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

[matchbreaker]

Mmmm... yes? Well, mostly. [ She shakes her head ] For a vampire awakens around thirteen or fourteen, unless they develop quickly they're usually fairly similar to a human. The sun often won't even start to bother them until they're eight or so. So many families these days, including mine [ Thanks, Henry and James ] opt to have their children grow up in the human world until they awaken. After that point...

Well, it's changing these days, but it would be suspicious to any human to be around someone who can't eat their food, drink their liquids, and can never be in the sun. It's fine for short term interaction, like I know my grandson Ren operates like that for how he hunts, but a long term relationship is always going to be strained.

[ And this is Elda at her utmost, utmost fairness.

Because she really wanted to say "why would we?" ]

[iaspis]

Thirteen and fourteen is... young, right?

[Gems don't really age, but given the age of some of the people here that seems to be a "definitely still children" sort of age.]

I can't blame you for wanting to stay hidden. People fear what they don't understand.

[matchbreaker]

Mmmhm. These days, in Japan, human children finish their schooling somewhere around eighteen but then don't come of age as adults until twenty.

[ Which is still a little weird but whatever. She... She has a reaction to that second part, but it's hidden under a smile. Her eyes briefly darken, and she's taken back to an old, old hurt. ]

That they do.

[iaspis]

At least no one has tried anything on you yet.

[....probably should knock on wood there]

Here, I suppose people have better things to worry about.

[matchbreaker]

[ Here... ]

... Those first two weeks, I really expected something to happen because of it. I was so brazen with my identity on the first day, because I assumed I could just erase everyone's memories once I worked this out. By day's end, even.

[iaspis]

That's an ability you have normally?

[matchbreaker]

[ She nods.

She's not explained it to many people, but it seems oddly safe to do it at this point, even here at this party. It's not like it'll change anything if Jasper knows. ]

[iaspis]

That's... strong.

[dude]

I've never heard of a Gem capable of something like that.

[matchbreaker]

[ That's not the reaction she expected. Elda blinks, and she laughs it off, waving her hand ]

It's a basic vampire ability! It's necessary to make humans forge after you feed on them.

[iaspis]

I see.

That... would make sense.

[but why don't you just kill them afterward?? that makes more sense....]

[matchbreaker]

[ tbh Elda can't say she 100% disagrees with that, but... still... ]

Mmmhm. Leaving a bunch of people who remember being attacked would draw too much attention to us.

[iaspis]

Yes, I imagine it would. Better they don't remember.

[matchbreaker]

Precisely.

[ She hums, drumming a finger on the table. ]