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

[feistytrader]

Yeah, it's a game.

[...Well, that's... better than her scratching the screen.

Jeez.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Hahaha... OKAY...

This time she seems to be controlling it well! Or at least better! She scores up into the hundred thousands... ]

I think I get it now...?

[feistytrader]

[Oh hey, now she's got the hang of it--!]

Keep going.

[He wants to see her set a high score, okay-]

[matchbreaker]

[ Honestly, it'll take hr over three game overs to get a score as high as he got on the first time, and even that isn't as high as the pre-installed leaderboards on the game. But she's trying, and actually starting to comprehend how this works by about the second time!

HEHEH. ]

It's like you're beating up these punks!

[feistytrader]

It's not as exciting as taking someone's star, but it's still fun.

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda... hesitates there. First with confusion, and then with a clouded sadness from memory association. Finally, ] Isn't someone stealing a star what got fish girl so desperate?

[ She shoots this back, hatefully.

As she's still playing the game.

To deflect ]

[feistytrader]

[...



Well damn son he fucked up there didn't he-]

...I mean a star shaped thing with a face.

[Even when you aren't playing Mario Party, it ruins friendships-]

It's currency.

[matchbreaker]

Oh.

[ . . .

She hands the game back. His turn. She'll watch. ]

[feistytrader]

Thanks.

[He'll start playing, but he's a little distracted; he does decently enough anyway, but soon speaks up.]

...Are you doing okay? Everyone was pushing you pretty hard.

[matchbreaker]

I looked guilty.

[ She replies quickly, as if that dismissed everything.

She's watching him play btw ]

[feistytrader]

Just because there was a reason to ask you twenty questions doesn't mean that it sucked any less.

[matchbreaker]

Besides, how many times have I threatened your boy?

What's it matter to you?

[feistytrader]

...I mean, you've also threatened me.

[...]

And he's not my boy.

1/2

[matchbreaker]

Please talk to Kimbley about it.

[matchbreaker]

I didn't ask how you were after suspecting you last time.

[feistytrader]

[...]

You're feeling that bad, huh.

[matchbreaker]

[ What ]

Now, I never said that!

[ With a hand on his shoulder ]

[feistytrader]

You brag when you're feeling fine and lash out when you're hiding something.

1/2

[matchbreaker]

[ WHAT ]

[matchbreaker]

[ H...huhue... ]

Well, you don't see me eaten by a shadow monster, do you? Even helped put together this whole get together for you brats.

[feistytrader]

...Why won't you answer the question?

[matchbreaker]

I already did, you little snot!

[ However, her reaction now betrays that, of course, she was lying. Namely, she slams a fist down on the table, her eyes turning catlike as her fangs are bared and she yells ]

Do you think I care if a lot of human trash suspects me of something?! What else is new?!

[feistytrader]

Hey, asshole! Wake up! You're stuck in here with a lot of human trash, and a good amount of that human trash likes you, alright?

[He likes her, Kimbley certainly likes her, of all people, and-]

We're stupid, simple creatures, and there's only so much we can do to defend you if you act like you're above it all, so how about coming down to our human trash level once in a while and letting us in?

[matchbreaker]

[ In one movement, Elda has shot a claw out to his throat as best she can reach it given their height difference and, furious, shout for all of the room to hear. Her red eyes are bloodshot, giving them the appearance of almost glowing in their fury. And she shouts back just as quickly, ]

How many vampires died because of that, when they took human lovers and created dead ends for their families?! Or when those failures brought the church down on all of us?! Vampires are better! Humans are the demons, not us!

[ She is projecting so hard right now. ]

[feistytrader]

[He's reflexively going to grip her wrist, if nothing else; he doesn't want to hurt her, but he's not about to let her claw out his throat, either.]

You're a person. I'm a person. Jasper's a person, and so's Judy and Nick.

Name one person who's treated you poorly in here because you're a vampire. I'll beat them up.