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

[cw_suicide]

Houdini supposedly died because a fan punched him too hard before he could tense.

Or was that they ruptured his already inflamed appendix? I forget.

[but she's not wrong, and he knows it. he does already have the experience of the death of a friend coming without warning to compare it against and the truth is... they both. hurt. so intensely.]

... I told him, when he volunteered, someone was going to use that as a reason.

[and then Date had to go and actually use those words.]

I was still angry at him about the hesitating on speaking up about the votes, too. And yet, he still knew... I'd help him...

[he would have, too, if only the house would have let him!]

[accessorytomurder]

[She tilts his head, still terribly, terribly gentle with him, and presses her lips to his temple.]

Of course you would.

[Another one, on his forehead.]

Of course he did. Being angry isn't an end to anything, it's... it's transient.

[His cheek, softly.]

...no matter what his voice is used to say, next week, no amount of anger or miasma is going to change or undo the friendship you built together.

[She falters, briefly.]

In... in some ways, the two of you are a lot alike. You treasure other people so... so, so much more than your own selves.

[cw_suicide]

[the last bit draws a small, strained laugh from him mostly because the second-to-last thing has a lump in his throat strangling him for a moment.

he tugs on her arm a bit in a bid to get her to come around to the other side.]

Maybe so. People who drink to the stray dogs are a bit like that.

[accessorytomurder]

[She moves obligingly, one arm still curled around the back of his neck.]

...I'm pretty fond of those type of people.

[She sucks in a wet little breath, but her smile wavers a little bit.]

I-I thought... it was pretty hard, not hugging Rin-chan, before. But, um. But, this is... it might be even tougher. Think Wei-kun would mind if I, um, i-if I deferred it to him?

[cw_suicide]

[he slides an arm around her waist to pull her down into the chair with him. because these seats are cozy for that.]

I don't think he'd mind. He might do the same, you know.

[accessorytomurder]

[She nestles in, tossing her legs over his lap and snuggling up to him.]

...he's going to need a lot, after he gets rid of that thing, isn't he?

[cw_suicide]

Mm... I don't really know the story behind that, but... it seems like something difficult.

But we'll keep an eye on him, right?

[accessorytomurder]

Absolutely.

[Her voice is totally firm, this time.]

...and on you, too.

[cw_suicide]

And on you.

[he places a kiss on her temple.]

Not only looking out for us but also... you got to know Ango a bit, too.

Plus... Ango would really have reason to haunt me if I neglected you.

[accessorytomurder]

I-I'm okay.

[You know... comparatively speaking.]

I, um... well, I don't think you'll make a mess of me, any time soon, but probably best not to risk his 'clean up' like this. R-Right?

[cw_suicide]

Right.

Though... what happened earlier... you know that wasn't me "volunteering", right?

[he just thought nullification might have stopped a lot of the chuuni boss fight or something.]

[accessorytomurder]

...

[cw_suicide]

[wow, ok fair.]

... seriously.

He was using magic, so...?

[accessorytomurder]

You... were laughing hysterically.

[She's quiet, and not quite looking at him.]

I-I don't... even if you had the intention to stop him, I d-don't... I don't think you would've... played it s-safe...

[cw_suicide]

... I guess that is true.

I wasn't thinking of it like that. Just that if Ango was running to me because of him, then maybe I should've been able to do something before he got someone else killed...

[accessorytomurder]

Hey.

[She reaches up and grabs him by the face with both hands, forcing their gazes to meet.]

Hey. None of that.

[cw_suicide]

[?! he mostly looks confused???]

[accessorytomurder]

Osamu. This wasn't your fault.

[cw_suicide]

[he looks like he's going to argue for a moment but nothing seems to want to come out, that lump coming back to strangle him a bit.

then, in a very small voice:]

Wasn't it...?

[already believes and hasn't been corrected on one friend being dead being his fault, so obviously the second one is also...?]

[accessorytomurder]

It. Wasn't. Your. Fault.

[She punctuates each word with a firm kiss, her expression settling into something stern.]

[cw_suicide]

[it could be so easy to go into a tailspin with the existential crisis about how if it's not his fault, then that means there was no reason for it and if there's no reason for it, it just means everything's random and that leaves too much up for chance for what will happen next and--

but then there's a stern Hitoka watching him and kissing him and he's not really sure what's the right answer here? Hitoka is making a good argument for agreeing, though]

... I don't know what else to do?

[accessorytomurder]

Osamu. I-I know you're hurting—I know this... I know this is probably harder for you than I can even imagine. But, but you have to remember something, okay? You have to.

[She squeezes his face, and pulls back to meet his gaze.]

It was supposed to hurt. From the first day, from Todd onwards, we've... w-we've known that this place wants us to hurt. Everything is designed to make us m-miserable. It's pulling all the strings to make us hurt each other—on purpose or not—and... a-and...

[She swallows.]

Don't... don't do it's job for it, okay? Don't... hurt yourself, thinking that.

[cw_suicide]

[... putting it like that. it's a trap, isn't it?]

Ah.

I keep... falling into traps here, don't I...?

[he still can't bring himself to believe he has no role in it, but he at least now has that to shield himself with]

[accessorytomurder]

...I've triggered every single trap I've touched here, Osamu.

[cw_suicide]

I'm supposed to be good at not falling for traps.