[there are several kitties who are focused on running and pouncing for this toy, but there are a few peeking around a corner to look at iwa now that he's sitting. they will begin to sneaksneak their way closer. aerith does not point this out.]
Yup. [to...all of that. that is in fact a lot of true statements.] If this place's rules are anything to go by, we might expect to see Alfyn or Nina in that ring. I'm not looking forward to whoever it ends up being though. And with Eric's case...it was too hard to tell in the last minute what might've happened. Now with two of them acting up.
All this time, and they still haven't found a way to end these rituals but with more blood spilled.
[ with barely restrained anger in his voice. he is not looking forward to tomorrow, even if it means seeing a dear friend again. iwatooshi sighs. ]
Eric-dono may at least be able to tell us what happened to him after he arrives... once they've all gotten their bearings. [ ie any fights are stopped. ] It looked like they didn't have enough evidence for anyone, even if they had suspicions.
The numbers were lower this week. That's progress. That has to be some kind of progress, even if it doesn't feel like it is. [she can understand the frustration and she feels it, too. more people should not have to suffer the way so many have just because they haven't found a solution, and yet here they are. suffering. and there are people out there roaming free like ticking time bombs.]
Yeah...I'm hoping he'll feel up for talking a little once he's settled in. Finding out everything that we can can only help us in the longrun, even if it might feel hard to talk about at first. Robin...was strangely avoidant. And all they had on Kanda was his hair. Both of those could have been from anything. Maybe they're not even the two we should be looking at at all. And then there's Camille, too, whenever she arrives.
They said the cult was trying to slow down the loss rate a bit, so I agree. It's progress.
We can give him a little time, but anything he has to offer would be useful. Even if there's no way for us to reach them now, that could change - just like our ability to reach the other overseers.
[ ah, but about robin and the others... he nods along. ]
We can't accuse someone on so little. It's reckless, especially when there could be other lives involved. [ partners... ] I suppose that all we can do is wait and hope that they'll have answers for us. But even Marina-dono didn't want to give up Caelus-dono. Who knows what the others will think?
We can't rush him, but if we let him know it's for the betterment of everybody...maybe that'll help, too. I think you're right. Nehan told me it was safer right now that nobody knows we're here, and I do think he has a point, but I don't know if it'll stay that way. Things changed between us and the overseers. So why not the rest of them?
[flicking the cat toy...a kitty pounces, nearly knocking its friend over.]
And they have to be careful about exposing partners. Or a lack thereof. [poor hawke.] ...they were friends. I don't think I can blame her for wanting to withhold his name and try to make the most of it. [she'd felt the same way about lucas.] With things turning out the way that they are...they were talking about what to do if someone turned into a monster. But they still weren't sure how to act in the last minute. That's not anyone's fault though. Making a decision like that can't be easy.
If nothing else, maybe Ichiban-dono will be able to talk to him. But we can only wait and see, as frustrating as that is. [ both about tomi and about contacting the others. ] Maybe if we keep working and finding those stones, something will come up.
[ he'll just idly watch the kitties play while they talk. ]
Their rules are strict. [ POOR HAWKE. ] And no, I don't blame her at all, but we would have learned one way or another, with a transformation like that.
...Even the best laid plans can fall apart in the heat of battle. Discussing it at all was a start. They just need to be better prepared to follow through when the time comes. [ that said, ] They didn't do too badly, this time. They disarmed him before anything happened.
Maybe. But...it sounds like those locked spaces are getting worse. We should try to warn the new arrivals to arm themselves and prepare them for the things they could see in there. I think the stones hold some kind of key, but...the sacrifice could be a lot.
[the latter part...it makes sense. they could plan and plan all they want, but in the heat of the moment things could change. hadn't she said as much to lucas the other day? they knew that there were things that could mess with them, but all three of them fell victim to those hallucinations on thursday.]
It was a start. Better than last week when Aqua lost control. [softly said, because she knows aqua might be a delicate subject still with iwa in particular.] But...we can't be too hard on them, or us, if we forgo plans. We can only try again.
I did try to warn Marina-dono, but the others will need to know, too. Maybe we should add that to those notebooks that Aventurine-dono's been writing?
[ more of a general description of what to expect than a simple timeline... a graveyard guide. ]
That wasn't Aqua-dono's fault any more than it was Caelus-dono's. [ funnily enough, he sounds more defensive of them both than anything. ] But yes, you're right. If it happens, it happens. As long as things don't get too out of hand, they'll be alright.
That's not a bad idea. Aventurine would know about the severity of the first examples, and we can detail the second. Plus it's probably a good idea for everyone to know it's possible to still be swept away on those journeys through the fog with some of our living friends.
[but she nods.]
I know it wasn't. None of you who were afflicted were really yourselves at all and that's what makes this worse. All the more reason we're going to keep doing our best to make sure we find a way out, too. [...] You still have someone who'll be waiting for you when he returns, you know.
[she hadn't been sure how to, exactly, broach the topic of what happened in the bar with imanotsurugi, but this is a baby step.]
Exactly what I was thinking. Having that information would mean they'd be a little more prepared than we were. That may be the best we can hope for if these situations use our own memories against us.
[ the way we established during execution that aerith hasn't asked what being monsterified is like so we can't talk about it now... tch ]
...I know. I wouldn't dream of letting him down, but I'm sure there's someone like that for each of us.
Yeah. Maybe...something else we can do is figure out ways to help each other in the aftermath, too. Not just physical healing, but other things. Especially if some of us are dying and coming back and we aren't the same. It could help to know what might ground someone back to reality a little and help them regroup. I think...all three of us kind of experienced things we aren't fully used to.
[STOP I KNOW HOWLS i'll come back in the new week...my iwa...but anyway.]
Sure. [she says this almost...not quite flippantly, but like she agrees for most other situations.] But sometimes it feels like you think more about the bigger picture and other people's feelings than what to do with yours.
[this is extremely rich coming from her, but listen.]
We should probably keep track of the effects when that happens so we know what to expect for others. I didn't even realize there were side effects, at first, but it makes sense that there are. [ second and third deaths or whatnot. of course they'd lose something. ] I'm not sure that I understand the effects we experienced, either.
[ but anyways. he falls quiet for a moment, then replies softly. ]
I think that may be a trait that we both share, Aerith-dono.
I didn't either. Nehan had to point out mine to me, and...when you ran away, I thought it was just that you were upset about what happened in there. I wanted to give you space, but I didn't know if that was the right call either. Keeping track might be a good idea though. It could help us figure out if there's a pattern, or if the effects are targeting us specifically.
[but ah...yes, called the fuck out. she isn't entirely surprised, but she does give him a quiet, considering look.]
Is it hypocritical of me to point it out, you think?
If I'm honest, I thought that's all it was, too, at the time.
[ but then it kept going, and his stomach started to turn at the very idea of being around all of the others. looking back on it now, it's clear that wasn't just the shock of watching imanotsurugi break before his eyes, illusion or not. ]
Given the other effects we've seen in this place and on the other side, I don't think I'd be too surprised if the ones we experienced were targeted to us, somehow. But you're right - if there's a pattern, we can prepare for it, and better understand what to do when they come again.
...A little, maybe, but I'm hardly one to judge. [ because truly, aerith hit the nail on the head. ] I'm used to taking care of Imanotsurugi, so maybe this is what comes naturally to me.
It's hard to separate them after something kind of traumatic happens, I think. [just...in general. she wasn't entirely sure if her hopelessness came from being impaled or it was an effect or it was just aerith finally being buried under the weight of all things that have happened here.]
So far the only pattern I've really seen is "things that will hurt us." Not much of a pattern though when you think about it. [horrible!] But it'll help people think, maybe. They would know what scares them the most.
[but yeah...she is noting a few of those similarities here.]
...it's a little hard when you have people you know need your help and they're your priority, right? You have to stay positive for them and keep them going, because the idea of them being hurt is worse.
True. It becomes too easy to get caught up in our own thoughts.
...Because what hurts us will vary for each one of us. [ softly. ] Of course that's how it would be. Well, if nothing else, the tattoos from our first week may give us all ideas of what to expect. But I still wish there was a way to get what we need without further suffering.
[ they're already dead, aren't they? leave the children alone. let them rest.
aerith's words resonate in a way iwatooshi isn't quite prepared for, so when he turns to face her more fully, his expression is a bit pained. ]
Yes. I would have done almost anything to keep Imanotsurugi from being hurt.
[she glances at her wrist, like, immediately when iwa mentions the tattoos, thinking about what hers had said weeks ago. well...that's true, isn't it? what they experienced in there was what she'd feared in a way.]
Nehan said suffering's probably inevitable, but...I wish it wasn't like this, too. It's not like any of us had an easy journey to get here in the first place. [...] You're a good partner to him. Has he told you that? Or...I guess, has anyone pointed that out?
[hm...she's not sure if this is her place to press, but she thinks that maybe iwatooshi is similar to some of the others here. people who hold such pain and conflicted feelings, but never share them because people don't ask and they feel like they have to hold it together all the time.]
Should have, perhaps. But are they things you could have done at the time at all?
[it's very minute, but there's a flicker of something in her expression that's a little like uncertainty but also a little like understanding.]
It's...hard to know in that moment. Especially when the last thing you want to do is hurt them. Who wants that? Nobody wants to be the person who hurts the people they love most when you spend so much time protecting them in the first place. [she says, having 0% experience at all. clearly.] I don't know if I'd necessarily blame you for that. Maybe, if you were still thinking it was what was best for him. But seems like you've given it some thought since then.
It is. [ touches his chest briefly. ] These emotions we have make it even more difficult.
...I didn't realize on my own. I was still trying to figure out what to do, but - Mikazuki-dono showed me that what may be kind to me could be cruel to others. It's different for everyone.
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Yup. [to...all of that. that is in fact a lot of true statements.] If this place's rules are anything to go by, we might expect to see Alfyn or Nina in that ring. I'm not looking forward to whoever it ends up being though. And with Eric's case...it was too hard to tell in the last minute what might've happened. Now with two of them acting up.
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All this time, and they still haven't found a way to end these rituals but with more blood spilled.
[ with barely restrained anger in his voice. he is not looking forward to tomorrow, even if it means seeing a dear friend again. iwatooshi sighs. ]
Eric-dono may at least be able to tell us what happened to him after he arrives... once they've all gotten their bearings. [ ie any fights are stopped. ] It looked like they didn't have enough evidence for anyone, even if they had suspicions.
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Yeah...I'm hoping he'll feel up for talking a little once he's settled in. Finding out everything that we can can only help us in the longrun, even if it might feel hard to talk about at first. Robin...was strangely avoidant. And all they had on Kanda was his hair. Both of those could have been from anything. Maybe they're not even the two we should be looking at at all. And then there's Camille, too, whenever she arrives.
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We can give him a little time, but anything he has to offer would be useful. Even if there's no way for us to reach them now, that could change - just like our ability to reach the other overseers.
[ ah, but about robin and the others... he nods along. ]
We can't accuse someone on so little. It's reckless, especially when there could be other lives involved. [ partners... ] I suppose that all we can do is wait and hope that they'll have answers for us. But even Marina-dono didn't want to give up Caelus-dono. Who knows what the others will think?
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[flicking the cat toy...a kitty pounces, nearly knocking its friend over.]
And they have to be careful about exposing partners. Or a lack thereof. [poor hawke.] ...they were friends. I don't think I can blame her for wanting to withhold his name and try to make the most of it. [she'd felt the same way about lucas.] With things turning out the way that they are...they were talking about what to do if someone turned into a monster. But they still weren't sure how to act in the last minute. That's not anyone's fault though. Making a decision like that can't be easy.
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[ he'll just idly watch the kitties play while they talk. ]
Their rules are strict. [ POOR HAWKE. ] And no, I don't blame her at all, but we would have learned one way or another, with a transformation like that.
...Even the best laid plans can fall apart in the heat of battle. Discussing it at all was a start. They just need to be better prepared to follow through when the time comes. [ that said, ] They didn't do too badly, this time. They disarmed him before anything happened.
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[the latter part...it makes sense. they could plan and plan all they want, but in the heat of the moment things could change. hadn't she said as much to lucas the other day? they knew that there were things that could mess with them, but all three of them fell victim to those hallucinations on thursday.]
It was a start. Better than last week when Aqua lost control. [softly said, because she knows aqua might be a delicate subject still with iwa in particular.] But...we can't be too hard on them, or us, if we forgo plans. We can only try again.
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[ more of a general description of what to expect than a simple timeline... a graveyard guide. ]
That wasn't Aqua-dono's fault any more than it was Caelus-dono's. [ funnily enough, he sounds more defensive of them both than anything. ] But yes, you're right. If it happens, it happens. As long as things don't get too out of hand, they'll be alright.
...And so will we, eventually.
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[but she nods.]
I know it wasn't. None of you who were afflicted were really yourselves at all and that's what makes this worse. All the more reason we're going to keep doing our best to make sure we find a way out, too. [...] You still have someone who'll be waiting for you when he returns, you know.
[she hadn't been sure how to, exactly, broach the topic of what happened in the bar with imanotsurugi, but this is a baby step.]
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[ the way we established during execution that aerith hasn't asked what being monsterified is like so we can't talk about it now... tch ]
...I know. I wouldn't dream of letting him down, but I'm sure there's someone like that for each of us.
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[STOP I KNOW HOWLS i'll come back in the new week...my iwa...but anyway.]
Sure. [she says this almost...not quite flippantly, but like she agrees for most other situations.] But sometimes it feels like you think more about the bigger picture and other people's feelings than what to do with yours.
[this is extremely rich coming from her, but listen.]
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We should probably keep track of the effects when that happens so we know what to expect for others. I didn't even realize there were side effects, at first, but it makes sense that there are. [ second and third deaths or whatnot. of course they'd lose something. ] I'm not sure that I understand the effects we experienced, either.
[ but anyways. he falls quiet for a moment, then replies softly. ]
I think that may be a trait that we both share, Aerith-dono.
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[but ah...yes, called the fuck out. she isn't entirely surprised, but she does give him a quiet, considering look.]
Is it hypocritical of me to point it out, you think?
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[ but then it kept going, and his stomach started to turn at the very idea of being around all of the others. looking back on it now, it's clear that wasn't just the shock of watching imanotsurugi break before his eyes, illusion or not. ]
Given the other effects we've seen in this place and on the other side, I don't think I'd be too surprised if the ones we experienced were targeted to us, somehow. But you're right - if there's a pattern, we can prepare for it, and better understand what to do when they come again.
...A little, maybe, but I'm hardly one to judge. [ because truly, aerith hit the nail on the head. ] I'm used to taking care of Imanotsurugi, so maybe this is what comes naturally to me.
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So far the only pattern I've really seen is "things that will hurt us." Not much of a pattern though when you think about it. [horrible!] But it'll help people think, maybe. They would know what scares them the most.
[but yeah...she is noting a few of those similarities here.]
...it's a little hard when you have people you know need your help and they're your priority, right? You have to stay positive for them and keep them going, because the idea of them being hurt is worse.
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...Because what hurts us will vary for each one of us. [ softly. ] Of course that's how it would be. Well, if nothing else, the tattoos from our first week may give us all ideas of what to expect. But I still wish there was a way to get what we need without further suffering.
[ they're already dead, aren't they? leave the children alone. let them rest.
aerith's words resonate in a way iwatooshi isn't quite prepared for, so when he turns to face her more fully, his expression is a bit pained. ]
Yes. I would have done almost anything to keep Imanotsurugi from being hurt.
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Nehan said suffering's probably inevitable, but...I wish it wasn't like this, too. It's not like any of us had an easy journey to get here in the first place. [...] You're a good partner to him. Has he told you that? Or...I guess, has anyone pointed that out?
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...No one has said anything like that to me.
[ and he's really not sure how to feel about it now that someone has. conflicted, at best. ]
I don't know if it's true. There are a lot of things I should have done differently before he left.
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Should have, perhaps. But are they things you could have done at the time at all?
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What made you choose to turn away from each choice?
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[ shakes his head. ]
It was selfish of me. I was only thinking of what I believed was good for him, so I didn't see what he really needed.
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It's...hard to know in that moment. Especially when the last thing you want to do is hurt them. Who wants that? Nobody wants to be the person who hurts the people they love most when you spend so much time protecting them in the first place. [she says, having 0% experience at all. clearly.] I don't know if I'd necessarily blame you for that. Maybe, if you were still thinking it was what was best for him. But seems like you've given it some thought since then.
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...I didn't realize on my own. I was still trying to figure out what to do, but - Mikazuki-dono showed me that what may be kind to me could be cruel to others. It's different for everyone.
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...that man who showed up, right? I think I saw him in that memory of yours. [...] Who is he to you anyway?
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