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

[elepe]

[...she wants to argue that Gold and Silver simply tried to save them, in their own...idiotic ways. But after today, even as she tries to justify it in her head, her head is looping around to the fact that they knew what they were doing. They were willing. Her mental imagery of both is...shatter, pretty badly, at this point.

It gets some laughter out of her, and it's oddly forced. Kind of like realizing a lot of things, all at once.]

...I think I understand. Loathe as I am to say it.

[They were her children, she'd claimed them for this duration, and...wow. It hurts all over again.]

[plegia]

It's terrible. I never care about anyone, so this...

[mnnnnngh.]

It's far too much. How do the rest of you stand this every week?

[You people with actually functioning feelings, he means.]

[elepe]

...you're asking the wrong person.

[She's still not over Kyrie. She's still not over the perfect research opportunity in Alani. She's definitely not over Kira wanting to target her.]

It's simply something you get used to. That every week, you stand a good chance of watching someone you enjoy being around dying an unpleasant death. The most you can do is stuff it down and set your expectations low. At that point? You either keep going, or you lay down on the ground and wait for death to come.

[Her gaze had darted away when she said that, but she looks back to Gangrel once she's finished.]

...Knowing you aren't alone helps too, as long as they don't turn around and murder someone.

[plegia]

...Tch.

[It's frustrating, really. He can't imagine dealing with this all the time. Having feelings is difficult enough to begin with, but in a place like this...]

I'm not the sort to lie down and die, not until I've gotten what I've wanted.

[. . .]

You'd better not ever get to that point either.

[That's the sort of thing he should finish with a threat ("or I'll kill you") and he knows it, but for some reason he can't force the words out this time.]

[elepe]

...Only if you tell me you won't do the same. Or that if you do, you'll...

[...there's no point to it. There really isn't, in asking this. Lusamine shakes her head, quickly.]

Forget it. But for whatever it's worth, that's good to hear.

[plegia]

[He's tempted to press, but ultimately he decides against it. It's been a hell of a day and they've already admitted more to each other than they normally would have. He'll let it slide.]

It's worth something, anyway. Eventually... Eventually this will end. Somehow. It has to.

[elepe]

It will. Be it a mountain of corpses or the rest of us alive, it's going to end.

[...There's a bit of frustration in her face, though, and--]

...However, if you're going to ask that of me...tell me you won't do the same thing. I want to hear it.

[plegia]

Heh, it's only fair, I suppose. I won't. I'm alive out of spite and until my revenge against Ylisse is complete, I won't let myself die.

[elepe]

...Good.

[That could probably translate more as a 'thank you' than what she just said, judging by her tone.]

Then I won't die, either. Out of spite for this dreadful place, and so I can see my research through.

[plegia]

What are you researching anyway?

[It's a distraction and normally he does distractions by talking about himself, but this sounds good enough.]

[elepe]

My primary research at this time is on unusual creatures that have only been spoken of in legend. Our primary goal is to find them, and see if we can create a place that is inhabitable for them, and observe their behaviors.

[It's not a bad distraction, at the very least.]

[plegia]

...Heh. Sounds exactly like the sort of thing you'd be interested in. Have you had any success so far?

[elepe]

My last dream was about coming into contact with one of those beings. They appeared in the sanctuary...

[...this is a much better subject to focus on, she seems genuinely happy when she thinks about it.]

While they disappeared after a few moments, it's the first time we've managed to achieve such a thing. Years of research are finally paying off.

[plegia]

Congratulations, then. Perhaps you'll remember even more about it!

[Lusamine certainly seems pleased even if that sort of thing sounds like a terrible idea. Don't summon things from other dimensions or whatever, they might end up being dragon gods of annihilation or something!!]