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

[firstaid]

Do you need help finding a book?

[Estelle's voice sounds forced, but she's going to try. She's going to try and force past this. She doesn't want to forget, yet she doesn't want to remember. It's definitely a conflict.]

[stepout]

[ ...Oh.

She doesn't really, but she can hear the forced tone, and... she might as well give her something to do. ]

I'd like that. I don't read very often, so I'm not sure where to start.

[firstaid]

I think something happy will be nice. Or at least something with a happy ending.

[She looks through some of the titles and pulls one out titled 'The Ugly Robin'.]

This title doesn't look like it's uplifting, but I promise you, it's really wonderful. It really hits you how we take our values of beauty by those we grow up around and not who we really are.

[stepout]

Huh. [ She'll take it and flip through it a bit, then close it. Hmm. ] Thanks for the recommendation, I'm sure it's a great story.

[ ...beauty is only skin deep, right? That's actually kind of terrible for her— ]

...Are you doing okay?

[firstaid]

Yes, you're welcome.

[She goes to look at the other titles when she gets that question about how she's doing...

Her eyes look away from the other while her hands fidget while clasped together.]

Um, I can't say that I'm doing entirely fine, however, based on what's happened, I'm definitely not in the worst position now. I think that would apply to Adelina and Kyrie...

[Even now, she feels pity for Kyrie that she felt the need to to this instead of deeming her a bad person.]

[stepout]

You can't really compare yourself to them though. It's pretty hard to beat "dead" in worseness.

[ ...and no comment on Kyrie, she's got some things to work out there. ]

[firstaid]

I-I know. I just think in comparison, it's good we're alive, right? I'm... sure that's something they wish they could be.

[She's trying to think positive, even if it's hard right now even if she may be accidentally making this more depressing.]

[stepout]

[ ...HONEY. ]

I'm not sure they're wishing much of anything right now. [ Considering they're. Dead. ] ...And if they were wishing something—

[ ...uh. ]

Never mind. [ Kyrie probably wishes she got away with her crime and Adelina probably wishes she hadn't been caught off guard. ]

[firstaid]

I... suppose that would be true.

[She wants to hear the end of Chiyuki's thoughts, but she's not sure if she wants to at the same time. This did turn into a sort of morbid conversation...]

[stepout]

[ ...and it will only get more morbid if you let her finish, so she's going to change the subject instead. ]

How much of this library have you read through already?

[ She's assuming Estelle picked books she'd already vetted as "appropriately happy or happy-ending" via devouring them. ]

[firstaid]

Not much. There's a lot of books here and I imagine it would take a long time to go through all of them.

[Meaning, she's thought about it and mathematically, she hasn't read too many books in comparison to how many books total there are here.]

[stepout]

[ Wow, girl. ]

Well, we're allowed to stay here indefinitely [ unless we want to die ] so you've got plenty of time, I guess.

[firstaid]

Yes, I suppose I do...

[Except she doesn't sound too happy like that. To be trapped... again.]

[stepout]

[ ...no one'd be happy to be here. ]

It's not an ideal situation, but you need to make what you can of it. [ Her tone's a little gentler this time; still even, but gentle. ] Reading's a better past-time than... Well, you know. A lot of other ones.

[firstaid]

I suppose it really is. At least we have books here. I'm really grateful for that.

[Honestly, without book she probably would have settled in here as well as she had.]

[stepout]

...Me too, actually. The variety's more than I'm used to. [ It's kind of nice. ] Do you read a lot back where you're from?

[firstaid]

I do. Back when I couldn't leave the castle, books were all I had.

[And books were her friends and her only escape.]

[stepout]

[ ...Some people are going to be more less-thrilled about being trapped here than others, she gets why now though. As far as this princess's concerned. ]

Why couldn't you leave? [ ... ] Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you should be banned from visiting your... subjects, I guess they'd be.

[firstaid]

I'm... not really sure myself. I just wasn't allowed to leave and I obeyed that.

[She did as she was told, simple enough. Well, until she finally escaped.]

Honestly, I'm not sure if people know me.

[People even just kind of stare at her and wonder if she's the princess sometimes. It's bad.]

[stepout]

[ Oh no... ]

...If it's any consolation, you look like a princess to me. [ That is, she'd never wonder about it. ] How'd you finally get to leave?

[firstaid]

Do I really?

[She's not sure if she totally believes that, but she will take it. In any case, she latches on to the question.]

As to how I left, well, I ran away.

[Simple enough, right?]