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

[ravagers]

[ Generally, people need time to cope and gather themselves after a... thing... like that. Unfortunately, that's not how Vanille sees it. Her thing is avoid, and once she gets out of that hellhole that's the courtroom, she makes her way to the supplies closet, then to the library. She spends some time setting up things, pushing things aside to make room. Once she's finished, and she's met up with the Party Brigade, she makes enough invitations for everyone. She slips them under everyone's doors, or hands them out if she sees someone walking around.



Inside the library, there are candles set up to provide some soft, comforting lighting. There are pots of tea, courtesy of Mercy, pancakes made by Viktor, and books (picked out by Estelle, of course) laid out on the surrounding tables. The others have provided their own touches, and Vanille's even managed to make something: sugar cookies, which are actually very good. They're flavored lightly with all sorts of flavors--not all in the same cookie, okay--and each plate is marked with whatever flavor she's put in them.

After a successful trial, it's healthy to indulge, right? Let's mingle. ]

Comments

[feistytrader]

[Silver arrives at the afterparty late; he's not really sure how he feels about it, but he likes a good deal of the people there, and he doesn't want to be alone with Gold right now. And speaking of Gold, he's sporting a pretty big bruise on his cheek right now. Three guesses where he got that from. Either way, he doesn't seem to mind it too much as he munches on some of Viktor's pancakes in relative contemplative silence.

He doesn't really intend to approach one, but if anyone wanders into his general vicinity, he'll speak up.]

Are you okay?

[It's a question he's not sure he has an answer for himself, but he's asking it anyway.]

[plentyfriendly]

[Phi decides to check in on Silver... only for him to reciprocate.]

So-so, I guess.

[Like, after the Nonary Game she was prepared for horrible death, just. Not that kind.]

[feistytrader]

That was pretty hard to swallow.

[...]

I wasn't very serious when we were investigating in the morning. Sorry about that.

[That's not exactly what he wanted to say, but he's getting the sentiment across well enough. He needs to take this more seriously. He can't be mad at Gold about that if he isn't doing it himself.]

[plentyfriendly]

I'll say.

[It's a little harder to be accepting of things when you see someone get killed by them.]

It worked out fine, so don't be too hard on yourself.

[feistytrader]

[He's... Really not sure how to respond to that, so he helplessly stares at her for a moment before realizing that's probably just making things worse.]

Yeah, it did. For now.

[He has no doubt in his mind that it's going to happen again.]

We know what to expect for next time.

[plentyfriendly]

That we do... but honestly I kind of feel the same way.

[She, too, thinks this will repeat itself, but...]

The trial bit is new, but I've had to investigate deaths like this before...

[feistytrader]

...Seriously? That's some luck.

[...He could have done without letting that slip from his mouth, but it's too late to take it back now.]

Although I guess it explains why you kept it together.

[Not that it's any less difficult the second time around.]

[plentyfriendly]

Yeah, a little.

[Part of it is just the way she is, though.]

[feistytrader]

[...Should he ask? Probably not, but-]

Were you locked up like this, too?

[...]

You don't have to answer. It's not really my business.

[plentyfriendly]

No, it's fine. I've told a few people that I was.

[feistytrader]

...How many people made it out?

[What are their survival chances in here?]

[plentyfriendly]

Out of nine... no, ten people involved? All of them.

[We may already be on a bad ending path.]

[modernmedicine]

I should be asking you the same.

[She closes her eyes for a moment.]

Also? I want to apologize properly for earlier. I never should have even brought your name up.

[feistytrader]

It's fine. It wasn't like I was the only one who had fingers pointed at them.

[He doesn't really know how to answer how he feels, so he simply doesn't.]

It's better to explore every possibility than to miss something important.

[matchbreaker]

Aren't I the one most likely to be okay?

[ She didn't care about either of them and she didn't actually see the execution, so blinded was she by that flash of light before it. And yet, when Elda says that it is with a fair bit of bravado, doing her best to look down on someone who is taller than her and probably near-to-as tall as her even when sitting ]

[feistytrader]

I don't know. Maybe.

[Elda's a strange case.]

Either way, I'm still asking.

[matchbreaker]

[ Stupid kid ]

Your friend didn't get strangled, so I'm doing alright!

[ Or at least... better than some here. ]

What about you?

[feistytrader]

I didn't strangle my friend.

[Although he still kind of wants to.]

[matchbreaker]

I didn't think you would.

[ But at the same time...

Well, the threat now looms, doesn't it? ]

She could have ended it for us if Smith didn't get so tricky.

[feistytrader]

...I thought fifteen of us would get out, myself.

[This is a happy conversation.]

How long do you think it will take for someone else to try?

[matchbreaker]

Huh, so you're less optimistic than I was.

[ She's smirking, because she assumed she had a darker image than all of these people being like they have to escape. Sure, she'd ideally do the same and she definitely wants to kill Wordsmith, but... ]

Dunno, that only took four days, and you're the human here.

[ By her tone, she suggests he would know better. After all, humans are the real demons ]

[feistytrader]

I can last three years, lady. I'm not getting Gold killed, either.

[And killing isn't really his style, anyway. Killing bad guys that threaten to ruin the world is one thing. Killing innocent people, just to get out...?]

That's on the rest of you.

1/2

[matchbreaker]

[ ... She will kill someone when she gets the chance, she's not above it.

The boy knows it. ]

[matchbreaker]

I'm not smart enough to work around that trial we just did.

[feistytrader]

You're not fooling me.

[She's entirely too loud about everything to pull something like that off.]

You're not doing your family any favors if you get caught and die in here, so try to take it easy.