I still regret every word, that day, I never said

[matchbreaker]

[ This trial was a mess. Hard on everyone, filled with conflicting emotions, and the twists and turns in it made it unsatisfying for everyone involved. That's probably become the norm at this point though! As have the gatherings in the aftermath of them. This time around the letter comes under everyone's door fairly quickly into the evening, following only a short delay for those organizing it to get things together and console themselves enough to be presentable. ]

Come to the dining room if you want to be with people. I will have board games, cards, food, and drink. We also will be writing letters to the dead, if you want to do that around others.

- Elda, Hanyuu, and Mikazuki

[ The dining room's set up is once again fairly simple. Hanyuu broad board games, Elda brought some rpg books though she doesn't expect anything to come of it, and there are a lot of envelopes, paper, and pens from the mail room. The mail room's going to close tonight, of course, but most of the letters will probably be written privately anyway. Elda just wanted people to be sure they knew they could.

Food wise, there's grilled meat and fish, rice, cream puffs (all Hanyuu!) Mikazuki's tea (both black and green!) and Elda's ... spicy fries. Some of them are more mild! However, the mild ones are covered in sugar so uh... that's probably not better. Either way, have at ]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ So Elda helped organize this so she's obviously at the Afterparty a fair bit of the night. She expects that there'll be something for her to find from Gangrel's room, but she also expects that people will bring that to her in due time. No, instead, she throws herself into trying to play games with people, making stupid bets if they feel up to. She also tries to shill her spicy and/or sweet fries on people, so that they might eat things! So you might get a: ]

Here, try these!

[ Or a: ]

Let's play some game! I bet a few us could play rummy.

[ But mostly, Elda's there to sort of bide her time, decompress before she gets to the real meat of the night, which'll come when she confronts a lot of the friends that she has here. The ones she stood next to on the trial, the ones she shouted at when she lost her shit for Lusamine, and the ones she had outstanding promises to. She has al of things she needs to say. And if they don't find her she's going to find them.

Also she, later on, will be at the profiles with a second bit of paper and pen. She wrote the eulogies last time with Watanuki's help. She's sort of there to write some new ones: Gangrel, Vanille, and Phi. She's stuck on basically all of them. ]

[elepe]

[Lusamine's not going to the party. She told herself that, and at first, she doesn't. But...she made a promise, didn't she? She wouldn't let his death be in vain. And she was the one with the key.

There's a lot of time spent in Gangrel's Room with the door open, and simply reading the letter he left her. She's swapped out her usual black gem hairtie with the crown--it's unusual to wear, and Lusamine has to fiddle with it a bit to get it to set. But she'll wear it proudly, even if she's openly weeping at what she's reading.

She wishes there was something she could have done. So, so much.

Eventually, though, she'll come over to the dining room and set the letters gently on a table. She makes sure to get the letters organized on the table first before wandering to a wall.

She's...here, at least. None of her Pokemon are with her, but she's here.]

[elepe]

...Elda.

[She...doesn't feel hungry, but she hasn't really eaten all day. There's something else, though, that's important. Lusamine looks determined.]

I need to talk to you for a moment. Could I spirit you away for a bit?

[introspects]

[ orihime is sneaking through the dining room to get to vanille's dorm. she isn't really up for joining everyone right now, but elda catches her with a batch of spicy fries.

orihime pauses, giving elda somewhat of an uncomfortable look. ]

...I-It's fine, I'm not hungry.

[feistytrader]

[Stress eating? Stress eating. Silver's found a corner of the dining room to sit on the floor, aggressively chug spicy fries, and write letters; anyone catching a glimpse of them might notice that he's writing letters to some people that aren't dead, too. He's also stuck on writing a story for Gangrel; he has a few ideas, but he's not the best story writer, either...

Either way, when he's done with all that writing, he's heading to the Dojo to beat the absolute shit out of a punching bag. He's got boxing gloves from the machine on this time, at least, so he won't mess up his hands again. It's better than having a breakdown, at least.]

[matchbreaker]

... No, I have things to say to you, as well.

[ She nods. ]

Let's go wherever you would want to say it.

STORY FUCK YEAH

[matchbreaker]

[ Poking her head around his shoulder...

She sees some of the half-letters maybe but mostly she sees what he's scribbling on - ]

What's there?

[matchbreaker]

Then it doesn't matter.

[ Elda sort of "gently" but haphazardly sets the tray down on the table. And she affixes Orihime with a hard look ]

I would talk to you. Would you talk to me?

[elepe]

Very well. I have something I need to show you.

[Let's go for a walk to her room, then. It's...going to take a lot of guts to show it, but. She needs to do this.

This is for everyone's sake.]

...Promise me something, Elda. For what I am about to show you...hold me accountable for it. Please.

[Once they're inside...Lusamine picks up the notebook on her desk, and some loose papers. It's the same one she wrote a lot in, when she was in the chemistry lab.]

...Can you do that?

dining room

[feistytrader]

[...Silver takes the note addressed to him from Gangrel and quietly looks it over for... A lot longer than he really should, given its length.

But when he's done, he shoves it in his pockets and walks right up to Lusamine; he holds a letter out to her. It's a letter from him, to her.]

[introspects]

[ if she's going to yell at orihime or say something crass, orihime doesn't know if she can take it. but...as it stands, she cares about elda, despite everything. so... ]

Yes.

afterparty

[firstaid]

[Rummy? She's honestly never played that before...]

Would you teach me how to play that?

[She needs distractions. Just anything to keep her mind of everything again.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda follows her easily. She moves with swift, soft steps with no shoes as ever. But sh gets to Lusamine's room and closes the door behind them. She gets up in front of the woman.

Accountable... ] I don't know what that means. If you tell me, I can try - I mean, I'll try either way.

[introspects]

[ orihime is going to go to her room, first and foremost. immediately afterwards, she comes out of her room with a chocobo stuffed animal. she then vanille's room, and will be in there for a while. a long, long while.

she comes out of the room with a bunch of letters in her hand, setting them on the table across from where gangrel's letters are in the dining room. she then goes into phi's room, not finding anything...but still saying a few words nevertheless. things about being sorry, about wishing she didn't have to suffer another terrible fate...

eventually, orihime will be in the dining room to write some letters, not taking any food whatsoever. it's the only reason why she's here, tbh. ]

[feistytrader]

Gangrel was a pretty cool thing, all things considered. He might have lost his way, but everyone does from time to time. All he needed was a few friends to pull him back on track.

I'm not good at this. What do you think?

[elepe]

I want you to treat this just like a case. The farce we do every week. You'll...understand, once you get to the end.

[Lusamine passes everything to Elda.

The contents of the paper and notebook are all hers for the reading.

Lusamine looks...ready, to take whatever comes next.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Good.

... then even in this public place, she can do this much. One hand goes to her hip, and Elda Marker looks Orihime straight on in the eyes. She: ]

I cannot promise I will never threaten you again. And I suppose this trial has shown I will not be a risk. ... When I was challenged, I feared to implicate my friend.

In that sense, I failed our cause. [ Because that is what it is, now. They are a community. ... For better or worse. ]

You're free to resent me for that.

dining room

[firstaid]

[Estelle's here writing letters as well. She thought to write them in her room, but figured she may join everyone else. After all, she has no reason to want to be alone right now like she had last week. So she joins Orihime at the table, but she doesn't speak.

She imagines the other just wants time to think on the words she wants to write to those who had departed.]

[iaspis]

[To say that Jasper is a wreck is putting it politely. She can be found writing letters in her room, though the one for Gangrel especially might be embarrassingly tear-stained. Kimbley's isn't much better, uh.

...But at least everyone else's doesn't scream JASPER IS A DISASTER even though they probably all saw her completely lose her shit at the trial.

Anyone who comes to check on her will find the Fire Emblem neatly resting up against the side of her desk, Kimbley's journal on the desk, and her helmet apparently angrily discarded on the floor.

Eventually, she does come out of her room to spend time in the dining room, not looking well at all, but she's here, so that's something. even if she is a mess.]

[matchbreaker]

... Honestly, it needs a lot of work!

[ She laughs, and all but slides in the seat next to him. ]

But I'll help you.

[elepe]

[Lusamine looks from Silver to the letter a few times, not...quite sure...]

Is that...for me?

[...she pauses for a moment, but...if she has permission, she'll take it and read it.]

[matchbreaker]

Of course!

[ She can do cheer, even under this circumstances. She laughs as she pulls herself into a chair and sits opposite her wit ha deck of cards ]

It's an old game, and it's pretty simple.

dining room

[iaspis]

[She's obviously very hesitant when she approaches Lusamine, noticing the letter addressed to her and picking it up before approaching the other woman cautiously.]

I...

[There's a very awkward pause when she's clearly searching for something to say.]

I'm sorry.

[feistytrader]

Yeah.

THE SHORT VERSION

I'm sorry.

THE LONG VERSION -->

[Will she turn it over?]

[firstaid]

I suppose if it's simple enough, I should be able to understand and play it with ease.

[She scoots up her chair so she's close to the table. Cheerful is something she is. It's less forced this time, especially in comparison to earlier trials.]