And it's the stars, the stars that lie to you.

[neverheardofhim]

[This week, Varric opted to take a page from Vanille’s book. Gathering everyone together after the roller-coaster that the first trial had been proved to be somewhat cathartic for himself. He hoped that it would prove to do the same for the others.]

[He wasn’t alone, of course, having found himself blessed with the most ragtag team of chefs and party-planners. He might have had words for and thoughts on Elda and Kimbley, Mikazuki was welcome company, and he wasn’t about to turn away potential allies, even in a fight as simple as cooking dinner.]

[Once everyone’s set to a task, baking a cake, brewing tea, or stirring stew (the only task Varric could think to assign Elda to), Varric excused himself to his room. His first task was writing up cards, each personally titled and signed by Varric.]

Food in the Library. 5 p.m. Don’t spend the night alone.

[Each note was slid under a door and accompanied by a single rap on the wood.]

[With his tasks completed, Varric returned to the kitchen to put out any potential fires and, with luck, set the food out. A table in the library would be adorned with plenty of tea, cake, pancakes courtesy of Viktor, and stew thanks mostly to Varric (sorry, Elda).]

Comments

[foundfate]

Anytime.

[For a second there, he starts to lift up his hand, like he's going to take Orihime's and give it an encouraging squeeze. But he loses his nerve as quickly as it comes, and he sets the hand back down and just leave it at that.]

[oyashiromama]

[Oh, that is...a loaded question in so many ways. Hanyuu hesitates.]

Me...? Me, I... [If she's asking about Hanyuu's memory, she... She can't share something so good, not after what Elda just told her, or what they've seen today.] ...I... My memory was a fortunate one. Thinking of it is all that's...keeping me afloat.

[She doesn't want to expand on that. It feels wrong to.]

[elepe]

[And that gets Lusamine to smile.]

Good. I'm certain that as long as you two stick together, no one will wish to harm you. And really, no one will be able to either.

[That even gets a bit of cheering from Clefable. Yeah yeah, fight fight!]

[alchemicals]

[...You know, he didn't really expect that question and it shows, but he doesn't seem bothered by it at all or anything; he just tips his head a little and tries to work out what to...say to something like that.]

It depends on what kind of person you are, I guess. It didn't really upset me or anything, you get used to everyone dying and you find ways to pass the time for yourself. Kind of like here, only people are dying all the time around you. I thought it was fine? But I guess I'm kind of screwed up, just in general. Most people come out worse than they went in.

[tsugomori]

[ Indeed, the smile was Mikazuki's way of coping, as it's what he's learned to do in stressful times; if he faces everything with a calm expression and a smile then things will work out because sometimes he can't change how things are. However, although the expression lingers on his face, it's lacking the usual cheerful exuberance, that's for sure. ]

Oh, thank you for reminding me that you did.

[ ... ]

Varric, please don't vote for yourself again, if you can help it. I understand why people do it, but quite frankly I can't stand it. Right now, it is not an issue, but it may become so later down the road.

[introspects]

I am. Talking to you...it's helped a lot.

[ She's never really had someone look after her like this since her older brother passed away. It's nice, to know someone's always looking out for you. Varric's been doing that a lot. ]

Thank you, Tethras-san...

[introspects]

[ What did she do to deserve friends like him? To be surrounded by people who are so caring, even after only knowing one another for two weeks? ]

You can talk to me, too, if you need someone. I'm a good listener, I think...

[foundfate]

[That's right, friends look out for each other, right? Which means Watanuki has people he can rely on too.]

Thanks, Inoue-san. I'll remember that.

[They'll both probably need it.]

[oyashiromama]

[Well, she's not really going anywhere right now. No, she's just staying here, blinking out a few stray tears and feeling her face heat up.]

I don't...I'm not alone. [Sniff.] That's right. All of you are here...with me. [There's...a thank you coming, or in there somewhere, she's just taking it all in.]

[oyashiromama]

O-oh. [Well, that's...more than a little surprising, especially to someone who's already died before.] I've...never heard of such a thing before, honestly. Aah... So...you were there to be...judged?

[That sounds...a little uncomfortable, really.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda is not a good enough person for her not to feel some cruel spike of jealousy in the moment Hanyuu answers her. So much so that she almost screws up her face in expressing that. But just as quickly, almost to her surprise, she moves past it to instead be genuinely glad that's the case. Elda smirks, and then reaches out to pat Hanyuu on the head, as if She had been the one who was just sobbing. Her hand then rolls down Hanyuu's cheek, tilting up her chin ]

Good, glad to hear it. [ And that was a bit more curt than she intended, but it's clearly at least to some extent sincere. ] So why not tell me something else?

[ravagers]

I'm glad I got to meet you, too... I just wish it hadn't been here.

[ Vanille doesn't pull away, doesn't even think about it. Heck, she doesn't think she could if she wanted to. There's a brief silence before she speaks up again. ]

You're a really great guy, you know? Premium dad material.

[ravagers]

Reckless...

[ ... She can't argue with that. Vanille sighs and looks up at her. ]

I guess you were right. I'm... I'm really sorry for worrying you.

[ravagers]

[ She nods, then gives Estelle a smile. It's small, but anything is a good thing, right? ]

Hey... thanks for coming to talk to me. It really means a lot.

[ravagers]

[ She shakes her head. ]

I don't mind. I invited you, and all. C'mon.

[ She'll gently lead Hanyuu in, then close the door. ]

You can sit anywhere, even the bed, if you want.

[oyashiromama]

Ah...

[...She can't help but keep a sad, grateful smile from her face. She understands. She...she was just as jealous, when it seemed Elda had the better history of the two of them. The smile sinks to confusion, after.]

What...kind of something else? I...aah... [There's...what she talked about with Watanuki earlier, and cried her eyes out over.] ...about...the trial?

[matchbreaker]

Or anything. I know you married a man, I don't even know his name. I don't know a lot about you yet. So if you don't want to talk about things which make you think of fish girl, I'm sure both of us are old enough to have a dozen other things to say.

[ This is her being "nice." ]

[modernmedicine]

I can't speak to what's going on in your home, of course. I just don't believe taking someone out is the best course of action in my own.

[oyashiromama]

[She does so, taking a gentle seat. And now...just what does she say? I didn't know you were so close.

She can't say that.]

Vanille... You're not going by the gathering?

[plegia]

I doubt it's effective for cooking everything, but it works just fine for cream puffs.

[Shrug! It's not like he's tried to cook anything else in it. After all, if he can get other people to cook for him why would he learn about all this new and terrifying technology??]

[plegia]

[it's rough in fire emblem....]

Hanyuu taught me a bit. As long as there's someone else around to cook and I can watch them do it, why bother looking for books on the subject?

[plegia]

But that's just it - do you really think he'd be satisfied with an ending like that? If we keep doing this - killing each other, going to trial, voting for someone to die - then surely that will get boring for him eventually, won't it? He's probably got another ending planned for this. I doubt he'd be pretentious enough to name himself "the Wordsmith" if he wasn't planning this to be some kind of twisted story.

[plentyfriendly]

That makes sense. Based on several things, I'd assumed whatever timeline you're from is one where the antimatter plant explosions didn't happen.

[Remember that meeting?]

[oyashiromama]

[Well, there's kind of the problem, what reminds her of Alani is what reminds her of...

She sighs, and nods. This is going to be an uncomfortable moment, she knows.]

My husband... Yes, I suppose that's a good place to start. His name was Riku. I... He was a human. He was the first human not to fear me...or hold me on a pedastal. He was the first to see me as a person.

[matchbreaker]

A human?

[ ... Elda can't help but have her alarm leek into her tone there. And maybe... jut maybe, a little disgust. It's not. Directed at her? Or at him, specifically. ]