No party like an pope party??

[archboxer]

[That... that was a thing for everyone. There should be no celebration for Lif but, well, even if Rhea has a very cynical view of such things it's probably for the best that everyone stays together. Her first stop is the cafeteria, after all nothing better to keep people in one spot than free food. There she bumps into Mira, leaving the snacks to her Rhea ends up writing notes to everyone to come to the cafeteria in a few hours.

Some she hands personally and if she can't find someone she slid it under their door. Rin's she slides into her room regardless.

Fortunately, you won't hear a sermon.]

Comments

[snackooed]

[ Despite everything, Ema was somewhat of a late arrival, and it isn't until later still that she decides to poke her head in on Mira. ]

I wish I could make it up to you with more than just this, but for now, it'll have to do. I'm sorry.

[ Ema is sporting all black at this affair in her suit; a far cry from the white labcoat that she normally wouldn't be caught dead without. After all, the occasion is somewhat of a somber affair, and it didn't feel right to sport her usual attire here.

In one hand, she's clutching the curved handle of a piping hot mug of coffee like a lifeline. In the other...well, after something as harrowing as today's event, a decadent dessert is warranted more than ever, even if it might be hard to swallow. But there's no denying that the slice of chocolate pudding pie she lays out on the table, topped with whipped cream and nestled neatly in a graham cracker crust, has a certain visual appeal to it. ]

If you don't have the stomach for it, you can always cash in another time.

[philoxenia]

[ It's been a long day, but... There's something about what Ema brings her, what she says, that makes her throat tighten. For a long while, it looks like she's struggling, and she can definitely feel her eyes sting. And, as she reaches out for the plate, her hands are definitely shaking a little. ]

... I probably should eat a little something. [ She traces the outside of the plate. ] Thank you, Ema. It-- it means a lot.

[ She pauses, and looks up at her. ]

... Do you want to sit?

[snackooed]

...I could take a bit of a breather, for sure. To tell you the truth, I don't think I've sat down since this morning. I've been sort of just pacing about, like I have all of this energy with no real outlet for it...

[ Maybe she's just nervous that once she actually sits down and lets the day wash over her, it'll really start to sink in.

But with Mira here, it might be better to take that step than it would be to take it alone. She pulls out a chair and parks herself down, with just the tiniest bit of trepidation.

It's been a long day, is right. ]

This job has been my dream since I was a kid, but the hard parts of it never do get any easier.

[philoxenia]

Then you need to rest, more than any of us.

[ She says it lightly, at least. ]

It... seems like the sort of job that wears on you. I remember reading Nancy Drew as a kid, and thinking how amazing it would be to do that for real, but...

[ But reality is always a lot harder than fiction. And there was never anything like this in those books--sentencing someone you care about to death? Never. ]

... W-what I mean is, you're very tough, Ema.

[snackooed]

It's more stubbornness than toughness, if you ask me...

[ She blows some steam away from her coffee and sips at it, as if she's savoring it. ]

There are parts of it that do feel amazing, yes. To me, blowing away fingerprint powder, or putting on my glasses to see a luminol reaction...there's so much excitement to it. Like there's a whole invisible world that I can see into, and I can use what I see to help people get to the bottom of something. To help them reach the truth...

[ Of course, it's not always quite that clean, or noble. Needless to say, she's never had a case quite like this, but... ]

Under normal circumstances, I think that's something to be proud of.

[philoxenia]

[ She watches her for a moment, before she takes a bite of her pie. She's glad she does, because it's delicious. It helps, just the tiniest bit... but in a situation like this? Even the smallest bit is something to be grateful for. ]

... But in a situation like this, it makes it feel rotten, doesn't it?

[ Having that passion twisted to the point of breaking... it's got to be awful. That's what Mira thinks, anyway. ]

[snackooed]

Rotten is...yeah, that's a good way to put it.

[ Though she does notice the glint in Mira's eye when she takes a bite of the pie. That alone feels like a bit of a load off. ]

It's certainly far from my finest hour. And I know it's a situation we had little control over, but...any sort of honor there might have been in it just feels wrong, here.

[ But, even still... ]

I don't regret us doing our part to get to the heart of the matter, of course. But it's all just so wrong.

[philoxenia]

[ Her spoon stills in her hand, and something almost... twists in her expression. Mira lowers her gaze, staring at the pie. ]

... It would feel so much different if it hadn't been for that motive, wouldn't it? [ She lets out a heavy, heavy sigh. ] He really wasn't kidding when he said he'd provide us with a "push"...

[ And it terrifies her what will come next. ]

[snackooed]

Yeah, you're not wrong about that. We all struggled with it in our own way...

[ She takes another sip of her coffee, but it's clear she's just looking to hide a sigh of her own. She never even opened the red envelope with her name on it; she already knew what was inside, after all. But what was a painful reminder of a bitter, bitter memory for her was someone else's reason to take a life, dangled over their heads... ]

But it's all the more reason to stay united moving forward, if you ask me.

[ Especially now that they're fully aware of the stakes. Of course, that's easier said than done... ]

[philoxenia]

... Mm. I hope we will.

[ It's easy to say that the Professor is the real enemy. But when something like those secrets stares you in the face... it's a little harder to remember that, she thinks. Even if she hadn't considered killing for hers, who's to say that'll hold true in the future? There's always the right motive.

And even if she ends up being targeted--which is, in all honesty, pretty likely considering she's out of her element in many, many ways--there's always self-defense. Mira has a sinking, terrible feeling that the Professor would pit the blame on whoever takes a life, even in that situation.

She takes another bite of her pie, in an attempt to chase away the awful taste in her mouth. ]

I think some of us will agree, at the very least. We're much stronger together than at each other's throats.

[snackooed]

I do agree a hundred percent, but it's one thing to say that, and another to put it into practice, though...I've been racking my brain over ways to be more proactive about this, instead of reactive. Keeping the team together through things like this are a good start, great, even, but...

[ When push comes to shove, who's to say it isn't going to do more harm than good, when the Professor pushes the right buttons? Who's to say it won't have the adverse effect, and make it easier for someone to let their guard down? Who's to say it won't put a "Kill Me" sign on someone's back?

She sets her coffee down, and almost moves to put her forehead in her hand...before thinking better of it, and crossing her arms instead, her fingers digging into the black silk of her coat. She doesn't want to wear that kind of defeated expression. Not in front of Mira. ]

Somehow, someway, there's gotta be better. We've gotta be better.