at least go to him at some point after what he revealed today.

So rather than turning in just yet, he ventures further down the hall and gently knocks on Bruce's open door.]

...Bruce, may I come in?

[No Mr. Banner this time, though he really kind of wishes he had used it now that he addressed Bruce by his first name. He doesn't know if he's earned informality anymore, not after earlier.

He sticks his head in though, and...oh.

He's pretty good at remembering profile information, so...oh.]

Ah...

[This is probably so bad.]