WEEK 6.

[trustwellness]

WEEK 6 With the deaths of Viktor Nikiforov, Varric Tethras, and Killia, you're down to half of your original number. There's only fifteen of you left. How much longer before your number drops again? Saturday is given to regrouping and rest; on Sunday morning the clock chimes as it always has, but at least there are no bodies to find today. It seems you're safe for now. The night before wasn't necessarily a peaceful one, however; you'll probably feel a bit groggy when you wake up, and it seems you've regained something that you didn't realize you'd lost... Of course, that doesn't mean that you've gained nothing else among the many, many losses you've faced; it seems that another floor has been made available to you for surviving another week. Congratulations and well done, even if you might not necessarily appreciate the reward. APPRENTICES REMAINING: 15

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[OOC: Welcome to week six of Trustfell! Feel free to make as many top levels as you'd like and tag out to other characters! This post is for all of your interactions this week... at least until the weekend. Don't forget to save those threads for coins and the activity check!

If you'd like to get in contact with the Wordsmith, you can do so through letters or the switchboard!]

Comments

[oyashiromama]

[Hanyuu looks up at Silver, and she listens, all the while petting Weavile. Quiet, contemplative, her heart squeezed tight in her chest. She takes inventory of what he says, especially about Gold. Because I didn't react fast enough. For how long is he going to blame himself for Gold's death? ...Probably forever. Those sorts of things, they're the type you can't shake.

All of this, and...

And...]

I... I want you to know...it takes an extraordinary person to go through all that...and still open their heart to others. [Still, he's so kind.] I'm sorry that you had to go through that, at such a young age. To experience such fear...and such uncertainty, right now. But...I want you to know, I believe in you, and your world. ...I believe in Gold, in your memories. More than anything, after what you've told me... I believe...in your strength, Silver.

[plegia]

[He'll give a sweeping bow at that, the sort that's over the top but exactly as proper as it should be.]

I did have a quite a bit of practice with Alani! She taught me to go with the flow. But even without her, it's only a matter of following the current to the most punderful jokes!

[WELL YEAH YOU SAID HE WON BUT HE'S NOT HAPPY UNTIL HE'S OVERKILLED IT]

[iaspis]

I wonder how to do it, and make sure the Wordsmith is out of the picture...

[Their odds don't seem good. She would call it impossible, but Kimbley wrote her a letter after he died...]

It doesn't sound easy, if it's even possible.

[plegia]

[oh my god that's horrifying]

Do you want to avoid returning to them?

[AH YES LOOK A TOPIC CHANGE, SURELY THIS WON'T BE TERRIBLE OR ANYTHING]

[oyashiromama]

Mm... I think they'd love it. I look forward to seeing it, Orihime. ...And I hope all of this reaches them, somehow.

[elepe]

[Lusamine still keeps her gaze averted, looking down.]

Quite large, yes. We have to house many different kinds of Pokemon...and they all have their own, natural needs that must be considered. It's a sight to behold, I would think...

[iaspis]

No, I probably not.

[She grins, clearly proud of her unholy creation.]

I would make a smaller sandwich for a human, but I wanted to try cooking something for myself. Normally I only eat food when it's offered to me.

[feistytrader]

...My strength, huh?

[He finally slides out of the tree and settles down next to Hanyuu. How does he put this?]

I'm not a strong person. Not on my own. I'm surrounded by a lot of strong people, and that makes it easier. Right now, I want to keep moving forward. I guess persevering wasn't a bad title. But I want to because of Watanuki and Orihime. Because of Elda and Lusamine.

[He takes one of Hanyuu's hands; he'd take both, but it would be a little awkward when he's sitting next to her.]

And if I'm really gonna give someone credit, it's gotta be you. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met. You've been through so much, but you don't stop moving. You look out for everyone and accept them for all their faults.

If I can be even a little like that... Well, I don't think I can be a good person anymore, but maybe I can be a bad person that does good things. That doesn't sound too bad.

[elepe]

Gangrel...

[Had to rub it in, didn't you]

You're insufferable. A complete and utter annoyance who can't simply take a win with some grace!

[iaspis]

[you know, for kids!]

I do. I might not remember everything that happened, but I know returning to working for Yellow Diamond.

It's not an option for me any longer.

[plegia]

Of course not! My title certainly isn't Graceful, now is it? Gyahahaha!

[plegia]

Why not? What happened to you?

[oyashiromama]

Of course I wouldn't...!

[She chokes on that. It's not as easy as that, really, not after everything she's seen. Her hands curl to fists and she takes a deep breath.] I would forgive...if you tried to send me to my death. If you sent me off, I- if your sins were something you recognized...and understood.

[...But-]

I might even...in this case, but-

I would never...ever...be able to look at you...the same. [Ah-] As a god, I could... I could maybe find the strength, but as myself, I- I could never... [But-] And I could never live with myself!

[She's wrapped in so much sadness, and so much anger. It seeps out as this, as her stomping her foot to articulate this. Her footsteps, they always are so loud.]

[iaspis]

[.....]

Maybe I'll make smaller sandwiches if everyone wants some later.

[.....hopefully the cold cuts are replaced by tomorrow, uh]

I don't know how appealing this is to anyone but me.

[matchbreaker]

[ You know. ... You know, that's actually so reassuring to her, to have rejection. That she pulls apart those two parts of herself. That god, Hanyuu, that god for humanity might forgive her. But that Hanyuu, the demon, the woman, the one Elda-- her friend, her friend could not.

Elda might have averted her gaze, looking down at nothing in particular, but he almost would have smiled if not for how dark this moment was. ]

To me... Whatever sin is involved there, if I could see you safely to Hinamizawa and me to my manor, any of that's worth it. [ She was damned to begin with, if the church was to be believed ] But I could not endure your scorn - so I am glad to hear that is the case.

.... I'm sorry, Hanyuu. But I'm terrified.

[oyashiromama]

Elda...!

[After the first few slams, Hanyuu reaches to try and stop her from continuing that. She's going to hurt herself, they aren't as strong here-]

Elda, don't!

[matchbreaker]

[ It's true, and her knuckles are actually starting to bleed a little after the first few. She manages to stop, caught up in Hanyuu. But she also nakedly sobs now, crying. But it's not the desperate sort of sobbing she did at the memory of James's death, a hopeless pained this. This one is more frustrated - confused. Scared. Angry.

So very, very angry, like her hot tears flow out her rage ]

Wha-- why would we do that?! How could we do -- that?!

[ Who cares what happens to hr body. If Karin- ]

[iaspis]

He must be hiding somewhere. I keep wondering how letters could get to us so quickly otherwise. I still think he must be on the main floor, even if I haven't been able to find anything that really resembles a door.

[...]

What a shame. I still want to beat him into the ground for everything he's done.

[elepe]

[...She's not shocked, at the very least. If anything, her look goes...pensive, for a time. Not turning away--she wouldn't disrespect Elda like that--but...thinking about that, and processing it.

...eventually, her free hand gently touches Elda's, and her smile seems softer.]

I know your view on my kind is not the most positive. If anything, I expected you to jump out and kill me one of those times, out of hatred. To think that I am the first among these to achieve something like that...

[It's said with the same solemnness that she had expressed earlier.]

...I appreciate this, Elda.

[matchbreaker]

[ There are others to thank in the equation, really. There's Silver and Gold. There's Chiyuki. Sportacus, in his own way. Hanyuu, almost certainly.

But she didn't want to understate what Lusamine means to her, and how monumental that felt to her to even ask, at the time.

Elda's smile shifts from that sort of knowing matter of fact thing to something softer.

And she ... ]

I might have. [ But she laughs ] But I assure you now, if you come to harm from me, it will only ever be necessity now, and I will come to your aide.

[oyashiromama]

Aah... That is interesting, my conversations are often...of a good length. I wonder if anyone's gotten a long letter.

[For someone who calls himself the Wordsmith, he isn't very verbose!]

[oyashiromama]

...That really is a wonderful thing you do. A whole place, to protect creatures in need. I find it admirable, Lusamine.

[oyashiromama]

[Her strength...? Hanyuu for a moment is surprised; how can anyone rely on her strength, when, for so long, it's been dormant...? But, she looks at him, and she has to stop herself from pulling him into her arms and kissing his forehead.]

Silver... I think... You're right, sort of. I've seen, alone, no one is strong enough to face this level of adversity. Not me, not you. The only way we can is together...by letting others in, and helping them in return. So together, we can walk forward.

[She looks...a little sheepish.]

I wasn't all that strong for a very long time, you know? I...held the ones I loved back, and watched instead of helped, but now...

[She squeezes his hand.]

I've found anyone can rediscover that. And, like strength, I think anyone can rediscover the good inside them too.

[oyashiromama]

["I would rather die," she almost says.

She'd rather die, than get out that way, leaving all of them behind and shouldering that sin. That, however, won't help right now. She crosses the distance between them, swiftly, and takes hold of Elda's wrists.]

So am I! I've been scared every moment we've been in here, but- but right now-- I believe! I've learned, that's the most powerful thing I can do, that anyone can do- and if there's even the smallest chance that belief can find us a future outside these walls, then I'm going to keep doing it... So please...! Please, don't give in, or give up! You believe too!

... cw: referenced abortion if you squint

[oyashiromama]

[So much... They haven't addressed this morning. They haven't addressed anything hanging over them from the afterparty.

But this, this is what's hanging over Elda right now. And in a way, this is addressing all that, isn't it?

She pulls Elda over, so she can cry into her chest.]

I don't know... I don't know, Elda. Maybe...to give her something...the life of a vampire couldn't.

[It's in a pained way that she says that. It's like she thought a long time ago, in a way. Kinder, different, but- if the child is going to suffer anyway, then, it might be better if-

Hanyuu can't be too upset. She hasn't shared some things with the other woman either.]