and it takes, and it takes, and it takes

[acherontiastyx]

[It... definitely takes a while for the weekly after-execution note to arrive, but it does --- kind of scrawly and on ripped paper rather than nice stationery.]

EY. YO. WE GOT EFFIGIES IN THE DINING ROOM AND WE'RE GONNA BURN EM.

FOOD TOO. THE USUAL AND HOT COCOA. GOOD FOR THE SOUL. GET SOME. MAYBE TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR ROOM IF YOU HAVE TO. JUST GET SOME.

[Anyway, in the dining room, there's plenty of mugs set out, with a janky looking arrow sign pointing into the kitchen to where you can get your hot cocoa. On the table, there's Vichyssoise, a pot of green tea, and some booze. There's also a cookie tray on the floor away from the table on which to burn the Wordsmith and Kimbley effigies, which are handily placed near the food on the table.

...also if you go in the kitchen without shoes on just. Watch the northern corner. There's no kidneys, but there's a lot of broken plates there for some reason...]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda's first reaction upon finishing the trial? she's totally going to go and switch into her lavender dress in her room. Well, more specifically she's going to switch out of the swimsuit she's been stuck in all trial and take a shower. Her hair is actually still damp once she makes it to the dining room, ... uh. she's not wearing shoes though. As always. So someone help her what with all the broken plates??? yeah.

However, while she does stay in here to watch the effigies burn, she's so... Tired. In fact, he's tired enough that she starts looking somewhat longingly at everyone's necks even if none of them smell particularly appetizing. This holding pattern continues until they've burned several effigies, at which point she goes to seek out a choice person or two. She's making no effort to be unsociable even despite the circumstances.

She won't be in her room by the end of the night. ]

dining room

[foundfate]

Still no shoes?

[Watanuki is just cutting through on other business, but he will still stop to talk to her.]

[matchbreaker]

It's not like we even have any decent ones supplied for us.

[ Besides, it's not cold enough that she needs it!

... Ignore that her foot got bandaged with a piece of Chiyuki a week ago ]

[foundfate]

We have a serious problem with broken glass here though.

[And no shoes means watching where you walk.]

[matchbreaker]

... Well, perhaps people should cease breaking things.

[foundfate]

That would probably help with the glass problem, yeah.

[But he's not going to be the one to tell people to stop breaking things.]

[matchbreaker]

At the very least, they ought not to do it so near to the pool.

[ Ugh. ]

Still, I suppose some things can't be helped.

[foundfate]

Speaking of the pool, why were you in your swimsuit all day? Were you going to go swimming?

[Before murder and trials happened, he means.]

[matchbreaker]

Yeah, I'd been down there first thing when Hanyuu went and found the body. Lusamine was there too, but she didn't get changed before it all kicked off.

[foundfate]

[Oh my.]

Do you three normally go swimming together?

[matchbreaker]

Wha-- no! We just ran into each other!

[ W-why would she plan things like that with Lusamine? ]

[foundfate]

[Because old lady swimming party?]

Ah. Well, at least none of you discovered that scene by yourselves.

[matchbreaker]

... No, I think Hanyuu did. Well, the body, at least.

[ She sort of called the rest of them in there. ]

[foundfate]

[Oh. Well then.]

But you, er, still helped her, right?

[matchbreaker]

The swordsman and I both piled into the room pretty quick. The three of us looked around the room there, and then Lusamine sort of took the investigation of the pool.

[ She did her best, but... ]

You won the day, in the end.

[foundfate]

...

It doesn't feel like much of a victory, to be honest.

[matchbreaker]

[ She's not looking at him as she says this, instead just watching one of the effigies burn with distant eyes. They're "normal" now, not like like the predatory cat-like ons she held for basically all of that final question, since Silver asked them what they're being accused of. ]

For all of my bravado and accusations and claims, I didn't defeat Silver. You did though. [ Dully. ]

[foundfate]

Because he's my friend.

[Looking away seems to be the trend right now. He doesn't want to look at anyone.]

But even then, I needed Gold's help in the end.

[matchbreaker]

[ ... Hah. ]

... Sentimentality is deadly, you know. It's not the worst trait of humanity, but it's one of the ones which can lead to the downfall of a single person. Or even a whole species, with poor enough choices.

[ . . . ]

Still, you won out with kindness.

[ And she's praising him for it. In truth, she feels very useless at the end of everything. She came upon a conclusion, but couldn't even get a confession. She shouted arrogantly at Lusamine and Hanyuu, but didn't back up any of her threats. And what's more - she broke her own rule about sentimentality.

but still, she's patting him on the back ]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki flinches slightly at the touch, but he doesn't pull away. He knows Elda means well, or at least as well as she possibly can, so.]

I wish kindness could have saved him.

[Talking about Gold here now, not Silver.]

Even if those two tried to do something horrible, and even if they did succeed in a way, they shouldn't have had to go through that. I've been talking to them so much lately, and I didn't even know that they were planning something like this! Maybe if I had tried harder, if I had talked to them more, then I could have noticed something was wrong before anything happened.

[matchbreaker]

And done what?

[ Her tone is a little nasty here, her hand still on his back - it's... really, she means this to be reassuring at least. ]

Don't sound so much like Hanyuu. There's plenty of things that there can't be forgiveness for, and there's plenty of actions that people need to take, even when it's the wrong choice. [ . . . ] Honestly, if I had half the spine I've been trying to present myself as having, I should've killed someone instead of Alani back then. And certainly for the incentive this week.

[foundfate]

I'd prefer it if you didn't kill anyone.

[He's. Kind of been trying to keep her from doing that.]

He's trying to break us, you know. And every week, we keep proving him right. That by pushing the right buttons, he can break us.

So I like that you haven't killed anyone yet, because it means he hasn't broken you yet.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Sportacus said something similar. That the choice not to kill, not to take action that would save so many was strong.

... She still can't believe that.

But she does look back up at him, smirking ]

Isn't that the title I was given? Indomitable.

[foundfate]

Then you'll be the one to survive to the end.

[That smile he has, there's pain behind it. Because now he's thinking about his own title, Independent, and realizing that despite his best efforts he's going to end up alone again.]

[matchbreaker]

I am.

[ She confirms, boastfully. ]

... But I'm not as kind as Hanyuu or Tethras. So... all of those dead spirits better hope you remain alive as well.