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

2/2

[golden_dream]

... [she calms herself, the pain in her throat and the volume from being in the closed room making her more conscious of losing her control.]

I'm... I'm scared, Battler... I-I know you must be too.

I'm just saying I wouldn't do it... and some people are looking on me, badly...

[And not looking badly on you was implied.]

Don't talk to anyone, just... just, you know...

[Why was this so hard?? If Battler wasn't so tall she wouldn't be shrinking like this, she told herself. As it was, being alone with him was giving her flashbacks to dealing with Rudolf...

At any rate, she trailed off and left the request there.]

[boardreversal]

[...In the end, even though he knows what she'll do - even that she just yelled at him -

It's that fear. That worry, that -

'...Is she...seeing my dad in me?'

- makes him, ultimately...sympathize with her, again.

'...ah, I can't do it.
Even though I know what Aunt Rosa can do...even though I've seen her at her worst...
...I still see her as my Aunt. As...someone a part of my family.
Someone I....want to see the best in....'

He nods, quietly - giving her a smile that he doesn't feel.]

...I know, Aunt Rosa. This is...all pretty scary, right? I'm just barely keeping it together too, but someone's got to be strong, right?

[Liar.]

...I know you wouldn't do anything like that, I promise. But...I don't think anyone's looking on you badly, Aunt Rosa. I think...They're just worried about you.

[golden_dream]

[Barely keeping it together.

No, it's been too soon, and the image of Battler being ripped apart is coming back... she's on the edge of fight or flight, and about to start babbling to him to not talk like that when she remembers:

No, wait, Battler can't know!]

I...

[At a loss for what to do, she tries acting on instinct: she reaches out suddenly and hugs him.]

[boardreversal]

-?!

[He stiffens up for a moment when Rosa hugs him, but then automatically reaches back out to give her a hug.

The action makes him hate himself, because - how can he stiffen when she hugged him like that? She's scared, and it's his own memories of something that hasn't happened yet to her interfering with his perception.

But...still...]

...It's alright, Aunt Rosa. You'll be okay. Alright? So, you don't have to be afraid...because I'll be on your side, right next to you...

[.....]

1/2

[golden_dream]

[Fortunately, Rosa is used to the person she hugs going completely stiff when she does it. It doesn't calm her down, but it doesn't send her flying out of the room in panic either.]

T-Thank you...

[This was a plus. If any of her siblings' kids were going to be here, it was probably better it was Battler. He hadn't seen her for years and wouldn't know her dirty laundry. He wasn't some milquetoast little nerd who would let himself be pushed around. And he wasn't some brash idiot girl going through a "rebellion" phase. She could work with this. She could make this work.

She swallowed, one last time... then slowly let him go.]

Um... one last thing, Battler...

2/2

[golden_dream]

Don't... let anyone talk you into anything. Something like: "Your Aunt is so weak and scared, it'd be better, if we're all to die, that we give her a quick, painless death."

[Her expression was able to get a little more stern, as the instinct for self-preservation kicked back in.]

Even if we're all going to die... I want to linger. Okay? Your Aunt isn't a quitter or a worthless bit of dead weight. I can work myself to the bone, if I need to.

...

Okay?

[boardreversal]

[Yeah.

He sure did...know that she wasn't a quitter. That she'd claw for every bit of life she could get.

And honestly? He wouldn't be talked into that kind of thing, anyway. He didn't want anyone to die - the thought of giving her even a quick, merciful death was unthinkable.

So...slowly, he nodded.]

Okay, Aunt Rosa.

[golden_dream]

...Thank you.

[Deep breathing... now she could calm down.]

This-- This all goes for you as well. All right? Good.

[...]

I suppose I may as well fix my makeup while I'm here. If you want to go...

[She'll step to the side and let him have a little passage to the exit.]