From the white lights, the darkness comes...

[sageking]

Today's trial was a mixture of regret, anger, guilt, and second-thoughts. Perhaps some people realized that situations and choices weren't to be black or white. However, decisions were made, and whether it'd be through people keeping secrets or causing a ton of chaos...everyone could probably agree on one thing:

They've made their choices and no matter what happened in the coming days, they will lie in the beds they made for themselves. Whatever that should mean for each and every single person still living here.

That being said, there's still new choices to make. In the days to come, what will those be?

Comments

[golden_dream]

...

[She writes again:

"If I described someone, will you draw them?"]

[onemolife]

I can try my best, but it might not be perfect.

[golden_dream]

...

[Sure, she'll take his offer.

Giovanni has acquired: one crying Rosa, right into his shoulder.]

[golden_dream]

[She writes back:

"I understand. --Not for free either. I'll make you an outfit of your choice."]

[onemolife]

You don't have to. I don't mind doing it for free.

Let me go grab my notebook, and then you can describe them.

[golden_dream]

[She nods...

She'll wait until he gets his notebook and then start writing her description until he's making an image of a young girl who looks like this.]

[finalring]

Of course, there’s no Beatrice.

[ and he won’t mention her shaking hand either. however, he does raise an eyebrow at her statement. ]

Why do you think you’d die tomorrow? I’m sure that we will make it out of here.

[ but his smile is somewhat forced as he says this, as he’s clearly trying to cheer her up. ]

[golden_dream]

...

[She couldn't help feeling a spike of anxiety there as his words triggered her danger signals... it was too much what she wanted to hear. Therefore, there had to be some catch. Something going on beyond the face value of the words, even if she couldn't see it.

But rather than write anything, she'll just point to her stitches.]

[kaliedoscopes]

We'll see. But I meant more that they're ineffective against me. I don't feel bad for voting for Tohsaka, and I won't change my mind. And Haku...that's a story for another time.

[kaliedoscopes]

I'm not sure he did a lot of posturing, more like showboating. But, I think it could be useful. It'll take me a while to get through it all, though.

[kaliedoscopes]

...yeah, that does tend to happen. I was just concerned it reflected on me personally, in some way. I don't mind being suspected, but to be suspected as an accomplice...

[ He doesn't get it for a lot of reasons. ]

I know I haven't made any friends lately given my voting approach, but I stand by it. Sakaguchi thought similarly, and we shared several things in common. His death is a real loss.

[oxidegreen]

...I'm probably not a good person to ask about these kinds of things. This is the first time I've had to pay attention to personal relationships... probably all my life.

[She is Not Socialized Enough For This.]

I'm sorry. I'm not very much help here.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ He blinks at the word personal relationships, but she's not wrong it's just... weird to put it that way. ]

It's alright, and you did help me understand a little. [...headpat. ]

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Saphir... ]

Sure. [ There probably are some back there because people were drunk and drunk people throw stuff everywhere. ]

Mmhmm. While red is my favorite, I like how all the colors look together too. It helps in a dreary place like this.

[reanimania]

[ He had definitely thrown some at Crow himself, so yes, it seems like a good bet. ]

That's true. There is always something satisfying about seeing them all together in the order of the spectrum, too.

[ Let's see-- ]

Ooh, there are quite a few back here, actually! Some more red, here's blue and yellow... purple, I think?

[ Or maybe it's blue again, the lighting in here sucks. Anyway, lining them up on the bar as he picks them up! ]

At some point... [meeting interlude 2]

[sageking]

[ ...later in the meeting, when some people have left/been slowly leaving, Gilgamesh will approach Emil, before directing him to the other part of the room, some decent way from the others. ]

We need to talk. I remember last week you were one of those involved in discussion of explosives. First of all, have you come up with anything substantial since then?

[finalring]

[ well in response to that, romani gives he a sheepish smile.

and points to his arm that is currently in a makeshift sling. ]

We're on the same boat, then. Not only that, but I've all but failed to prove myself as a leader these past few days. I'm sure that between you and me, I'm the one that would end up as a sacrifice.

[impyroverished]

[Getting taken aside for a talk...oh, geez. It makes Emil somewhat nervous, admittedly. Still, he obeys, lowering his voice for as much privacy as that can give them. He can't help but direct a look at the rest of the group at large before talking -- if the rest heard about it...would someone try to take them?

Well, Gil certainly wouldn't. He seems reasonable!]

...I mixed some explosives already. Just in case. They're essential for any cleanser, so having some gave me some peace of mind.

I didn't bring them here, I have them in my room.

[golden_dream]

...

[She can't help watching his face, then, will start writing her reply.

And writing.

And writing...

After a good thirty seconds she turns her notepad back. She holds it so he can read her words:

"Actually, on that note, there's something I wanted to confirm with you.

Your response that you voted for Rin-chan to give her a 'mercy killing'...

That was a lie, wasn't it?

You don't need to vocalize your response. Tap your finger on the table and I'll pass you some paper so you can write a reply.

I have no interest in revenge or sullying your reputation, Dr. It is merely important I know."]

[sageking]

In the event the plan with even the barrier fails, you are to use all of them. Consider it as our last resort option.

[ He figured that they should have multiple back up plans, because he wasn't about to let the enemy completely get the better of them. ]

Though, this isn't the only plan to use those explosives of yours. The other idea I had in mind would be to use some of them to damage the house so that in the event we have to go with the plan to place up the barrier in the first place, it'll be wounded enough so that resistance would be more difficult on the creature's end.

[finalring]

Wha...

[ that question makes him stop on his tracks, the relaxed expression quickly replaced with something more serious, with a tinge of anxiety. ]

What are you...trying to imply? And why?

[impyroverished]

I'm worried the blast will rebound onto the rest of us through the hallways. I was there when Date shot the wall, I saw how it didn't even make a dent. An explosion is going to be much worse than a bullet.

[He has no reason to believe it'd be any different, but...]

...but if we're going to die then we may as well try what we can.

[Emil refrains from tacking 'if there's no other option' because seriously, he really really really really would like to escape the house instead of dying]

[golden_dream]

[She shrugs. Then starts writing more, a lot more:

"It simply doesn't pass the smell test, as they say. We knew how painful the executions were going to be by then. You can't claim ignorance.

But, even if you want to say 'someone had to be chosen besides Zabuza, and Rin deserved a rest from the horror that's happening here, even if it was painful in method, the outcome was the same'...

Killing Rin made Rin into a ghost.

The ghosts are suffering.

I talked with Zabuza-san's ghost, briefly. The big, strong, ninja.

He begged me to kill him. If there was anything that could end the existence of the ghosts permanently, he said: do it. Right away. No hesitation. I had no choice but to promise him I would.

If a big strong ninja who can barely fight the strength of the miasma long enough to beg a weak, crippled woman to kill him is suffering so much... what about Rin? It makes me think giving her a 'mercy kill' would do the exact opposite.

I imply nothing. I merely ask.

You are a smart man, so I cannot believe you simply didn't connect that Rin would suffer as a ghost. That Rin would no longer be our friend and would come after us with a vengeance as a ghost.

So, that I why I wanted to confirm.

Do you still claim you just didn't think about how a dead Rin would still suffer, compared to a living Rin? Or did you have something else in mind?

--I'll suffix this with a note that I myself was serious with what I just said. Rin's tried to kill me since then. Getting some revenge against those who voted for her is the last thing on my mind.

I simply want to know, in case the question of 'should we have a leader?' comes up again. It reflects on your decision making."

She turns it around so he can see... holding it out of his reach to nab hit, subtly.]

[sageking]

...There are ways to redirect even explosions. Though, as you can imagine, I'm in no hurry to use these myself.

We'll see how things play out in the end. Let's hope it doesn't come to this, nor do we have any need for them.

[ This was part of what it meant to be a King. To even consider and use the worst options available if he must. ]

[finalring]

....

[ she, unfortunately, drives a hard point. and, of course, the idea of giving rin a merciful death does not go hand in hand with her state as a ghost. if anything, it'd be like putting her in a constant, endless torture.

and the fact that he even did that...

it still hurts him greatly, far more than the injury on his shoulder. just by closing his eyes, he can still see her death like it was happening right in front of him again. the blood, the screams, the corpse--

but he couldn't take it back. and he wouldn't take it back. ]

Correct. I chose Rin because it was the most logical decision. But do not think that my care for her was fake in any way either or that it was revenge for anything. Voting for her hurt. It was a horrible decision to make.