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]

[ . . . ]

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.

[matchbreaker]

Probably.

[ Ugh. She looks away from him, but then in turn ends up looking at the profiles. She narrows her eyes.

... Man. ]

... Half of these people are dead. Did you even know all of them?

[foundfate]

[Suddenly he feels a little guilty.]

I had at least talked to them once or twice, if that counts. Some I did know better than the others though.

[matchbreaker]

I probably said ten words to this one [ Her nail taps on Milla ] And probably less to this one [ Nick. ] I scarcely knew these two before they kicked it [ Kyrie and Adelina ] and I don't know anything about these two [ Alani and Christo ]

... Honestly, I didn't know that much about Killia or Viktor this week either. Not really.

[foundfate]

Well, you're also not a chatterbox like I am.

[He's trying to make her feel better about it, maybe?]

[matchbreaker]

Oh, is that how you see it?

[ She turns to him, smirking a little ]

[foundfate]

Yep, that's exactly how it is.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

I'll accept that.

[ She laughs, turning away from him again, dragging her nail along the glass of the profiles ]

You're just a butterfly.

[foundfate]

No, my boss is the butterfly.

[That's her symbol, at least.]

I'd say I'm more of a bird.

[matchbreaker]

I've never thought of birds as being particularly social. But then, I suppose that butterflies don't really say that much either, idioms aside.

[foundfate]

Are you kidding? Birds live in flocks! Some of them can even learn to talk to humans. They're plenty social.

[matchbreaker]

[ Okay, she can't help it, she smirks and turns, ]

Is that how you're justifying moving past the down feathers to talk to the vampires the devils and the demons here?

[foundfate]

Well someone has to do it, right? It's not like the vampires and the devils and the demons are undeserving of friends or anything.

[matchbreaker]

[ That... that makes her laugh. She thinks of her own defense of Hanyuu to Killidia. And of Orihime's.

What does demon even mean, anymore? ]

You have no idea how strange it is to hear a human say that!

[foundfate]

Well I am a pretty strange human, so it makes sense for me to say strange things.

[He...actually feels happy when he says that, instead of upset and bitter. Maybe being the weird kid isn't so bad, not if it means befriending people like this.]

[matchbreaker]

That you are, Kimihiro.

[ She nods, once, approvingly. And then claps him on the back one more time ]

I'm going to go back to my party! Consider having a fry!