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

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.]

[amygdalae]

[Bruce glances back to the door when he hears Colress' voice, and there's a brief pause between him seeing Colress and the wry smile that crosses his face.]

Of course. [There's the same quiet voice as always but there's something... indescribable underneath that, this time. He uses his free hand to gesture for him to come in.]

[pokexplorer]

[He gives a slight nod, and quietly enters. He lingers a few steps into the room before going over to sit near Bruce. He wasn't sure how long he expected a potential check-in to last, but after seeing this, he considers the possibility he might be here for a little while. If Bruce is okay with that, anyway.

Once he's settled, he gently removes his glasses and fidgets with them as a way to distract himself into just getting on with the conversation.]

I realize that I did nothing to help the situation earlier, and I want to apologize for that.

I...also wanted to check in on you.

[It's obvious that the discussion took a toll on everyone, but Bruce in particular...he definitely wasn't taking it well. He still isn't, from what Colress can see.]

[amygdalae]

[Don't worry, Bruce hasn't been drinking to excess. It may look like it, with the small collection of bottles he's brought down, but he's only been drinking the one he's currently holding.

Said bottle is swung around a bit as Bruce gestures a little, eventually ending with a shrug.]

It's fine. [...] It's safer to have come out clean then, anyway.

[Since they were all apparently unloading their secrets out.

And he says nothing about being checked on. Its easy to just try and brush that off, but Bruce is sure Colress probably doesn't appreciate that right now.]

[pokexplorer]

It wasn't necessarily like that... I understood the dangers the moment he offered to trade information with me.

[He's looking at Bruce now. ...While squinting a little bit since his glasses are off, but there's still a pretty neutral if not slightly guilty look on his face.]

However, the one danger that did not cross my mind until a bit later was the danger of losing the relationships that I had built because of my actions. Losing trust was inevitable, but at the time I did not hold the concept of trust with much regard. And I believed I would never build any actual relationships with you all- after all, I had managed to avoid it for so long. That changed, and...

[He realizes at this point that he's rambling a bit, so he pauses to collect himself again.]

What I am trying to say is...I do not want to lose what we have built.

[In non-Colress terms, he doesn't want to damage their friendship because of his poor life choices.]

[amygdalae]

[There's a pause as Bruce considers Colress' words. He takes another swig from his bottle and lets it hang from his hand.]

You don't need to worry about that.

[Considering everything else Colress barely did anything to garner any kind of hate or anger from Bruce. Not that is reserved for something else entirely.]

[pokexplorer]

I...I see.

[He's a little surprised to hear it, actually. He knows that in the grand scheme of things, he didn't commit an enormous crime this time. But in the heat of the moment, he was concerned that his reveal would have been the icing on the Terrible Cake.

He sits in silence with Bruce for a moment as it sinks in.]

Do you recall the time that you spoke with me when I was in a particularly bad place? You wanted to talk to me, and extended a helping hand though you said you were not sure what the best way to help might be.

...Might I extend the same hand? I understand if you would rather be left alone, but...I do feel concerned about you.

[May as well just say it. He knows that Bruce probably isn't okay right now, and that's understandable. But he wants to show he cares about that.]

[amygdalae]

[It was sort of a terrible thing to top off what had happened, but at the point in time Bruce had already effectively more or less shut down. And again it wasn't as if Colress was in any wrong - whatever he had been considering beforehand, what mattered was that he didn't take up the offer. That's good enough for Bruce.

He starts to try and take another drink, but pauses when Colress speaks to him and kind of... pauses for a bit. It's not a very long pause by all account, but its one that is perhaps kind of speaks a lot on Bruce's on end.]

...I'll be alright. [He says, after the pause is over, and Bruce takes the drink that he had been going to do so before Colress made him pause.] I just need some time.

[Some time to stuff this all the way down and possibly never dwell on it until the time when they do get out of this place alive. If he is still alive at the end of it. Who knows at this point.]