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

[matchbreaker]

[ Dammit.

Elda's got a fingrnail between her teeth before she realized that she realized that she did it. She almost, almost says something to the effect of "since when is that one yours" but she knows Hanyuu would take even more offense to that. So instead she shifts back another step ]

It's not uncommon for many of us to be cross on a Sunday morning, Hanyuu.

[ Her cheeks remain tinged. ]

[ravagers]

[ The light color on Elda's cheeks... it couldn't be... is Elda jealous? Vanille can't be sure, but she's certainly not going to ask when she's already on such thin ice. ]

H-Hanyuu... Elda was just--

[ How does she say "If Elda's upset at her dreams, I'd rather she take it out on me than anyone else"? She... isn't sure she really knows how without risking the possibility of irritating Elda even more. ]

[oyashiromama]

[She places a light hand on Vanille's shoulder...but it doesn't stay there, not for long. A little glance. Give her a moment, Vanille, just a moment, please.]

Just taking her anger out on you. [To Elda, as she starts to approach her:] I'm sorry I acted so hastily, but not that I sheltered one in need. ...I desire to be there for everyone...and I am here for you now. So don't pick at one uninvolved.

[matchbreaker]

[ For Vanille, if she's able to look past the fact that Elda's eyes shift to cat-like and predatory, and that her fangs are bared as Hanyuu starts to approach her (which admittedly is a tall order) Elda might seem... oddly petulant, in this moment. ]

...Don't give me that, Hanyuu. I'm not one of your worshippers or your children.

[ "I'm more important" or more accurately, "I want to be more important" is perhaps implied through how she says that.

... Elda Marker is selfish. ]

[oyashiromama]

No, but you're my friend, right? In case you don't realize, you're all precious to me.

[Hanyuu isn't going to throw it back in her face, but it seems being a little harsh is called for.]

[matchbreaker]

[ She knows.

She knows, she knows, she knows, she knows!

Elda bites her lip, knowing that allowing jealousy - for she knows it can be nothing put - getting the better of her now would be ... it would apocalyptic. She snarls, and she finally takes one more step back. ]

... I am glad that you sand more resolute now, Hanyuu.

[ Sincerely. That's... that's what she came to check.

Right?

... She should probably go. She doesn't, just yet though. ]

[ravagers]

[ By the time Elda had become much more fang-y and her eyes had changed like that... she'd taken several steps back. Because an angry vampire is not something she wants to push any more than she likely has.

... It's incredible, the mollifying effect Hanyuu has. Vanille still doesn't say anything, but she's still shaking a bit, and she seems to be trying to make herself smaller. All she'd told Elda... you'd think it would help her feel better, but she just feels... sick, almost. She'd wanted to get to know Elda, but... maybe any chance of that now is gone. ]

[oyashiromama]

[What can she do, to fix this? What...can she do, to defuse all of this? Hanyuu's expression softens.]

Can you? What dream did you have, Elda? I'm here to listen to it.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . She...

She sighs. She sighs, and then points at Vanille. ]

Comfort your ward. Find me on the newest floor later today, and we'll talk then.

[ After all, she did make Vanille cry. That girl cried and was comforted all the time, why should this be an exception? (who was she to talk, she was looking to do that or feel that herself...) She isn't going to apologize for it, at least not now, but she is going to turn and start to walk away, her hair trailing behind her. ]

[ravagers]

[ ... She watches her go, and there's a seed of guilt that's planted itself in her chest. Vanille's shoulders slump, and she doesn't look at Hanyuu. Not yet, anyway. ]

[oyashiromama]

[Elda... Hanyuu's shoulders sink. It's not that she's sad, just that her posture no longer has to be straight-backed and strong. For a moment, that's enough.

Then, she looks to Vanille and rests a hand on her shoulder once more.]

Why don't you come back to my room, so we can speak in private?

[ravagers]

Y-yeah... sounds good.

[ She'll follow Hanyuu, once she leads the way. ]

[oyashiromama]

[The bed's made up, all nice clothes folded away in the closet. The time during which that horrible fight began, she'd tidied everything on up.]

Come, sit on the bed, alright, dear?

[Does Vanille have Alani's flower in her hair? Just to set the scene.]

[ravagers]

[ She does indeed have the flower in her hair! She doesn't feel right not wearing it, you know? ]

Okay.

[ She says it quietly, but she sits all the same, and she... seems to be trying to make herself look smaller. ]

[oyashiromama]

[Well, then Hanyuu very carefully brushes some hair away from the flower. Poor girl got so worked up, and Hanyuu wants to make sure it's secure.

She sits down with her.]

Now, Vanille... What was it...that you were saying to Elda? What did she say to you, to get you so upset?

[ravagers]

I... I didn't mean to tell her all that! It just... sort of came out... about me being a Saint and all...

[ Her chest hurts. ]

And she... she said a lot of things that I'd been thinking and didn't want to think about... because if I think about them too much, I don't think I could ever recover...

[ It's easy to ignore your own thoughts, for the most part, to laugh them off and push them aside. But when someone else puts a voice to them, it's harder to forget. ]

[oyashiromama]

[Vanille's told her about the Cie'th. She's told her about...some parts of her world, though it's hard for Hanyuu to wrap her head around all of it. ...She's aware that's in some ways hypocritical-

Still, because of that- she puts an arm around Vanille's shoulders.]

When something's on your mind too much, it can slip out easily...but if you talk about it with someone you care for, sometimes it can help lift the burden, even just a little.

[ravagers]

[ A warm embrace can do wonders for one's spirits. And... she's still dwelling on a lot of the stuff Elda's said, but Hanyuu's right. She turns her head to bury her face in Hanyuu's shoulder, though, all the same. ]

I don't want to ruin your day, or anything like that! Not when--

[ Not when she's finally doing so much better. Vanille's not worth spoiling that. ]

[oyashiromama]

[...Ah. Hanyuu squeezes her gently, leaning her chin against Vanille's head.]

It would be so much worse...if you were suffering, and I could do nothing about it. [...] Let me help you? You're ruining nothing, Vanille.