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]

[ As Elda reads this, she... frowns to herself. Not because it's bad - far from it - but it does reveal how little she really knew about the man ]

He aspired to be nobility?

[ She asks this, questioningly, as her pen dances around to try and find words. ]

[foundfate]

Not aspired, he was nobility. It's actually quite a story, how he became viscount. Apparently the city he lived in needed one, but nobody wanted to take the job. So they just picked him to do it, and he said 'okay.'

[matchbreaker]

That rogue of a man? [ She actually laughs at that. How... how boorish. She can't help it, she laughs out loud at that.

It hurts, a little.

But she moves past that, it hurts more for this boy, she's sure. And so she draws a few more circles before penning in ]

Neither parenthood nor his status defined the man, however. Known for his writing, loved for his deeds, the true calling of Varric Tethras was instead adventure. Often, he would leave his office vacant as he journeyed to the corners of the land, fought terrible monsters, and claimed forgotten treasures. Those treasures funded that city of his, and those journeys saw new gifts for those children he had taken in. For all of his questing, he carried his burdens well.

[foundfate]

[It does hurt, oh god does it hurt, but he's keeping it together for now. He needs to do this.

He wasn't planning on adding this last bit, but it goes too well with what Elda had just written. Plus it just feels right, given his promise to Varric.]

But his heaviest burden, the one that had haunted him for years, was washed away one summer evening. He was getting ready to turn in for the night, but a glowing apparition bearing a familiar face was waiting for him. He couldn't help but grin as he said, "Long time no see."

A ghostly smile was the only response, but that was alright. Because in that moment he finally received the assurance he had been waiting to get: everything was going to be okay.

[matchbreaker]

[ She read that, and that really begs a question, but it'll be one that she won't ask. No, Elda will just close her eyes, and then nod to herself. Opening them, she claps hr hand together and pulls out two fresh sheets. ]

Okay, now you rewrite all of Varric's so it's on a clean one, and I'll take Viktor's.

[foundfate]

Deal.

[Time to re-write with his nicest handwriting, then!]

[matchbreaker]

[ As will Elda! And if anyone's seen her script, it's an immaculate, perfect cursive. The sort you'd expect of a classical noblewoman.

Yep. ]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki's handwriting is nice too, but not nearly as nice as hers.

Still, eventually he finishes, and it's time to tape them up!]

There.

[matchbreaker]

[ It's what you call comic juxtaposition with her personality.

Still, she nods, and yes, taped and- ]

... There it is. We did it.

[foundfate]

We did.

[A pause.]

I want to say something like 'hopefully this is the last time', but I think that's not going to be the case.

[matchbreaker]

So even you?

[ She huffs, putting a hand on her hip. On the one hand, it's nice, but on the other... ]

[foundfate]

I don't think we can avoid the fact that people are going to keep dying until we find a way out of here. It seems like, for all the searching we do, there's only so much progress we can make in a week. So until we escape, people are going to keep dying. It...it sucks, but that's how things are.

[matchbreaker]

Are you reversing you opinion on that befriending people until there's no reason schtick?

[foundfate]

Of course not, I'm going to befriend everyone here. And it's a lot easier now, because I've been befriending more and more of you losers every week.

If I'm going to die in this place, then I'd at least like to be surrounded by friends. Dying alone, that would be the worst thing.

[matchbreaker]

[ Don't call her a loser gosh. She's going too scratch him lightly for that.

But on the other hand... ]

I've been working on that too.

[foundfate]

[Ow rude don't scratch him! It gets him to step back slightly, but he does laugh.

And then he's just. Going to tap his own forehead, where 'LOVED' is still partially-visible.]

I figured as much.

1/2

[matchbreaker]

[ Ugh, don't remind her. ]

Your fight for having some quarrel like that in the main room.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

I don't think it'll fix things, particularly while we have people like that Bruce Wayne character or Gangrel running around. But I'll try, a little bit, if it helps get me back to my family. That's all.

[foundfate]

[To anyone who didn't know about everything the group had been through, that might not have sounded like much of a promise at all. But Watanuki, he knows. He can see just how stark of a change that is for her. And it brings a smile to his face.]

Just trying is enough.

[matchbreaker]

[ The contrast is enormous. Elda... Elda has not let go for her hatred for 200 yeas. It's not like it's abated. She can still feel it as strong as ever when she closes her eyes. But when he's looking at someone like this dumb kid, it's hard to keep that burning in the same way.

She sighs. But... ]

It's been over a month, did you realize?

[foundfate]

Nearly five weeks, by my count.

[Five weeks too long, in his mind. He's ready to go home.]

[matchbreaker]

I've gotten used to getting up in the morning [ Ignore that she's not really up until noon or later, most days ] and seeing all your faces. And it's only been a month.

[ She sighs ]

[foundfate]

A month of living in an enclosed space with only so many different places to go.

[It's a wonder they don't have cabin fever yet.]

[matchbreaker]

It's absurd, really!

[ She groans this out, running a hand down her face. Ugh. ]

[foundfate]

But it's probably why you're so used to us. It's hard not to get attached to people when you have to be around them constantly like this.