i feel the love, and i feel it burn, down this river every turn

[oyashiromama]

[The trial, as usual, was taxing. It's for different reasons every week, but what it all comes down to is there are fewer of them than there were, and that keeps on happening. The note comes, as it always does, earlier than last week, but still with some delay. There's a note slipped under everyone's door. ...One under Gold's door because of course Silver will be staying there, she knows.]

Please come to the dining room, if you would like not to be alone. There will be food, and there will be some cards and board games if you need a distraction.

- Hanyuu & Elda

[True to that, there are a variety of foods. It's nothing too fancy. Rice, grilled fish, eggs in various styles. ...No creampuffs this time, it seems Hanyuu thought that would be a little in poor taste. Also a bunch of fries? ...Really spicy fries, like incredibly so.

On a far table, board games brought from the games room have been left out, along with many decks of cards.]

Comments

afterparty

[matchbreaker]

We were wrong.

[ That's Elda's apology. Or well, the immediate verbal one as she sits across from Gangrel placing a deck of cards between them and also pushing a plate of her fries towards them. These happen to have a mix of chili powder and cumin on them, so uh? Enjoy. ]

[plegia]

[...Huh. Well, he actually recognizes it as an apology (because that's exactly how he'd apologize if he was ever wrong, but of course he's never wrong!!) so there's that. He picks up one of the fries to examine it before taking a bite and making a face.]

What did you put on these?

[But he doesn't really seem all that invested in being disgusted by fries tonight and instead he shrugs and gestures to the deck.]

I shouldn't stay long, but I suppose I've got time for a game. What do you want to play?

[He'll acknowledge the apology in a moment, maybe.]

[matchbreaker]

I don't know, some spices! I can't taste them, remember?

[ Shrug ]

It seemed boring to just use salt.

[ But okay. ]

Do you know rummy?

[plegia]

Well, next time stick to salt! And not too much of it either.

[He's from fantasy medieval land, he doesn't even know what fries are and he's still not here for potatoes covered in salt!!

...But anyway.]

I don't recognize it, but I'm a quick learner.

[there's probably a fire emblem equivalent, anyway]

[matchbreaker]

Yeesh, what a critic!

[ But she's going to just laugh that off ]

It's a bit of an old lady's game, but I'm sure you'll indulge me.

[ Or at least, she's very used to getting her way? Who knows which ways she means it. Either way BOOM BOOM explaining Rummy and how you draw and what you can put down and playing off of the other person's cards once they have put down and etc.

The works.

The handwave. ]

[plegia]

[THERE'S GOING TO BE SO MUCH HANDWAVED CARD GAME PLAYING HERE, HELLA]

...Nice of you to offer some kind of apology after [handwave] all of that.

[matchbreaker]

[ HELLA HELLA. It's as she's dealing a new hand, her eyes closed, that she responds, mostly to give him and out from the sentimentality, if he wants it- ]

Honestly though, who could have seen that he could transform coming? Let alone that it would transform his clothes.

[plegia]

I certainly wasn't expecting it. I didn't know him nearly as well as I thought I did.

[What a mistake that was.]

I started suspecting him the moment I was reminded of the creampuffs, but I hadn't thought his clothes could change color.

[He thought it was a frame job. It's good that it wasn't. That makes all of this easier, somehow.]

[matchbreaker]

You did? [ She opens her eyes, arching a brow ] You could have accused him then and there, that would have at least swayed some of us.

[ Perhaps even herself. ]

[plegia]

I know. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

[And that's... not really something he knows how to address.]

I was so sure it wasn't him. I would rather have everyone pointing fingers at me than take a chance that it could be him. That's... Ridiculous.

[He shakes his head, as if to get rid of that thought entirely.]

[matchbreaker]

[ That was ridiculous, right? Just as ridiculous as Lusamine last week. Or as ridiculous as everyone before that, when they were accusing her but denying the possibility it could have ben fish girl. Right? Elda would... ]

... You lied, you know. Either to me or to everyone else: You told me not a week ago that everyone here was clever in how they handled the cases, but just now you said we were idiots who would condemn you.

[plegia]

[...]

Bit of both, I suppose. I do think they're smart enough to work most things out, but I couldn't take the chance that they wouldn't turn on me.

[There's nothing in it for them if they did that, he knows. But some habits die hard. Paranoia's certainly one of them.]

[matchbreaker]

I don't ask you to trust them, or even me. But that hassle did delay things. And this time...

[ She hesitates to say this, even as she's laying down cards but, ]

This time we didn't win so much as Killia - or whatever ridiculous nam the red one went by - lost.

[ If he hadn't snapped ... they were going in circles, getting nowhere. ]

[plegia]

I know it did. If I'd known that it wasn't from my clothes, I would have submitted to be checked. You know that. I've allowed myself to be checked every other time.

[But there was a possibility that this would look like he did it, and he couldn't take that risk.]

[matchbreaker]

I know.

[ And she hates it, really. Because the fact of the matter is: ]

If that brat could've hauled in just a smidge more food, we might be dead.

[plegia]

Tch. I would've fought the entire way, but I know how I act. How I am. It didn't look good for me or any of us.

...Killia wouldn't have wanted everyone to die, though. His other self would have, but I don't think he could have gone through with it.

[It's just a hunch and he's already been proven wrong about Killia before, but maybe some small part of him wants to believe that.]

[matchbreaker]

... Maybe. But he still was holding himself back in there for a few hours.

[ Instead of just admitting to it. But then... could she blame him? She wouldn't have admitted to it either. Or maybe he had other concerns, like going nuts and trying to bat them all up - ]

Wordsmith really is most unfair.

[plegia]

Of course he is. He's probably enjoying every minute of this.

[Maybe he'd be able to enjoy every minute of it as well if he wasn't forced to get to know the people here.]

[matchbreaker]

I meant the blue one.

[ She sighs, and looks around the room ] Still, Hanyuu'll scold me for speaking ill of the dead, so let's get off this topic.

[plegia]

[Shrug!]

Fair enough. I normally don't care at all about speaking ill of the dead, but that's probably best today.

[Because he actually kind of cared about Killia in his own stupid, stunted way.]

[matchbreaker]

Honestly, I don't either.

[ Oh cool, she can make a long ass run this time ]

But: How about this? Do you style your nails, Gangrel?

[plegia]

Of course I do! You don't think they grow like this naturally, do you?

[THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE TOPIC CHANGE, YES LET'S FOCUS ON THIS]

[matchbreaker]

Do they have nail polish, in Pelgia?

[plegia]

...Nail polish?

[THAT'S A NO]

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda shows off her own long lady fingernails. Notice how they are red. And glossy. ]