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]

[ Believe. Always scared. .... Hah. She just keeps adding to Hanyuu's burdens, over and over and over. She looks down at the hands taking her own wrists like this, and she smiles. Hanyuu's so warm. ]

I've always believed that I was going to get out of this, one way or another. [ That isn't what this moment calls for, is it? ]

Hanyuu. That first promise we made, I want to refute that.

[oyashiromama]

[She almost jerks away.

That promise.

That in the end, if Elda killed someone, Hanyuu would be the one to take her down. She would go down fighting, to save every last person here she could. That if Elda killed them all, Hanyuu would be the last she went after.

That horrible, twisted promise.]

What...do you mean by that...?

[It frightens her. The way Elda's talking.]

[matchbreaker]

Simply...

[ Hanyuu had read that letter tonight, and her response had been .... not terribly artful. Really, this response isn't terribly artful. But the fact of the matter is, Elda Marker is now certain, ]

... That I could not kill you. No, I would not. And so it can't apply.

[ In a way, she's sorry. In another way, she's weak on two different accounts. In another way... ]

[oyashiromama]

[Her fears are, thankfully, unfounded. Tension flows out of Hanyuu, and she takes a shuddering breath.

She hopes it means as well...that this week, she really won't act. She hopes- no, she believes it does.]

I am...beyond relieved to...to hear you say that.

[matchbreaker]

[ But what does that mean now, for her? Does that mean she has ascribed a value to Hanyuu beyond that of returning to her family? Does that mean she now he faith in an alternative victory? ... No, surely not, not 100%. Elda Marker couldn't rule out the option that she would need to "win" atop all their corpses.

... But.

But she knows that for certain.

And she's left here, hanging her head a little. ]

... May I touch you, Hanyuu?

[oyashiromama]

[...See. She's always said yes, and she doesn't really want to say no, but after- what happened today, at the meeting-

Hanyuu is a bit hesitant.]

I... Yes, but... [...] Please, aah...m-my horns, I...please, not them.

[matchbreaker]

Why not?

[ But all the same, wanting to touch her friend, Elda glides the last few steps over. She takes Hanyuu's hands in her own, holding them. She squeezes.

This isn't petulant so much as...

Confused? Wanting to understand? Something between those. ]

[oyashiromama]

[She doesn't...want to explain this...]

I- b-because they... We're...anyone could walk in, and...I...

[A shiver runs up her arms.]

...they're not... A- au... They're- I don't...want them to be touched.

['I don't want to be called a monster ever again!']

[matchbreaker]

[ She doesn't understand. How could she? She might want to know more in future, why she could possibly reject such a beautiful, unique part of herself. But at the same time... She'll at least accept a direct command. Hell, maybe they have a lot more feeling in them than she figured. Elda hums a little, and she nods, solemnly. ]

... Then I won't.

[ However, she is going to pull Hanyuu's hands up, so that she might kiss her fingertips. She brings them up towards her face before she asks again, though she doesn't actually take action.

She remembers those claw marks on her podium at the last trial. ]

Is this okay?

[oyashiromama]

[There's some hesitation before Hanyuu nods. She doesn't quite follow Elda's line of thought. ...She doesn't follow her line of thought on a lot of things, but...these last few days have been more than a little difficult.]

[matchbreaker]

[ It's true, and it's not - okay no, Elda's actually been a straight up cause of a lot of the difficulty. But the woman kisses Hanyuu's fingertips, pressing both hands together so that she might do so, before pulling back her head and standing there, holding Hanyuu's hands in her own.

And she knows she hardly deserves to do so, but she's selfish.

Elda smiles. ]

[oyashiromama]

[Hanyuu slowly closes her eyes and...

Well, she thinks.

She's never...had an experience like this. It reminds her, honestly...of someone she really doesn't...]

You like me- you love me- because I'm not human?

[...it slips out. She doesn't mean for it to, but it does.]

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . What? The moment breaks a little, and Elda's cheeks color some. She doesn't let go of her hands. But. That's... ]

I love you because you're you. [ If anything, she's offended Hanyuu would suggest that. ] I... love that you aren't human though.

[ Elda probably sounds more annoyed than she should to be questioned on this ]

[oyashiromama]

Why?

[...She feels that answer should be obvious, but-]

Why...would you tell me something like that? [This is really happening now, huh.]

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Did she brush up against something here? ]

... Because it's true.

[oyashiromama]

[Sort of.]

But I hate it! [Ah-] I hate- these! [Now who's making a scene? Hanyuu takes a few steps back and reaches a hand up to the horn that's chipped.] I hate that I can't hide!

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Ah, but-

But- ]

Hanyuu...

[ That's her point, of course, and Elda can... well, no, she's not sure she does understand. But she needed to hide too. All Vampires did.

But they at least had their own people. ]

[oyashiromama]

[She shakes her head and-]

I- I was born on Earth, in the human world. I was the youngest Ryuun. My parents died early on in battle, and I took up their duty. The other Ryuun born outside our home realm, they fell too- I never even met them, because of how spread out we had to be.

[Hanyuu survived. Hanyuu was alone strong enough, fast enough, smart enough.

Hanyuu was, alone.]

The elders told me, don't appear to humans. Not looking like that. We look like what they call demons. We are demons. I... They would talk about our realm, our dead world, and I- I didn't know anything about it. I couldn't, with them, though they tried to tell me. What was real to me- Earth was real to me. The human world was real to me. I loved the grass and the air and the water, how everything felt. They would talk about how it was different where we were from, and I- I barely cared to know! All I wanted...was to connect with them, but I couldn't! I couldn't, I couldn't, I could only talk to the automated guide they gave me...!

Because... Because the humans were too afraid... I couldn't connect with other, much older Ryuun...so I tried with humans, I protected them, but they feared...because I couldn't hide these damned horns!!

[She punctuates her words with stomps, one for each. Filled with an overwhelming amount of frustration. She's said some of this, before, but she can't- she can't get Elda to see, just how much this hurts her, and it makes her feel even worse.]

[matchbreaker]

[ It's... hard. Hard to understand this perspective intellectually. Emotionally, emotionally it's actually very easy to understand, she can relate to Hanyuu's meaning now that the woman spells it out for her so plainly as this. And once more Elda is filled with a feeling of vengeance, a strong desire to show the elders of her people, her people as a whole what for! How could they...

... But it's not that, is it?

It's less that she was abandoned, and more different circumstances. Elda-

Elda makes to squeeze the other woman's hands again. ]

... Hanyuu. The world, that world you were on. It isn't their world, it's not the world of humans.

[oyashiromama]

[But Hanyuu shakes her head, furiously.]

But it is! It's- it was...! Rika, and her friends, they've helped, but, but- it was their world, and I wanted to live in it! Because I couldn't...I suffered! The people I loved...they suffered! I felt like a human, but I didn't look like one, so I hated it!

1/2

[matchbreaker]

No, it isn't their world!

[ she can't help but shout this, her voice strong over the din of Hanyuu's protestations ]

I know you urged me to think outside my perspective, and I will try. But that world, that world you were born in and that world you entered - Earth is as much my world as any human's. And that Earth you were on is as much your world as any human's.

[ She cannot accept the contrary. ]

[matchbreaker]

... But I am sorry that you suffered. That is the very last thing I would ever want.

[ Hanyuu has to know that, right? ]

[oyashiromama]

[...]

Well, there's no place for me in it. At least- there wasn't, all those years ago...and it doesn't help...when you keep saying the part of me I hate is what you love. When you...in front of everyone...remind me that I'm different. That you love...that I'm different.

[Hanyuu looks down. She's ashamed at this, really. But it's how she is, she doesn't want to be anything but a normal girl, a normal woman.

Answering everyone truthfully here, telling them no, she's not human, she's not anything like that- she had to. People tend to be more angry...when they find out you've deceived them.]

Do you understand?

[matchbreaker]

[ She almost says "that's not true" the moment Hanyuu speaks up with that first part. But Elda... remains silent. She allows the other woman to speak. And when she finishes, Elda bites back any of the first things she intends to rage out. No, instead...

Instead she closes her eyes. She takes a step closer to Hanyuu, hoping the woman will allow her to more enter her personal space. And then she locks eyes with the other woman as she opens them. ]

Hanyuu.

Will you allow me to speak, without interruption?

[oyashiromama]

...

[She nods, still looking away. All she wants is for people to understand. Especially someone who keeps making such statements.]