letsplayamurder | Wednesday Group Lunch

[Sometime mid-morning on Wednesday, the Eatery and Kitchen will suddenly be bustling with activity. First, the sounds of cookery start to trickle out into the hall, quickly followed by some delicious smells. If one peeks in, they might see Lebkuchen kneading dough while Cerejiera gives her some instructions on modern oven use. There are others chopping vegetables, and some point Ranma’s cooking something on the stove. Soon enough, food starts to come out and fill the table. Fresh bread and soup, various other dishes, as well as apfelstreudel and lebkuchen for dessert. To drink, there’s coffee (Vanity) and tea (Sayo) and some kind of fruity, delicious punch that combines peaches, grenadine and something almond-y, reminiscent of something familiar to at least one of you. At the same time, the table starts to be set up, plates and cups levatating through the air with alicorn magic while Aoi has been trusted with…the napkins. Once the table is mostly set, runners are sent out to invite (or strongly encourage, if needed) those missing to a lunch in the Eatery. Which is now for sure 100% safe from Rube Goldberg-esque accidents, courtesy of Alex.

So come in! Grab a seat, a drink, and some food. Time to get to know each other a little better.]

((BIG OOC NAVIGATION))

|| Introductions (Icebreakers) | World Basics | Investigation | Domains and Powers (Profiles) | Second Host | General Chatter ||

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Alex looks at her, hard and fierce. ]

How can you just...

[ He has to focus. He has to focus on this, now. He'd asked Athena to help him save Clear. What if...what if that was the wrong thing to do? What if it's going to hurt her? Fuck. Fuck.

He changes gears. ] Then we gotta figure that out. We gotta get her to explain, if it's not like that here—or if it is.

[And Aglaea just stares right back, her face an ever-constant mask of neutrality.]

We're all doing our part, to try to herald the Era Nova. For the sake of all of Amphoreus.

[And she'll just leave it at that.]

I doubt Athena will be very honest with her plans. As Quark mentioned, one of the first things we should all do is work on investigating every inch of our current home. With the scroll storage only halfway burned, it could be that Athena - or any possible accomplices - might not be as thorough at hiding information as one might believe a goddess to be.

If you think all that, why the hell'd you say yes?

Because I'm dead. My physical self, and the divinity I left behind have both faded.

[No grief in her voice. At all.]

Perhaps... I agreed to this, because it reminded me of my first steps on the Flame-Chase Journey a thousand years ago.

[ ...Oh.

Some of that ferocity... It drains from him. Alex grits his teeth and his expression turns more thoughtful. More...conflicted. ]

Jeez... How many of us even are... [ His hands continue to shake, but he doesn't feel them. ] ...If this reminded you of all that, then... We're in some trouble.

....

[Just as she did with Mutsumi before, Aglaea calls on her threads. But with how jumpy Alex is, she makes it as obvious as she can; she holds her hand out, glittering golden threads dangling from her fingers like a puppeteer's strings. They reach out towards his hand, slow and obvious with their movements, and pause a moment before wrapping around it. Like she's trying to hold his hand, but distantly.

There's also a slight pulse to the thread, just a little hint of warmth.

Aglaea herself wasn't really all that torn up about her death. She was more unsettled by Caenis threatening the lives of all the humans in the bathhouse than she was at the feeling of that dagger plunging into her heart. And even as the leader of the Chrysos Heirs, she hadn't been worried; she'd made sure Phainon was prepared, that he'd carry the mantle of the world and all of Amphoreus's hopes. She believed in him, in the others, in the people.

It was... a good death, she thinks.]

We won't. There's always a way to fight back. We just need to find it first. And we will.

[ What are those? What's she doing? Is it going to hurt him? Is it going t-

It feels warm. Warm, but...not like fire. Just like a gentle hand. Like...

Alex blinks down some slow-rising tears. Hold it together. You need to hold it together. You can't get distracted again. Not like last time. Not again. ]

Wha... What is that?

[ His hands, for the record, do not stop shaking. ]

A gift. Simply an extension of my dressmaking abilities I've developed for other practical uses.

[She's not really a touchy-feely person, unless it's one of the Tribios grabbing her hand and dragging her off somewhere. She's gotten used to these small reassurances with her threads, especially when that was the closest any of them could get to Castorice.]

I can't say this will be a smooth journey, Alex. But being stronger together means we all share that strength. Take comfort in that.

...That sounds like...it could be nice.

[ But his voice is low and far from hopeful. Not dour, no. But he doesn't dare to long for something like that. That's always what Clear was good at. At least... That's what he, inexplicably, brought out in her.

Is...she still like that now? Now that she's all alone?

He's grown too used to losing what he's trying to hold onto, and that includes hope. ]

Just keep your head up. Keep your eyes forward. The shadows at your back want you to look behind, they want you to see them. Don't give them that satisfaction.

[There's a slight edge to her voice, but it's a blade not directed at him.]

[ He can tell they aren't quite talking about the same thing. But still... ]

"Seeing" them's the only defense I've had. If I don't see what's coming, it's like giving up.

Seeing?

[Look. Aglaea knows he means more than just seeing normally with your eyes.]

What do you mean by that?

[ Despite the last few days, despite what Aglaea has said about herself, Alex still finds himself wanting to clamp down on everything and stay silent. So for a few long moments, he does. He drops his eyes, sucks in a breath through his teeth. ]

...You gotta be...vigilant. Alert. 'Cause sometimes, the- the universe, it's...it's willing to open itself up to you, if you just know what to look for. If you're able to see the signs, that something's coming.

... I see.

[Aglaea's smart enough to understand what he's hinting at. She's also still got enough of her humanity left that she can see just how badly the poor boy's locking up, so. She'll drop it, for now. At least until she can talk to him alone, to see if he's more comfortable opening up a little more that way.]

It's a heavy burden, isn't it? To see more than others do.

[She doesn't mean herself, but... it's one reason she never faulted Cifera for running from the Flame-Chase Journey, when she received her prophecy.]

[ It's not her fault. Really, it's not anyone here's fault. This is just how Alex has learned to be, in response to the world around him. ]

...S'my responsibility now. Nothing else to do about it.

[ But he's tired. He wishes...

The world isn't kind enough to listen to what he wishes. ]

I agree with the investigating, obviously, it was my idea, but I get the feeling if we ask Athena the right questions, we'll get an answer. I don't get the feeling that she's a liar, but more that you have to choose your words carefully.

Which, might I point out, I'm fairly well equipped to do. I'll ask her.

I'll follow your lead, then, however you need it. I've had my own fair share of interrogations, but my methods are... somewhat blocked.

[A small huff. It's the closest thing to annoyed she's sounded.]

I attempted to get a read on her when she first revealed herself, but... nothing.

Wednesday Group Lunch

no subject

no subject

no subject

[Star Rail 3.3 spoilers ahoy!]

[Star Rail 3.3 spoilers continued!]

[spoilers cont'd!]

[spoilers cont'd!] cw allusions to nerve damage

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject