Week 5.

[trustharder]

WEEK 5 Three more have joined the deceased this past week. Taichi Yagami was punished for breaking a rule, Megumi Sakura was killed, and Norman Bates... well, the less said about Norman, the better. A third of you are dead now; your losses are becoming more and more evident with each passing week. Saturday is given to regrouping and sleep; there aren't any bodies to be found on Sunday morning. But that doesn't mean the night was uneventful - it seems something else may have brought you some newfound clarity. Or perhaps not... Once again, that spiral staircase leads farther than you remember, clear up to a previously inaccessible fifth floor. Go ahead and explore as much as you like; you'll probably need the distraction after the last trial. SURVIVORS REMAINING: 18 SURVIVORS REMAINING: 17

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[OOC: Welcome to week five of Trustfell! Save your threads for coins and the coming week's activity check; don't forget to check in to this week's activity check and submit your memory regains!

The text and calling posts are still active, for the sake of contacting the jerk who's keeping you here, to be used at your leisure!]

Comments

[cherryblooded]

[...It looks bad.

Cherryblod steps up to start making something with a bunch of vegetables and definitely not any poultry or eggs. He may never eat those again.]

Sometimes it helps to talk. Not even necessarily about - that. But just trying not to withdraw.

[amygdalae]

--I know.

[Bruce had been giving the same advice himself to others - or something close to it anyway.

It's always funny how hard it always is to heed your own words.

He continues to work at the chopping board, although the sound of said chopping does get a little... louder.]

[cherryblooded]

I'm sure you do.

[He can't just leave it at that.]

What are you making?

....i was going to say chicken stew but lol nope

[amygdalae]

Mushroom stew.

[And what he's cutting is, in fact, mushrooms.]

You're free to make whatever you want.

[...in case Cherryblod wanted to ask that.]

oh my god no

[cherryblooded]

Thank you.

[Well now what does he say.]

And thank you for holding this meeting.

[Even in the face of... that.]

just rip everywhere

[amygdalae]

It's nothing.

[...its not like things will stop just because King is dead. It was the same for Yagami, after all. No matter who dies, this game still goes on--

Without warning Bruce slams the knife down hard on the next chop, and the kitchen echoes with how loud the impact had sounded.]

[cherryblooded]

[Cherryblod can't help but startle at that, dropping the vegetable he'd been holding (which thankfully doesn't fall on the floor).]

Bruce?

[amygdalae]

[For a moment Bruce just stays still, although its easy enough to see how tightly he's gripping the kitchen knife, hand trembling, knuckles already white from the pressure. His breathing gets harsh for a bit, the sound of his inhales and exhales loud enough for Cherryblod to hear.

--but after the moment passes Bruce relaxes enough to take the pressure off, but his voice is quieter than ever.]

--I'm fine. My apologies.

[...and he goes back to cutting up those mushrooms.]

[cherryblooded]

No. You are not fine. Stop cutting mushrooms and talk to me.

[Cherryblod's voice has taken on a stern tone.]

You know as well as I do that bottling everything up is unhealthy. It's impossible to be absolutely fine after someone close to you dies - everyone here knows that, so why do you feel the need to fake it?

[amygdalae]

[God, Cherryblod, he did not let you stay here to listen to you say any of this. Of course he knows that.

He doesn't slam the knife down as hard this time, although there's still a bit of an impact as he places it on chopping board. He still doesn't look at Cherryblod, though.]

What do you want me to say? There's nothing to talk about; we all know what happened. [The King couldn't take it and chose to die. The truth is as plain as day to him.]

[cherryblooded]

Of course we know what happened. That's not what I mean. The King is gone, I hate myself for not realizing how bad it was sooner, but there is absolutely nothing that I can do for him by pretending that everything is fine.

[That's the truth - he can move forward because he has to, but he can't, or won't, hide that it affected him. Not like this.]

Have you even let yourself grieve at all today?

[amygdalae]

I can do that later.

[His answer is... pretty damn snappish. Bruce is really trying to keep his cool here, but its obviously very hard to do so.]

[cherryblooded]

When is 'later'?

[Cherryblod expects him to start yelling at any moment, pretty much.]

The vault isn't going to collapse if you cry.

[amygdalae]

Later.

[He doesn't shout yet, but his voice is tight.]

I'll be alright. [And this, at least, is a brief concession he will make for Cherryblod.] Its not the first time I've had to deal with somebody I--somebody I know dying.

[...this is why he doesn't let people in, damnit.]

[cherryblooded]

It doesn't get much easier. It will always hurt, and for suicides you will always wonder what you could have done differently to prevent it. Even hundreds of years later the thought of them will sting, just a little.

But trying to ignore that makes it worse.

[It's not his first time in this position.]

Nobody but you expects you to be perfectly calm all the time. So why?

[amygdalae]

[The answer to why is easy to say, but saying it will open a huge can of worms Bruce hardly wants to deal with right now, not with... everything else.]

It's just how it is.

[...he's not terribly fond of giving into his emotions, for many reasons.]

[cherryblooded]

[Probably not the best time for it. Not that Cherryblod really knows.]

Things won't ever change if you justify them with that.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce doesn't need it to change. He's got his control just fine. That's the only thing that matters.

...he doesn't say that to Cherryblod though; he simply picks up the knife and goes back to cutting those mushrooms.]

[cherryblooded]

[Guess they're gonna be making dinner in total silence, then. Fun times.]

[amygdalae]

[Sorry, Cherryblod.

It's really not your fault.]