Opinions without 3.1415 are just Onions (Week1 post trial)

[ghostricked]

After everything, the house seems almost too still and too mundane. At least as long as the doors to that room remain closed. One by one those covered in what was once their teammate are lead to the showers or change in silence. There is no warm meal waiting for them. No words of encouragement.

Life goes on, regardless.

Comments

[tsunderine]

Worst case scenario, we try to make sure Potage-san doesn't die -- he can replace rations for a while.

[tsunderine]

... do you not realize that the reason they do that is because they're bad, and therefore, don't care?

[golden_dream]

Is that what happened... [grumbles a little.]

Oh? ...Do you think me some weak willed woman, Your Highness?

[eyeforai]

[Hikage, you need more friends... Okay fine, let's move onto LIME! What scandalous messages will he find here. He looks up at the mention of the place's name though, because what even.]

Well, it can't hurt. But that place was called Psychadelica? [why even]

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Wow maybe he just has their phone numbers memorized. As for LIME it looks like there's actually a few messages here, so Hikage isn't a complete loser yay! They're from two users Beniyuri, Kagiha.

The message history from Beniyuri consists entirely of sticker spam of various dessert, though curiously these messages are marked as unable to be sent.

Kagiha's on the other hand is more fruitful despite the lack of sweets, with a few messages exchanged about meeting at a certain location at certain hours, and some more sticker spam that looks like the equivalent of two old men using AIM for the first time. ]

Ah, kind of? [ Some fumbling in the background that cant just be from tea pouring. ] We started calling it that after a book we found in the hideout: Psychadelica of the Black Butterfly.

[sageking]

Hmph. I don't know you well enough to claim you aren't. For all I know, all that yelling at the trial was just bravado and is the summation of all that you're capable of.

[ He could point out her reaction in the aftermath as well, but...he had some semblance of tact. That said, it was surprisingly not exactly what he was going for. ]

Though, that's not the reason for my words, for which their meaning you've so impertinently presumed. As time goes on, the atmosphere of our situation will worsen considerably. It's also not the first time I've seen a creature twist people's nature to suit their own designs. To those who are forced to deal with the consequences of pursuing through such dangerous traps woven even in the very air they breathe, it becomes a challenge far greater than any they've dared face before.

Even a seasoned warrior or incredibly strong-willed individual will, undoubtedly, have trouble advancing forward in the weeks to come in this predicament.

So to you I say that I expect and demand your resolve because it may be all you have to give, or all the light you will have in this wretched place until we reach victory.

[eyeforai]

[Hurray, snooping in people's private messages is fun!! And he's even doing it all by himself. These stickers though... kids these days. (Because lbr, Date would probably do old man AIM too.) However, that explanation makes a lot more sense.]

Better than just calling it a mansion or a house, at least.

[He's about to follow up with another question about the book, but the fumbling does catch his attention despite the enthralling text conversations of food and meetings, and he looks up from the phone to see what's happening with Hikage. What's going on.]

...You okay?

[kaliedoscopes]

Yeah, that's why we named ourselves after the rooms we found too. Calling each other "you" got annoying after a few hours.

[ Everything seems okay now, but if Date looked up fast enough he would have caught Hikage almost spilling the tea. But it's totally fine because he saved it, nothing to see here! Well mostly nothing, because despite his attempts to hide it, he looks just a bit flustered. The woes of having a cool disposition is that any change at all is pretty noticeable. ]

It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about the last time I talked about that book with Beniyuri. [ And with that he sets both cups of tea down, finally joining Date at the table. ] So, did you find anything?

[eyeforai]

[He does catch the tail end of that near spill and he raises an eyebrow the whole time as he watches Hikage bring the tea over, but he won't comment on it. Right now.]

So that's why you didn't introduce yourself with a last name. Why 'Hikage' though?

But no, not yet, although I see you're pretty fond of desserts. [If the sticker spam says anything about him, that is?! When did he try to send those dessert messages to Beniyuri, by the way?]

[dreamdispersal]

[ ........ He closes his eyes in exasperation for a moment, heaving a deep sigh. The wrong impression....... Haku. ]

That's a given already. We have a facade to maintain here.

[kaliedoscopes]

Honestly...I just decided to pick the first name I saw that wasn't feminine. There were nameplates that fit into the slots beside the bedroom door: Hikage, Yamato, Beniyuri, Kurusaba, Kagiha. I wasn't in the mood for a lengthy discussion on who was claiming what name as it had been a long day by that point already.

[ He takes a sip of his tea before answering the second question, not suppressing the loud sigh that follows. ]

I'm not, actually. I was just... trying to figure out how that function worked. [ Let's go for embarrassed take two! As for the texts, the date function is entirely unreadable, as instead of a standard date format it's just a long strip of numbers that don't correspond to any standard calendar system. ]

[dreamshielder]

[He continues in an entirely serious tone.]

Yes. But I'd also prefer not to be interrogated or blamed for a murder just because I bear signs of having been in a fight on my body, Zabuza-san.

[golden_dream]

We know each other pretty well. We lived through a hostage situation and a man exploding a bomb in our faces. That's a lot more than I can say for most people I've met.

[She nods, considering his words]

Well... I am that weak. Did you really expect anything else?

Spoken like a real man without any fear. I'd say I envy you, but... I don't. Being brave is not for me. I'll accept I'm getting one loaf of bread while everyone else gets two if it'll save me a kick to the face. That's the sort of woman I am.

[Not quite, really, but she was selling a version of herself.]

But when something tells me "you're going to die here," of course I can't accept that. I didn't go through my life only to end up dying at a young age in some fantastical situation that doesn't make any sense.

I'm going to walk out of here. Or run out of here. Or if a leg gets lopped off, I'll hop out of here. If both legs get blown off, then I'll crawl with both hands, foot-by-miserable-foot... you get the idea.

[golden_dream]

Would you question it too much?

[deadanimemom]

Do you know how to use a mop?

[private]

[deadanimemom]

Would you please teach me how to do that? [are you prepared to resist Yuri's puppy dog eyes?]

[eyeforai]

That would depend. Are we talking about now, or 2 weeks from now?

[deadanimemom]

I'm sure we'll get more information as we go, but I'm worried we'll just get what they want us to know.

[golden_dream]

What do you mean? Does it make a difference either way...?

[deadanimemom]

It is. They're a lot like people, or animals. I love them.

[tsunderine]

... Have people adopted demons as pets before?

[private]

[cw_suicide]

[no. no he is not. surrounded by menaces!!!]

After~ My coat~

[because that is just as important to him]

[deadanimemom]

[She laughs.]

Well, some familiars are like pets. A nekomata isn't going to be much different from a normal cat in terms of personality, so people tend to treat them a lot like pet cats. A lot of demons with animal forms act like the animal they're based off of, or tsukumogami might be kept for their original purpose. It all depends on the demon.

[deadanimemom]

All right, all right. Let me have it.

[tsunderine]

... Huh.

That's pretty neat, actually. I have familiars as well, but they're crafted from my magic rather than--

[handgestures]

Well. Some of them are.

I have one that... isn't.